Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Birds

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Ovenbird

ovenbird shown from the back

Although the young and adult birds have essentially the same general plumage, there are some slight differences. The rusty tipping on this bird’s tertials identify it as a hatching-year bird (adults lack the rusty tipping). By spring this tipping frequently is worn off, and age is best determined by using the presence or absence of a molt limit.  As in many birds, the shape of the tail also can be useful in ageing warblers.

Powdermill Nature Reserve’s avian research center is part of Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s biological research station in Rector, Pennsylvania.  The research center operates a bird banding station, conducts bioacoustical research, and performs flight tunnel analysis with the goal of reducing window collisions.

 

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Bay-breasted and Blackpoll Warblers

Bay-breasted and Blackpoll Warblers

The first warbler benefits from spruce budworm outbreaks when the caterpillars provide abundant food. The second type of warbler has a high-pitched, almost inaudible song that drifts through boreal forests of Canada.

Powdermill Nature Reserve’s avian research center is part of Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s biological research station in Rector, Pennsylvania.  The research center operates a bird banding station, conducts bioacoustical research, and performs flight tunnel analysis with the goal of reducing window collisions.

 

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Connecticut and Mourning Warblers

Connecticut and Mourning Warblers

The Warbler on the left is uncommon and breeds in the boreal forest during winters in northern South America. The Warbler on the right is a small songbird of eastern and central North America.

Powdermill Nature Reserve’s avian research center is part of Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s biological research station in Rector, Pennsylvania.  The research center operates a bird banding station, conducts bioacoustical research, and performs flight tunnel analysis with the goal of reducing window collisions.

 

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Hatching-year female and Cape May Warbler male

female and male warbler

At first glance, these two birds may seem unrelated, but they are actually male and female of the same type. Females can be tricky to identify when birding, but look for the heavily streaked breast on a drably plumaged warbler.

Powdermill Nature Reserve’s avian research center is part of Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s biological research station in Rector, Pennsylvania.  The research center operates a bird banding station, conducts bioacoustical research, and performs flight tunnel analysis with the goal of reducing window collisions.

 

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Bird Banding

yellow and grey bird with blue eyes

Did you know that over the last 55 years, Carnegie Museum of Natural History staff have banded nearly three quarters of a million birds at Powdermill Nature Reserve, the museum’s environmental research center in Rector, Pennsylvania?

Powdermill’s banding program began in 1961 and is the longest continually running banding program in the United States. Data from the program has been used to show that birds are adapting to climate change by breeding a month earlier than they did in 1961.

Powdermill Nature Reserve’s avian research center is part of Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s biological research station in Rector, Pennsylvania.  The research center operates a bird banding station, conducts bioacoustical research, and performs flight tunnel analysis with the goal of reducing window collisions.

 

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Black-and-white Warbler

Black and White Warbler a black bird with white stripes

This is probably one of the easiest warblers to identify with it’s name being quite literal.

Powdermill Nature Reserve’s avian research center is part of Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s biological research station in Rector, Pennsylvania.  The research center operates a bird banding station, conducts bioacoustical research, and performs flight tunnel analysis with the goal of reducing window collisions.