Science Forward

Coming in to BioBlitz on Sunday afternoon, I was excited to venture off into the New York Botanical Garden to look for birds and analyze the biodiversity of the environment. When my group gathered, we received some binoculars and set off to look for an area to find birds. Our professional, Todd, explained to us that there would probably be a more diverse population in the lesser managed areas of the garden since it most matches the birds’ natural habitats. Unfortunately, when we headed off to those areas, we did not find as many birds as we hoped. We mostly heard them, but it was difficult to find them through all the leaves and branches everywhere. We spent most of the time waiting and tilting our heads upwards to attempt to take a glance at some birds. Todd attributed this scarcity to the large amounts of students going through the area with the same idea as us and the afternoon time of day when birds have little need to fly around compared to the morning when they would fly around looking for food. To combat this issue, Todd took out an electronic device filled with numerous bird callings, such as that of a bluejay and a songbird. He also began to call out smaller birds with his own voice in a soft whispering sound. Again, we had little luck with these methods. We learned that electronic recordings are not very good methods for finding birds because birds can recognize the manmade sounds and not respond to them. We visited many different kinds of areas, such as shady, woodsy land, marshland, and fields with brightly colored flowers. Each of those types of environments had unique aspects about them which attracted certain kinds of birds.

We were able to hear a large variety of birds, from a bluejay to an American robin to a various species of woodpeckers. The bluejays were one of the most common birds to hear, mostly because they imitated the sounds of many other birds. Todd noticed the difference between the actual bird and a bluejay based on the strength of sound. There were a few birds that we saw on branches, flying above us, and standing on the dirt. When they were flying, Todd would recognize them based on their underwing design, the way that they flapped their wings, and how fast they flew. I was amazed by how quickly Todd could recognize all the birds we heard and saw.

I realized that bird watching requires a lot of patience and quick thinking. Birds often avoid foreign creatures and can easily hide between leaves and branches of tall trees. By staying still and diligently observing the environment for a long time, one can eventually find these swift-moving animals. Since they fly at a fast rate and at a high altitude, bird watchers must also be very well-versed in the species of birds and be able to identify a bird within seconds. Todd told us that he had been watching and studying birds for all his life. He always had a passion for watching birds since he was very young and thus learned about the hundreds of species of birds, their callings, and their coexistence with the rest of the garden. I learned a lot about the wide range of birds that live in the New York Botanical Garden and the different ways that they can be recognized. I may not be a professional birdwatcher, but I do know about certain details to look for when searching for birds.

Looking for birds on the trees through binoculars

An example of brightly colored flowers where hummingbirds usually stay.

A bird at flight

A marshland area where other types of birds can be found.