Guide to the Birds of Fairfield was compiled by biology major Anne Panos ’22 as a companion piece to the Fairfield University Art Museum's current exhibition, Birds of the Northeast: Gulls to Great Auks, using two decades of observations from associate professor of biology Tod Osier, PhD's ornithology classes. The creators of the new birding resource hope that it will remind the Fairfield community of its role in the ecosystem.

In the guide's forward, Dr. Osier states, "Many birds on the list are seen less frequently on campus than they once were, such as the Brown Thrasher, due to changing patterns of land use on campus and brush clearing that removed habitat. We must all recognize the role of habitat and do what we can to be good stewards to keep our local birds that we share the area with from being lost."

Carey Mack Weber, Frank and Clara Meditz Executive Director of the Museum, said collaborating on the guide was an exciting partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences.

"It was our privilege to put this research together into a guide," said Weber, "which we hope will be of interest to K-12 students in the area, Fairfield University faculty, staff and students, as well as the broader local community. Most interesting to me is that it includes not just local birds but also birds that were spotted stopping over while on migration routes."

Curated by Museum Director Carey Weber and Fairfield University Biology professors Brian Walker, PhD, Jim Biardi, PhD, and Tod Osier, PhD, the Birds of the Northeast: Gulls to Great Auks exhibition (on view now through May 14, 2021) features paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, photographs, and natural history specimens from the early 19th century through the present day. 

Find and download Guide to the Birds of Fairfield here.