Friday, September 5, 2014

Thinking Outside the (nest) Box

Marbled Murrelet
odysseykayaking.com 

Portia Halbert, of Humboldt State University, was thinking outside the (nest) box when she came up with a unique idea to save the endangered Marbled murrelet, a small seabird that feeds at sea and nests only in old growth forests. 

Stellar jays and Ravens eat murrelet eggs, so giving them a reason to never eat another was her clever idea. So far so good, but outsmarting a Jay can be tricky. Read the full story: Dietary Lessons
A box of chicken eggs painted to look like marbled murrelet eggs. The eggs contain a chemical that induces vomiting. Scientists are trying to teach the endangered bird's predator, a type of jay, to avoid murrelet eggs.


blackhills.audubon.org
Marbled Murrelet conservation