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What is the Oriole Project?
The Oriole project is:
- an on-going pilot project to study the distribution, populations, and breeding activities of Baltimore Orioles in our area; and
- an opportunity for citizen scientists to contribute their
observations to a database that will be used to track the health of
Baltimore Oriole populations.
Baltimore Orioles are found throughout the Commonwealth during the
spring and summer. They frequent a wide variety of habitats including
riparian forests, woodlands along country lanes, and city parks. While
Baltimore Orioles are still relatively common here, scientists have
detected local population declines and have proposed that the species
be monitored.
The goal of the Mass Audubon Oriole Project is to enlist as many
citizen scientists as possible in building a database about the
breeding status of these magnificent birds. The data we collect now
will form the foundation for future conservation efforts to ensure that
this beautiful vocalist will be a permanent part of the New England
landscape.
Become a Citizen Scientist!
This spring, become one of our citizen scientists by helping to
document the presence of Baltimore Orioles in your neighborhood or
community. In the fourth year of a pilot program, Mass Audubon is
asking people to record observations of Baltimore Orioles and their
nests in their backyards or favorite open spaces. You don't need to
have any birding experience to participate. Try it - report an oriole.
"One
of our goals is to see how many people we can get to count Baltimore
Orioles in their neighborhoods, towns, and cities. The more orioles we
count the more valuable the data becomes," explains Chris Leahy, the
Gerard A. Bertrand Chair of Natural History and Field Ornithology at
Mass Audubon. "The response so far has been fabulous, and we will be
redoubling our efforts in the 2008 field season."
The Oriole Project is part of a larger bird conservation effort called Birds to Watch that Mass Audubon is developing to ensure that birds have a future in the modern world. The basic thinking behind the Birds to Watch
program is that while we need to remain vigilant about protecting rare
and threatened species, we also need to develop more effective
monitoring programs for common birds that we are concerned may be in
decline, and to track changes locally—i.e., in your town. Your
participation will help us test methods for gathering data locally
across a large geographic area and discover how best to engage
Massachusetts citizens in monitoring and ultimately protecting certain
bird species. certain bird species. In 2007 we added a Whip-poor-will survey
to our Birds-to-Watch program and we will add more species as we
increase our capacity. Your participation is vital in making this
happen!
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