Northern Cardinals are one of the most stunning songbirds that increasingly grace our Maine backyards. What secrets are hiding underneath that brilliant red? How does a cardinal learn its song? What are the keys to a successful cardinal nest? Most importantly, why are they so red? The answers to all these questions (and more) will be explored at the Wendell Gilley Museum on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 1pm with Schoodic Institute Science Research Fellow Brooke Goodman. Brooke spent four years researching cardinals in New York, examining connections between body condition and song, urbanization and feather quality, and vegetation and nesting success. Goodman will discuss her research, and delve into the unique role Mainers now play in the northern expansion of the cardinals’ range. 

Goodman earned her undergraduate degree in zoology and applied statistics at SUNY Oswego. While there she completed her undergraduate thesis studying song performance as a predictor of body condition and plumage color in Northern Cardinals. She currently works as a Gero Fellow in Science Research at the Schoodic Institute, using bioacoustics to monitor avian community response to restoration efforts in Acadia National Park. Brooke has also spent time in Montana studying the breeding birds of the great plains with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.