As climate change continues to escalate, many bird species are negativity affected. Consequently, it is important to research changes in ranges and abundances of bird species globally. This past summer, I worked as a field tech in Northern Ontario for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas documenting these changes. This research has important implications for conservation as well as understanding the ecological requirements for successful bird breeding.
While bush-wacking to a point count location, I happened across this female ruffed grouse. Initially she just hissed at me, but as I tried to move past her, she aggressively charged me and flared her tail out. Clearly she had chicks nearby that she was protecting, but after looking around for a while and not finding them, I decided to leave her be.
