There is a great new citizen science project that needs your help!
My colleagues at HelLO and FinBIF are trying to understand what makes a bird species attractive. As in “throw in some heart emojis!” -attractive. Many bird species are threatened by illegal wildlife trade, and being attractive to humans is likely one factor predicting which species fall victim to such trade. My colleagues have put together a web app, where you can look at pictures of birds and rate them (from 0 to 10 hearts) based on their appearance. The results will help them to identify characteristics that make a species at risk of illegal trade and in need of protection.
So give it a go! In addition to helping research and bird conservation, it’s truly fun. You would be surprised what amazing – and let’s be honest – crazy looking birds there are around the world. The web app is here: iratebirds.app
Go and rate them!
Spoiler alert: No, the birds are not irate.
Photos courtesy of Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
