Chicago Academy of Sciences Blog
Articles tagged Ornithology
November 12, 2021
Fall brings lots of seasonal changes. Leaves turn yellow, orange, red, and then fall; temperatures drop; the amount of daylight grows shorter. Animals prepare for winter or migrate. Some animals may also change their color. Ever wonder why?
September 28, 2021
Did You Know That Some Birds Can Weave? In the family of Ploceidae, there are multiple species of weaverbirds. As their name suggests, these birds can weave their nests on upper branches of trees. Weaverbirds are mainly found in Asia, Australia, and sub-Saharan Africa. A weaverbird nest is easily recognizable for its shape–a round enclosure, sometimes with a long entrance, that looks a lot like a tunnel. In the wild, the entrances protect the nest from tree snakes. Each nest can host up to two adult birds and their eggs. Some weaver species build nests together in the same tree, like an apartment building, that can reach 16 feet across! These examples of weaverbird nests are all part of our oology collection.
June 7, 2021
Chicago is positioned in one of the main bird migratory routes in North America, called the Mississippi Flyway. Natural areas along this route such as Chicago’s Lakefront, green spaces, and regional forest preserves, provide important rest stops for birds along their journey. Just as hundreds of species fly through the region, there are numerous species that live here year-round. Bird watching is a great activity to connect people and nature. It can be done at home or in a local natural area. And it’s an activity that kids and adults alike can participate in and develop their skill as much as they want. At the Nature Museum, the Birds of Chicago exhibit features 115 bird species found in the Chicago region. All the specimens are from the museum’s ornithology collection.
June 7, 2021
Making observations with William Dreuth
Documented bird observations are incredibly useful for understanding species migration and shifts in species populations or range as well as phenology (the timing of seasonal natural events such as plants blooming and bird migration). In the Academy’s collections, we have field journals recording Chicagoans’ observations from 100 or more years ago, allowing us to peak into our regional history. One of these naturalists was William Dreuth.
April 25, 2021
Have you ever seen a flapping sparrow, a gliding seagull, or a soaring hawk? What do their wings have in common? You might notice long feathers, short feathers, dark colors, or light colors. What is different about their wings? One main difference is their wing shape! Since birds live in many different environments, birds come in all shapes and sizes with wings that are adapted for their survival needs and habitat. There are four general types of wing shapes that are common in many birds. Let’s take a look at them!
April 20, 2021
Bird migration through the Windy City
You might not associate a big city like Chicago with a nature lover’s hot spot, but the Windy City is a great location for bird watchers. Chicago sits in one of the major bird migratory routes in North America, known as the Mississippi Flyway, so each spring and fall, there are hundreds of species that fly across the region.
March 23, 2021
In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re taking a closer look at the life and work of some of the women who were important figures in the history of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago Academy of Sciences. For this final installment, we’re taking a look at Margaret Morse Nice (1883-1974).
March 19, 2021
In previous blogs, we’ve focused on the impact of local invasive species in the Chicago area. But how is the bird community impacted? To get a better sense of how the bird community is affected by non-native species, we reached out to our friends at the Chicago Ornithological Society and spoke to Society President Edward Warden.
March 18, 2021
In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re taking a closer look at the life and work of some of the women who were important figures in the history of the Chicago Academy of Sciences / Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Today, we’re taking a look at Amanda Parelius (ca. 1888 – Unknown). Amanda Parelius is not a household name. She is not a recognized scientific pioneer, but her scrapbook is a snapshot into the passion that drives the amateur scientist. Amanda was born around 1888 in Chicago and lived most of her life in Elmwood Park, one of Chicago’s northwest suburban communities. When she was only 18 months old, Amanda contracted polio, known then also as “infantile paralysis.” At 16, she underwent surgery intended to help her walk, but complications afterwards instead led to the amputation of one of her legs. Her personal experiences with polio are important to note because it would influence directions she took later in her life. She worked as a milliner and dress-maker until an accident caused her to break her ankle when she was 28. Less mobile, and the streetcar being less accessible, Parelius opened up a pet shop and bird hospital out of her home, calling it the Scarlet Pet Shop and Bird Hospital. She moved the location of the business as time progressed, but she developed a skill for curing birds, particularly canaries, after caring for her own birds. Although untrained as a veterinarian and largely self-taught, she performed surgery on birds, removing growths and tumors and even amputating legs. She received attention from papers in the Chicago area for creating artificial legs for canaries and other birds and for applying the “Sister Kenny” method used to treat polio patients on birds experiencing paralysis. She applied hot packs, hot baths, and massage to afflicted birds, similar to the procedures used in humans. She experienced some success, curing a parrot that was found suddenly motionless at the bottom of its cage.