Last year, Zita observed more than 350 different bird species, logging them in a field notebook and on eBird, an online birding platform. She also created detailed maps and illustrations.
The data that Zita collects helps her learn more about birds’ behaviors. For example, she realized that several species of aquatic birds, including wood ducks and great blue herons, would stop in her neighbors’ ponds to rest on their way to the nearby Mississippi River. Zita also observed birds known as European bee-eaters nesting in an empty lot and noted how the animals adapted to human changes in the environment. Birds are a gateway to understanding all of nature, Zita says. “It’s all connected.”