Greetings, VA birders-
Below is some information about a couple of projects you may be interested
in participating in. We're looking for volunteer birders and professional
biologists to participate in Birds in Forested Landscapes and/or the
Golden-winged Warbler Atlas Project. Both projects are a good way to gain
in-the-field experience, and the projects can be easily combined with
current research. Please email me privately if you can help out. Here's a
little about each project:
Birds in Forested Landscapes (BFL)
BFL is working to determine the effects of forest fragmentation on North
American forest birds. Participants choose BFL species that breed locally
(48 species throughout NA) and select (a) study site(s) in fragments or
contiguous forest. They visit the site(s) twice during the breeding season,
look for evidence of breeding, and record habitat characteristics.
Participants receive a research kit and CD to use in the field for
playback. Results from BFL are being used to develop conservation and
management guidelines for sustaining healthy populations of these species
(past results have been published as "A Land Manager's Guide to Improving
Habitat for Scarlet Tanagers and Other Forest-Interior Birds.") For more
information, visit www.birds.cornell.edu/bfl
Golden-winged Warbler Atlas Project (GOWAP)
Participants in this project survey and conduct point counts at known and
potential breeding site of golden-wings throughout their range. The goal is
to determine the
population status and habitat and area requirements of golden-wings,
blue-wings, and their hybrids. The Population Survey protocol involves
surveying known/potential breeding sites (chosen by the participant) to
determine numbers of breeding birds, population status, and habitat
characteristics. For the Hybrid Index, participants choose pages from their
state's Delorme Atlas and conduct a series of 10-minute point counts in
suitable habitat using playback and visual ID. (NOTE: some funding is
available to pay field assistants who can work extensively on the Hybrid
Index in MD, MI, MN, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WI, WV) For more info,
www.birds.cornell.edu/gowap
Allison Wells
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
www.birds.cornell.edu
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