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.
In 2023, KBO with with research colleague Linda Long, Frank Lake, Karuk Tribal Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Technological University, and others to publish new findings on how life cycles of culturally significant birds could inform the timing of prescribed fire. On May 17th 2024, Hilary Clark a Public Affairs Specialist for the Forest Service at the Pacific Southwest Research Station wrote this wonderful article on the work that of these partners. This KBO article is a reposting of Hilary’s article originally posted on the USDA website. The original link can be found in the article.
On February 23rd, Klamath Siskiyou Oak Network was featured in the Rogue Valley Times. A $13-million effort to restore health to oak tree habitat in the Lake Creek area east of White City and near the Table Rocks north of Medford is in its second year.
So far, the thinning of conifers that were competing with oaks has taken place on about 200 acres near Lake Creek and on 100 acres near the Table Rocks. The community of Lake Creek is located about 12 miles east of White City, near the foothills of the Cascade Mountains.
The work, known as the Upper Rogue Oak Initiative, is due to take place on 3,650 acres — nearly 6 square miles — of private and public land, all but 250 acres of it near Lake Creek. Partners include state and federal agencies, along with conservation organizations, functioning under an umbrella group known as the Klamath Siskiyou Oak Initiative.
The project is slated to take six years to complete.
Join us for a delightful evening with KBO and Mantiquera Bird Observatory (OAMa) at a potluck on November 30th from 4 to 7 pm. Discover the incredible work OAMa is accomplishing in Brazil for bird conservation as founder Luiza shares the importance of international partnerships. Engage in lively conversations with KBO staff and board members, and be the first to learn about the exciting 2023 fundraising trip to Brazil and the plans for 2024.
And there’s more! Look forward to a special guest appearance by the neighborhood screech-owl. This is a free, in-person event located at 114 Granite St., Ashland, OR. Come savor delicious food, make new friends, and immerse yourself in captivating stories. We can’t wait to share this enriching experience with you!
This spring marked the 4th year of our Purple Martin project. Klamath Bird Observatory has partnered with USFS and USGS to learn more about the western subspecies of Purple Martin. Our goal this year was to place GPS tags on 8 adult Purple Martins in order to track their migration routes and learn more about where they spend the winter.
Each spring, KBO conducts a large-scale point count surveying effort to collect data on abundance, habitat use, and bird communities. Many species can only be surveyed during their breeding season when they establish territories and are easily detected by their unique songs. To take advantage of this, our point count surveys take place within a narrow window during the spring breeding season. With the help of a fantastic team of seasonal point count technicians, KBO completed another successful season of surveys this year.
Pacific Southwest Research Station and Klamath Bird Observatory ecologists recently published new findings about using life cycles of culturally significant birds to inform the timing of prescribed burns in the Klamath Siskiyou Bioregion of Northern California and southern Oregon. The research was a collaborative effort with partners from the Karuk Tribe Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Technological University, and others.
Klamath Bird Observatory is well known for its broad international reach, focusing on partnerships and capacity building across the ranges of our shared birds. KBO’s bird banding internship program has trained over 283 interns from more than 17 countries. OAMa is a fruit of this capacity-building program, which is now running its training program in Brazil. As part of the continued partnership between these two observatories, we are pleased to announce a new internship exchange program! After training in their home country, biologists will have the opportunity to visit and train at the other observatory. KBO will host a student from OAMa for three or six months each year, and OAMa will host a student from KBO for up to three months at their field station in Brazil, joining the local crew at the year-round bird monitoring on the Mantiqueira Highlands.
From 2020-2023, a small team of researchers from KBO, USFS, USGS, and Cape Arago Audubon Society captured adult Western Purple Martins and outfitted them with lightweight archival GPS tags that fit like a backpack with two leg loops to track their movements. Our goal is to track martins that nest in Oregon to discover their migratory pathways and winter roost locations and assess whether conservation actions are needed at these non-breeding sites. This is the first study of its kind with the western subspecies and the first to track them with GPS technology throughout the year! Check out where one female Purple Martin named Roxa journeyed.
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 handout A Decade of Collaborative Oak Restoration demonstrates the power of collaboration and a decade-plus of successful oak habitat restoration from 2011-2023 with highlights from Table Rock and Colestin Valley projects.
