Event Title
Monitoring Migrant Songbirds Along the Lake Michigan Coast
Presentation Type
Poster/Portfolio
Presenter Major(s)
Natural Resource Management
Mentor Information
Paul Keenlance
Department
Biology
Location
Kirkhof Center KC 73
Start Date
10-4-2013 4:00 PM
End Date
10-4-2013 5:00 PM
Keywords
Environment
Abstract
I surveyed migrant songbirds at two recording stations located along coast of Lake Michigan from August to October. I wanted to know if the migrant birds avoided flying out over Lake Michigan. To do this I compared the number of birds flying over a station located near the shore and a station 3 miles inland from the coast. No difference was found in the number of birds passing between two stations. I also used weather data to see if there was any correlation between the weather and nights when birds were migrating. I found that birds prefer to fly on nights when the wind is from a favorable direction (in the fall this would be northerly winds) and blowing at low velocities. This correlation with wind suggests that birds do not fly on any nights but that they wait for these nights and this could have implications for management of wind farms in the region.
Monitoring Migrant Songbirds Along the Lake Michigan Coast
Kirkhof Center KC 73
I surveyed migrant songbirds at two recording stations located along coast of Lake Michigan from August to October. I wanted to know if the migrant birds avoided flying out over Lake Michigan. To do this I compared the number of birds flying over a station located near the shore and a station 3 miles inland from the coast. No difference was found in the number of birds passing between two stations. I also used weather data to see if there was any correlation between the weather and nights when birds were migrating. I found that birds prefer to fly on nights when the wind is from a favorable direction (in the fall this would be northerly winds) and blowing at low velocities. This correlation with wind suggests that birds do not fly on any nights but that they wait for these nights and this could have implications for management of wind farms in the region.