Every project undertaken by RRBO has one goal in mind: conservation.
- Our bird banding operation provides us with foundational data on the species composition, relative abundance, and seasonality of the birds using campus, but is also the primary tool used to gather data for our research on the migratory stopover ecology of urban birds. Our goal is to help direct habitat management of urban natural areas to help migrating birds.
- Our bird population monitoring provides us with critical long-term baseline data on resident birds that can be used to determine the effects of diseases such as West Nile virus and introduced pests like emerald ash borer on local bird numbers. Researchers require a view of “before” in order to make science-based decisions on conservation actions “after” such ecological events.
- Targeted projects such as tracking the spread of European cage birds in the Great Lakes and bill deformities in songbirds allow early monitoring and assessment of potentially harmful ecological issues.
- Collaborations and cooperative research have provided valuable assessments of breeding birds, invasive species, and indicator species that will be used to guide land use and resource policy.
Conservation in an urbanizing world: RRBO wants to make a difference. Read more about our projects via the links on the right.