The Best of Cool Green Science 2016: Birds and Birding Edition

It has been another great year for all things birds and birding on Cool Green Science.

From Tim Boucher’s 5000th life bird to a lesson in how different species use medicinal plants, these are the stories that people returned to again and again. If we missed one of your favorites, let us know in the comments!

1. Snow Birds: 10 Birds to Look for in Winter

   By Justine E. Hausheer

   

   As a new birder who lives in Maryland, I thought the only winter birds I had to look forward to were ducks. (Not that there’s anything wrong with ducks, but it’s nice to have some other possibilities out there). This list of birds to look for in winter, from Snowy Owls to White-Winged Crossbills to Hoary Red Polls, is a great reminder that winter doesn’t have to be the off-season for birding.

2. Self Medication, Wildlife Style: How Birds and Other Creatures Use Medicinal Plants

   By Joe Smith

   

   Pharmacology — it’s not just for people. In one of our most popular posts of the year, blogger Joe Smith breaks down the many ways wild animals use medicinal plants.

3. A Long Journey to 5,000 Birds: 34 Years, 6 Continents, & 47 Countries

   By Timothy Boucher

   

   Conservancy scientist and birder extraordinaire Tim Boucher logs his 5,000th life bird. Find out what it takes to see 5,000 of anything, and what he has learned from 34 years of birding. (Hint: Always have binoculars handy!)

4. Recovery: Saving Loons from Lead Fishing Tackle

   By Ted Williams

   

   Loons face many hazards. Here’s one we can easily address: lead fishing tackle.

5. Short-eared Owls: Help Track a Secretive Bird

   By Lisa Feldkamp

   

   Have you seen a short-eared owl?  These nomadic birds range around the world — if you’re in North America, South America, or Eurasia there’s a chance they live near you — but due to their secretive habits and thinly dispersed populations they are rarely seen. Unfortunately, sightings are getting fewer and farther between. Learn how you can help citizen science track and protect these owls.

6. How Do Birds Stay Warm on a Cold Winter’s Night?

   By Joe Smith

   

   Winter is a tough time for birds, but a warm place to sleep can give them an edge. A scientist looks at the cozy, and often unexpected, hideouts birds choose as their winter bedrooms, from the glove compartments of abandoned cars to the occasional ceramic pig.

7. Outtakes: Going to Great Heights for Swallow-tailed Kites

   From Nature Conservancy Magazine

   

   Assigned to photograph researchers studying swallow-tailed kites, Mac Stone had to work creatively to capture compelling images of the rare birds without disturbing them. He teamed up with biologists to rig cameras near the tops of 100-foot pine trees to get close-up shots of the birds in their well-hidden nests. He even learned to climb trees in a way that would disturb swallowtails as little as possible: “Methodically,” he says, “and quickly.” Judging by the images he brought back, all of that effort — like the conservation work he documents — was well worth it.

8. The Battles of Song Sparrows: How a Scientific Outsider Changed How We Study Birds

   By Joe Smith

   

   In 1929, when Margaret Morse Nice set out to study song sparrows in her backyard, ornithology was just emerging from an era dominated by collection of specimens. Behavior and ecology were not yet receiving much attention. The idea of territoriality in birds was a new concept and she set out to study it — using bird bands created from children’s toys. And while Nice, a trained zoologist, may have lacked a formal academic position, her work on song sparrows changed ornithology and several of the techniques she pioneered are still in use today.

9. Can Drones Help Monitor Vultures on Mongolia’s Eastern Steppe?

   By Justine E. Hausheer

   

   Checking up on the world’s largest vulture isn’t easy — they inhabit rugged mountains in one of the most remote areas of the world. But that may change thanks to unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, which Conservancy scientists are testing as a new tool to monitor Cinereous Vulture populations in Mongolia’s Kherlen Toono Uul Nature Reserve.

10. 7 Citizen Science Projects for Bird Lovers

    By Lisa Feldkamp

    

    Looking to go birding and help conservation at the same time? Does your new year’s resolution include developing new hobbies or interests? Here are our picks for some of the best bird-related citizen science projects to help you find your niche.