About Bird Cams Lab

Discoveries By The Bird Cams Lab Community

Cornell Feeders Live:

February – July 2021
Using the Cornell FeederWatch cam, participants studied the daily visitation patterns of eight bird species and the effects of weather. They found that the visitation patterns varied by species, and that for some species time of day and sampling date were more important than temperature predictors of presence at the feeding station. To learn more, check out the Cornell Feeders Live Final Report.
An illustration of a Rufous Motmot battling a Chestnut-headed Oropendola.

Battling Birds Panama Edition:

December 2020 – June 2021
Participants collaborated with ornithologist Dr. Eliot Miller to document displacements (when one bird takes the perch or food of another bird) on the Panama Fruit Feeder cam. Analyses revealed that larger species had higher dominance scores than smaller species. To learn more, check out the Battling Birds: Panama Edition Final Report. Illustration by Midori

Hawk Happenings:

April – November 2020
Participants came together to watch the Red-tailed Hawks cam and study six behaviors at the nest and how their frequency related to weather. The data revealed that the total number of vocalizations, feedings, prey deliveries, and nestling activities (flapping, walking, defending prey) increased with temperature. To learn more, check out the Hawk Happenings Final Report.
A screenshot of the Panama Fruit Feeder cam with two rufous motmots posed on the feeder.

Panama Live:

November 2019 – 2020
Participants studied six bird species seen on the Panama Fruit Feeder cam to figure out when they visited the feeder and how food availability could affect visitation. They found that species varied considerably in their arrival patterns and how they responded to food being replenished on the feeder. To learn more, check out the Panama Live Final Report.

Hawk Talk:

May 2018 – March 2020
Participants sought to better understand the relationship between hawk vocalizations at the nest and behavior with the Red-tailed Hawks cam. They found evidence that nestlings’ vocalizations change from fewer “whistles” to more “peeps” in the first week after hatching. To learn more, check out the Hawk Talk Final Report. Illustration by Anna Rettberg
Illustration of a blue jay flying to a feeder where other bird species, like the black-capped chickadee, are perched.

Battling Birds:

May 2018 – March 2020
Participants watched clips from the Cornell FeederWatch cam to answer the question: How does the number of species and individuals affect displacements at the feeder? They found that displacements were more likely when more individuals or more species were at the feeder. To learn more, check out the Battling Birds Final Report. Illustration by Jillian Ditner
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A visual representation of the Bird Cams Lab project. A computer screen shows a screenshot from the Panama Fruit Feeder cam with two birds on the feeding table. Behind the computer is an image of the globe and overlayed are icons of people connected by lines to represent a network.

Bird Cams Lab was a project funded by the National Science Foundation’s Advancing Informal STEM Learning program, enabling participants from around the world to join with scientists in co-creating scientific investigations using live Bird Cams. Participants conducted field biology in their living rooms by watching cams and contributing to any or all stages of the scientific process. The project yielded new insights and discoveries about birds, served as a model for online co-created research at a national and global scale, and advanced the understanding of how participant experiences in co-created projects influenced their learning about birds and science.

The Investigations

During 2018–21, more than 16,000 participants joined Bird Cams Lab, working with one another and with scientists in co-created investigations across the entire scientific process: making observations, asking and selecting questions to investigate, deciding what data are needed to answer the questions, collecting data, exploring and interpreting results, and sharing findings. We completed six investigations focused on live streaming cams at bird feeders and nests, with data collected in real time on the cams and in clips of archived video footage.

An external evaluation team at Rockman et al conducted surveys and interviews to understand participants’ experiences. Below, you can see examples of participation in the last four investigations.

Bird Cams Lab Participation
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New Scientific Knowledge

Thanks to the contributions of thousands of participants, Bird Cams Lab demonstrated how co-created research can generate novel findings. For example, in “Battling Birds: Panama Edition,” participants revealed new data on aggressive interactions among tropical species, and in “Hawk Talk,” participants revealed insights about vocalizations of parents and young at a wild hawk nest.

Participant Experiences

Evaluation data showed that participants who contributed to one or more phases of an investigation gained knowledge about birds, increased their understanding and skills in scientific inquiry, and enhanced their confidence in their knowledge of birds and ability to contribute to science. Additionally, survey respondents who were initially involved in fewer activities involving birds and environmental stewardship (e.g., donating to organizations that help wildlife) were more involved after participating.

In interviews and surveys responses, participants shared that they thought co-created investigations made science more inclusive by providing opportunities that might not otherwise be available to them or others. At the same time, most respondents in Bird Cams Lab indicated that they were just as happy to participate in investigations with a research question chosen by scientists or by the community. This suggests possible benefits for projects that engage participants in more stages of the scientific process, whether the research is co-created or focused on scientists’ existing research.

For practitioners seeking to incorporate co-creation into their work, evaluation data also yielded insights for best practices. For example, many participants voiced hesitation to join investigations because they did not feel they had the skills or knowledge to contribute, though some participants became more comfortable with time. This reinforced the need to provide supports that emphasize the value that participants bring and bolster knowledge and confidence.

Thank You, Participants!

We wish to express our heartfelt thanks to all the participants who made this project possible by contributing their time, curiosity, data, and ideas throughout, and who shared their experiences through surveys and interviews. We are also grateful for the support of the National Science Foundation which enabled these contributions and advances.

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