Wild Birds Unlimited in Medford is a friend to birds and a Klamath Bird Observatory business sponsor. Now, not only can you buy bird seed and bird-friendly coffee at Wild Birds Unlimited, but you can also pick up your Bottle Drop blue bag for KBO. Helping you achieve three of the 7 simple actions to help birds; birdifying your yard, drinking bird-friendly coffee, and recycling.
These blue bags allow you to recycle your cans and bottles with an Oregon deposit and donation to KBO. All you need to do is pick up a blue bag, fill it with bottles and cans with Oregon deposit, and then drop it off at a Bottle Drop location. They do the rest!
Already use Bottle Drop then you can donate directly from your account online.
Do you have a business and want to become a KBO business sponsor? Check out how here.
With the release of the new Federal Duck Stamp comes a new Klamath Bird Observatory Conservation Science Stamp. The Duck Stamp is one of the most successful conservation initiatives in history. Since 1934, some $800 million has gone into that fund to protect more than 5.7 million acres of habitat on refuges. Conservationists buy duck stamps because they know that 98 percent of the cost goes directly to conserve wildlife habitat vital for many birds, fish, mammals, plants, and you and your family – and future generations. When you add on a Klamath Bird Observatory Conservation Science Stamp you are also supporting bird conservation partnerships, monitoring, and education.
This year’s Conservation Science Stamp highlights the Lewis’s Woodpecker (Melanerpes lewis). The Lewis’s Woodpecker is a US Fish and Wildlife Service Bird of Conservation Concern and a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Oregon and other western states. Its population has suffered a 72% population decline. This species of woodpecker stands out with its unique coloring and behavior. It relies on flycatching insects during its breeding season and stores acorns for its non-breeding seasons. Lewis’s Woodpeckers have been impacted by habitat loss and the decline of insect populations at breeding sites and along avian migration routes. The funds raised from this stamp will support KBO’s role in partnership-driven restoration work in oak woodlands, a critical habitat for this species, and research to uncover mysteries about its migration and identify opportunities for better-focusing conservation efforts throughout the Lewis’s Woodpeckers full annual cycle.
CONTACT: Jaime Stephens, Director of Conservation, Klamath Bird Observatory, jlh@klamathbird.org, 541-944-2890 Steve Denney, Coordinator, Umpqua Oak Partnership, stevedenn@mydfn.net, 541-671-1803
Our region holds onto Oregon’s largest remaining section of oak habitat. With the majority of it owned by private landowners. Since 2017, southern Oregon and northern California landowners have protected and restored more than 5,000 acres of oak and prairie habitat.
Northwest oak and prairie landscapes are among the most drought-tolerant, wildfire-resilient native habitats in North America and oak trees play a key role in the ecosystem. If they are not restored, protected, and maintained, important natural processes could be lost forever. With over 300 species of wildlife using oak habitats during their life cycle, continued habitat loss and degradation will result in more of these species becoming vulnerable. Currently, 45 of those oak-associated species are already considered to be ‘at-risk’. Additionally, overstocked and unmanaged oak stands present an increased risk of unnaturally severe wildfire which not only results in habitat loss but threatens residences and rural communities.
Conifer encroachment of oak trees on a nontreated landscape. Photo Credit Bob Altman
“As both a landowner located in the Umpqua Basin and one of the authors, I am excited to see this new version of the landowner guide for managing oak habitats. This version of the guide has been updated to include the latest information on managing and restoring oaks and will be a valuable resource for landowners whether you own less than one acre or thousands of acres”. – Steve Denney, Umpqua Oak Partnership Coordinator.
This landowner guide describes how to apply conservation practices for Oregon white oak and California black oak habitats on private lands in southern Oregon and northern California. The document discusses the importance and history of oak habitats across three ecoregions and provides detailed conservation guidelines for oak habitat restoration, integrating Western science and Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
A male Western Tanager sitting in an Oregon White Oak singing. Migratory birds like this Western Tanager depend on oak habitats for a variety of resources including food, nesting, and stop-over habitats during migration. Photo Credit Frank Lospalluto.
The guide includes supplemental resources for the restoration-minded private landowner, including a list of organizations that will assist with private land restoration as well as step-by-step instructions for monitoring birds on your land to track the return of wildlife following oak restoration activities. An exciting opportunity exists for landowners and conservation partners to work together to restore native oak systems and their diverse wildlife communities to reverse these trends.
###
The Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network (KSON) is a regional collaboration between local agencies, tribes, and non-profit organizations that works to conserve oak ecosystems on private and public lands in southern Oregon and northern California. Since 2011, KSON partners have accomplished thousands of acres of strategic ecological restoration to enhance oak habitat, build climate resilience, bolster cultural resources, and reduce wildfire risk to the ecosystem and communities.
The Umpqua Oak Partnership (UOP) is a collaborative regional partnership of landowners, tribes, agencies, and organizations working together to preserve and promote healthy oak habitats in Douglas County. UOP’s mission is to work to bring people together around oaks, help keep farms and ranches in the family, connect landowners to programs and funding, and share information.
Join us for a full-day immersive birding and learning experience with KBO in the stunning Upper Klamath Lake region. You will be observing bird banding up close with KBO biologists and the KBO international interns in the morning and later venturing on a 2-3 hour bird walk with Shannon Rio.
This is a special opportunity to meet our scientists and learn about (and support!) KBO’s international scientist-in-training program. You will also have the unique opportunity to see many resident and migratory birds up close and appreciate details you may never see in the wild. Please join us for a day of adventure and learning and support the young scientists of the future!
WHEN: Wednesday, July 10th, 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (including drive time to and from Ashland).
WHERE: Upper Klamath Lake
TRIP LEADERS: Lisa Michelbrink and Shannon Rio, KBO Board Members
COST: Cost is $65 per person
This is a fundraiser to support KBO’s international bird banding training program. If you cannot attend, please consider donating to this special KBO program. Carpooling from Ashland is essential. Please let us know if you are interested in being a driver. We are limited to 4 cars. Please bring a water bottle and snacks. Lunch will be provided. Be prepared for insects/mosquitos, but please NO deet. You will be instructed on the appropriate use of repellant if needed on the day of the event. Dress for the weather in layers as the morning will be cool. No birding experience is necessary. Bring binoculars if you have them. Binoculars can be provided if needed.
Whether you’re a newcomer to the region or an old-timer, participate in a fun- and information-filled auto tour led by historian/author Jeff LaLande and noted birders Frank Lospalluto (a KBO consultant) and Stacy Taeuber (a KBO Board member).
Lots of history: The car-pool route will include various “History Stops” (but relatively little actual walking) at such important places as Railroad Tunnel #13 (site of the infamous and tragic DeAutremont Brothers’ botched train robbery of 1923); the old Siskiyou Pass; Grouse Gap shelter (just past Mt. Ashland); the 1850s-1860s “Mountain House” stage stop; the 1846 Applegate Trail; the Hill-Dunn cemetery; and other spots — i.e., returning the “back way” (through the upper-most Bear Creek Valley) to Ashland by mid-afternoon.
Birding among the wildflowers! Along the Siskiyou Crest, we’ll hike a short stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail near Mt. Ashland. Wildflowers – lupine, gilia, Oregon sunshine, corn lily, and many other species may be in profusion, and we will identify and enjoy as many of the flowers and trees as we can. Various raptors should be spotted, as well as many other birds – ranging from migrant Green Towhees, along the section of the Pacific Crest Trail, to Bullock’s Orioles and Acorn Woodpeckers down at Emigrant Lake’s historic Hill-Dunn cemetery. We’ll also encounter and discuss lots of fascinating geology along the way.
Note: This event is limited to 25 people. We will travel in a car-pool “caravan” of up to personal vehicles (with up to four people in each vehicle). Bring your binoculars, lunch, drinking water, or other beverages, and your questions for Frank, Stacy, and Jeff. And feel free to share your knowledge about what we see!
When: Sunday, July 14, 8:30 AM. (We will be back in Ashland by no later than 4:30 and likely well before that.)
Where: Meet at the Rite Aid parking area (off Ashland Street, past Tolman Creek Rd) in the lot’s northeast corner. (Car-pooling will be necessary to keep the group to as few vehicles as possible.)
Acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorous) perches on the branch of a California live oak (Quercus agrifolia). (U.S. Fish and Wildlife photo by Cal Robinson).
Avian Ambassadors and Tribal Perspectives: A Bird’s Eye View of Prescribed Fire
Written by Hilary Clark, Public Affairs Specialist, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station
Birds are our melodic neighbors. They soar above skyscrapers in New York City and nest in coastal redwoods in Northern California.
Their familiar sight and distinctive calls made bird watching a national pastime. In fact, roughly one-third of the U.S. population, or 96 million people, closely observe, feed or photograph birds.
Pacific Southwest Research Station ecologist and tribal liaison Frank Lake wondered how the birds he grew up with in northeastern California were faring. As a Karuk tribal descendant with Yurok family, Lake has a deep connection to the land and the birds that inhabit it. Belted kingfishers, woodpeckers, condors, eagles, and other birds have been part of his ancestors’ way of life for thousands of years. Birds play a role in tribal creation stories, and tribes use feathers to grace regalia and use in traditional ceremonies.
“Indigenous and western knowledge systems can teach us a lot about the significant roles land birds have in our environment. Understanding how fire and other land management practices may affect birds is important for evaluating the conditions of our ecosystems,” Lake said.
A Cooper’s hawk surveys its surroundings from a high perch. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife photo by Lane Wintermute).
For 22 years, the research team studied the molting and breeding seasons of 11 different bird families—woodpeckers, owls, hawks, and other species—in Northern California and southern Oregon. Molting and breeding sap birds’ energy, making them vulnerable to threats, including fire. Molting is a plumage makeover where birds shed old feathers and replace them with new.
“We found, in general, breeding tends to start near the beginning of April in the redwood forests, and later, towards the end of April, in coastal regions and along the Klamath and Trinity rivers,” said Jared Wolfe, a Michigan Technological University assistant professor.
Even though prescribed fire can clear the understory of a forest and enhance wildlife habitat, it should be carefully planned to avoid potential harm to birds during their molting and breeding seasons.
“Counting birds with binoculars in the field allows us to document trends, but with this information we felt limited to writing their obituaries. We wanted to dig deeper,” Klamath Bird Observatory Executive Director John Alexander said.
Alexander and other researchers wanted to know why birds were at a particular location and what they were doing there.
“Our research results provide more precise information about vulnerabilities and threats that can provide guidance and inform the timing of prescribed burns based on birds’ breeding and molting seasons,” he said.
They concluded that cultural burning, which traditionally moves to nature’s rhythm, poses fewer threats to culturally significant birds.
Frank Lake with the Klamath River Singers performing at Reggae on the River demonstration dance. From left to right: Chaley Thom (Karuk), Clarence Hostler (Hupa-Yurok-Karuk), Charlie Thom (Lake’s Karuk grandfather with microphone), Brian Tripp (Karuk), and Frank Lake (USDA photo by Frank Lake)
Benefits of Cultural Burning
Long before colonization, indigenous peoples practiced cultural burning for thousands of years, modifying fire regimes. These low intensity fires promoted healthy forests and enhanced wildlife habitat.
“Fire is medicine to many tribal elders. Fire connects them to the land, and land management policies of fire suppression have, historically, severed that connection,” Lake said.
In his research, Lake incorporates western science and traditional ecological knowledge, defined as a body of observations, oral and written knowledge, innovations, practices, and beliefs that promote sustainability and the responsible stewardship of cultural and natural resources through relationships between humans and their landscapes. Both are paramount, he believes, for protecting wildlife, including birds. When Lake shares his knowledge with others, he hopes that the information broadens their perceptions of conservation.
That was the case for John Alexander.
Roger’s Creek prescribed burn in June 2023 near Somes Bar, Calif., which was conducted in support of the Western Klamath Restoration Partnership (USDA photo by Frank Lake)
“I remember sitting with Frank at a picnic table overlooking the Klamath River. He told me ‘Those birds in those bushes where my auntie collected basket materials are important to us. Those individuals are important.” Alexander said.
Before considering Lake’s perspective, Alexander was more concerned about getting fire on the ground, even if it meant sacrificing a few birds. He reasoned that prescribed burns are critical for mitigating hundreds of years of fire suppression, which can lead to devastating wildfires and decline of healthy forests. Healthy forests promote the long-term survival of different bird species.
“Working with the tribes has made me realize how important cultural burning is. Ancient tribal practices should help inform our prescribed burning practices, and our research about culturally important birds further exemplifies that,” Alexander said.
Partnerships to Protect Birds
Alexander is proud of the observatory’s long-term partnership with the Forest Service and former Pacific Southwest Research Station wildlife ecologist CJ Ralph. Together, Alexander, Ralph, and others collected bird data that dates back to the 1980s. Today, that historic data helps inform future bird conservation research.
In 2001, these partnerships got a legal boost. That year President Clinton strengthened the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, requiring relevant federal agencies to consider how their actions impact bird conservation.
Alexander credits that law and the work of partners for inroads in better understanding our avian companions. He cautions, though, that the work is far from done.
“Like birds must adapt to a rapidly changing climate to survive, we must continually learn and adapt our research together to protect birds,” Alexander said.
Alexander serves as a mentor for new researchers in bird conservation. Similarly, Lake is inspiring the next generation of stewards.
“I take young tribal members out to the forest and point out certain birds, explaining their cultural significance and unique life cycles. Both are important to the long-term health of our forests and the birds that depend upon them,” Lake said.
Original article published on https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/avian-ambassadors-and-tribal-perspectives.
For time immemorial, the oak ecosystems of southwestern Oregon and northern California have been stewarded by Indigenous peoples. Over the past century, oak-prairie ecosystems have experienced dramatic loss and degradation. An exciting opportunity exists for landowners and conservation partners to work together to restore native oak systems and their diverse wildlife communities. Private landowners own and manage roughly 60% of the land area of the United States.
These private lands sustain native wildlife populations while also benefiting landowners and society. In the western United States, private lands are especially important for the conservation of oak habitats.
This landowner guide describes how to apply conservation practices for Oregon white oak and California black oak habitats on private lands in southwestern Oregon and northern California. The document discusses the importance and history of oak habitats across three ecoregions and then provides detailed conservation guidelines for oak habitat restoration. Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge is woven throughout the document.
Also, the guide includes supplemental resources for the restoration-minded private landowner, including a list of organizations that will assist with private lands restoration as well as step-by-step instructions for monitoring birds on your land to track the return of wildlife following oak restoration activities.
What’s New
Indigenous stewardship of oak ecocultural systems.
The expansion of the geographic scope into the Umpqua Basin with the addition of the Umpqua Oak Partnership.
Come join KBO biologists and this season’s interns for a bird banding experience in the field!
This is a fundraiser for KBO’s long-standing and well-respected international field biologist training program. It is a unique opportunity to meet some of our scientists in a small group setting, learn about the science of bird banding, and see some of Oregon’s birds up close. We will observe live bird banding including mist netting and data collection and learn more about Southern Oregon’s migrating and resident birds all while in the field in the beautiful Upper Klamath Lake region. Come join us and support future scientists!
WHEN: Monday, June 17th, 6:30 a.m. to noon (inclusive of drive time to and from Ashland).
WHERE: Upper Klamath Lake
TRIP LEADERS: Lisa Michelbrink and Elva Manquera
COST: $40 per person. Limited to 10 participants.
Carpooling from Ashland is essential. Please let us know if you are interested in being a driver. We are limited to 4 cars. If you are located in the Klamath Basin we will have a separate spot that we will arrange to meet you at. Please bring a water bottle and snacks/lunch if desired. Be prepared for insects/mosquitos, but please NO deet. You will be instructed on the appropriate use of repellant if needed on the day of the event. Dress for the weather in layers as the morning will be cool. No birding experience is necessary. Bring binoculars if you have them. Binoculars can be provided if needed.
Happy Spring! Spring is an invigorating time with an abundance of new life, color, and song with the return of our migratory birds! We are sure you’ve stopped to take in these familiar songs in the past few weeks (even if you don’t quite remember which bird, it is…after all, it has been a year!)
KBO collaborates with many organizations locally and throughout the Americas to help keep these birds coming “home” like our yellow-breasted chat. But what is home to a bird? Many of the birds we consider “our birds” are only here for a few months to breed, and then they travel south following their food, connecting humanity through a shared experience of enjoying these special creatures. KBO works intensively with organizations in countries such as Canada, Mexico, and Brazil to learn more about the full migratory cycle of these amazing, complicated creatures to help ensure their survival in this age of declining bird populations.
We are thrilled to be out in the community today bringing people together in support of bird conservation. Spreading awareness of this year’s message about protecting birds and protecting insects. Birds play crucial roles in pollination and pest control, and a lack of insects disrupts these ecosystem functions. Overpopulation of certain insects, without natural predators from birds, can also cause outbreaks that damage plant health and agriculture.
You can help us by donating to KBO this World Migratory Bird Day. Your donation supports not only our community outreach but also our high-caliber science. There are several different ways that you can donate to KBO.
Something New! The 2023-24 conservation science stamp art designed by Jasmine Vazquez is too beautiful not to put on a t-shirt. You can purchase your new KBO shirt here. It comes in a variety of colors and sizes.
The t-shirt highlights last year’s WMBD theme and focuses on Water: Sustaining Bird Life. Migratory birds rely on water and its associated habitats—lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, swamps, marshes, and coastal wetlands—for breeding, resting, refueling during migration, and wintering. Yet increasing human demand for water, climate change, pollution, and other factors threaten these precious aquatic ecosystems. Headlines worldwide are sounding alarm: 35 percent of the world’s wetlands, critical to migratory birds, have been lost in the last 50 years. In Southern Oregon, we have seen drought and fire and the negative impacts these have had on birds associated with water.
2023 Banding crew standing in front of the 7-mile banding station.
Support the Avian Internship Memorial Fund. The Avian Internship Memorial Fund (AIM Fund), was started by the friends and family of longtime KBO partner Patricia Buettner (Patty). The AIM Fund helps support KBO’s long-running internship programs. Klamath Bird Observatory’s internship program offers a positive learning experience for students. Our interns also make considerable contributions that help the international bird conservation community advance bird and habitat conservation.
Wild Birds Unlimited in Medford is a friend to birds and a Klamath Bird Observatory business sponsor. Now, not only can you buy bird seed and bird-friendly coffee at Wild Birds Unlimited, but you can also pick up your Bottle Drop blue bag for KBO. Helping you achieve three of the 7 simple actions to help birds; birdifying your yard, drinking bird-friendly coffee, and recycling.
flycatching insects during its breeding season and stores acorns for its non-breeding seasons. Lewis’s Woodpeckers have been impacted by habitat loss and the decline of insect populations at breeding sites and along avian migration routes. The funds raised from this stamp will support KBO’s role in partnership-driven restoration work in oak woodlands, a critical habitat for this species, and research to uncover mysteries about its migration and identify opportunities for better-focusing conservation efforts throughout the Lewis’s Woodpeckers full annual cycle.
Whether you’re a newcomer to the region or an old-timer, participate in a fun- and information-filled auto tour led by historian/author Jeff LaLande and noted birders Frank Lospalluto (a KBO consultant) and Stacy Taeuber (a KBO Board member).
When: Sunday, July 14, 8:30 AM. (We will be back in Ashland by no later than 4:30 and likely well before that.)
Happy Spring! Spring is an invigorating time with an abundance of new life, color, and song with the return of our migratory birds! We are sure you’ve stopped to take in these familiar songs in the past few weeks (even if you don’t quite remember which bird, it is…after all, it has been a year!)
Something New! The 2023-24 conservation science stamp art designed by Jasmine Vazquez is too beautiful not to put on a t-shirt. 