Stories - Edmonton City as a Museum Project

A black and white photograph of an older man with glasses and a shirt with the sleeves rolled up feeds a raven perched on his shoulder; a building’s windows are visible behind.

Devon Moar

“As the Crow Flies”: Dr. William Rowan’s Experiments on Bird Migration

Have you ever watched a bird and wondered why and how it migrates? Remarkably, part of the search for an answer took place right here in Edmonton. University of Alberta zoologist Dr. William Rowan experimented with exposing crows and juncos to artificial light in the 1920s. Devon Moar’s story about Rowan raises questions about the cost of pursuing knowledge, and our changing relationship with these familiar birds.