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.”

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

Tropical forests are used by local people for food, timber, and resource extraction. Balancing the needs of local people and the needs of sensitive wildlife has presented scientists with pressing global conservation challenges. To help protect and manage tropical wildlife, Klamath Bird Observatory Research Associate Dr. Jared Wolfe has partnered with academia, governments, and nonprofits in Central Africa and Central America to successfully develop and fund several capacity building grants focused on conserving important habitats at risk of being lost.

Klamath Bird Observatory and The Selberg Institute are launching a new citizen science project on the beautiful Sampson Creek Preserve just outside of Ashland. This project offers something for all birders and outdoor enthusiasts. Participants will have the choice to bird on fairly flat terrain walking less than two miles through meadows and oak woodland, or for the more adventurous there are little-explored areas off-trail along a gradient of different habitats. The project will take place on a large parcel of private property along Sampson Creek. The Preserve is in the foothills of the Cascades and holds a variety of oak habitats as well as coniferous forests and riparian woodlands. This is a terrific spot for birding and will give the public a unique opportunity to visit and bird in a diversity of habitats managed for conservation.

Citizen Scientists will participate in a training event on April 15th to learn how to collect data, and the opportunity for monthly surveys will continue throughout the year. If you enjoy looking for owls, you are in luck as well. This project will also include guided night surveys to inventory the local owl population. Participation will include some walking and/or hiking, recording all birds observed by sight and/or sound, and entering and submitting your findings into eBird Northwest. Klamath Bird Observatory has completed baseline breeding surveys on this property in the past, but with this project we aim to add to the existing knowledge by harnessing the power of Citizen Scientists to collect robust data throughout the breeding, migratory, and winter seasons.

If you are interested in participating or would like more information please contact KBO biologist Ellie Armstrong at eea@KlamathBird.org. Ellie will give a short presentation on the project at the next Rogue Valley Audubon Society monthly meeting on March 28th – come learn about this special place and what we can do to help keep it special.

A NOTE FROM OUR SCIENCE DIRECTOR: 

Peer-reviewed science is nonpartisan. While science is non-advocacy in nature, scientific results ensure fact-driven debate and informed decision making. In this time when our colleagues are being silenced, science is being dismissed, and funding is being cut, Klamath Bird Observatory remains steadfast in standing up for science. And today, right now, science needs you. Your support is more important than ever.

Our science provides the foundation for conservation of our most at-risk bird species and the habitats on which all wildlife depend. In the last six months alone, our science has influenced state policy to eliminate red tape for oak restoration on private lands, informed the expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, and contributed to the petition to list the Oregon Vesper Sparrow under the Endangered Species Act. These are just a few examples of how our work is having an impact.

But there is so much more to do! Please consider joining our monthly sustained giving program. For less than the cost of a daily latte ($50/month), or cup of coffee ($25/month), you can ensure that Klamath Bird Observatory’s science is at the table when decisions are being made. Your monthly contribution will provide staff time to put our science in front of decision makers at all levels. The reliable monthly revenue from you, our loyal supporter, will ensure that we can stand up for science during this unprecedented time in our nation’s history.

Thank you for your contined support — Jaime L. Stephens, Science Director

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR SCIENCE DONATION NOW

Image Copyright Gary Bloomfield

   

This May, the American Birding Association (ABA) published their 2nd Birder’s Guide to Conservation & Community. This edition of the popular Birder’s Guide series is designed to help, to inspire, and to support birders in building a better future. This latest edition features an article about Klamath Bird Observatory’s Mountain Bird Festival. We are extremely excited that the American Birding Association recognizes the Mountain Bird Festival as an avenue for conservation.

Click here to read about the Mountain Bird Festival and more in the American Birding Association Birder’s Guide to Conservation & Community, May 2015.

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

The fall has arrived and with it the southbound migration of many of our beautiful birds.  As they journey to their wintering grounds we transition our attention from field to office; this is the time of year for review.  As we reflect on the passage of our birds and interns, we look to their future as well.  Our seasonal employees and interns scatter to new projects, new prospects, and vast distances to further the advancement, not only of themselves, but of the future of our natural world.  With this parting the natural world around us becomes quieter; the birdsong of the spring and summer beginning a decrescendo.  This modulation brings responsibility.  A duty to safeguard the return of our birds, to ensure the robustness of our programs, to protect and scrutinize our data, and to deliver our science to ensure the decisions being made are informed and sustainable. We continue to develop and enrich our research with programs in long-term monitoring and applied ecology in the ruggedly beautiful Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion and beyond.  Though many of the birds we study summer and breed in our region, they winter in Mexico and Central America.  We need to ensure these birds are not only protected here, but on their wintering grounds as well.  To protect their full life-cycle we continue to invest in international interns each year.  These interns, and the network of international migratory caretakers they create, are part of our legacy.  Our relationship with these caretakers is further nurtured as we maintain our crucial partnerships abroad. When you contribute to KBO, you also become a caretaker.  Your private dollars contribute to the science and outreach programs which support our migratory birds both here and abroad. You, our loyal members and donors, play a vital part in this change of seasons too; a role in the responsibility as stewards of our natural world.  We look to you to contribute at this significant time of transition as the year winds to an end.  For with this ending comes a bright beginning as we prepare for the year to come.  In the coming year our programs, our science and our organization need your generosity.  Your donation is crucial in helping the Klamath Bird Observatory advance bird and habitat conservation.  We hope you will answer this call as we ask you to build on your role this year as caretakers of our shared birds; we are eternally thankful for it..

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

  With much gratitude, Marcella Rose Sciotto                                                                 Shannon Rio Assistant Director                                                                       Board President

GREAT GRAY OWL:  Phantom of the Forest
Talk: Learn about this fascinating bird that lives in our bioregional backyard – what they eat, their nests, the challenges of being a baby owl, and the places they like to live and hunt. The program concludes with a stunning video of the owls taken by a local photographer.
October 5th Wednesday 6:30PM – 8:00PM
GREAT GRAY OWL OUTING
Walk: This expedition will focus on where and how to look for the largest-sized owl of North America. Early departure time gives us a chance to perhaps see this great beast and grand phantom of the forest.
October 8th Saturday 6:30AM – NOON
Leaders:  Lee French, Mel Clements, and Shannon Rio

  WINTERING BIRDS OF THE ROGUE VALLEY
Talk: Because of our rich biodiversity, we have many birds that love the Rogue Valley at least for some part of the year … and for some all the year round. In this program, you’ll get to know these local birds and where best to find them through their life histories, stories, poems, photos, and bird sounds.
November 2nd Wednesday 6:30PM – 8:00PM
BIRDING THE ROGUE VALLEY
Walk: We follow up with an excursion visiting a variety of local hot spots to see the birds talked about in the presentation.
November 5th Saturday 8:30AM – 1PM
Leaders:  Lee French and Shannon Rio

    Cost:  $25 for each talk and walk (or $50 makes you a member of KBO). To sign up or if you have questions, contact shannonrio@aol.com.

  Carpooling (taking the fewest cars) is requested for the safety of the outing and ensures everyone sees the most birds.

 

*** NEWS RELEASE—FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ***

May 18, 2016

Media Contact: John Alexander, Executive Director Klamath Bird Observatory

541-890-7067; jda@klamathbird.org

 

 To mark the 100th anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treaty, the North American Bird Conservation Initiative has published the State of North America’s Birds report. Through a groundbreaking collaboration between the United States, Mexico, and Canada this report evaluates birds of nine key ecosystems across the continent. The report highlights two key aspects of bird conservation that are core to Klamath Bird Observatory’s science, education, and partnership efforts in southern Oregon and northern California. First, science driven conservation works, and second, our continent’s birds still need our help.

The Report’s authors found that where an investment is made in healthy habitat management, birds are doing well; and healthy birds mean healthy ecosystems. They provide several examples, including southern Oregon’s Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network collaboration of Lomakatski Restoration Project, Bureau of Land Management, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service and Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Klamath Bird Observatory and others. The Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network has leveraged $4.5 million of combined federal and non-federal resources to restore over 3,000 acres of oak woodlands across our region, with another 3,000 acres to be restored by 2020. This work is being guided by and evaluated with KBO research and monitoring using oaks-associated birds as indicators of success.

The Report also presents a Watch List that identifies one third of North America’s bird species as high risk, including the Olive-sided Flycatcher. Klamath Bird Observatory research shows that in our region the Olive-sided Flycatcher is associated with fire and related forest conditions. This is just one example of the many indicator species that Klamath Bird Observatory studies, with results informing forest management. The State of North America’s Birds report emphasizes the importance of such studies, because quality, not just quantity, of our temperate forests, is critical for forest birds. In the West, fire plays a key role in maintaining high-quality forest ecosystems, and Klamath Bird Observatory is working to show how this understanding, and the use of birds as indicators, can inform management our western forests. This application of science and bird conservation priorities to address pressing forest management challenges, with an intention to protect and restore our forests, and thereby stop the steepening declines of our western forest birds.

This new State of North America’s Birds report is a call to action. Of North America’s 1,154 bird species, 432 are now considered of “high concern” due to low or declining populations and growing threats from habitat loss, invasive predators, and climate change. Migratory birds connect people to nature and provide multiple benefits – ecological, economic, agricultural, aesthetic, and recreational – for people and the natural environment. Therefor our governments, industry, and the public must once again come together to support migratory bird conservation. The 2016 Report and past State of the Birds reports archive are available at www.StateOfTheBirds.org.

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Klamath Bird Observatory, based in Ashland, Oregon, is a scientific non-profit organization that achieves bird conservation in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the migratory ranges of the birds of our region. We developed our award-winning conservation model in the ruggedly beautiful and wildlife-rich Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion of southern Oregon and northern California, and we now apply this model more broadly to care for our shared birds throughout their annual cycles. Emphasizing high caliber science and the role of birds as indicators of the health of the land, we specialize in cost-effective bird monitoring and research projects that improve natural resource management. Also, recognizing that conservation occurs across many fronts, we nurture a conservation ethic in our communities through our outreach and educational programs.

The U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) Committee is a forum of government agencies, private organizations, and bird initiatives helping partners across the continent meet their common bird conservation objectives. The Committee is working to secure a bright future for North America’s more than 1,150 species of birds, in conjunction with NABCI partners in Mexico and Canada to increase cooperation and effectiveness of bird conservation efforts among the three countries. The NABCI Committee’s strategy is to foster coordination and collaboration on key issues of concern, including bird monitoring, conservation design, private lands, international collaboration, and state and federal agency support for integrated bird conservation.  

For more information about the North American Bird Conservation Initiative:  www.nabci-us.org/