I am currently working on the Blackbird Project where we are looking to reduce damage to crops, namely sunflowers, by blackbirds. My study area is comprised of quarter sections in the Southern Drift Plains region of North Dakota, which is characterized by an abundance of wetlands, among other features. This region also produces high yields of sunflowers each year. Wetlands containing emergent vegetation, namely cattail, are used for nesting and roosting habitat by blackbirds. By managing these cattail wetlands, we hope to reduce the habitat available to blackbirds, in turn reducing crop damage.
Blackbirds prefer fairly dense cattail stands, which many birds find unusable.
Ducks and other waterfowl, for example, can benefit from the management of these cattail wetlands. My fieldwork involves surveying roadside habitat in order to develop an index of bird species present in these areas. I also survey the wetland habitat present in the roadsides for different variables including water depth and cattail density. These conclusions will be used to determine if the management of cattail in roadside areas is a viable option for reducing blackbird numbers. Since I was little, I have had strong ties to nature.