Wildlife Tech Class of 2013
Blind Brook High School
Project: Do Migratory Songbirds Use Non-Native Plants as Food Sources at Stopover Sites?
Project Status: Ongoing
Project Description
During spring and fall migrations, birds will land and forage at important “stopover” points along the way. Rachel Bricklin is a RAP student studying the suitability of different stopover sites along an urban-rural gradient and has helped Ellen develop a project to address the question of whether migrating birds actually use non-native plants for food. Ellen is using behavioral observations to make time-activity budgets for numerous bird species as they forage in the Gorge. Ellen’s research is supported by Rusticus Garden Club through their M.J. Mercurio Scholarship Award.
Recognition: U.S. Army Award – 2013; Environmental Perspiration Award – 2013; Mianus River Gorge Ecology Award – 2013; Teatown Young Conservationalist Award – 2013