Title
Wren Crew Experience
Preview
Identifier
Finalist
Creation Date
Spring 2020
Department
Biological Sciences
Narrative
This past summer, I gained hands-on research experience with Wren Crew, a lab dedicated to understanding the ecology and behaviors of the House Wren. This small, whimsical bird is common to Illinois; its bubbling and exuberant song has filled the backyards of many with its cheerful melodies. My responsibilities for the lab included: capturing, weighing, banding, and measuring the wings and tails of adult wrens and weighing and banding the nestlings. It is a fascinating feeling, having a wild bird (or handful of nestlings) in the palm of your hand. You feel their rapid heartbeats, their warmth, and the smoothness of their feathers. I couldn't help but be amazed at how breath-taking those birds were. After releasing the adults or gently placing the nestlings back in their nest box, I realized how privileged I was for the opportunity to have that intimate encounter with them. For Summer 2020, I am rejoining the team and will be working on my own personal research project. Spending time with the wrens has opened my eyes to how much more I could learn about them and how blessed I am to have the classroom knowledge to apply to my projects in the field.