Don ’ t Let Appearances Deceive You
The belted kingfisher deserves recognition , attention , and respect
Story by Lynn Morgenstern Photographs by Pamela Cohen
It doesn ’ t take an expert in online
culture to know that Top Ten lists and other popularity measures are sure-fire ways to attract lots of internet clicks ; the web is full of invitations to pick a favorite , no matter what the subject . Despite these online eye magnets ’ prevalence , even the most devoted nature buff may have never encountered a bird popularity study . To some , assessing the popularity of various bird species from the human perspective may seem a superficial exercise , but , as author Jillian Mock makes clear in her recent National Audubon Society article on the subject , this type of information serves a very important purpose ( Mock 2019 ).
Mock describes a new research study in which scientists Justin Schuetz and Alison Johnston used Google searches and other data to measure the level of human interest in various bird species . They were motivated by their understanding that the future of species survival depends on human concern with their preservation , and they wanted to learn more about the types of factors that prompt people to more readily provide financial and political support for habitat and wildlife protection ( Schuetz and Johnson 2019 , 10868 ). They concluded that a high level of interest can translate into species survival but there are clearly avian winners and losers , making their results cause for concern . What can be done about species near the bottom of the pecking order that don ’ t have the charisma of an American bald eagle or white ibis ? Can they still capture human interest and respect ? Well , as Mock urges , maybe everyone needs to open their eyes and look more carefully at less attention-grabbing species , one of which is the belted kingfisher .
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