Posters Virtual 2021
Researchers presented posters on various aspects of bird song and adaptations for breeding success, and other bird-related topics. Posters will be available for viewing until June 20th.
POSTER SESSION 1 – BIRD SONG
Song variation and diversity in grasshopper sparrows of the Caribbean (VISUAL)
Arushi Dalal, Julia Warfield, Sara A. Kaiser, and Bernard Lohr, University of MD, Baltimore Campus
The “buzz” and “warble” songs of male grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) from Jamaica (A. s. savannarum) and Bonaire/Curacao (the rarer A. s. caribaeus) were compared. This work has identified distinctive differences between the songs and singing patterns of these birds from the two islands. Ammodramus s. savannarum had the most distinct songs and showed the least inter-individual variation.
Diversity in Science: Women Advancing Female Bird Song Research (VISUAL)
Casey Haines, Evangeline Rose, Karan Odom** & Kevin Omland*
*University of Maryland, Baltimore County; **Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Geographic, racial and gender biases can influence the scientific questions that we ask and the conclusions that we draw. Our work on female bird song dramatically illustrates this point. Over 70% of songbirds have female song, but female bird vocalizations have been understudied. Gender bias in bird song research is the likely cause – our research shows that men are significantly less likely to study female song than are women.
Grasshopper sparrow warble song: Syllable classification and quantification (AUDIO/VISUAL)
Rebecca Hill and Bernard Lohr, University of MD, Baltimore Campus
Male grasshopper sparrows have two songs; the “buzz song” and the “warble song”. Spectrograms for the “warble song” were analyzed for subspecies in North America and the Caribbean by syllable. The results were used to create a classification system. While there were broadly shared syllable types, each individual bird has a unique “warble song”.
Female song is acoustically similar to male song in Orchard Orioles (AUDIO/VISUAL)
Michelle J. Moyer, Evangeline M. Rose, Aiman Raza, D’Juan A. Moreland, Karan J. Odom, Kevin E. Omland; Dept. Biological Sciences, University of MD, Baltimore Campus
Contrary to previous understandings, this study documented extensive singing by female Orchard Orioles (Icterus spurious). Detailed acoustic analysis of male and female songs revealed that, although females sang less often, the songs of the two sexes were statistically equivalent for five of seven variables investigated.
Vocal coordination between male and female Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) (AUDIO/VISUAL)
Rustin W. Pare and J. Jordan Price; Department of Biology, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s City, MD, USA
Male songs and female calls of Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) were analyzed for coordination between territorial pairs. These vocalizations were recorded and subjected to a software program, revealing that pairs of this species perform coordinated duets. This collaborative singing by pairs has parallels with tropical wren species.
Mira T. Willson and J. Jordan Price; Department of Biology, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, St. Mary’s City, MD, USA
Although female Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) do not sing, they do produce a simple rattling call which overlaps with the song of their mates. A phylogeny of the family Troglodytidae was used to reconstruct the evolutionary history of female vocal behavior in the ancestors of Carolina Wrens. This study revealed that vocalizations by ancestral birds were more complex than those of today’s birds, but coordination with male songs has been maintained.
POSTER SESSION 2 – VARIOUS BIRD TOPICS
Janine M. Antalffy, Kevin E. Omland, Matt E. Fagan, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
As part of a broader conservation effort for the critically endangered Bahama Oriole, we mapped the habitats of Andros, The Bahamas. Given that the Bahama Oriole is found only on the island of Andros, it is crucial that we monitor the extent of the Caribbean pine forests, since we now know these forests to be critical nesting habitat for Bahama Oriole. Here, we set out to map the habitats of Andros and assess the degree deforestation and drivers of forest loss on Andros so that we can efficiently monitor how these habitats respond to anthropogenic activity and climate change over time. With the information gained from this study we are better equipped to inform conservation planning of this critically endangered and endemic species.
Jennie M. Carr and Maren E. Gimpel, Washington College
Intrinsic factors that govern nesting success among field sparrows (Spizella pusilla) were examined in a well-characterized population. Birds actively chose nests sites with thicker, taller vegetation as compared to random paired plots. Nests tended to be more successful when raised by older parents in taller, denser, woodier vegetation types. Preliminary data suggest that older birds tend to have greater reproductive success.
Chris Eberly, Director, Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership
The mission of the Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership (MBCP) is to maintain and enhance native bird populations and the habitats they use by fostering partnerships with public and private entities and promoting community action. This mission is accomplished through monitoring programs and project initiatives, all of which are outlined in this poster.
THE RISE AND FALL OF A COLONY OF DICKCISSELS IN MARYLAND 2000 – 2014 (VISUAL)
Douglas E. Gill 1,4, Daniel M. Small 2, Jared Parks 3, and Maren E. Gimpel 2
1 Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
2 Center for the Environment & Society, Washington College, Chestertown, MD 21620, USA
3 Lower Shore Land Trust, 100 River Street, Snow Hill, MD 21863
4 Corresponding Author, e-mail: dgill@umd.edu
Dickcissels, Spiza americana, founded an extra-limital colony in 2000 near Chestertown MD, persisted for 14 years by a stream of new immigrants and returns of young from in situ breeding., and set several demographic records for the species.
To eBird or not to eBird? Why some birders use eBird frequently and others do not. (AUDIO/VISUAL)
Connor Rosenblatt and Ashley Dayer; Dept. Fish & Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech.
The varying levels of commitment to eBird among birders were analyzed in a large scale (n=28,926 contributions) survey of birders in North America. Birders were grouped into four categories, based on their skills and motivation, and subjected to analysis by recreational specialization theory. The results revealed intriguing relationships and suggest ways to increase participation in eBird by less motivated birders.