dc.contributor.author | McCaffrey, Rachel E. | eng |
dc.date.issued | 2005 | eng |
dc.description | Among the more common types of ecological projects utilizing citizen scientists in urban areas are studies examining urban bird populations. Using information collected by residents, researchers in England have been able to investigate the distribution and geographical abundance of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) throughout London (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, 2004). At urban and suburban sites throughout the Washington, D.C., area, citizen scientists are gathering data about the nesting success and survival rates of their backyard birds through the Smithsonian Institute’s Neighborhood Nestwatch Program (Smithsonian Institute, n.d.). The Cornell Lab of Ornithology currently has five ongoing citizen science–based studies targeting urban birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2004). Another project that has utilized citizen scientists to collect data on bird abundances and distributions in an urban area is the Tucson Bird Count (Tucson Bird Count, n.d.). | eng |
dc.description.abstract | Long-term monitoring projects and studies designed to survey large, variable areas often face a similar challenge: data collection. Researchers can sometimes overcome this obstacle by designing studies that utilize the skills of volunteers, or citizen scientists. Citizen scientists currently play active roles in a wide range of ecological projects, and their contributions have enabled scientists to collect large amounts of data at minimal cost. Because birdwatching is popular among members of the general public, bird-monitoring projects have been among the most successful at integrating citizen scientists. Several large-scale studies, such as the Christmas Bird Count and Breeding Bird Survey, have successfully relied on citizen scientists to collect data. As urban areas expand and scientists work to find ways to manage wildlife in cities, information about the associations among animals and urban environments is needed. By utilizing the large pool of potential participants in urban areas, citizen science–based studies can play an important role in collecting this information. One such study, the Tucson Bird Count (TBC), has successfully utilized citizen scientists to collect information on the distribution and abundance of birds across an urban area. The results from the TBC have been used in numerous scientific studies, and they are helping wildlife managers identify important sites for birds within the city, as well as land-use practices that sustain native birds. | eng |
dc.identifier.citation | McCaffrey RE. 2005 Using citizen science in urban bird studies. Urban Habitats 3, 70- 86. | eng |
dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10355/67215 | |
dc.publisher | Eagle Hill Publications | eng |
dc.subject | Bird | eng |
dc.subject | Urban Ecology | eng |
dc.subject | Native | eng |
dc.subject | Exotic | eng |
dc.subject | Biodiversity | eng |
dc.subject | Tucson | eng |
dc.subject | Arizona | eng |
dc.subject | USA | eng |
dc.title | Bird data : USA, Tucson, Arizona | eng |
dc.title.alternative | Using Citizen Science in Urban Bird Studies | eng |
dc.type | Dataset | eng |