Photo © Marie Read

Calling All Nest Monitors

What do nest monitors, researchers, bluebirds, and other native cavity nesters have in common? We all deal with House Sparrows! As spring arrives and birds begin nesting, the House Sparrow Project invites you to collaborate in citizen-science research on this nonnative species. Whether you have a handful of nest boxes or a large trail, and whether you actively or passively manage sparrows, there are only three requirements for participation: curiosity, nest boxes, and a promise to keep good records.

Researchers at Hunter College and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology want to spearhead this citizen science research project in collaboration with YOU! And there is more than one way you can participate:

• Collectively design best practices for House Sparrow management. Participants and researchers will discuss the array of management practices out there and collectively design a field experiment to evaluate a subset of these.
• Advance research by collecting much-needed data on nesting behavior and egg recognition. The research is fun: color House Sparrow eggs, take photos, collect data, share and compare information with others.
• Participate in discussion groups online to share your insights and ideas.

Everyone is invited to participate. Visit our website at www.housesparrowproject.com to get more information and sign up today!

Sincerely,

The House Sparrow Project Team
Dr. Mark Hauber
Dr. Caren Cooper
Ms. Dennise Belmaker