• Search
  • Lost Password?

As the Starling Flies

The concept of science evokes forward momentum, a steady march of progress as scientists accumulate knowledge, refine hypotheses, and make theoretical leaps. But science, it turns out, can also meander as much as a wandering bird. Illustrating this concept is research on the European starling, a migratory species whose annual travels have been helping shape the field of bird migration science for the past hundred and twenty years. Starling research, from early bird banding to current satellite tracking efforts, has been marked by moments of controversy and confusion alongside insight and discovery. Following starlings — and the researchers who study them — reveals the hidden twists and turns that characterize the path to scientific understanding.

Alice McBride
Written by
Alice McBride

Alice McBride began her biology career in a leaky rowboat owned by Cornell University. She has since collected ecological data from all sorts of conveyances, including farm tractors and a two-masted tall ship. In exploring different ecosystems,​ Alice has counted earthworms in meadows, pursued birds through canals and up trees, and introduced summer campers to the joys of bogs. In the Atlantic surf, she was once mistakenly identified by beachgoers as a seal. Along the way, Alice became an academic editor and developed a keen appreciation for clearly communicated research. Alice’s goal as a science writer is to shrink the artificial gulf that looms between humans and the natural world.

Alice McBride Written by Alice McBride