CALLING ALL SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENTS!
Do you have an American Robin nesting in your yard?
WANTED
YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO AN EXCITING SCIENTIFIC STUDY!
Dr. Karina Sanchez at the University of New Hampshire is studying the effects of urban noise, light, and landscape on bird behaviors and reproduction.
We are seeking help from the public in accessing nesting sites this field season (Spring 2023)
Then what happens?
Decide if you want to participate in the nest monitoring program.
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Decide if you would are comfortable with in-person monitoring or if you would like to monitor the nest yourself!
In-person Monitoring
If you are comfortable with it, I will visit your yard once a week to monitor the nest. We will wear masks, stay a minimum of 6 feet away from others and not touch any unnecessary property. We want you to feel safe!
Self Monitoring
If you are not comfortable with weekly visits but want to contribute, you can monitor the nest from home yourself! When the nestlings are a certain age, we will arrange a safe day/time to come weigh them and give them USGS identifiers.
Keep scrolling to learn about our full data collection process including nest monitoring.
Banding the Adults
We have a federal and state banding permit that allows us to trap birds using a light-weight net. Once trapped, we give all of our birds a unique set of bracelets (bands) that will help us identify them in the future. This is also your chance to learn how to and to hold a bird!
AE Nash Holding a male robin we trapped in her yard in 2019 (we named him Pavlov)
Song Recordings
We will record the songs of the male robins using a microphone and recorder. Now that we have identifying bands on the parents, we know who is singing!
SPREAD THE WORD!
Let your neighbors and friends know about our project. We love interacting with the public and would love to engage with as many people as possible. Follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the season!
The data we collect at each of these sites will be used to compare the reproductive success of birds living in the city and outside of the city. We will measure noise, light, and landscape in the general areas of each nest to see if noise, light, or land cover affects American Robins.