A new study finds that overlooking the lives of female birds can have severe conservation consequences
Adult female red phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) on a snowmelt pond in the tundra. In phaloropes, … [+]
Peter Pearsall, / USFWS, via a creative commons license
I’ve long wondered why so many ornithologists, conservation biologists and birders ignore or overlook female birds. For example, I’ve often found a lot of challenge as well as pleasure in identifying and observing female birds as they go about their lives – lives that are different from those of the (sometimes) more showy males of the species.
This sex-bias was explored by conservation biologist Joanna Wu, a PhD student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA, in collaboration with the Audubon Society. In this study (ref), Ms Wu, whose research focuses on female birds and conservation, argues that improving identification and observation of female birds can help scientists to better conserve birds and their habitats.
“There is so much more that we can learn about birds, and about ecology in general, that we miss when we only focus on males, or assume that females are ‘similar enough’ to males,” said Ms Wu, the study’s lead author. “That’s why it’s so critical that we encourage sex-specific questions in research.”
A pair of Northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis). How many people know that the females sing? … [+]
Dave Govoni via a creative commons license
