Grand Teton deploys papier-mâché birds
The National Parks Service hopes the handcrafted birds can save real birds. The post Grand Teton deploys papier-mâché birds appeared first on Popular Science.
The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) puts on a bold display during mating season. Males strut with inflated yellow sacs on their necks, trying to catch the attention of females. The National Parks Service would prefer if this flashy behavior happened in a different location—for the birds‘ safety.
“Between 1990 and 2013, 32 greater sage-grouse were killed by aircraft near Jackson Hole Airport—most during summer months when hens and chicks are active,” the NPS explained in a social post. To help prevent collisions with aircraft, park officials at Grand Teton National Park have deployed papier-mâché sage-grouse in a field south of the airport’s runway.
NPS teamed up with the Teton Raptor Center, Jackson Hole Middle School art students, and local artist Lori Solem to create the four hand-crafted papier-mâché birds. Officials hope the decoy birds will encourage the real-life birds to relocate their mating displays and will track the project’s success using trail cameras.
The greater sage-grouse can be found in the western United States and Canada. The North American Breeding Bird Survey estimates that since the 1960s, greater sage-grouse populations have declined steadily by an average of 2.3 percent each year.
The post Grand Teton deploys papier-mâché birds appeared first on Popular Science.
