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Why female birds, you ask? I too love a bright male, but "an unconscious bias against female birds is widespread in birding" @KennKaufman, leading to knowledge & conservation gaps.
Thread/please RT. #FemaleBirdDay
https://www.audubon.org/news/i-became-better-birder-when-i-stopped-focusing-males
Thread/please RT. #FemaleBirdDay
https://www.audubon.org/news/i-became-better-birder-when-i-stopped-focusing-males
In Dr. Ruth Bennett's study of conservation plans for 66 landbird species, females use different resources 
than males in the nonbreeding season in 33% of species. Yet only 8% of conservation plans took that into account. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320719306986?via%3Dihub
than males in the nonbreeding season in 33% of species. Yet only 8% of conservation plans took that into account. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320719306986?via%3Dihub
They found female Golden-winged Warblers (a species in steep decline) use lower elevation forests than males, and have lost twice as much habitat than males from 2000-2016 due to logging 
. https://www.audubon.org/magazine/spring-2020/when-female-birds-are-overlooked-conservation
than males, and have lost twice as much habitat than males from 2000-2016 due to logging . https://www.audubon.org/magazine/spring-2020/when-female-birds-are-overlooked-conservation
Museum collections also feature fewer males than females, offering scientists less opportunity to study female birds. 
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2019.2025
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2019.2025
When I learned to count birds by ear, I was told male songbirds are the ones that sing 
. An old assumption not rooted in sexism, but a lack of information. Dr. @LaurynBenedict and @femalebirdsong found at least 144 songbird (passerine) species sing: https://academic.oup.com/view-large/126000253
. An old assumption not rooted in sexism, but a lack of information. Dr. @LaurynBenedict and @femalebirdsong found at least 144 songbird (passerine) species sing: https://academic.oup.com/view-large/126000253
In fact, Dr. Karan Odom, creator of http://femalebirdsong.org/ , found that 64% of female birds that we have data for sing! https://academic.oup.com/auk/article/135/2/314/5148802
! https://academic.oup.com/auk/article/135/2/314/5148802
Some female birds have lost their song in North America & Europe; female song is more prevalent in the tropics and Australia. Find out more in this engaging podcast 
with @LaurynBenedict and @N8Swick: https://blog.aba.org/2019/10/american-birding-podcast-the-secrets-of-female-bird-song-with-lauryn-benedict.html
with @LaurynBenedict and @N8Swick: https://blog.aba.org/2019/10/american-birding-podcast-the-secrets-of-female-bird-song-with-lauryn-benedict.html
What can you do?
1. Be mindful of what we miss if we overlook female birds.
2. Follow these pioneer ornithologists, @femalebirdsong @LaurynBenedict @keomland, Ruth Bennett, Karan Odom, and many more (please tag yourselves!)
1. Be mindful of what we miss if we overlook female birds.
2. Follow these pioneer ornithologists, @femalebirdsong @LaurynBenedict @keomland, Ruth Bennett, Karan Odom, and many more (please tag yourselves!)
3. Challenge yourselves this long weekend to identify female birds with the Galbatrosses, @marthaharbison @hahabita @4LETTERBIRD @BrookeLBateman and I. It's hard, it's not about listing and competing, but learning the traits that distinguish sexes. http://femalebirdday.wordpress.com/
with the Galbatrosses, @marthaharbison @hahabita @4LETTERBIRD @BrookeLBateman and I. It's hard, it's not about listing and competing, but learning the traits that distinguish sexes. http://femalebirdday.wordpress.com/
(
be sure to follow all social distancing guidelines)
4. Share your ID tips and techniques here
: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUszpeiAduvwLqH3dNgfCehzTRfEKoV9JETBIAF-hXkTR52w/viewform
5. Spread the word
#FemaleBirdDay #ISawABird
be sure to follow all social distancing guidelines)4. Share your ID tips and techniques here
: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUszpeiAduvwLqH3dNgfCehzTRfEKoV9JETBIAF-hXkTR52w/viewform5. Spread the word
#FemaleBirdDay #ISawABird
