Wildlife Research - Birds

Evaluation of Blue-winged Teal Production on Private Lands

Ron Gatti (Wildlife and Forestry Research Section, SS/RC) is currently seeking partnerships for this study.

Birds are a very important and highly visible part of the ecosystem, and bird watching is one of the fastest growing recreational activities. As a result, birds are important economically as well as ecologically. They are vital links in many food webs, and often serve as biological indicators of overall ecosystem health. In addition to these tangible benefits, healthy populations of birds enhance the quality of outdoor recreation, and are important pieces of the ecosystem.

photo of a great horned owl Great Horned Owl, up close and personal.

Because of their place in many food chains, birds reflect how the health of the environment affects the health of the mammals, insects, and plants upon which they feed. Consequently, birds have been called "indicators", meaning that their presence and behavior in an area are indicators of the area's environmental health. For instance in the early 1960s, the sudden drop in the number of raptors in the U.S. first warned of the dangers of pesticides. It was discovered that the birds were accumulating the compounds, which caused them to lay eggs with thin shells that broke easily.

Birds also play important roles in the control of small mammals, insects and, perhaps more importantly, in the pollination and dispersal of flowering plants. Currently, Science Services bird research involves many different types of birds including: waterfowl, game birds (e.g. turkey, pheasant, ruffed grouse, woodcock, etc.), and non-game birds.

Science Services is currently engaged in the following projects relating to wildlife bird research:

Last Revised: Monday January 26 2009