Internet Webcams Provide Opportunities for College Student Research on Animal Behavior and Ecology: An Example with Birds

Abstract

Live-streaming Internet webcams focused on animal subjects generally are targeted at public audiences, but have the potential to be utilized by college students for studies on animal behavior and ecology. I describe how a bird feeder webcam provided a flexible and quality visual interface for students to record video samples for an ornithology class research project. Details on the operational aspects of the webcam are provided, and factors to be considered in evaluating webcams for potential student research are discussed.