Click here to donate to Klamath Bird Observatory’s Annual Appeal

Each time I step outside into nature, especially wild places, I am grateful. Golden-crowned and White-crowned sparrows herald the season with their fall arrival. As I wander through higher-elevation pine forests or the oak woodland around the valley, I am filled with awe and deep appreciation for the miracle of trees. Western Screech-Owls sing a nighttime sound. The day brings bird calls and young birds singing some fragment of the song that they will belt out when next spring arrives. Being outside is a gift, one that I want to preserve, cherish, protect, and pass on in its fullness to the next generation. I look to ways to give back to nature.

My association with the Klamath Bird Observatory has spanned many years. During that time, my awareness and appreciation for the part that science plays in protecting birds and wild places has deepened. By visiting the banding station where information related to migratory birds is gathered, I have understood the hard work of data collection. I have learned that it directly results in protection of birds and migratory pathways. When I meet the scientists and interns who come to Klamath Bird Observatory to do this meaningful work, the essence of conservation becomes REAL to me.

Members of the board of KBO give our time, energy, and money because we want to give back for all that we get from this organization. Though each board member has made significant contributions to KBO this year, each one of us plans during our annual appeal to do it again. Join us in giving, in cherishing the land and enjoying the birds. The next time you walk in the woods, feel good that you are a member of our conservation family and that YOU make a difference.

Shannon Rio
President, Board of Directors

Click here to donate to Klamath Bird Observatory’s Annual Appeal

The cover article of Monday October 30, 2017 edition of the Medford Mail Tribune shines a spotlight on the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network’s recent $100,185 grant from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.

The article by the Mail Tribune’s Mark Freeman highlights both the plight of disappearing oak woodlands and the successes of restoration efforts. Klamath Bird Observatory Science Director Jaime Stephens explains the crucial need for oak woodland restoration and how KBO is using bird count data to measure restoration effectiveness.

The Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network is a partnership that includes KBO, The Nature Conservancy, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Lomakasti Restoration Project.

Click here to read the Medford Mail Tribune article.

Click here to learn more about the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network.

The Douglas County Global Warming Coalition is pleased to partner with the Umpqua Valley Audubon Society to present Climate Change — A Bird’s Eye View: How Global Warming Impacts Birds of the Pacific NW.  Tuesday, October 17 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at the Holiday Inn Express in Roseburg, Oregon.

John Alexander, PhD, Executive Director and co-founder of the Klamath Bird Observatory will be the guest speaker. 

John was recently interviewed by Emily Hoard of The News Review about his upcoming presentation in Roseburg.  CLICK HERE to see the article.

During this presentation John will elaborate on the following issues relating to bird conservation and climate change:

• Climate change will make things worse for birds that are already of conservation concern — e.g., Ocean and Hawaiian Birds.

• Many species that were not previously considered of conservation concern may now be of concern due to the threat of climate change to their populations.

• Birds in every habitat will be effected.

• The bird conservation community is working to address with ecological impacts of Climate Change.

• New and improving data management and habitat mapping capabilities, along with the ability to compile and disseminate large quantities of information, are providing tools that inform decisions abut lessening the impacts of climate change.

• Strategies must change from a tradition that considers historic landscape conditions as the framework for protecting and restoring landscapes to one that also considers ecological function and processes to addresses projected future environmental conditions.

• To manage for ecosystems are that are resilient to the effects of climate change we must manage for intact natural ecological processes including disturbance associated with fire and flooding.

To learn more about this event and the sponsors CLICK HERE.

KBO’s 2017 Conservation Science Stamp, featuring the Oregon Vesper Sparrow, illustrated by Gary Bloomfield.

Klamath Bird Observatory’s 2017 Conservation Science Stamp features the Oregon Vesper Sparrow. We feature this sparrow to raise awareness about its peril while also showcasing steps we are making for its conservation. The Oregon Vesper Sparrow is a subspecies that occurs to the west of the Vesper Sparrow’s core continental breeding range. To learn more about the Oregon Vesper Sparrow and its science-driven conservation CLICK HERE.

Klamath Bird Observatory’s Conservation Science Stamp is produced each year and sold as part of our annual Conservation Stamp Set. Proceeds support both regional and national conservation efforts. The 2-stamp set includes 1) KBO’s Conservation Science Stamp and 2) the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (i.e., the Duck Stamp).

Each year’s Conservation Science Stamp feature a different species that KBO studies, works to conserve, and highlights through community education programs. This $15 stamp brings attention to our science-based conservation programs and proceeds support these effort. Additionally, Conservation Science Stamp buyers are offered discounts on some KBO fee-based community education and conservation birding events.

The Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp is popularly referred to as the Duck Stamp. Why does the Klamath Bird Observatory sell Duck Stamps? Because we see birds and birding as our refuge, and by purchasing Duck Stamps birders and hunters alike directly contribute to bird habitat conservation efforts on our National Wildlife Refuges. The United States refuge system is one of the world’s best migratory bird conservation models. By buying Duck Stamps, birders make an important statement — we, a significant conservation constituent, hold non-game bird conservation, in addition to gamebird and endangered species conservation, as a societal priority. An additional perk is that a Duck Stamp provides access to National Refuges that charge admission or parking fees.

To purchase your 2017 Conservation Stamp Set, CLICK HERE.

Oregon Vesper Sparrow in the grasslands of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. (c) K Schneck.

The Oregon Vesper Sparrow is a subspecies of the Vesper Sparrow, a migratory grassland-obligate bird. This subspecies nests to the west of the Vesper Sparrow’s continental breeding range. The Oregon Vesper Sparrow is at risk of becoming extinct.  However, KBO’s science is informing important steps in its conservation.  

In early 2017, new protections for Oregon Vesper Sparrows that breed in grasslands adjacent to the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument were put in place when President Obama issued a proclamation that doubled the size of this Monument. The expansion increased the amount of grassland habitats that occur in the Monument, and thus in the Region’s network of protected areas.

Klamath Bird Observatory’s science informed President Obama’s decision to expand the Monument. The expansion focused on at-risk species and considered ‘ecological’ boundaries to provide further protection for the biodiversity for which the Monument was originally established. Specifically, Obama’s proclamation expanded protection for grasslands and oak woodlands that are critical for bird conservation — habitats that occurred near but not within the original Monument boundary.

One of KBO’s most recent peer-reviewed papers identified these habitats as underrepresented in our regions National Parks, Wildlife Refuges, and Monuments. President Obama’s expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument was driven by this and other regionally relevant science. As a result the expansion benefited some of Oregon’s most at-risk and under protected birds, including the Oregon Vesper Sparrow.

Despite this success story, the Vesper Sparrow still faces significant conservation challenges.
A petition to list the Oregon Vesper Sparrow under the Endangered Species Act has been submitted to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The species is at-risk of extinction because 1) it has a very small population (estimated at <3,000 individuals), 2) for the past half-decade this population has been declining by 5% per year, and 3) ongoing habitat loss and degradation continues to threaten the grasslands that Oregon Vesper Sparrows depend on for nesting. Adding to these challenges, there is uncertainty about why this species is in such decline.

For us to effectively save this species there are key questions we must answer about when and where during its annual cycle it is most threatened. Which threats — threats to its breeding, migratory stopover, or wintering habitats — are most ‘limiting’ to this subspecies? KBO is collaborating with the American Bird Conservancy and many other partners to answer these questions in order to better prioritize conservation actions that will stabilize and reverse its population declines.

The Oregon Vesper Sparrow is featured on KBO’s 2017 Conservation Science Stamp — CLICK HERE to learn more about our Conservation Stamp Set.  

By Dr. Jared Wolfe, KBO Research Associate

Central and South America host the most diverse bird communities on Earth. The dizzying array of antbirds, cotingas, manakins, and woodcreepers have captured the imagination of naturalists for centuries and subsequently fueled investigations into the origins of life itself.

Charles Darwin wrote in 1839 regarding finches of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador: “I have stated that in the thirteen species of ground-finches, a nearly perfect gradation may be traced, from a beak extraordinarily thick, to one so fine, that it may be compared to that of a warbler.”

Despite sustained interest in studying the evolution and natural history of Neotropical birds, there are few long-term bird monitoring projects in Latin America. Long-term monitoring projects are necessary to estimates rates of avian mortality as well as community stability over time – two measures critical to biodiversity conservation and our understanding of life history variation.

Diego Garcia Olaechea

In 1996, the Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO) began their renowned training program. From the beginning, it has focused on preparing interns to conduct meaningful research projects and operate long-term bird monitoring projects irrespective of an intern’s country of origin. KBO’s internship program has become a beacon for aspiring biologists from tropical and biodiverse regions of the world. Participants are more than interns, they are part of a global family of ornithologists striving to study and conserve avian biodiversity.

The impact of KBO’s training program in Latin America is unprecedented in its breadth. For example, just in the hyper-biodiverse country of Perú, successful long-term landbird and shorebird projects were all created by KBO trainees. These include Diego García Olaechea, a KBO intern that returned to Perú, collaborated with an international team of scientists to provide training workshops for Latin Americans in Perú and Brazil. Diego also started one of the few long-term landbird banding projects in Perú and used the techniques he learned at KBO to develop exciting research ideas, leading to a prestigious Fulbright Fellowship. Diego is currently working on his Ph.D at the University of Florida.

Eveling Tavera Fernandez is another Peruvian intern who learned critical field techniques during her tenure at KBO. Eveling leveraged the knowledge she gained at KBO to successfully draft and receive competitive grants from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Her funding efforts manifested in an exciting long-term shorebird monitoring project—the first of its kind in Perú. Based on the skills she acquired as a KBO intern and subsequent professional success, Eveling was accepted as a Ph.D student at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.

Eveling Tavera Fernandez

These are just two examples from Perú. KBO has also trained interns from Argentina, Australia, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Holland, Hungary, Jamaica, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, and United Kingdom. Of the 36 international interns KBO has trained, 18 actively train aspiring scientists in their home countries, which has spawned long-term bird monitoring projects in Brazil, Costa Rica, and Trinidad and Tobago. These scientists, research and conservation projects all find their origins in the internship program at KBO.

Maintaining the longevity of KBO’s capacity to provision international participants with the skills necessary to serve as scientific leaders in their respective countries is critical for the conservation of global biodiversity.

Looking for a new place to bird during fall migration? Klamath Bird Observatory and The Selberg Institute are continuing a yearlong citizen science project on the beautiful Sampson Creek Preserve just east of Ashland and, are looking for volunteers to help monitor during fall migration. This project offers something for all birders and outdoor enthusiasts.

Kirtland’s Warbler in the hand. Photo by Mark Thomas

Klamath Bird Observatory research scientist Dr. Sarah Rockwell was mentioned in the most recent issue of Living Bird, published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (click here to see the article). Sarah completed her Ph.D. research with Dr. Peter Marra (now Director of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center) on the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler in her home state of Michigan. She found that after drier winters in The Bahamas (which are predicted by several climate change models), Kirtland’s Warblers arrived on Michigan breeding grounds later in the spring, raised fewer offspring, and had lower survival rates that year. This emphasizes the importance of winter habitats for migratory birds; conditions there can carry over to affect birds during different parts of the annual cycle.

“Without natural wildfires, the Kirtland’s Warbler may always be a conservation-reliant species, but it is important to demonstrate the success the Kirtland’s recovery team has had in alleviating limitations on the breeding grounds, and increasing the population from around 200 pairs in the 1970s to over 2,000 pairs today,” says Sarah. “My research helped demonstrate threats that could result from drought on wintering grounds in The Bahamas, which still need to be addressed. Nathan Cooper’s research (discussed in the article) adds important data to the question of identifying where else Kirtland’s Warblers might be spending the winter, as well as important stopover sites along migratory routes, which would be good candidates for habitat protection. My work also demonstrated that Kirtland’s Warblers have higher mortality during migration than any part of the year, making this a critical part of its life cycle.”

Sarah Rockwell searching for a Kirtland’s Warbler nest.

Dr. Rockwell, who says she’ll always have a soft spot for this charismatic species, will present her research as an invited speaker in the Kirtland’s Warbler symposium that will take place as part of this year’s American Ornithological Society meeting. She will also present KBO research using birds as indicators to evaluate riparian restoration at beaver dam analogue sites in the Scott Valley, California (click here for more information about this project).

Dr. Sarah Rockwell’s Kirtland Warbler publications:
Rockwell, S. M., C. I. Bocetti, and P. P. Marra (2012). Carry-over effects of winter climate on spring arrival date and reproductive success in an endangered migratory bird, Kirtland’s Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii). The Auk 129:744-752. http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1525/auk.2012.12003

Rockwell, S. M., J. M. Wunderle, Jr., T. S. Sillett, C. I. Bocetti, D. N. Ewert, D. Currie, J. D. White, and P. P. Marra (2017). Seasonal survival estimation for a long-distance migratory bird and the influence of winter precipitation. Oecologia 183:715-726. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00442-016-3788-x

By Sonya Daw, Science Communication Specialist for the National Park Service Klamath Inventory & Monitoring Network 

This article first appeared in The Klamath Kaleidoscope Spring/Summer 2017 newsletter

People spend a lot of time watching birds, and scientists are no exception. Because birds use such a wide variety of resources and respond quickly to environmental change, they are gold mines of information. Even better, most species are easy to find, especially in the spring when they are singing! Scientists from Klamath Bird Observatory, the Klamath Inventory & Monitoring (I&M) Network and others used a wealth of bird data from the Klamath Ecoregion to understand how birds naturally group themselves across the landscape. Their results were just published in PLOS ONE, “Bird Communities and Environmental Correlates in southern Oregon and northern California, USA.”

Recent research suggests that the challenges bird communities already face are exacerbated by climate change. As climate change brings shifts of habitats, birds can be among the first to tell the story of climate trends. Just like the canary in a coalmine, they may alert us to what is happening and what the future holds. If we are paying attention.

Join Southern Oregon Climate Action Now and Klamath Bird Observatory to learn about international, national, and regional efforts to adapt bird conservation and natural resource management strategies to effectively meet the most urgent needs in the face of climate change.

Dr. John Alexander, Director of the Klamath Bird Observatory, will be the guest speaker at the next Southern Oregon Climate Action Now general meeting April 25th 6:00 pm at the Medford Public Library. John will share what critical impacts climate change is having on regional and national bird populations, and summarize research that KBO is undertaking in his talk “Climate Change: A Bird’s Eye View”. The U.S. Department of Interior’s 2010 State of the Birds Report on Climate Change, to which Klamath Bird Observatory contributed, addressed this very issue.

Click here for more information about Southern Oregon Climate Action Now

Click here to view Southern Oregon Climate Action Now’s press release for this event

Click here to view/download the 2010 State of the Birds Report on Climate Change