Watts, whose research focuses on large-scale phenomena that are difficult to study in the field (e.g., migration, irruption, phenology), information from citizen scientists is highly valuable. In another recent study from California, long-term data revealed that the bird community was advancing laying dates by 5-12 days over the past century. For every 1 ☌ (1.8 ☏) increase in average spring temperature, egg-laying started an average of 4.6 days sooner. What Watts and her team found has been consistent with other recent studies on nesting phenology: the birds advanced their laying date when spring temperatures were warmer. Photo © Karin Hicks Focusing on Phenology A Family of FinchesĪ male and female House Finch visit their nest to feed the young. And although they have been expanding their range in the eastern United States since the 1940s, they are native to California and therefore have been present in the area for the entire 113 years under study. House Finches were an ideal study species because they are declining in California and yet still common enough to study using citizen science. Altogether, the data ranged from 1895–2007 and covered most of California’s ecologically distinct regions. About a third of the data came from NestWatch, with the remainder coming from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at Berkeley and the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology. Her team gathered around 950 nest records from multiple historic sources on California’s House Finches. In a study lead by Heather Watts, associate professor at Washington State University, investigators wanted to know if temperature-related shifts in egg-laying dates were experienced by seed-eating species. Relatively few studies have focused on seed-eaters, perhaps because their access to bird feeders and waste grain may buffer them from spring temperature extremes to some extent. After all, these birds must time their nesting activities to coincide with that of their prey species. ![]() ![]() In studies of the timing of nesting, it is often the insect-eaters that claim most of the research attention. Nancy McGrady by Robyn Bailey, NestWatch Project Leader A Clutch of EggsĪ clutch of five House Finch eggs holds the promise of nestlings.
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