AboutAccuracy of Information on This Website

Accuracy of Information on This Website

Accuracy of information on sialis.orgI am extremely interested in doing all I can to make sure that the information included on this website is as accurate and useful as possible. It is a work in progress. If you have corrections or suggestions, I’d really appreciate you taking the time to contact me and let me know. I make typographical errors on occasion, or may misinterpret something I’ve read or heard, or not be aware of some source of information. Also, some experts don’t agree with each other, or information evolves over time. (I do NOT rely on Wikipedia, as it tends to have too many inaccuracies.)

Also, if conventional methods, or something I recommend doesn’t work for you, or you’ve tried something and it works even better, or seen something unusual, please feel free to share it with me, or a Bluebirding forum or your local bluebird society.

I try hard not to get testy about constructive feedback – instead I welcome it. I do have a link to a disclaimer on the footer of every page, but that’s mainly so I won’t get sued.

I DO have an agenda – which is helping native cavity-nesters survive and thrive, and helping you successfully host them. Some of the information on this website is my personal opinion. As a scientist, I try to be objective and base conclusions on first hand experience or credible accounts from others. Some information in books and on the Internet is later found to be inaccurate. As our knowledge base grows, we find out that sometimes conventional wisdom is not so wise, so I try to be open to the possibilities.

It has been said that “Bluebirding is not an exact science.” It seems like there is not much that falls in the “black and white” category. We are still in the process of learning about cavity-nesting birds. We don’t know much at all about some species or aspects of their behavior. Bird behavior can be influenced by a number of factors, including species, sex, age, environment, geographics, genetics, residency, competition, season, and climate and individual temperament. Even well-controlled experiments sometimes have different findings, and it’s very hard to exercise control in the natural environment.

Some people say they learn something new every day. It seems like I learn I am wrong about birds every day. I am well aware that there are people out there who have been observing bluebirds and other cavity-nesters since before I was born. I am eager to learn from anyone who knows something I don’t. So if you’ve learned something and are willing to share it, you have found a willing listener here.


It is incumbent on reporters to correct falsehood, not just balance it. “If the reporter doesn’t do that, he or she implicitly becomes part of a disinformation system that treats all statements as equally plausible claims and gives the reader no help in sorting them out.”
~ article on Disclosure, quoting James Fallows, author of “Breaking the News” in the New York Times, January 22, 2012


Categories

Latest Articles