White-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) nest in small willows or pines, often right on the ground. The nests are really hard to find but are so important to my research! Most nests have 4 tiny speckled eggs. When we find them, we track them as the eggs hatch and the nestlings grow up.

[Photo and caption by Carly Hawkins]

Carly studies how bird songs influence mating strategies in white-crowned sparrows. She is interested in how traffic noise can impede the ability to assess bird songs and subsequently affects reproductive success.

[Edited by Karli Chudeau]