This success could pave the way for a similar experiment with the endangered whooping crane, a close cousin to the common sandhill crane, following the same ultralight aircraft on migration route. Adapting computer software developed for a totally different application is another way the Service takes advantage of scientific and technical advances. Computer software originally designed to recognize and calculate numbers of specific blood cells on a glass slide is now being used by wildlife biologists in the field. Aerial photographs of great flocks of migratory birds and waterfowl are taken in their natural habitats. The computer software then scans the photograph and accurately differentiates and counts the various species in the image far more effectively than the human eye could ever detect.
Science is a basic factor in conserving and protecting wildlife and habitat.
Technology offers the necessary tools to get the work done more accurately and efficiently. A third component, partnerships with others, completes the formula for successful wildlife management. IMBD is celebrated annually on the second Saturday in May, and has grown to become the premier celebration of birds and their habitat in our hemisphere. Through festivals, bird walks, seminars and other activities, IMBD works to increase public awareness of the value of migratory birds and the ways in which humans can help protect birds and create safe areas for them to nest and feed. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.