A Reflection on Natural History (Part 2)

Before the Scientific Revolution, any attempt to ascribe order to nature was largely rooted in the study of holy texts, rather than in the nature of minerals and organisms themselves. The development of natural history as an observational science in the seventeenth century changed this entirely and lives on to be a crucial element in the study of living organisms today.

It has become popular in the modern era to dismiss natural history as “mere” classification, lacking empirical methods, but this could not be further from the truth. Accurate classification is an essential element of understanding the natural world. There is not a more essential answer to the question “what is x?” than to give the classification of x, i.e. put it in relation to other living beings. Such an indefinite number of characteristics can be inferred by an organism’s taxonomic standing alone that this serves as a sort of shortcut to ripping individual organisms to shreds and painstakingly having to analyze and reanalyze the constituent parts of each individual organism. While an understanding of the anatomy of individuals within a species is of interest to some and has intrinsic value, the understanding of organisms in context with other similar and dissimilar organisms also has value. For those with questions unconcerned with the minutia of differences between individuals and who are focused with broader themes in evolution or organismal biology, a system of classification serves as a heuristic to understanding basic aspects of the organism at hand in relation to its own or other groups of organisms. Today, rather than defining natural groups by shared characteristics, these characteristics aid in the diagnoses of natural groups, which rather are defined by evolutionary relatedness. Still a need for the accurate classification of organisms persists.

Natural history as an observational rather than experimental science is not an outdated way of conducting zoology, ecology, or botany. Research lab settings are artificial and for those concerned with ethology, ecology, and observational field studies are crucial for comprehending the life history and behavior of animals and plants. Such observational studies have formed the bedrock of the modern understandings of these subjects. Even experimental studies themselves are inspired by observational studies after all.

Carolina Parakeet specimens are among the irreplaceable extinct specimens held in the Tetrapod Collection. (Photo Credit: Chelsea Hothem 2016)

Carolina Parakeet specimens are among the irreplaceable extinct specimens held in the Tetrapod Collection. (Photo Credit: Chelsea Hothem 2016)

Natural history museums and the specimens they contain also retain both intrinsic and practical value. Far from ‘mere’ cabinets of curiosities, natural history specimens serve as physical records of organisms, vouchers, from throughout history. The tags of these specimens usually record the location where the specimen was collected, the date, the stomach contents of the organism (for animals), pre-preparation measurements, the name of the collector, the cause of death, and many other bits of information that prove invaluable for research. Each specimen is comparable to a library book brimming with information that can inform future scientists on topics ranging from biodiversity, species distribution, the changes in species over time, impacts of humans over time, genetic information, historic climates, and conservation.

A young bluebird (Sialia sialis) that died after being entangled in this plastic. This is an unfortunate reminder that what humans do with their trash has repercussions for other species.This specimen was prepared by Tetrapod Curatorial Assistant, Grant Terrell and is now housed in the Museum of Biological Diversity’s Tetrapod Collection. (Photo: Grant Terrell, 2016)

A young bluebird (Sialia sialis) that died after being entangled in this plastic. This is an unfortunate reminder that what humans do with their trash has repercussions for other species.This specimen was prepared by Tetrapod Curatorial Assistant, Grant Terrell and is now housed in the Museum of Biological Diversity’s Tetrapod Collection. (Photo: Grant Terrell, 2016)

A modern example of the utility of museum collections is the application of DDT and its effects on North American birds. Chemicals within DDT were responsible for the terminal thinning of eggshells in birds exposed to the pesticide. Not until contemporary eggs could be compared with eggs in museum collections, were scientists able to confirm why avian populations were suffering.  If naturalists had not been consistently collecting eggs from North American bird species, humans may have continued using DDT without fully understanding its effects on non-targeted species. The value of a particular specimen only increases with time. This lesson can effortlessly be learned after only a single encounter with a specimen of a recently extinct species such as the Passenger Pigeon. Individuals within museum collections and the observations of naturalists are now all that remain for researchers with questions about such species. The advent of new technologies only increases the value of the work of naturalists such as Sir Hans Sloane. Researchers now sequence the DNA of specimens and compare it to that of modern individuals. It is unknowable what advances may further enhance the value of the study of natural history.

Thus it is very important to ensure preservation of specimens for future generations. Please support our efforts through our current fundraiser.

About the Author: Grant Terrell is a second year student at the Ohio State University who is currently double-majoring in Evolution & Ecology and History. He currently works as a Curatorial Assistant in the Tetrapod Collection of the Museum of Biological Diversity and focuses on Ornithology.

About the Author: Grant Terrell is a second year student at the Ohio State University who is currently double-majoring in Evolution & Ecology and History. He currently works as a Curatorial Assistant in the Tetrapod Collection of the Museum of Biological Diversity and focuses on Ornithology.

Works Cited

Huxley, Robert. The Great Naturalists. London: Thames & Hudson, 2007. Print.

Otter, Christopher. “Natural History.” History 3712. The Ohio State University Main Campus, Columbus. 6 Sept. 2016. Lecture.

Stott, Rebecca. Darwin’s Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2012. Print.

Specimen Photo Shoot: Roll it Out Specimens

Roll it Out: Specimen Photo Shoot

Curious what the extinct and highly endangered specimens we will be moving to the mobile cabinet look like? One of our student research assistants took detailed photos just for YOU. All of these specimens are considered irreplaceable and some being the last records of their species. Be sure to check out our campaign page for information on how to to support the collection and help us roll out the irreplaceable specimens represented from the photos below.

 

A research assistant shows off a tiger cub.

Chelsea Hothem, Student Research Assistant

PHOTOS BY: Chelsea Hothem, 2016

Tetrapod Collection: What Happens in a Collection?

A collection is nothing without people who use it. Our collection sees constant use by students, artists, researchers, experts and more. We conduct tours, workshops, and projects within the collection, all involving people who desire to learn more about some animals and find these in our collections. None of this would be possible without a community around us, who want to learn and appreciate all the collection has to offer.

Help us maintain our specimens and check out our campaign! We are raising money for a new mobile cabinet for our endangered and extinct species. Please spread the word about our campaign and and donate today!

Enjoy photos of visitors to the tetrapods collection:

How can museum collections help us understand bird migration?

Millions of birds migrate south every fall. You may have noticed some recent changes in your backyard bird community. Most of our summer residents have left by now, Tree Swallows and Eastern Bluebirds will be back next spring. Some birds will not succeed on their long journeys, because we have put up many obstacles for them to overcome, such as buildings with clear, shiny windows. Birds try to fly right through them. Thousands of volunteers like you pick up these window-killed birds and take them to their local natural history museum. We prepare them into specimen skins and preserve them for future research.

Window-killed birds collected in downtown Columbus in spring 2013

Window-killed birds collected in downtown Columbus in spring 2013

Over the years these specimens paint a picture of certain routes particular species take, the timing of their migration etc. We have learned that not all individuals of a species migrate at the same time, often young birds migrate later than adults, females differently from males.

To find out when to expect migrating birds in your area visit the Black Swamp Bird Observatory. We can learn so much from our museum bird skins and studies will help us make migration safer for today’s birds.

Sometimes birds get blown off track on their long journey and end up in an unusual location. With so many bird watchers today, these birds usually stir quite a bird watching frenzy. In the past some of them have ended up in our collection like this Magnificent Frigatebird that Milton Trautman collected in Morrow county, Ohio on October 2nd in 1967, almost 50 years ago.

Natural history museum across the country help with these efforts. Read about this student’s project “What can we learn from 30+ years of bird migration data?” at the Field Museum in Chicago.

Before you get involved you may want to read this testimony from volunteers at the Field Museum who collected and prepared many of the specimens for the above study.

Watch this video:

video

Species of the Month: Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis)

Snakes in Jars

Tetrapod Collection Smooth Green Snakes, ©Chelsea Hothem, 2016

If you don’t think snakes can be cute, perhaps you’ve just never seen a smooth green snake (Opheodrys vernalis).  A cousin of garter snakes and rat snakes, the smooth green snake is in the Colubridae family.  They are found throughout the continental United States, southern Canada, and northern Mexico. The smooth green snake looks similar to the rough green snake (O.

Rough green snakes (Opheodrys aestivus) look similar to smooth green snakes but have keeled scales and a more arboreal lifestyle. ( © Patrick Coin, 2003)

aestivus) but can be distinguished by its namesake smoother scales and more terrestrial lifestyle.  This slender snake only grows to around one to two feet (30-60 cm) long.  Since they are small and non-venomous, they’re harmless, unless you’re a small invertebrate.  Much like The Lion King’s Timon and Pumbaa, smooth green snakes primarily eat insects, spiders, worms, and snails (1,2,3,5).

 

From June to September, the female smooth green snakes lay eggs in burrows under logs, rocks, or vegetation.  Multiple females have been observed depositing eggs in one communal nest site.  The eggs can hatch anywhere from four to thirty days later.  The incubation period is thought to vary greatly due in part to the female’s ability to retain the eggs in her body, which helps speed their development.  Born with no need for parental care, hatchlings grow quickly and can triple in size within their first year of life (1,2,3).

From November to March, smooth green snakes spend the winter hibernating.  Hibernacula (places where animals hibernate) can be under rocks and logs or inside anthills and abandoned rodent burrows (1,2,3).  Individuals frequently hibernate together and have even been known to share hibernacula with other species including their close relative the garter snake (genus Thamnophis) or even skinks (genus Plestiodon) (1).

Western Smooth Green Snake, Opheodrys vernalis blanchardi

(Smooth green snakes are usually found on the ground.  (©Greg Schechter, 2009)  )

Year-round, this reptile prefers to live in moist and grassy habitats in prairies or near marshes and lakes, although they can sometimes be found in drier habitats like forests.  As prairies and marshes have given way to neighborhoods and shopping centers, the wildlife that lived in those habitats has also disappeared (1,2,3,5).  Unfortunately, the smooth green snake is no exception.  In Ohio, the smooth green snake is endangered and is only encountered in the extreme southwest of the state (if at all)(5).  However, the species as a whole is considered stable and smooth green snakes are still populous in other parts of their range for now (4).

Because this species can be hard to find in the wild and usually does not thrive in captivity (1,2), museum specimens are an important source of information for scientific studies.  At the Museum of Biological Diversity, we have sixteen smooth green snake specimens.  They were collected between the 1920’s and 1960’s and the majority were found in Ohio.   For more information about the smooth green snake and their range in Ohio, watch this video.

Abby poses with the polar bear head.

Abby is one of our  Volunteers. She works on the general collection

About the Author:

Abby Miller is a 2nd year majoring in Zoology at the Ohio State University and is a volunteer in the Tetrapod Collection.

 

 

 

 

  1. Redder, Alan J., Brian E. Smith, Ph.D., and Douglas A. Keinath. 2006 Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys Vernalis): A Technical Conservation Assessment.” United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service: Rocky Mountain Region. USDA Forest Service, 27 Nov. 2006. Web. http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5182074.pdf

 

  1. Smooth Green Snake.” Lincoln Park Zoo. Lincoln Park Zoo, n.d. Web. <http://www.lpzoo.org/animal/smooth-green-snake>.
  2. Hammerson, G.A. 2007.  Liochlorophis vernalis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2007: e.T63842A12721291. http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/63842/0
  3.  “Opheodrys Vernalis (Smooth Green Snake).” Animal Diversity Web. Regents of the University of Michigan, n.d. Web.  <http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Opheodrys_vernalis/>.

5. “Smooth Greensnake – Opheodrys Vernalis.” ODNR Division of Wildlife. Ohio DNR, n.d. <http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/reptiles/smooth-greensnake>.

 

Species of January: The Bengal Tiger

I had been saving this particular species of tetrapod for my final blog post, and now that time has come. Recently I accepted an internship at the Center Of Science and Industry in Columbus, so I will be ending my work here at the Tetrapod Collection. As my time here comes to an end, I’d like to finish by writing about my favorite tetrapod species.

Growing up to 6 feet in length and weighing up to 500 lbs, the Bengal Tiger (Panther tigris tigris) is, without question, one of the most majestic and regal animals on this planet. Different tiger species can be found in different parts of Asia but the Bengal Tiger is found primarily in India and some areas of neighboring Bangladesh. Tigers are the largest cats in the world and have a distinct roar that can be heard

A tiger skull that we have here in the Tetrapod Collection.

A tiger skull that we have here in the Tetrapod Collection.

from two miles away. Tigers are known for their distinctive striped coats and, like our fingerprints, no two tigers have the same pattern of stripes. The tiger’s stripes are used to break up the tiger’s shape against the shadows of the mangrove forests in which they live. When tigers hunt, they will get in very close and use a quick fatal pounce to deliver a crushing bite to their prey. An adult tiger can eat up to 60 pounds of meat in one night, and will usually bury whatever it can’t finish in order to come back to it later. Tigers are fiercely territorial and unlike lions (who live and hunt in a large pride) tigers live, hunt, and rear offspring alone. Female tigers give birth to two to six cubs and raise them for two to three years before the young are kicked out and must find territory ranges of their own. To learn more facts about the Bengal Tiger, feel free to visit the National Geographic’s website.

It pains me dearly to say that all subspecies of tiger are endangered. At the beginning of the 20th century there were eight subspecies, but they have now been reduced to five. There are many reasons for the tiger’s place on the endangered species list, the primary being poachers illegally selling the tiger’s body parts for use in Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, other threats such as habitat loss have also caused tiger numbers to shrink.

Yet another reason for the reduction in tiger numbers has received some attention lately. Loss of prey items has always been a large concern in tiger population, but a new paper by Bhattarai et al (2012) explores a different aspect of this problem. In much of the range, tigers often live in the same habitat and compete for food with their cousin the Leopard (Panthera pardus). In India, this isn’t much of a problem because tigers like to hunt larger prey items while the leopards prefer to hunt smaller prey items. However, due to increased human activity in the area, larger prey species are vanishing which means that tigers now must resort to hunting prey species that the leopard would usually hunt. This lack of food will often cause the big cats to hunt livestock, which brings tigers and leopards into conflict with humans. The researchers stress that larger prey species must be protected to help the tigers and leopards go back to their normal feeding patterns so as to reduce inter-species competition and conflict with humans.

Few other big cats come close to matching the tiger’s enormous strength and majestic beauty. None of the other species of big cat is as critically endangered as the tiger is and there are many projects currently underway attempting to increase, or even double the tiger’s population. Talks with the Indian government and a protected tiger pathway into neighboring Bhutan are among some of the ideas being discussed to help protect this beautiful animal. The World Wildlife Fund’s website lists several ways to action for you to help save tigers. Their struggle to survive in the modern world is reflected in the problems all endangered species face. So if we can save the Bengal Tiger, then there may be hope for other species teetering on the edge of existence.

 

I’d like to say thank you to everyone who has read my posts. It has been a pleasure and an honor to expand this blog with fresh stories and new feature. I’d like to believe at my posts were educational and entertaining. From here on out, OSU undergraduate and Tetrapod Volunteer Abby Miller, will be taking over as editor of the blog. May she entertain and enlighten you as much as hope that I have. Thank you.

References

“Bengal Tiger, Bengal Tiger Pictures, Bengal Tiger Facts – National Geographic.” National Geographic. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/bengal-tiger/

“Leopard, Leopard Pictures, Leopard Facts – National Geographic.” National Geographic.

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/leopard/

Bhattarai, B. P., Kindlmann P. 2012 Interactions between Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris) and Leopard (Panthera pardus): Implications for Their Conservation. Biodiversity and Conservation 21, 2075-2094.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10531-012-0298-y/fulltext.html

“Bengal Tiger.” WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund. http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/bengal-tiger

Where’s Waldo?

While reading our “Meet the Staff” post, you probably saw that the term “geo-referencing” came up a number of times. What does geo-referencing mean and what purpose does it serve in a museum? It’s a fair question since geo-referencing isn’t exactly an everyday activity, yet it plays an important role in the digitization of our collection.

Here’s the scenario: you’re sitting at home and hear a very loud smack. You go to see what happened, and find a bird has slammed right into your window. The bird is dead but you know a place where it can live on forever, the Museum of Biological Diversity’s Tetrapod Collection. You put the body in a freezer bag and take it over to the collection in order to donate it. This is known as salvaging and the whole process begins with that one action. If you have more questions there is a whole webpage devoted to the contribution of specimens to the Tetrapod Collection.

After our preparation lab assistants prepare a bird, it is given a label, a number, and is entered into the database. In the database we enter in the name of the collector, when it was collected, the species name, and the location. However, we can’t simply just put an address in for the location, we need to be much more thorough than that. We use latitude and longitude in order to map out points where our specimens were found. It helps build a species list of an area and maintain consistency when landmarks are removed or names are changed. In short, it reduces the uncertainty of a location.

Having a specimen with latitude and longitudinal points clears up some of the following questions: For instance, a bird crashed into your window. What side of the house did the bird hit? Was it the north side, or was it the east side? How far from the house was it? Two feet? Maybe three? Sometimes a person can’t really give us information that is too specific, but we can still work with a general location given with a specimen. We’ll simply find the area that the specimen was found so we can use varying degrees of uncertainty that depend on the specificity of the locality provided.

Geo-referencing is a common practice among scientists and research collections such as ours. Thanks to modern technology, we now have the ability to more accurately map out the presence of a particular species and assess the population’s health with more certainty. There are many times when scientific discoveries or conservation efforts rely on citizen scientists such as you making an interest in what we as a scientific institution do. Contributing a deceased specimen to a museum like ours counts as one of those times.

One Strike, They’re Out

As a university museum, we get a fair amount of artists in the Tetrapod Collection who will come to borrow specimens for uses beyond science. Sometimes an artist will borrow specimens and create a beautiful masterpiece that has a message behind it.

Ohio State associate art professor, Amy Youngs, is undertaking a massive project that, once completed, is sure to turn heads and get people talking. Using the vast resource of dead birds from our collection, she has displayed many of our bird skins on a specially designed frame to spell out the word “STRIKE” in an elaborate, yet macabre, fashion. She then plans to hang the unique piece of art in the second floor windows of Hopkins Hall, as a reminder of the dangers windows can pose to birds.

STRIKE

Amy Youngs working on a part of her STRIKE project

This particular art project is the result of a much larger undertaking called the Biopresence Project. This project involves collaboration of many departments at OSU such as art, engineering, and science. The point of the project is to foster a greater appreciation for the biodiversity of our local ecology and start dialogue on how we can make room for animals in our modern world. People all over the campus are encouraged to document when they see any kind of animal and report it through social media (Twitter, Tumblr or Instagram) using the hastag #AnimalOSU. According to Professor Youngs, the Biopresence Project inspired her to create the window strike piece. “I’ve been working on the Biopresence Project with Dr. Nelson for about a year,” said Professor Youngs. “This idea came out of some of the things I’ve learned working with her [Dr. Nelson] and working with some of the other people in the project.” To learn more about the Biopresence Project, you can visit their website.

biopresence_poster_w_artists_s-01

A flyer for the BioPresence gallery event where Professor Youngs’ STRIKE piece will be displayed.

While many of the animals documented for the Biopresence project are reported as alive, others are found dead due to the window collisions. Windows can pose a very large hazard to birds. According to the Bird Conservation Network’s website, it is estimated that windows kill at least 100,000,000 birds each year. Ornithologists have followed this trend for decades and have concluded that birds simply can’t recognize glass as a barrier. In the Tetrapod Collection, we understand the effects of window kills very well. “A portion of our specimen donations are the result of window kills,” says Tetrapod Collection Manager Stephanie Malinich.

However, this danger to birds has not gone unnoticed and has prompted local movements nationwide. Ohio Lights Out is a project that seeks to reduce the amount of light produced by buildings during migratory seasons. Ohio Lights Out has specific goals and methods for each major city in Ohio that would seek to make migratory routes safer for birds by having certain buildings enroll in the program. Enrolled buildings take a pledge that, during the migration season, they will reduce the number of lights left on at night.

While we loan out specimens for a variety of projects this is one way to educate the public about the dangers that wildlife face everyday. When asked about what the overall theme of her work is, Amy Youngs stated, “I think it’s an art work that tries to be engaged in what’s around me and this is something I’m noticing and thinking about. Art can be used as a way to help us recognize things that can go unnoticed. We don’t often take notice of a single bird being killed by a window, but en mass it sort of becomes hard to ignore.”

Amy Youngs’ project will be on display at the BioPresence Art exhibition, which takes place in the Hopkins Hall gallery on December 9th 2015 from 5pm to 8pm. Her project will be facing south in the second story windows.

Species of October: Eastern Hellbender

Most of the amphibian species in the Tetrapod Collection are preserved in jars and, since the specimens are rather small, many of these jars aren’t very big. For something like a frog or a toad, a large jar isn’t really needed. However, there is one species of amphibian that is so massive, we need to use our biggest jars in order to contain it. If you like amphibians, you may want to read on.

The Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) is a salamander species that can reach up to two feet in length. Just think about the average salamander length of 4-8 inches, and then triple that! If that isn’t enough to impress you, these salamanders can have a life expectancy of anywhere

A jar containing two Eastern Hellbenders from our collection

A jar containing two Eastern Hellbenders from our collection

from 25 to 60 years! With that kind of lifespan, the Eastern Hellbender can probably outlive most of your pets. Just like their name implies, the Eastern Hellbender is found throughout the eastern U.S. with a few populations in the southern end of Ohio. They are aquatic amphibians that can be found under large stones in rocky riverbeds where there is an abundance of their favorite food item, crayfish. They have wrinkly brown skin, which is often used by observers to distinguish them from their closely related cousins, the Mudpuppy. For more general facts about the Eastern Hellbender, visit the Ohio Amphibians website.

We have eleven Eastern Hellbender specimens in the collection, the oldest of which was collected in the Ohio River near Cincinnati on March 22nd in 1901 (bottom left on the map). The last specimen to be added to the collection was from 1970, with no new specimens added since then. Given the size of these animals, coupled with the fact that more than half of our hellbender specimens from Ohio, you may wonder why you’ve

Localities where hellbenders were collected

Localities where hellbenders were collected

never seen one in the wild (if you have, then I truly envy you). Well in, addition to being nocturnal, these salamanders have become rather rare. While there has been some recent improvement, the population of hellbenders has been steadily declining in the last few decades. Threats such as pollution of rivers, disease, and stocking of game fish, have reduced the Eastern Hellbender’s numbers noticeably.

So as I’m sure you can imagine, finding an animal for research is very difficult. According to a recent paper by Olsen et. al (2012), eDNA methods could prove useful in finding hellbenders for study. The idea behind Environmental DNA (or eDNA) is that, by analyzing a sample of water or soil, you will be able to determine what species are in the area. In this study, Olsen et. al were able to detect Eastern Hellbenders by using the eDNA method on samples of water from rivers where these animals may be found. This opens up a whole new set of possibilities for scientific research since this method can make finding specimens much easier. To learn more about Olsen, Briggler, and Williams’ study, please click here.

It’s easy to see why these salamanders got the name hellbender. Thanks to their massive size, amazing longevity, and rarity in the wild, the Eastern Hellbender has earned a place in the hearts and minds of many naturalists; and if we keep our rivers and streams clean, we can ensure this will be true for many years to come.

References:

“Eastern Hellbender.” Ohio Amphibians. N.p., 26 Feb. 2012. http://ohioamphibians.com/salamanders/Hellbender.html

“Ohio’s Hellbender Population Set Up for Success.” Ohio Department of Natural Resources. N.p., 09 Oct. 2014.

http://ohiodnr.gov/news/post/ohio-s-hellbender-population-set-up-for-success

Olsen, Z. H., Briggler J.T., Williams R.N. 2012 An eDNA Approach to Detect Eastern Hellbenders (Cryptobranchus A. Alleganiensis) Using Samples of Water. Wildlife Research 39, 629-36. http://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=WR12114

Species of September: American White Pelican

Anyone who has walked through or even glanced into the Tetrapod Collection will have surely seen the taxidermy mount of an American White Pelican standing in the corner of the room. It truly is a charismatic bird.

taxidermy mount of an American White Pelican

Taxidermy mount of an American White Pelican

The American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) is one of the largest birds in North America with an average wingspan of 9 feet. That’s even more impressive than the Bald Eagle’s 6-7 foot wingspan. During the summer breeding months, American White Pelicans flock to the Northern Great Plains of the U.S. and the southern parts of Canada. After breeding season, they migrate across the U.S. to their wintering grounds in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Southern U.S./Mexican coastline. During migration, they may be seen resting and feeding right here in Ohio, in particular at some of the larger lakes in the state.

American White Pelican sightings close to Columbus

Sightings (as reported on ebird) of American White Pelicans close to Columbus within the last 10 years

Like all individuals of the eight living pelican species (two of which, the White and the Brown Pelican, occur in North America), the American White Pelican has the distinctive throat pouch that is used to scoop up fish while feeding. Due to their large size, American White Pelicans can’t dive from the air for fish like other fish-eating species such as the Belted Kingfisher; instead they swim on the water’s surface and dip their bills into the water to scoop up fish. The pelicans will then tip their heads to drain out the water and swallow only the fish. To find out more general facts about these birds, visit The Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

As if the pelican’s beak wasn’t peculiar enough, scientists now say it may be used to tell males and females apart. In many birds, distinguishing males and females is easy since males have colorful and extravagant plumage features. When a male and female of a species look different in some way, it is known as a sexual dimorphism. However, there are some species of birds, such as the American White Pelican, where males and females have very similar plumage making distinguishing the different males and females difficult. However, research done by Brian Dorr et. al (2005) shows that male American White Pelicans have significantly longer bills than females. The researchers measured the culmen, the area of a bird’s beak that stretches from where the beak’s base meets the feathers to the end, of 188 American White Pelican specimens that were collected in Mississippi and Louisiana. Dorr et al’s research shows that measuring culmen length can be used to determine the sex of American White Pelicans.

Measuring the beak length of an American White Pelican

Measuring the beak length of our American White Pelican

So, can we use this method to at least determine our pelican’s sex? I went to work with a metric ruler and measured the culmen to a length of 280 mm. According to the study, a culmen length of ≥310 mm indicates a male and ≤309 mm indicates a female. Thus our specimen is most likely a female.

This is a great example of how research on museum specimens can help with identifying individuals in the wild. In our case, it helped with adding a piece of information to an old, well-preserved specimen and making it more valuable to the scientific community.

 

 

 

 

References

“American White Pelican.” Identification, All About Birds. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2015. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_White_Pelican/id

Dorr B., King D.T., Harrel J.B., Gerard P., and Spalding M.G. 2005 The Use of Culmen Length to Determine Sex of the American White Pelican. The Waterbird Society 28, 102-106. BioOne. http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1675/1524 4695(2005)28[102:TUOCLT]2.0.CO;2