Press Releases

Sort Images of Nesting Birds With CamClickr!

Help scientists study breeding bird behavior

July 2, 2009

Ithaca, NY--Wanted: keen eyes and quick fingers! Since 1999, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has posted live cameras at active nests all around the country. To date, more than eight million images have been collected from these NestCams. To help sort through the images, web visitors can use CamClickr—an online tool anyone can use to view the images and sort them into albums, then tag each image to describe what the birds are doing: preening, eating, feeding chicks, etc.

"NestCams reveal the hidden lives of nesting Barn Owls, bluebirds, Wood Ducks, and other birds for an up-close look at fascinating bird behavior," says project leader, Tina Phillips. "CamClickr will appeal not only to bird lovers, but to people who enjoy testing their skills with online games." Participants who sort and tag the camera images collect points and compete for prizes such as binoculars, DVDs, books, and posters.

It starts with a visit to www.camclickr.org to create an account, which opens the door to the NestCam forums, allows photo tagging, and tracks CamClickr stats anytime. Participants can check their ranking in "my sessions" to see how they stack up against other taggers. The redesigned CamClickr home page also provides the latest Twitter feeds. Educators will appreciate the newly developed lesson plan, appropriate for all ages, and easily modified for individualized instruction. The website also features great videos of fascinating nesting behaviors from the Cornell Lab's Macaulay Library. By using CamClickr to help tag and sort the NestCams images, participants help scientists learn more about the nesting behavior of birds and how they are responding to threats in their environment.