Browsing by Author "Phillips, Tina B."

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    Birds are not the only ones impacted by guidance to cease bird feeding
    Dayer, Ashley A.; Pototsky, P. Christy; Hall, Richard J.; Hawley, Dana M.; Phillips, Tina B.; Bonter, David N.; Dietsch, Allan M.; Greig, Emma; Hochachka, Wesley M. (Wiley, 2023)
    1. Humans have a particularly strong connection with birds, driving the enormous popularity of residential bird feeding in much of the world. 2. We conducted a web search to document US state wildlife management agency responses to two recent avian disease outbreaks, finding that 23 agencies made recommendations to cease feeding wild birds in 2021–2022. 3. The psychological benefits of bird feeding for humans are well-documented but often overlooked in management decisions in response to avian disease outbreaks. 4. Likewise, ecological evidence does not necessarily support ceasing bird feeding to reduce the spread of every avian disease. 5. Ecological and social science need to be applied in tandem to ensure that well-intended guidance to cease feeding of birds does not have unintended consequences.
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    Highly specialized recreationists contribute the most to the citizen science project eBird
    Rosenblatt, Connor J.; Dayer, Ashley A.; Duberstein, Jennifer N.; Phillips, Tina B.; Harshaw, Howard W.; Fulton, David C.; Cole, Nicholas W.; Raedeke, Andrew H.; Rutter, Jonathan D.; Wood, Christopher L. (Oxford University Press, 2022-05-06)
    Contributory citizen science projects (hereafter "contributory projects") are a powerful tool for avian conservation science. Large-scale projects such as eBird have produced data that have advanced science and contributed to many conservation applications. These projects also provide a means to engage the public in scientific data collection. A common challenge across contributory projects like eBird is to maintain participation, as some volunteers contribute just a few times before disengaging. To maximize contributions and manage an effective program that has broad appeal, it is useful to better understand factors that influence contribution rates. For projects capitalizing on recreation activities (e.g., birding), differences in contribution levels might be explained by the recreation specialization framework, which describes how recreationists vary in skill, behavior, and motives. We paired data from a survey of birders across the United States and Canada with data on their eBird contributions (n = 28,926) to test whether those who contributed most are more specialized birders. We assigned participants to 4 contribution groups based on eBird checklist submissions and compared groups' specialization levels and motivations. More active contribution groups had higher specialization, yet some specialized birders were not active participants. The most distinguishing feature among groups was the behavioral dimension of specialization, with active eBird participants owning specialized equipment and taking frequent trips away from home to bird. Active participants had the strongest achievement motivations for birding (e.g., keeping a life list), whereas all groups had strong appreciation motivations (e.g., enjoying the sights and sounds of birding). Using recreation specialization to characterize eBird participants can help explain why some do not regularly contribute data. Project managers may be able to promote participation, particularly by those who are specialized but not contributing, by appealing to a broader suite of motivations that includes both appreciation and achievement motivations, and thereby increase data for conservation. Lay Summary center dot Contributory science projects have conservation and societal benefits, yet some projects struggle with participant retention. center dot Recreation specialization (a framework that describes individuals' degree of engagement in and commitment to an activity) uses three dimensions to classify recreationists: affective (psychological attachment to specific activities), behavioral (frequency of participation, prior experience, and equipment used), and cognitive (knowledge and skill about an activity). center dot We used survey data about involvement and preferences of birders in the U.S. and Canada to measure recreation specialization. We then combined these data with respondents' checklist contributions to eBird. center dot Individuals who had the highest scores for all three recreation specialization dimensions contributed the most checklists to eBird. center dot Participants motivated by achievement contributed more than those not motivated by achievement. Motivation by appreciation did not influence the number of contributions.
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    Observations at backyard bird feeders influence the emotions and actions of people that feed birds
    Dayer, Ashley A.; Rosenblatt, Connor; Bonter, David N.; Faulkner, Holly; Hall, Richard J.; Hochachka, Wesley M.; Phillips, Tina B.; Hawley, Dana M. (British Ecological Society, 2019-03-25)
    1. Backyard bird feeding is one of the most common ways people engage with wildlife in many parts of the world. Given its scale, it can have profound consequences for the ecology of feeder birds and their behaviour. While previous work has primarily explored socio‐demographic factors associated with bird feeding, how observations of nature at backyard feeders (e.g. changes in feeder bird abundance, interaction with natural enemies and weather) influence people's propensity to feed birds remain largely unknown. 2. We examined the association between peoples’ observations at their backyard feeders and their emotions and behaviours related to providing food to birds. We conducted an online survey of a subset of United States participants in Project FeederWatch, a large‐scale citizen science project. 3. Overwhelmingly, respondents (n = 1,176) reported taking actions, such as managing predators or maintaining feeders, in response to observable natural factors (e.g. increased incidence of disease, the presence of predators, increased bird abundance). Additionally, respondents described a variety of emotional responses to the scenarios of depredation or disease at their feeders, some of which (particularly anger) had a small association with whether a respondent would take action in response. Respondents generally believed that their bird feeding benefits backyard birds (e.g. by improving overwinter survival and overall health), and indicated that natural factors (e.g. bird abundance, disease prevalence) and abiotic factors (i.e. cold temperature) had more of an influence on how much they feed birds than internal constraints such as time and money. 4. These findings suggest that human behaviour with respect to bird feeding is coupled to observations of nature, which could lead to feedbacks between provisioning intensity and ecological dynamics. Overall, our results have important implications for bird conservation and for understanding the potential benefits that humans receive from provisioning birds.
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    Tapping birdwatchers to promote bird-friendly coffee consumption and conserve birds
    Williams, Alicia; Dayer, Ashley A.; Hernandez-Aguilera, J. Nicolas; Phillips, Tina B.; Faulkner-Grant, Holly; Gómez, Miguel I.; Rodewald, Amanda D. (John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2021-01-05)
    1. Though coffee was traditionally grown as an understory crop beneath mature trees (i.e. ‘shade-grown’ coffee), most farms have been converted to full-sun monocultures over time, which fail to support ecosystem services or biodiversity. The conversion from shade-to sun-grown coffee has prompted the development of environmentally focused certifications, such as Smithsonian Bird Friendly® coffee, as one market-based strategy to incentivize sustainable production of coffee. 2. Birdwatchers, of which there are 45 million in the US alone, are among the primary targets for coffee certifications—partly due to their high propensity to participate in and pay for conservation activities that benefit birds. Yet birdwatchers still represent a small market share of certifications, and their purchasing preferences relatively unknown. In 2016, we administered an online survey to 912 donors and/ or members of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology who self-identified as coffee drinkers and ‘birdwatchers’ to assess their familiarity with, receptivity to purchase, and perceived constraints on purchasing certified coffee. 3. Nearly half (49%) of respondents reported considering bird habitat when purchasing coffee. However, only 38% of respondents were familiar with the Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification and only 9% reported purchasing it. Consumers who were older, female, and more skilled at birdwatching were more likely to consider birds when purchasing coffee, whereas those with higher levels of education were less likely. The highest rated constraints on buying bird-friendly coffee were lack of awareness, cost, and lack of availability. 4. Because most birdwatchers considered both social and environmental impacts when purchasing coffee, they may be a promising market segment for many coffee certifications. Indeed, about half of the birdwatchers purchased organic (50%) and Fair Trade® (52%) certifications.