September 18, 2015

The Complex Net of Human Interference

Are these birds being helped or harmed by human interference?

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

We are the species that tracks, catalogs, and attempts to conserve the incredible diversity of life we live amongst, and yet our activity on the planet is the single biggest threat to many of these species’ survival. Photographer Todd Forsgren captures the uncomfortable moment when a bird ensnared in an ornithologist's net finds itself face to face with its captor. Before the animals are tagged and measured they are made painfully aware of their vulnerability. And though these individuals were delicately untangled and set free from these research nets, the question remains: can we ever truly untangle them from our grasp?

Boat-billed Flycatcher, *Megarynchus pitangua* from Todd Forsgren's *Ornithological Photographs*

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Red-eyed Vireo, *Vireo olivaceus* from Todd Forsgren's *Ornithological Photographs*

Three years ago I featured Todd Forsgren’s ornithological series in my post, Shoot to Kill or Aim to Embarrass?. In the intervening years, Forsgren has completed the project and compiled the images into a book, Ornithological Photographs, that was released this week. Prints of his images are also available through his website.

Every September we here at Symbiartic take the opportunity to increase our postings to catch up on all the incredible artists we haven’t been able to get to during the year. Curious to see the inspiring artists we’ve featured in the September SciArt Blitz over the years? Check out previous years’ galleries:2014 | 2013 | 2012

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