A Story About Birds

Just yesterday, I let someone draw a permanent image on my right ankle. I choose to get a Black-capped Chickadee. As everyone knows, birds are my thing. It's hard to choose just one favorite since there are a plethora of fascinating and wonderful avian groups. But the black-capped chickadee has a quality that no other bird species possesses.

Fall 2007, I was enrolled in Animal Behavior. We were required to design and conduct our own animal behavior study. My partner was an incredibly intelligent and sharp peer who had a passion for vertebrates of the avian variety. She came up with the idea for our study and it focused on black-capped chickadees. Prior to this class project, I was not familiar with this bird. In fact, I did not pay much attention to birds. I enjoyed sightings but I did not have the enthusiasm and love for our avian cousins that I have now.

The project was challenging and gave me my very first taste of studying wild animals in the field. Upon the completion of the project, I asked my grandmother (who happens to be an amateur ornithologist) for a bird guide for Christmas. This class project had sparked my interest in birds.

It's over three years later and I am in graduate school conducting a thesis project on avian habitat associations and population dynamics. For those who know me well, you know that birds are one of my favorite things. I owe this passion and life long commitment to spotting as many species as possible to the feisty little passerines known as black-capped chickadees. Their behaviors and vocalizations are fascinating. Additionally, they brave the winters of Northern latitudes.

So here's to you, chickadees, and the journey you sent me on.