AnnuAl RepoRt to membeRs | 2012 - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

More Highlights from 2012••January: The journal Biology Lettersaccepts a Cornell Lab paper showing howclustered habitat networks are needed tomaintain the genetic diversity of imperiledFlorida Scrub-Jays. The published paperprompts revision of the species’ EndangeredSpecies Act Recovery Plan.••february: Twenty-three youth from the nation’smajor cities come to the Lab’s “CelebrateUrban Birds” workshop, fostering connectionsbetween the arts, nature, and conservation. Saidone student, “The thing I loved most was ourwalk in the woods at night in silence—I havenever experienced anything like that before.”••march: Lab researchers return fromthe Central African Republic with rare imagesof endangered forest elephants at night,taken using thermal-sensing technology.••April: On Earth Day, the world watches anegg crack and a chick emerge in a Red-tailedHawk nest on the Cornell campus via a livestream from the Lab’s high-def cams.••may: Team Sapsucker ties the North Americanbirding record for most species found in 24hours. In the process they raise $250,000 fromsupporters’ pledges for bird conservation.••june: A new bird species found by Cornellgraduates in Peru is named Capito fitzpatrickiin honor of Lab director John Fitzpatrick.••july: Citizen-science participants help betatestthe YardMap website and create more than2,400 bird-friendly backyard designs in the firstfour months.Sira Barbet (Capitofitzpatricki) byMichael Harvey••august: The journal Conservation Biologypublishes results from the Lab’s deep-sea audiorecorders showing that noise from ships interfereswith the ability of endangered right whalesto communicate with one another.••september: The Lab launches www.Birdcast.info, showcasing information about thenew project to forecast the migrations of birds.••october: The book Birds of Paradise:Revealing the World’s Most ExtraordinaryBirds is released, authored by Cornell Lab scientistEdwin Scholes and wildlife photographerTim Laman.Marianna Hagbloom, New England Aquarium22From left to right: Millions of viewers around the world watched the Red-tailed Hawk hatchlings on the Cornell Lab’s bird cams. The rare image of a juvenile forest elephant at night was recorded by the Lab’sElephant Listening Project. The North Atlantic right whale is one of the critically endangered whale species monitored by the Lab’s Bioacoustics Research Program.