User:Ms0615/Choose an Article

Article Selection
Please list articles that you're considering for your Wikipedia assignment below. Begin to critique these articles and find relevant sources.

Option 1

 * Article title
 * Raptor conservation


 * Article Evaluation
 * Start-Class, Low-importance.
 * The topic is stated in the first sentence, but the wording seems awkward. The leading section could use improvements and I would even venture to say that it is a bit misleading in the way the information is being conveyed. The second sentence states that "Because of their hunting lifestyle, raptors face distinct conservation challenges." This is however only one of many concerns of the conservation of raptors. I feel like a number of challenges faced by this group of birds should be listed in the leading paragraph/section of the article. Then, each component of raptor conservation or challenge could be addressed in individual sections. Reading further into the article, it touches on the use of pesticides, lead ammunition, utility poles, and wind turbines and that concludes the entirety of the article. There are many ongoing efforts and research in this area of conservation that I think would make for a valuable contribution to the article.

Sources

Option 2

 * Article title
 * Red-shouldered hawk


 * Article Evaluation
 * Start-Class, Low-importance.
 * The leading section seems sufficient as it includes the scientific name of the species, states what family it belongs to, its range, and the primary conservation concern. There appears to be occasional, but minor grammatical errors throughout the article. The description of the Red-shouldered hawk's appearance could use improvement with bird-related verbiage. There is a section titled "Taxonomy" that mentions the five subspecies of Buteo lineatus, but I think it would benefit to include descriptions and images (if possible) of these. In a few places, the tone comes across as somewhat subjective which I think needs to be addressed. The "Behavior" section includes diet and reproduction but I think that given the social nature of birds, there should be more information regarding sociality and territoriality in Red-shouldered hawks. Additionally, the references section seems a bit excessive for the amount of information provided.


 * Sources

Option 3

 * Article title
 * American crow


 * Article Evaluation
 * GA-Class, Low-importance.
 * So typically I would not be seeking GA-Class articles to edit. However, I feel as though this one could benefit from interesting information that is available on American Crows. This article, as its quality rating would suggest, is well written and supported by plenty of credible resources. My only suggestion after evaluating is that, it could definitely benefit from a significant expansion of the "Behavior" section. Currently, the article covers taxonomy, description, distribution, habitat, and behavior (to include: diet, reproduction, disease, and conservation). What is not included is information pertaining to the depth of this species level of intelligence. It states, "Crows have been noted to be intelligent." which very much underestimates what is known of this species.


 * Sources