Reviving a Legacy Citizen Science Project to Illuminate Shifts in Bird Phenology

Abstract

Climate change has been of high interest to both the scientific community and the public at large since the phenomenon was first suggested. Subsequently, and with growing evidence of its impending ramifications, numerous studies have attempted to illuminate climate change impacts on bird migration. Migration is a key event in the annual cycle in the reproductive success of birds, and changes in migration in response to climate may indicate that species populations are at risk. Previous studies report earlier arrival dates in response to climate change in many bird species, although specific mechanisms are often difficult to explain at broad spatial and temporal scales. Using a newly revived dataset of historical migration cards for over 870 species and spanning 90 years throughout North America, we are developing an historical baseline of bird arrival dates to compare with contemporary records. Here we chronicle the history and reemergence of the North American Bird Phenology Program. We present two case studies illustrating how data from this program has been used to model historical arrival dates of Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) and Purple Martin (Progne subis) throughout eastern North America. Our results show the importance of considering spatial and temporal variability in understanding patterns of bird spring arrivals.

Citizen science, animal behaviour and digital devices: challenges and solutions

“…However, it is important to consider and not underestimate the time required to check the collected data (in our case the sightings) for accuracy as well as the possible range in accuracy performance among the participants. An extensive training might be useful to reduce the percentage of mistakes and to improve the percentage of useful data for research [5]. In the present study, the researchers offered regular training sessions for interested volunteers.…”

A spatio-temporal comparison of avian migration phenology using Citizen Science data

“…Not only are the life history characteristics of many birds suitable for detecting potential climaterelated impacts (e.g., birds are volant, migratory, and highly responsive to environmental changes), but birds are also popular among naturalists and continental-scale monitoring programs for birds have been in place in North America since the 1880s (Zelt et al 2012). Today, smartphones and associated web-based platforms make it easier than ever for groups of Citizen Scientists to contribute data to field-based phenology studies (Sullivan et al 2014).…”

The Role of Citizen Science and Volunteer Data Collection in Zoological Research

“…The papers assembled in this issue are a clear testament to the success of citizen science approaches to collect scientifically useful data. For example, J. Zelt et al [1] show how phenology patterns of birds have changed from a comparison with historic records and R. L. Davis et al [2] indicate how citizen science data can be used to determine butterfly habitat use. By exploring the limitations of citizen science approaches, R. L. Williams et al [3] provide a valuable lesson in how volunteers need careful management to collect accurate data.…”