From the infant stage, we are taught to identify animals by appearance and sound. According to Missouri State University biologist Dr. Janice Greene, many characteristics can be helpful in identifying birds: habitat, song, color, beak and size, to name a few.

“Learning to identify birds is a fun thing to do and you can do it anywhere,” said Greene.

More than bird watching

At Bull Shoals Field Station, Greene and her students participate in the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship program to document demographics of birds in a specific area to help with conservation efforts.

As part of the study, they catch birds, band them, and take body measurements and other data. If they catch it again, or if they catch other birds that were previously banded, they can record changes in the bird’s size, she added.

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