The sound of a city supporting humans and hummingbirds.
Do you have a hummingbird feeder
(or would you like one)?
We study how hummingbirds are adapting to urbanization by catching hummingbirds across an urban gradient, taking as many measurements as we can think of, and then releasing them. Learning how populations are adjusting or adapting to urban habitats, i.e. which traits are changing and how much they are changing, clues us into what kind of traits make populations successful (or not) in human-dominated landscapes. This knowledge will help us build future cities in a way that supports our local hummingbirds and other species too!
Because catching urban hummingbirds is most efficient at hummingbird feeders, we are looking for folks who maintain feeders in their yards, gardens, balconies, or local green spaces (anywhere, really) and are willing to let us come study their birds. Collecting data only requires 1 or 2 days of sampling and it can be any day that works for you.
Connecting communities to scientists, and science to the communities it has potential to support and affect.
Connecting people to their backyard species & ecosystem.
Scientists learn about urban ecosystems by working with the communities that live in and create them.
Participants learn about the scientific process directly from the field biologists.
We all learn how species are adapting and responding to anthropogenic change
Opportunities for outreach and education, especially in inner city and underresourced communities
Habitat for urban hummingbirds and other species.
Green, biodiverse, and healthy cities for everyone
Support us!
There are many ways to support our mission! One of the biggest ways is to help us fund a 10-week undergraduate research fellowship.
The opportunity to conduct an independent project as an undergraduate student can change someone's life - it can open the doorway into higher education or landing a dream job after graduation. In addition to being a critical stepping stone in a STEM career, these positions offer extraordinary benefits for students including mentorship, co-authorship on publications, letters of recommendation, experience presenting at scientific conferences. Because funding for undergraduate projects is limited, students who have some level of financial flexibility that enables them to do research as a volunteer are disproportionally granted these opportunities, creating a barrier to access for those that come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Students selected for these fellowships will receive training and mentorship in study design, fieldwork, statistical analysis, scientific writing, and science communication. Projects results will be presented to the public and at a scientific conference and/or published in a peer reviewed journal. By funding this project you will open 1000 new doors to a bright and deserving student who will go on to achieve great things in STEM. Supporters will receive have an opportunity to meet their grantee, receive personalized updates from the grantee as their project progresses, and will be acknowledged in any resulting presentations and publications.
This part of the site is a work in progress. Stay tuned!