KBO’s Sarah Rockwell Featured on Hannah and Erik Go Birding

Klamath Bird Observatory Senior Research Biologist Dr. Sarah Rockwell recently joined the Hannah and Erik Go Birding podcast to discuss the Oregon Vesper Sparrow and KBO’s efforts to better understand and conserve this imperiled bird. During the episode, Sarah introduces listeners to this modest-looking grassland sparrow and explains how its population can help us understand the health of the habitats it depends on throughout its annual cycle.

Sarah leads KBO’s Oregon Vesper Sparrow research program, which examines the birds’ nest success, survival, habitat use, migration, and wintering locations. Since 2018, KBO and its partners have used tools ranging from nest monitoring and color bands to lightweight tracking tags to investigate the causes of the subspecies’ decline and identify conservation actions that can support its recovery.

Listen to the full episode, “Monitoring Oregon Vesper Sparrows,” on Hannah and Erik Go Birding, to hear Sarah share what researchers are learning about these remarkable birds and why continued monitoring matters. You can also directly support this research through KBO’s Adopt-a-Tag program, which helps fund the tracking technology used to uncover where Oregon Vesper Sparrows travel beyond their breeding grounds.