Abraham House

Student Team Highlights

Students at Abraham House have been working hard to learn about the birds in their neighborhood and help scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology learn more about birds in cities. A team of students braved the weather, got outside, and began observing the natural world in a completely new way.

They conducted Birds in the City Transects and found Mourning Doves, Northern Cardinals, House Sparrows, American Robins, Rock Pigeons, and European Starlings. The students found significant differences in the number and diversity of birds counted during different months. Like good scientists they are asking themselves lots of questions. What will happen during the winter months? Does the number and variety of species in their neighborhood change during different seasons?

The Abraham House team along with group leader, Milagros Alegre, decided they would continue counting birds, following the same protocols, during the winter months. Other questions the students wondered about included, "Are there some species of birds that fight with other species?", "Do all birds migrate?" "Why do they have different kinds of nests?"

The students began working with the Lab of Ornithology without much knowledge of birds.. but now everytime they see a bird they immediately want to know what it is. They have become quite experts at bird identification. One student said, "I learned that when the seasons change, food and color may change too". Many said that after participating in Birds in the City, they understood that humans and birds share the same habitat, and that we have to be careful how we treat our environment.

Thank you, Abraham House team! We truly appreciate your help, data, comments, and insights. We hope to continue working together and learning from you for many wonderful years!