A documentary by Indiana University biologists about the scientific lessons that can be learned from a common backyard bird is now available online for classroom use.

The film "Ordinary Extraordinary Junco: Remarkable Biology From a Backyard Bird" chronicles more than a century of research on one of the most common, yet diverse groups of songbirds on the continent. Topics of the film include evolution, ecology, animal behavior and the research process.

The film also includes educational resources for use by teachers and students. The 88-minute film was designed in eight interconnected modules that can be viewed online in entirety or in any at a permanent web portal.

In addition to the film and supplementary materials available at the project website, the team also is on Facebook and Twitter.