Birds as Bioindicators
National Aviary Ornithologist Robert Mulvihill introduced us to ongoing field research and education focused on birds as bioindicators of environment health. Birds have a long and storied history in conservation and environmental protection. Their unique physiology, ubiquitous position in terrestrial and aquatic food chains at local to global scales, and broad familiarity and popularity make birds especially effective indicators of and messengers for environmental problems.