Carolina Backyard Naturalist (11/4/20)
go.ncsu.edu/readext?718247
en Español
El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.
Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.
English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.
Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.
Collapse ▲All Things Birds: The Basics of Their Biology, Identification, Conservation, and Migration Research
There are two features about birds that for many of us generate curiosity, wonder, and awe – and those things are feathers and flight. Of course, other things fly but they do not have feathers. In this session, we will explore “what makes a bird a bird?” We will cover the basics of a birds’ body, inside and out. I will also describe results of studies of bird movements, both small and large, and the technologies we use to acquire such data. We will consider challenges to bird conservation and finally, resources for the public to use to go out and find and enjoy watching birds, including how to buy binoculars. A recent report notes that ~20% of bird species in the U.S. can be found in urban settings, some for a significant part of the annual life cycle. Thus, we will have to say a few words about “birds in the ‘burbs.”
Presenter: John Gerwin
Research Curator and Educator – Ornithology, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
John began watching birds at a very early age (~4 years old). At age 7, his older sister taught him how to identify 10 birds in the neighborhood. At age 11 he was most fortunate to join the Junior Zoologists Club at the Cincinnati Zoo and stayed until he was 14. He attended the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis-St. Paul and earned his B.S. in 1985. He earned a Masters in Zoology at Louisiana State University, studying the genetic relationships of hummingbirds. He came to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in late 1987, as the Bird Collections Manager. He became a research curator in 2005.
John currently conducts research on the full life cycles of migratory birds, with a focus on breeding biology. He currently works on projects at two sites in the Piedmont of North Carolina, one in the mountains of North Carolina, and in Nicaragua. He primarily uses radio telemetry to study how these birds use the habitats they live in, and their nesting chronologies and reproductive success.
John enthusiastically conducts outreach events to groups of all ages throughout the State of North Carolina, and occasionally elsewhere. John works with two youth groups in Wake County, for kids ages 11-18: these are the Museum’s Junior Curators, and Wake Audubon’s Young Naturalists. He is fluent in Spanish. He enjoys gardening, especially with native plants, and attracting butterflies and other pollinators. He does programs and blogs on butterflies as well and leads butterfly walks in the Raleigh area.
Additional Resources
Merlin Bird ID App (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Managing Backyards and Other Urban Habitats for Birds (NC State Extension)
Nearly 3 Billion Birds Gone (study on bird population declines)
National Audubon Society (North Carolina)