After months of planning, coordination and a lot of patience, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Fort Hood’s Natural Resources Branch have successfully monitored and filmed a black-capped vireo nest.
On April 7, Sydney Dragon, a Student Conservation Association intern for the USFWS from the Arlington Ecological Services Field Office, came to Fort Hood and set up game cameras to monitor the secretive birds known as black-capped vireos. They gathered footage for three months, collecting more than 90 video clips.
“Using trail cameras can be an effective way to monitor secretive species,” Dragon said. “Many amazing moments were caught on camera.
“We were surprised to see the Carolina wren visit the nest, and we were jumping for joy when we found the footage of the painted bunting visiting the nest with food in her mouth. We got to see the diversity of insects the black-capped vireo parents brought the chicks, and witness the insurmountable care these parents provided for their nestlings.”
