Women Lead the Way (IMAGE) University of Maryland Baltimore County Caption Evangeline Rose (right) and Casey Haines, both University of Maryland, Baltimore County students, band birds at a field site in Maryland. The tiny bands allow researchers to track bird migrations and population levels. Haines, Rose, and colleagues Karan Odom, a UMBC alumna and current postdoctoral fellow at Cornell University, and their mentor, Kevin Omland, published a paper in Animal Behaviour demonstrating how women have led the way in female bird song research. Their findings have fundamentally shifted the way scientists understand the function and prevalence of bird song. Considered solely a male trait for centuries, it's now understood that at least 70 percent of female birds sing. Credit Photo courtesy Casey Haines. Usage Restrictions No modification License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.