Library Links & Services
- Ask a LibrarianContact a librarian by chat, phone, email, in-person or schedule a reference appointment.
- Course ReservesLook for library materials reserved for your use by your professors.
- FAQs at the University LibrariesFind the answers to frequently asked questions about the University Libraries.
- Interlibrary LoanRequest a book, article, or another item not available in the Ball State University Libraries.
Librarian Profile
Foundational Sciences Library (FB141) &
Health Library (HB101)
Cornell Lab of Ornithology: resources and information
Cornell's Lab of Ornithology is one of the world's most robust ornithological research programs. It publishes and maintains online databases and research tools that can be used in the field or the office.
- All About BirdsONLINE. A tool to help amateur and scholarly bird-watchers alike identify birds.
- Birds of the WorldONLINE. Comprehensive database of bird species from around the world. Formerly Birds of North America. Requires separate subscription.
- Merlin (mobile app)ONLINE: Bird ID help for 5,500+ birds for North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Birds of North America (print)
The Birds of North America is the original print version of what is now Cornell's online database Birds of the World. Published by the American Ornithologists' Union and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, it is actually a collection that catalogs hundreds of individual bird species, each with their own fold-out pamphlet.This collection resides in the Science Library's (CN16) reference section under call number is QL681 .B625.
In order to find the bird you are looking for, you will need to consult the Index:
- Look up the bird alphabetically,
- Find its number and the volume box it will be in,
- Go to that volume box,
- Thumb through the pamphlets which are in numerical sequence.
Online Tools & Information
Books, DVDs, Models, & More
Use OneSearch to find library-owned items physically located in the Libraries.
- Type in a keyword or phrase such as "birds" or "ornithology"
- Filter results but using the facets on the left side (eg Library Catalog, Content Type, Library Location, Discipline, et al)
- Click on the title to view the item record
- You can request a hold on the item by logging in to your BSU account
- The Birds of North AmericaSci Ref QL681 .B625
- Ten thousand birds: Ornithology since DarwinBracken Library QL672.7 .B575 2014
- Cornell lab of ornithology handbook of bird biologyeBook QL673 .H263 2016
- Video surveillance of nesting birdsSci QL677.4 .V53 2012
- Sibley bird guidesLink to OneSearch results page
- Bird models, taxidermy, etc.Link to OneSearch results page
Sounds & Images
- Bird-sounds.netA digital library of bird sounds and images.
- Mystery recordings, Xeno-cantoXeno-canto is a website for sharing recordings of sounds of wild birds from all across the world. It was started in 2005 by Bob Planqué and Willem-Pier Vellinga (see below for some history). Xeno-canto is maintained by a team of 5 admins (Bob, WP, Sander Pieterse, Jonathon Jongsma and Rolf de By) with the assistance of the xeno-canto community. Xeno-canto is run by the Xeno-canto foundation (or officially Stichting Xeno-canto voor natuurgeluiden) from the Netherlands.