News
The aim of the Citizen Science project NestCams is to discover how different breeding behaviours affect breeding success. For this purpose, short videos of the birds at the nest can be analysed online. The videos of the 2018 breeding season are finished and new videos from 2019 are available! Can we get 15,000 videos done by the end of April? We will raffle small gifts among all participants. Join us on NestCams and get to know the Greylag Geese Kendo, Dorothea, Lando, Sturmwind, Lukka, Lenka and Luna. Every single classification counts!
Good news: The Cumberland Game Park in Grünau and the Zoo Vienna reopen!
Starting May 15th a visit to zoos and wildlife parks in Austria is allowed again. Therefore, participating in research is (again) possible with the apps KraMobil and ForschenimAlmtal. We are looking forward to many contributions. Please check the local rules and regulations directly on zoovienna and game park Grünau.
The Citizen Science Award 2020 is cancelled
Due to the current developments around COVID-19 the Citizen Science Award 2020 has to be cancelled. We hope to be able to offer an alternative concept soon.
Check it out!
NestCams has been officially released on Zooniverse. In this project you can help scientists (a team around behavioural biologist Didone Frigerio) of the Konrad Lorenz Research Centre to take a closer look at the incubation behaviour of greylag geese and northern bald ibis. Since 2018, the breeding huts of the greylag geese and the breeding niches of the northern bald ibis have been equipped with cameras. Short video sequences will give an insight into the incubation behaviour and why some pairs are successful breeders and others not.
You would like to help us and watch greylag geese and northern bald ibis up close during the breeding season? Then follow this LINK to the project.
Have fun!
Visit the Cumberland Game Park in Grünau im Almtal and spot the whereabouts and behaviours of greylag geese, northern bald ibises and common ravens by using the app "Forschen im Almtal“. Take part in the "Wildpark Challenge" from June 1st to September 30th and win money for the class fund or an annual ticket for the Cumberland Game Park Grünau.
Register quickly and win great prizes at the Citizen Science Award 2019! This year you can help with the "NestCams" project by watching video sequences of greylag geese and northern bald ibises on their nests. In this project we investigate which behaviour influences the incubation success. Interested? Then simply click on the following link to get to the project, register on Zooniverse and code exciting videos. The winners are those who have coded the most videos within the research period.
1st price | 1000 EUR for the best school class
2nd price | 750 EUR for the second best school class
3rd price | material price for the best single person
Please don't forget to send us an email (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) with your contact details, because we can't see them on Zooniverse:
- Zooniverse username,
- email address and
- contact information.
The award will only run until 5 July 2019.
Have fun exploring!
The Citizen Science Award 2019 has started! You now have the opportunity to participate until 5th July 2019. Join in and have fun while doing research!
The project "NestCams" of the Konrad Lorenz Research Station is also part of the Citizen Science Award. During the research period citizen scientists can watch and code short video sequences of breeding greylag geese and northern bald ibises, i.e. determine what the birds are doing on the nest. Just register on the platform Zooniverse and go to the project "NestCams" via this LINK!
Nice prices await the winners!
- 1st price | 1000 EUR for the best school class
- 2nd price | 750 EUR for the second best school class
- 3rd price | material price for the best single person
For organisational reasons, prizes will only be awarded to participants from Austria.
DON'T FORGET: If you are going to compete for the Citizen Science Award, please send an email with your Zooniverse user name, email address and contact information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
We are proud to announce that already more than 1000 videos have been coded by citizen scientists on the first day of the Citizen Science Award! A big thank you to all who are participating and helping us with our research!
Visit the Cumberland Game Park in Grünau im Almtal and spot the whereabouts and behaviours of greylag geese, northern bald ibises and common ravens by using the app "Forschen im Almtal". Thank you for your support!
NestCams is part of the Citizen Science Award 2019 in Austria! Participating Austrian school classes can win up to 1000 EUR and also single persons can win non-cash prices. Join in and have fun observing the behaviours of greylag geese and northern bald ibises on their nests.
If you are going to compete for the Citizen Science Award, please send us an email with your
- Zooniverse user name,
- email address and
- contact information
to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. This information will exclusively be used for Award purposes.
When: 1st April to 5th July 2019
Where: online on BirdScience.net or the platform Zooniverse
Project: NestCams
Who can participate: children, school classes, adolescents, adults, everybody who is interested
How can you participate?
During the research period citizen scientists can watch and code short video sequences of breeding greylag geese and northern bald ibises, i.e. determine what the birds are doing on the nest.
Just register on the platform Zooniverse and go to the project "NestCams" via this LINK!
Research goal:
The aim is to investigate the breeding behaviour of two bird species that use two different strategies.
Greylag geese: precocial, long-term monogamous, the nest is exclusively cared for by the female
Northern bald ibis: altricial, seasonally monogamous, the nest is cared for by both partners
The observation of breeding behaviour should reveal why there are successful and unsuccessful pairs within a flock or colony.
What happens to the contributions of the citizen scientists?
The contributions of the citizen scientists, the coded video sequences, represent the data set from which the results are statistically evaluated in order to relate the observed behavioural patterns to the reproductive success of the individuals. The results will be presented as papers at conferences and in journals.
How are the winners determined?
For organisational reasons, prizes will only be awarded to participants from Austria.
The winners will be determined by the quantity of coded videos. The more the better! The correctness of the observation is automatically checked by the system. The data of the winners will be sent to the Centre for Citizen Science for the award ceremony.
Prices:
1st price | 1000 EUR for the best school class
2nd price | 750 EUR for the second best school class
3rd price | Material price for the best single person
Photo credits: KLF archive & Verena Pühringer-Sturmayr
Join the new NestCams project! You can help us by watching video clips of greylag geese and northern bald ibises on their nests and classifying, what kind of behaviour they show. The project runs on the platform Zooniverse and you can access it directly here: go to NestCams.
A new portal for avian research is online: BirdScience.net. Here you can find various avian research projects and you can also participate in Citizen Science projects, listed in their own section.
We welcome new collaborations!
