In previous entries, I’ve mentioned the online, collaborative projects that are part of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s (CLO) Citizen Science program. Well, they’ve done it again! The Spring 2008 issue of Birdscope, (an excellent newsletter with an online version), describes the newest CLO project, CamClickr. After 9 years of nest-camming, the Lab has collected more than 7 million images from nest box cameras from across the country. These images are valuable data to answer research questions such as How do feeding rates change throughout the day? How do feeding rates change as the babies grow? What is the frequency of feeding by males as compared to females? But at this point, the images are not organized and categorized. This is where the Camclickr (yes, that’s the way they spell it) project fits in.
The Camclickr site is designed to provide a way for anyone to assist with this project, and you don’t have to be an ornithologist or bird watcher to participate. So I decided to give it a try. After logging in (you can create a login or use an existing login from another CLO project), you launch the Camclickr. You get a screen with 9 photographs and a sidebar with the categories, which are based on the presence/absence of adults in the nest. You drag and drop the photo into the appropriate category. It’s like creating a scrapbook or photo album. The site keeps track of how many you do each session, and you can review the categories to change any entries that are not correct. Save and Logout enters your work into the database. It took me a little while to make out what I was looking at, because the photos I had were from the top of the birdhouse. Each photo has a location, date, and time stamped on it, and you can enlarge the picture to get a better view. The photos can also be printed. After categorizing a set of photos, you then move to “Level 2” in which you are given your scrapbook, and for each photo in it you describe the behavior of the adults and the nestlings (from a menu). The site keeps track of what level you’re on and how many “points” you have earned. There are links to live nest cams and other resources. Right now, it’s in the beta testing version, so you and your students can be in from the beginning of the real-world, authentic project.
For more information on birds, go to SciLinks and use the keyword “birds” and your grade level. You’ll find a variety of sites, including Migratory Bird Center from the National Zoo, Aves from the University of Michigan, and Birds, Birds, Birds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.