Suggested Projects- Historic Data

Suggested Research Projects Using Historical Data

General Comments:  There are countless analyses one may do using the data from past research projects, and below are a number of suggestions.  For each project below, there are a number of related questions, each of which can be an entire project in itself.  A group of students, or an entire class, can work cooperatively on one of the projects below, with each student working on one aspect of the project.  Some of the projects are more time consuming than others, and will require several students working together to collect all the necessary data.  For each project, there is a link to a "Methods" page, which provides detailed instructions on how to gather the data from the "Maps" pages in order to answer the research questions.

Methods for Completing These Suggested Historic Projects 

Project 1

Question:  Do all the members of a particular breeding population of Peregrine Falcons all go to the same place to spend the winter?  A related question is, do different breeding populations of Peregrine Falcons spend the winter in different areas, or do the different breeding populations intermingle on the wintering grounds?  For example, do all peregrines breeding in Greenland spend the winter in Venezuela, or do different individuals spend the winter in different places?  And do Peregrines that spend the winter in Venezuela all come from the same breeding area?

Significance: If all members of a particular breeding population go to the same place to spend the winter, then any harmful event that occurs in that wintering area could potentially wipe out an entire breeding population.  For example, if all the peregrines that breed in Greenland spend the winter in northern Venezuela, and some major catastrophe occurs there such as the use of a new pesticide that kills most of the Peregrines in that one area, then the entire breeding population of Peregrines in Greenland will be affected.  On the other hand, if the Greenland Peregrines spend the winter in different places, then a catastrophic event in any one wintering area will not harm the entire breeding population.  Even in the absence of any catastrophic events, if conservationists are trying to preserve a particular breeding population, it is important for them to know where its members spend the winter so they can take the appropriate measures for their protection. 

Project 2

Question:  Do all breeding populations of Swainson's Hawks spend the winter in the same place?  This is the same question as in Project 1, but for Swainson's Hawks instead of Peregrines.

Significance:  See Project 1, above.

Project 3

Question:  Do all members of a species or breeding population follow the same migratory route?  Can you identify any distinct routes that many birds follow?  How many can you identify? 

Significance: The conservation of a migratory species requires not only the protection of its breeding and wintering grounds, but also the habitats it uses during migration.  If all members of a particular breeding population follow the same migratory route, it would be extremely important to protect the areas where they stop along that route.  In addition, if there are particular routes that many birds use, it would be important to protect these areas as stopover nesting and feeding areas. 

Project 4

Question:  Are the migratory routes of birds associated with certain types of landforms?  For example, do the routes occur along coasts, rivers, mountain chains, etc.?  If so, why do you think migration routes are associated with these landforms?  Do they take different routes in the spring than in the fall?  Is there a difference between the landforms associated with Peregrine migration routes and the landforms associated with Swainson's Hawk migration routes?  If so, are there differences in their natural history that could explain it?

Significance:  Identifying landforms that are associated with migration routes, such as rivers or mountain ridges, can teach us a great deal about the migratory behavior of birds, the aerodynamics of flight, and the large-scale habitat requirements of birds on migration.

Project 5

Question:  Is the timing of migration different for different breeding populations of a species?  For example, do Peregrines breeding in Greenland begin their fall migration earlier than Peregrines breeding in Alaska?  Do birds breeding at higher latitudes begin migration earlier than birds breeding at lower latitudes?  Conversely, do birds that winter farther south begin their spring migration sooner than birds that don't winter as far south?

Significance:  Little is known about the factors that trigger the initiation of migration, though scientists have many different theories about it.  One possibility is that change in temperature triggers the beginning of the fall migration.  Another theory is that it is triggered by the shortening of the number of daylight hours as winter approaches.  By examining the timing of migration from radio-tracked birds and relating the timing to different factors, we can begin to get some insight into the factors that regulate this behavior.

Project 6

Question:  Do birds migrate at different rates?  Are there differences among breeding populations?  Among species?  What factors might explain the differences?  Is there a relationship between the rate of migration and the distance between the breeding and wintering grounds?

Significance:  Scientists know very little about the factors that control the rate of migration.  Weather conditions, or the need to stop for food, might limit the rate of migration.  Birds flying along the coast may fly at different rates than birds flying along ridges.  Or the rate of migration might simply be related to the distance they have to travel - birds that migrate over longer distances might have to cover more ground per day than birds migrating over shorter distances. 

Project 7

Question: What are the habitat preferences for a particular species on the breeding grounds?  Wintering grounds?  At stop-over locations during migration?  (Choose any of these questions).  Are any of these habitats threatened?  Compare among species, or among different populations of the same species.

Significance:  In order to protect a species, it is critical to know the types of habitats the species requires to survive, so that conservationists may protect these areas.  For migratory species, knowledge of the animal's habitat preferences during all phases of the annual cycle is necessary.

Project 8

Question:  Is there a relationship between human population density and the number of birds in a breeding area, wintering area or stop-over area?  In other words, do birds tend to breed/winter/stop-over in areas where there are a lot of humans (such as cities), or do they prefer less inhabited areas?  Compare among species.

Significance:  Since human population continues to grow and urban areas are expanding (urban sprawl), it is important to know how birds are responding to these changes in landscape.  The loss of natural habitat is not the only problem that urban sprawl presents to birds.  Other potential problems resulting from urban sprawl include air and noise pollution, tall buildings that birds crash into during migration, and an increase in certain nest predators such as cats, crows, and raccoons.  On the other hand, urban areas may provide a new type of habitat that some birds can take advantage of.  For example, many cities now have Peregrine Falcons nesting in them, using the tall buildings as nest sites in place of natural cliffs, and feeding on the abundant pigeons and other small birds.  Examining whether birds avoid or utilize these areas is an important first step in determining the impact that urban sprawl may be having on them.

Project 9

Question:  What are the factors that determine initiation of migration?  In other words, how do birds know when it is time to go?  Is the initiation of migration related to change in photoperiod (the number of daylight hours in a day)?  For example, as the days begin to get shorter in the northern hemisphere, is that a signal that birds use to know winter is approaching and they should begin to migrate?

Significance:  Scientists have long wondered about what triggers birds to start migrating.  Some scientists have found that changes in photoperiod actually cause a hormonal change in birds (it specifically affects the pineal gland), and this hormonal change may be what causes birds to start migrating.  Other scientists suggest that change in weather stimulates migration.  By examining the dates that birds begin to migrate and associating it with environmental factors such as changes in photoperiod or weather, we can begin to determine the factors that stimulate migration.

Project 10

Question:  Do birds migrate during the day, at night, or both?  Compare among species.

Significance:  There are advantages and disadvantages to migrating during the day versus at night.  During the day, a bird can take advantage of warm thermals to help them achieve lift and save energy (i.e., they do not need to flap their wings as much.  On the other hand, it's much easier for predators to spot them during the day.   Some species depend heavily on thermals during migration, while other species don't use them much at all.  Similarly, some species are much more vulnerable to predation than others and must migrate under cover of night.  The migratory strategy that a species uses is an important component of its natural history.  

Project 11

Question:  What habitats are associated with the nest sites of Swainson's Hawks? 

Significance:  Determining the general breeding habitat for a species is important in order to ensure protection for that species, but it is equally critical to determine the specific habitat in which it builds its nest.  For example, a hawk might need open areas to hunt for food, but if there are no tall trees, it will have nowhere to build its nest.