Meet the bird studiers!
/Who are these ornithologists, anyway? Let's find out.
The biggest ornithology conference in history, NAOC 2016, just happened over the past week in Washington, DC. Who goes to a conference like this? What do they do? What are they interested in? I set out to answer those questions—through pictures—on behalf of American Ornithology (@AmOrnith). And the biosketch series began!
#NAOC2016 @sketchbiologist (scicomm expert for @AmOrnith) does conceptual sketches of research pic.twitter.com/TELLupakz3
— Kenn Kaufman (@KennKaufman) August 19, 2016
First, I warned the ornithologists:
We want to draw a #biosketch for you at #NAOC2016! Watch the vid to learn more (& plz share) #AOatNAOC #ornithology pic.twitter.com/QwkV6BP8cl
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 8, 2016
They seemed intrigued...
ooooh pick me pick me!
— Alice Boyle (@birdfiddler) August 13, 2016
Great, it's a plan!
— Abby McBride (@sketchbiologist) August 8, 2016
So off I went to NAOC, with some whiteboards and dry-erase markers in tow.
Here are some of the people I met:
Meet @Monica_Iglecia, whose work improves migratory shorebird habitat around the W hemisphere! #biosketch #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/DOqBpEHVcC
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 16, 2016
.@Ryan_OConn studies thermal physiology & heat tolerance in the Freckled Nightjar of S Africa! #biosketch #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/bAIt7b2rtm
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 17, 2016
And then @sketchbiologist made my day by drawing me checking a ferruginous hawk nest! Sooooo pleased #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/OdgzCBNMNl
— Janet Ng (@janetngbio) August 17, 2016
"All birds are larger than life" says Janet #NAOC2016 #ornithology @janetngbio
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 18, 2016
This is @lonefalcon studying predator response in Hawaiian birds! #biosketch #NAOC2016 #AOatNAOC #ornithology pic.twitter.com/qxBSxF9Ean
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 18, 2016
.@NoelleMoen studies riparian bird communities in E Oregon...and loves flamingos #biosketch #NAOC2016 #ornithology pic.twitter.com/gNUfbj4FPS
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 18, 2016
Postdoc Ari Martinez: how info use explains which spp hang out tgthr (like antshrike/antwrens!) #biosketch #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/qF20wfP3Q1
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 18, 2016
The #biosketch series started piquing interest.
Super cool: check out what @sketchbiologist is doing with #biosketch right now for @AmOrnith at big ornithology conference in DC.
— Seth Mnookin (@sethmnookin) August 19, 2016
Ten People to Follow at #NAOC2016: https://t.co/9ntZS60BPg @NAOCbirds @TheBirdist @RallidaeRule @sketchbiologist @JERutter @tom_auer 1/2
— NemesisBird.com (@NemesisBird) August 18, 2016
pointless warbler fights, super empid vision, and @sketchbiologist's #biosketches in today's update from #NAOC2016 https://t.co/yMiJxz2uWF
— Cornell Lab (@CornellBirds) August 20, 2016
And we kept right on biosketching.
@sketchbiologist is making me a #sketchbio right now! pic.twitter.com/JjWa4ABlU5
— Alice Boyle (@birdfiddler) August 20, 2016
Alice Boyle (@birdfiddler) studies climate constraints on tropical birds, like this manakin! #biosketch #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/dWc79tTBwE
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 21, 2016
Years of research in one cartoon. Thanks, Abby. @sketchbiologist #NAOC2016 #loonsrule pic.twitter.com/1pjxKMECI3
— Alec Lindsay (@AlecRLindsay) August 20, 2016
.@AlecRLindsay uses genetic data to study linkage between Common Loon breeding and winter pops! #biosketch #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/cBcX3xO2qO
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 21, 2016
Watching my research come to life with @sketchbiologist #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/lGRnBMIaZZ
— Kathleen Farley, Msc (@WoodcockWatchNJ) August 20, 2016
.@katitarian does urban #ornithology & science education, working w/ American Woodcocks in NY! #biosketch #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/j7XjYMsQBc
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 21, 2016
Several intrepid participants stepped up and drew auto-biosketches:
Student AOU member Jeffrey Lee drew his own great #biosketch—studies relationship of urban birds &habitat #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/6cQFW2bVcd
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 18, 2016
Lillie Kline studies Neotropic agroecosystems & drew this White-throated Magpie-Jay (+neighbor) #biosketch #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/fFocgD92bp
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 19, 2016
Polar bears, snow geese, and drones all figure into Andrew Barnas's exciting auto- #biosketch #NAOC2016 #ornithology pic.twitter.com/m369eoc4UA
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 18, 2016
MS student @Hoosier_Dani drew her own awesome #biosketch—studies noise effects on E bluebird reproduction! #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/OqS2iBjHWT
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 17, 2016
Alberto Lobato of MX monitors & storytells about birds—like this Bearded Wood-Partridge he drew #biosketch #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/UQZR5DtQ3U
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 21, 2016
This is @abraham_eliz releasing a rehabbed Newell's Shearwater in Hawaii, in a great #biosketch she drew! #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/IJyGMV76qm
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 20, 2016
Everyone else had colorful descriptions and ideas for what to draw.
This is @ninners24 studying secretive marsh birds and invasive veg in MN #biosketch #NAOC2016 #ornithology #AOatNAOC pic.twitter.com/11mws9a0fp
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 18, 2016
Meet @NRSenner, who studies pop dynamics in extreme organisms—his #biosketch features 2 godwit spp + mouse #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/blItFGMqzV
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 17, 2016
Nicole Wood @WildlifeBioGal found herself on the wrong side of a Mute Swan one time in Michigan #biosketch #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/YwCwllNj0Z
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 21, 2016
My most infamous field moment, brought to life by @sketchbiologist. Thanks Abby! #NAOC2016 #ornithology #scicomm pic.twitter.com/OTM6oQzXeq
— Nicole Wood (@WildlifeBioGal) August 20, 2016
This is a specific American Crow, "GO," dear to UW student @kswift_crow's heart. #biosketch #NAOC2016 #ornithology pic.twitter.com/Eis428aKXZ
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 20, 2016
Gracias @FerMachado55 for helping with the Venezuelan coastline on a #biosketch of his Wood-Wren research! #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/7IGJYwtNVm
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 19, 2016
Thanks for the very accurate #biosketch of my fieldwork @AmOrnith https://t.co/eLJDYExetE
— Anjolene Hunt (@AnjoleneHunt) August 18, 2016
Dan Baldassarre @evornithology made discoveries on Red-backed Fairywrens w/ red vs orange backs #biosketch #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/yEzQszrfPR
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 21, 2016
Check out my #NAOC2016 #biosketch by @AmOrnith @sketchbiologist! I Love it!! #ornithology https://t.co/iHcauBq1X4
— Emily B Cohen (@Emily_B_Cohen) August 21, 2016
As a bonus, anyone who did a #biosketch was entitled to an #8bitwarblers sticker.
In case you're not excited yet about #NAOC2016: there will be stickers of #8bitwarblers by @RosemaryMosco! #AOatNAOC pic.twitter.com/gkZr3PMjuS
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 9, 2016
Go sketch it up with @sketchbiologist at #NAOC2016 and get some warbler stickers by me! https://t.co/w7xGKzl2Wl
— Rosemary Mosco (@RosemaryMosco) August 19, 2016
Sitting down w @sketchbiologist. She has @RosemaryMosco stickers & she's by the escalators, come visit! #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/xTvUBsJuvg
— Janet Ng (@janetngbio) August 17, 2016
Scientists weren't the only ones at the ornithology conference.
I also ran into a lot of people involved in spreading the word about birds:
Meet @r_heisman, who brings #ornithology to the people for @AukJournal @CondorJournal—#biosketch #NAOC2016 #AOatNAOC pic.twitter.com/ZnYIe83PEI
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 18, 2016
Have you ever been #biosketch-ed? @sketchbiologist has got @stevedudley_ to a T ! Love it #LesvosBirds https://t.co/Klfjma67tv
— Lesvos Birding (@LesvosBirding) August 19, 2016
Double #biosketch! @preetalina and @ebethsorrell are here at #NAOC2016 tweeting for @audubonsociety. #AOatNAOC pic.twitter.com/cFhwsq7kNa
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 18, 2016
My very own Tree Swallow sketch from @sketchbiologist #NAOC2016 #scicomm pic.twitter.com/Lmt12RDvcG
— Elizabeth Sorrell 🇺🇸🦅 (@ebethsorrell) August 17, 2016
This Belted Kingfisher drawn by @sketchbiologist is basically awesome. Look at that crest! #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/C8NTM8TvXw
— Preeti Desai🌿 (@preetalina) August 17, 2016
And our final biosketch celebrity was Kenn Kaufman, who has done so much for ornithology and conservation by connecting people with birds.
Farewell to #NAOC2016 from @KennKaufman—who cares a lot about birds, @BSBOBIRD, and @KimmKaufman! #biosketch pic.twitter.com/3NVkQTWZWx
— American Ornithology (@AmOrnith) August 21, 2016
A big thanks to everyone who collaborated with me on an @AmOrnith #biosketch at #NAOC2016!
@sketchbiologist hard at work bringing #ornithology to life. #NAOC2016 pic.twitter.com/DPbrKMa6NV
— Kathleen Farley, Msc. (@katitarian) August 20, 2016