Project Team: Yanni Loukissas, Shruti Vedula, Emily Weigel, Michael Zhou (Georgia Tech, Fall 2022)
Contact: yanni.loukissas@lmc.gatech.edu
Urban wildlife, and the naturalistic spaces they inhabit, can appear to be consistent when viewed from within our frenetic lives. However, the non-human world around us is always in flux. Tracking color is one way of visualizing these changes.
We developed EcoGlass, a web-based iPad application, to improve our sensitivity to the flux of colors around us.
We believe that increasing our appreciation for color can help us to see the interconnectedness of the natural world.
Birds are one of the most charismatic and fragile examples of these dynamics. Using photographic documentation of their lives, we can see how their color-worlds ebb and flow with our own.
Acknowledgements: We thank GVU/iPat, the IAC Digital Integrative Liberal Arts Center, and the School of Literature, Media, and Communication for generously funding this project.
Click here to explore the bird demos
Birds are charismatic species that scientists and the public alike love to observe. This makes for rich datasets that can engage many people in understanding a bit more about wildlife around them. Birds in particular tend to engage people in multiple modalities through their song and color; importantly, while both traits are on an environmental background, song is fleeting and somewhat punctuated, while the pattern of color change is more consistent and recognizable.
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
The state bird of Georgia, this cryptic bush dweller loves to hang out in the underbrush but appears on prominent perches in the breeding season to sing for mates.
Brown Thrasher Demo
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
A vibrant bird that highlights the strong sexual dimorphism that birds can display. They illustrate the conflicting goals of standing out for mates and blending in to hide from predators.
Northern Cardinal Demo
Rock Pigeon
Columba livia
These city dwellers are a fixture of the American urban landscape. Originally adapted to rocky cliffs, they’ve fully embraced our streets with their slaty gray, muted tones.
Rock Pigeon Demo
Red-Tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis borealis
One of North America’s most common raptors, these hawks are often seen soaring through the skies or perched on a high branch hunting for prey. You’ll often see them against the blue background of the sky.
Red-Tailed Hawk Demo
Barred Owl
Strix varia
These owls are hard to spot in the thick forest canopy despite their booming calls. A distinctive bird with a difficult profile to spot.
Barred Owl DemoConsider the cardinal- a species seen year-round here. Most people associate cardinals with red. But in actuality, it is just the males that are this red color, and the ‘sexiest’ among them tend to be redder, with much of their red coming from their (good) genes and diet. Females are quite a bit drabber, more like a tawny brown. This makes sense, as the males are vying to get the attention of females and quite literally trying to stand out. Females, on the other hand, are much more influenced by predators, so being browner and able to blend in to the trees around them is helpful to their survival. Males have to be aware of predators, too, of course, but their color represents an evolutionary balance between sex and death.
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As you look at the colors, take note of which colors tend to be represented, and which are not. These can represent colors in the environment, such as the trees or shrubs that provide cover for the bird, or the bird itself.
Consider...
Click here to explore the bird demos