ALBANY, NY (AP)
As birds wing their way north from their wintering grounds, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is recruiting volunteers for its annual NestWatch citizen science project.
Participants map any nest or birdhouse location on the NestWatchwebsite. Then they report the species of nesting bird, when eggs are laid, how many hatch, and how many fledglings leave the nest.
Sometimes NestWatchers see something that surprises scientists. Last year, participant Gerald Clark reported twin bluebirds hatching from one egg. NestWatch leaders say it was so unusual it was written up in a scientific journal.
This spring, researchers are asking NestWatchers to be on the look-out for nesting Eurasian collared doves. The non-native species has rapidly colonized most of North America but little is known about its breeding habits.
While not exactly bird nest watchers, residents of Lewiston have been sending WIVB ReportIt pictures of turkey vultures who seem to be swarming homes in the Lewiston area.