In a small laboratory brimming with specialized tools, sophomore Jay Chen delicately handles a western meadowlark, its sunny yellow feathers create a peaceful warmth to the task at hand. Chen is preparing the bird specimen for its place at the UC Davis Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, or MWFB.
A group of researchers, which includes research affiliate Dr. John Trochet with the UC Davis Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, has been working for the past 10 years to collect evidence that the elusive ivory-billed woodpecker is still in existence.
I was a plant girl. As an undergraduate student at UC Davis, I’ve spent my summers restoring wetlands with native plants, summiting peaks to study alpine cushion plants, and dissecting seeds in labs. Animals were never in the picture, and birds were no exception. So when I kept seeing “Bird ID skills needed” on botany position advertisements, I knew my plant-only class days were over.
Spring is the sweet spot for breeding songbirds in California’s Central Valley – not too hot, not too wet. But climate change models indicate the region will experience more rainfall during the breeding season, and days of extreme heat are expected to increase. Both changes threaten the reproductive success of songbirds, according to a study from the University of California, Davis.
A male platypus has a paddle-shaped tail, flat bill, sleek furry body and half-inch spurs connected to a venom-secreting gland on each hind leg. They are among the few venomous mammals.
That’s one of the many animal facts visitors may learn when they visit the UC Davis Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology (MWFB), which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Twice as many birds at Putah Creek after water restored
A small restored area is having a big impact on regional birds, fish and animals, according to a study published in the journal Ecological Restoration by the University of California, Davis.
The Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology houses one of the most significant, modern collections of birds, mammals, and fish in California. With over 60,000 specimens the MWFB is among the top ten collections in California, and the third largest university-managed collection in the state. The specimens housed in the MWFB serve a unique role in California; in addition to traditional uses, they are used for graduate and undergraduate training, species identification workshops, and educational programs by federal, state, and local agency biologists.
