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Author: Debra Agnew

KBO Community Education: “Stories from the Field” with Klamath Bird Observatory and ScienceWorks Museum

Written by Debra Agnew on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, KBO Education, Press Room, Trips & Events.

Thursday, March 25th
6:00-7:00pm via Zoom

Klamath Bird Observatory and ScienceWorks Museum gladly present “Stories from the Field.” In this live virtual talk, a panel of avian scientists will share fun and exciting tales from their adventures working in the field, followed by Q&A from the audience. ScienceWorks Museum Program Manager Leah Ruby will be our host. Bring your questions and curiosity and be ready for the unexpected! This event is FREE!

Click here to register

Learn About the Panel

Kate Halstead is a KBO Research Biologist and sits on the board of the Rogue Valley Audubon Society. She has been working as a field biologist since 2007 when she chased Northern Goshawks in Montana with the US Forest Service. Since then, her field adventures have taken her throughout the Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Florida, and Costa Rica, during which time she has developed a colorful background in avian studies, research, restoration, and more. Kate has worked with KBO on and off since 2008, including during her Master’s thesis work at Oregon State University.

 

Stewart Janes is an Oregon native who returned home from UCLA after earning his Ph.D. studying raptor ecology. When he began teaching, he also started going out well before first light to eavesdrop on warblers, recording their songs and behavior and attempting to decode their communication systems. (He says that if he had known how complex the decoding would be, he would have probably chosen to study Mallards or Rock Pigeons, or some other bird that doesn’t wake up quite so early!) Stewart has also conducted projects on bird ecology and song in Australia and New Zealand. He is a biology professor, emeritus, at Southern Oregon University.

 

Stephanie Loredo is a Field Technician at KBO and is leading our point count surveys at various field sites this season. She worked with KBO as a banding intern in 2014 and is excited to be back with us working with her point count crew, banding birds, and helping track Lewis’s Woodpeckers. Stephanie earned an M.S. in Wildlife Science from Oregon State University where she focused on seabird studies and conservation. She currently stays connected to seabird conservation by maintaining a seat in the executive council for the Pacific Seabird Group. She has experience studying Common Murres, ravens, cormorants, and sage grouses.

 

Claire Stuyck is a Research Biologist who joined KBO this year to manage our long-term bird banding program. She earned an M.S. degree in Wildlife Biology from Clemson University where her work focused on Barn Swallows. From searching for breeding Stellar’s Eiders in Utquiagvik, Alaska to urban adapted Barred Owls in upstate South Carolina, her work has taken her all over the U.S. One of Claire’s highlights from last year was finding and documenting the very first and northernmost nest of a (Timberline) Brewer’s Sparrow in Alaska!

2021 Job and Internship Opportunities with KBO

Written by Debra Agnew on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Conservation, KBO Family, KBO Partners, KBO Science, Press Room.

Klamath Bird Observatory is accepting applications for our 2021 field season

We are seeking Point Count Technicians to complete point count surveys throughout the diverse and beautiful region of southern Oregon and northern California. Technicians will work for multiple projects consisting of monitoring effects of oak and stream restoration and long-term monitoring in both private and public lands.

We are also seeking Bird Banding Interns to participate in our long-term landbird monitoring program. This position requires independent drive and patience for the travails of field work but also affords an amazing opportunity to build practical experience in field biology and master a variety of bird monitoring and research skills in a beautiful part of the country.

Learn more about position duration, compensation, qualifications, and how to apply: KBO Careers and Opportunities

KBO Community Education: “Hot Times – Their Money or Your Life” with Harry Fuller

Written by Debra Agnew on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, KBO Education, Trips & Events.

Monday, December 21st
6:00-7:30pm via Zoom

In this presentation, Harry Fuller will discuss the ongoing impacts of climate change and how all creatures, especially our Oregon birds, are pressed to adapt to changing environments. Can all species adapt to these changes? Which species might benefit, and which species might “lose?” Harry will share the “knowns” and “unknowns” according to current science, and describe what actions people can take to help mitigate the impacts of a changing climate.

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SCIENCE BRIEF: Research indicates that restoring urban riparian habitats benefits non-breeding birds

Written by Debra Agnew on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Conservation, KBO Partners, KBO Science, Press Room. No Comments on SCIENCE BRIEF: Research indicates that restoring urban riparian habitats benefits non-breeding birds

Healthy riparian habitat is vital for Neotropical migrant and resident birds. It supports high biodiversity, and it is increasingly rare across landscapes. The total area of riparian habitat in California and Oregon has declined significantly in recent years and so have its associated bird populations. Human activity and other disturbances contribute to the loss of this scarce and essential bird habitat. Scientists, conservation practitioners, and land managers are collaborating to restore key riparian areas to health, and to understand how bird responses to restoration efforts can indicate restoration success.

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SCIENCE BRIEF: A new modeling approach provides a birds-eye view of habitats, habitat fragmentation, and the effectiveness of conservation efforts

Written by Debra Agnew on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Conservation, KBO Science.

Anthropogenic habitat disturbance and alteration pose serious threats to the persistence and diversity of bird communities throughout the world. Current ecological research and conservation planning efforts largely focus on understanding the relative influence of habitat composition (e.g. how much) and habitat configuration (e.g. the spatial arrangement) on species occurrence across a landscape. Despite this intensive focus, there is little consensus regarding to what degree fragmentation affects biodiversity, either positively or negatively. Research methods used to assess the impacts of habitat fragmentation on species richness (the number of species in a given area) often rely on generalized, vegetation categories that are based on human-classified land-cover data. However, using such coarsely classified vegetation data as a proxy for actual habitat may be a problematic oversimplification leading to inconsistent results, especially when studying multiple species.

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Bird Observatory Holds Talk On Climate-Change Issues

Written by Debra Agnew on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Press Room.

The Mail Tribune recently posted an announcement concerning a workshop that the Klamath Bird Observatory will be hosting on October 19th and 20th. Meeting at this workshop will be climate change scientists, biologists, educators, and land managers from a variety of institutions. The workshop will be held at the Best Western Windsor Inn. The full announcement can be read here.

Klamath Bird Observatory Raising Funds And Fun

Written by Debra Agnew on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Press Room.

The Klamath Bird Observatory and its supporters will meet Sunday for the Wings and Wine Gala at Hanley Farm. The gala will raise money for the observatory, which collects data regarding local bird populations and, though that data, examines the health of the ecosystem. All of this makes a big difference to land managers, who can use the KBO’s data to understand how bird populations might be effected by their decisions. John Alexander, executive director of the KBO and CJ Ralph have received the Partners in Flight Leadership Award. For more on the Wings and Wine Gala and the Klamath Bird Observatory, check out the article on the Medford Examiner’s website.

Klamath Bird Observatory To Host Wings & Wine Gala

Written by Debra Agnew on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Press Room.

An alert for the Klamath Bird Observatory’s third annual Wings & Wine Gala on September 25th appeared on My Outdoor Buddy. The Gala is a chance to connect with other Birders and will include local dining, live music and an auction. Auction items will include art, birding tours, and binoculars amongst other items. The full announcement can be read here.