[mou] Studying bird "personality"

[Jim Williams]

Begin forwarded message:

Contact: Miyoko Chu
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
(607) 254-2451
mcc37@cornell.edu <mailto:jld84@cornell.edu>

Unlocking Clues to Bird "Personality"
Citizen scientists to engage in unique study

Ithaca, NY, February 2006-It is serious science, with a novel
twist-using a brightly colored or patterned object to measure how birds
respond to the new and unexpected. Bird watchers will play a key role in
this engaging new "Personality Profiles" experiment run by The Birdhouse
Network, a citizen-science project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Across North America, thousands of participants in The Birdhouse Network
monitor the activities of cavity-nesting birds, including nest-building
and raising young. This spring, bluebirds, swallows, and wrens may find
a harmless, novel object tacked to their nest box. Will they be curious
or cautious? "We believe that examining birds' responses to novel
objects can help us understand why some bird species respond well and
others poorly to human disturbance," says Dr. Janis Dickinson, a
behavioral ecologist and director of Citizen Science at the Cornell Lab
of Ornithology.

Participants in this study will follow a strict protocol that includes
watching nesting pairs for up to an hour and sending their observations
to the Lab of Ornithology. Scientists there will look for large-scale
trends in the exploratory behaviors of cavity-nesting birds. A bird's
"personality" may also be associated with other behaviors, such as
whether it migrates or stays put, or whether it lives in the city versus
the country. A bird's shyness or boldness may also speak to its success
in a world increasingly dominated by human development.

The Birdhouse Network's volunteers put nest boxes in their yards and
monitor the number of eggs and young in the nest. People of all ages and
skill levels can participate. To find out more or to receive a welcome
packet, visit www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse, or call (800) 843-2473.
The project fee is $15 ($12 for Lab members).


SIDEBAR: Nest Box Cams, a Peek Inside the Mysterious Lives of
Cavity-Nesting Birds
Since 1999, The Birdhouse Network (TBN) has provided live images of
nesting birds to viewers around the world. Using a system of Nest Box
Cams-small cameras placed near nests-Internet viewers can follow species
such as bluebirds, swallows, Barn Owls, American Kestrels, and even
Osprey, as they build their nest, lay eggs, hatch and feed the young,
and much more. Developed and managed by the TBN staff, the cams have
attracted nearly half a million viewers. "The cams are a great way to
get a close-up-and-personal look at what goes on inside a nest box,
something that just wouldn't be possible without the cams," says Tina
Phillips, TBN's project leader. To get a peek or receive a video of
nesting bluebirds and help support the cams, visit The Birdhouse
Network's web site at www.birds.cornell.edu/birdhouse. To become a
sponsor of the cams, contact Tina Phillips at 800/843-2473 or, if
outside the U.S. 607/254-2473.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution interpreting
and conserving the earth's biological diversity through research,
education, and citizen science focused on birds

forward by Jim Williams, Wayzata, Minnesota