Scientists follow ornithological timeline in threatened species as they mine bird poo 2 meters thick

Story and picture

Scientific research does not always involve doing glamorous things, as the following story attests. In this story and pic there's a definite eww factor for some, as there surely must be for the poor students who are doing the digging and harvesting, but at least they volunteered. or drew the shortest straw.

However years of guano buildup from the chimney swift is providing researchers with very valuable information as to why they are a threatened species. This old decommissioned chimney on the university campus is yielding--dare I say a ton?-- of useful information about the bird and its timeline.

What is confirmed is that chimney swifts used to survive on high protein beetles until the beetles were wiped out in the 40s by DDT. The birds were forced to adapt and now the swifts still struggle to survive on a poor substitute insect.

It will be interesting to learn about specific discoveries in relation to environmental change. I wonder if they will find any traces of Roundup as well?

University Press Release