This investigation focuses on examining the impacts that humans may be having on a select group of bird species. The ultimate goal is to evaluate the connections between bird behavior, habitat needs, and factors involved in shifting population trends. more ...
Emily R. Cramer, Kelly J. Wessell, Colleen M. McLinn
Summary:
This investigation uses multimedia such as bird songs and their associated visualizations as the raw material to initiate a discussion of traits that can be used to define a species, and the conservation implications of the species definitions we choose. more ...
Students learn how spectrograms represent sound variation, and then examine the sounds of owls for traits that might be useful in determining evolutionary relationships. They compare these traits to morphological ones (appearance and plumage), ultimately coming up with their own evolutionary hypotheses to test using multimedia from the Macaulay Library. more ...
Students use video specimens from the Macaulay Library to investigate elaborate traits of plumage or behavior that can be found in some bird species due to sexual dimorphism. They develop systems for scoring the extent of variation, and frame hypotheses to investigate using Macaulay Library and the Birds of North America Online. more ...
