Science in the City

Connecting with nature and science through birds

By Karen Purcell

Rock Pigeons ©iStockPhoto.com

Is it possible that observing a pigeon with curious and open eyes could change our world or a child's future? Could the antics of roosting crows make a difference? As kids, we start out with a natural affinity for science and nature, but as we grow older we stop watching busy ants on the sidewalk and forget to notice the House Sparrows chattering away under our feet. Observational science becomes something only experts do; yet in today's fast-paced technological world it is crucial that we understand enough about the process of science to make wise choices.

Unfortunately, the sciences are less accessible to underrepresented minorities, women, and low-income communities. Urban Bird Studies is trying to change this by bringing science and nature back into our lives, especially to inner city communities, connecting cultures through birds and overcoming barriers to science.

Urban Bird Studies provides accessible science monitoring opportunities, bird watching, and local environmental awareness. Participants observe birds in city streets and on window ledges, as well as in green spaces such as parks and community gardens. Then they send their data to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The projects are simple, the species are engaging, and all materials are available for free.

A young girl living in a depressed area in Upstate New York began to participate in Urban Bird Studies through her 4-H Afterschool Program. She soon began to learn bird identification and bird biology. As her confidence increased, with the help of her group leader, she began conducting transects, collecting data, and contributing to research. She felt valued and proud to be a citizen scientist. She also began to appreciate the common city pigeons, starlings, and sparrows that she was studying. She said that these ordinary birds reminded her of the kids in her neighborhood: "Many people just see us as pests or don't see us at all. We're all the same?but if you look a little deeper you'll find that on the inside each of us is pretty unique and cool!"

Through Urban Bird Studies, even a child can collaborate with scientists and develop a comfortable and meaningful connection with a world-class ornithological institution and a major research university. Birds have the power to bridge cultural divides, to make science accessible, giving all people an equal chance to succeed.

Youth in New York City participate in Urban Bird Studies as part of the community-building Abraham House program.

Photo by Milagros Alegre, Abraham House

Urban Bird Studies offers training in both English and Spanish, and promotes dialogue about local needs and skills. Milagros, a group leader from Abraham House, an organization that offers a community to the incarcerated and their families in New York City, was excited to work with Urban Bird Studies, but was apprehensive because she felt she didn't know anything about birds. First, we encouraged her to walk outside to find five common bird species in her neighborhood, using a poster to help identify them. Initially, the task was overwhelming. Was the bird under the bench a female House Sparrow or a Pine Siskin? Was the bird calling from the stoplight a Common Grackle or an American Crow?

Over the following weeks, however, Milagros and her students became more confident and knowledgeable. They collected habitat information, learned how to identify common birds with ease, and conducted a Birds in the City transect. Milagros laughed as she said that they can no longer look at their local birds now without trying to identify them.

Photo by Claudia Zan

Urban Bird Studies encourages local ownership of projects. No two groups participate in the same way. Abraham House, for instance, might concentrate on increasing the confidence of its students and building community, while Upward Bound, a program providing skills for students from low-income families, might highlight the process of science and career connections. Aspira of Puerto Rico adapted Urban Bird Studies materials to raise awareness of native and endangered species of Puerto Rico and to fit the educational needs of diverse communities through churches, afterschool programs, schools, and camps.

Urban Bird Studies also fosters confidence in science through events such as "Celebrate Urban Birds!" in which families participate in science, art, and literature activities focused on birds. Participants said they enjoyed increasing their knowledge of birds, appreciated their surroundings more, and became fascinated by other facets of the natural world around them, including butterflies and other animals. Most exciting of all, some said that they wanted to become involved in local environmental action.

We plan to continue resolutely working toward making science accessible and fun for all. So, go outside, watch that flock of starlings dance in the air, spend an afternoon watching those pigeons feed their young at the nest on your air conditioning unit. Enjoy, and join us!

Visit Urban Bird Studies at www.urbanbirds.org.

Karen Purcell is the project leader of Urban Bird Studies

For permission to reprint all or part of this article, please contact Laura Erickson, editor, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850. Phone: (607) 254-1114. email: lle24@cornell.edu