[Maine-birds] Fwd: eNews: Identify Your Bird with Computer Vision--Try It Out!

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From: Cornell Lab of Ornithology <cornellbirds@cornell.edu>
Date: June 10, 2015 at 15:24:00 EDT
To: <triton469@yahoo.com>
Subject: eNews: Identify Your Bird with Computer Vision--Try It Out!
Reply-To: Cornell Lab of Ornithology <cornellbirds@cornell.edu>

In this issue: ID birds with help from computer vision; go behind the scenes with a ferruginous family and with a mother owl who saves her chicks from a snake.   Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.   Cornell Lab eNews June 2015 Bird watchers helped teach the computer to recognize Blackburnian Warblers by clicking on parts of the bird in training images. The computer vision system is powered by the Visipedia project from Caltech and Cornell Tech, and uses eBird data to customize results by location and date. Photo by Christopher L. Wood. Introducing Merlin Bird Photo ID We've been working on a new bird photo ID feature for the Merlin app, and we're ready for you try it on our test website! Just upload a photo, click on the bird's bill, eye, and tail, and let computer vision help you ID the bird. It currently recognizes 400 common North American bird species. Because it's powered by machine learning techniques, it gets "smarter" the more people use it. Help us improve the accuracy so we can add it to the Merlin app some day! Try Photo ID. Yellow Warbler by Brian McCaffrey via Birdshare, Warbler Guide App: Five Neat Tricks You Won't Find in a Book Rotate a warbler in 3D, distinguish similar-sounding songs with spectrograms, or identify a warbler using clues from plumage and song at the same time. With this new app from The Warbler Guide authors Tom Stephenson and Scott Whittle, ID tips leap off the page onto your mobile device in a whole new way. Read our review. These three youngsters will look like Mom some day. Can you name the species? Photo from 2014 Wild Birds Unlimited cam. Which Species Is This? The charismatic family pictured above starred on one of our Bird Cams in Indiana, sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited. The downy youngsters haven't yet grown the feathers that will reveal the markings that give them their name. Can you guess "hoo" they are? Check your answer. Learn how the Cornell Lab's Gerrit Vyn captured intimate views of this Ferruginous Hawk family in The Sagebrush Sea. Behind the Scenes with The Sagebrush Sea: Filming Ferruginous Hawks In this behind-the-scenes video, enjoy the antics of this Ferruginous Hawk family as cinematographer Gerrit Vyn shares his insights about these birds and what it took to film them for The Sagebrush Sea documentary on PBS Nature. If you missed the broadcast, you can watch the complete episode online.  Dottie reacts as a snake enters the box, shown on a second cam in the inset at top right. Barn Owl Mom's Quick Action Saves Nestlings from Snake  When a Texas rat snake enters a nest box in the middle of the night, it's bad news for the four chicks on our Barn Owl cam. Fortunately, mom Dottie saves the day by nabbing the intruder—then tucks her young safely beneath her. National Geographic Online interviewed the Cornell Lab's Charles Eldermire and showcased the video. See the story. Cyrano of the Jungle: Learn about the Great Hornbill and the artist's insights that bring it to life on the new mural in the Cornell Lab's Visitor Center. See video and story on National Geographic Online.   June eBirder of the Month Challenge: June is a crucial time in the lives of many birds as they raise their young. Record breeding data on at least 20 eBird checklists for a chance to win a pair of ZEISS Conquest  binoculars, courtesy of sponsor ZEISS. Learn more.   Have You Seen a Bird's Nest? Learn how to monitor nests safely and share your observations with NestWatch.   Enjoy a Bird Festival This Summer: Choose your destination from our Bird Festivals webpage. Join the Cornell Lab and Get Beautiful Window Clings with Our Thanks This Rufous Hummingbird window cling is one of five you'll receive with your membership. Art by Benlin Alexander, Bartels Science Illustration Intern. Did you know the Cornell Lab of Ornithology relies on support from members to help us improve the understanding and protection of birds? If you're not already a member, we invite you to join today!    As a member, you'll know that your support is helping to advance scientific discovery and conservation for birds. You'll receive a limited-edition set of window clings including beautiful hand-painted portraits of a Rufous Hummingbird, Black-capped Chickadee, Western Bluebird, and American Goldfinch. We'll also send you our award-winning magazine, Living Bird. Join us today to enhance your enjoyment of birds while giving back to conservation.  Wow, 6,088 Bird Species on Global Big Day! The Cornell Lab of Ornithology gives a heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in the Global Big Day on May 9 by submitting a bird checklist to eBird or by making a donation for conservation. The results were phenomenal: more than half the world's bird species tallied in 24 hours, and more than $300,000 raised for conservation, with 133 countries participating! We were inspired by this show of bird diversity, passion, and generosity from bird watchers around the world. Read the story. "The Nest of a Songbird." Painting by Jennifer Ross. Funky Nest Contest Ends June 30 Have you noticed any nests in your neighborhood? Win a mini-iPad, binoculars, Pennington bird feeders, or other prizes by submitting your photos or artwork for cutest, funkiest, funniest, or most inconvenient nests. See guidelines and check out the entries so far. Attention Educators: Check Out These Resources New! Birds Without Borders This new book from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Hobart and William Smith Colleges was created for middle- and high-school teachers interested in engaging students in local and international biodiversity conservation issues using spatial and quantitative data to reveal trends, make predictions, create management plans, and present results. Two lessons are available as free downloads to help students learn about the ecological roles of birds and conservation strategies. Learn more.      BirdSleuth Summer Fun Pack Use the BirdSleuth Summer Fun Pack to inspire nature-based fun and learning all summer long. Start your kids on outdoor adventures. Purchase this pack for $29.95.   Writing and Art Contest for Young Nature Investigators This summer we're collecting kid-created art, writing, and photography to publish in our student magazine and to display at the Cornell Lab. We also invite educators to share photos of kids in action for a chance to be recognized. Learn more and enter online.   Stay in Touch on Facebook: Please join our community on Facebook for a daily dose of bird quizzes, gorgeous videos, fascinating articles, and tons of photos.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to interpreting and conserving the earth's biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Cornell Lab's website at http://www.birds.cornell.edu. Copyright © 2015 Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All rights reserved. You are receiving this message because you subscribed on our website or are a member, donor, participant, or contact of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Our mailing address is: Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd Ithaca, NY 14850 Add us to your address book Update your information, manage subscriptions, or unsubscribe from Cornell Lab eNews OR Unsubscribe from all Cornell Lab electronic communications