The Bureau of Land Management is excited to announce that KBO has been selected to receive the BLM’s national Conservation Partner Award. KBO has partnered with the BLM Medford District for more than 20 years and has been instrumental in applying avian science to inform public lands management and conservation. Click to learn more about KBO’s award-winning work!
Klamath Bird Observatory and Lomakatsi Restoration Project, with support from six other local partner organizations, have released a new guide for streamside landowners interested in implementing restoration projects to improve wildlife habitat and stream health. “Restoring Riparian Habitats in Southern Oregon and Northern California: A Guide for Private Landowners” includes information on birds and wildlife that use riparian habitats, detailed restoration guidelines, who to contact for technical or financial help when initiating a project, and how to identify common riparian birds and use them to monitor restoration progress. Are you interested in learning more about streamside habitat or starting a riparian restoration project on your land? Click to learn more and to download the guide.
In a new collaborative study in Ecography, Migratory Connectivity Project researchers sought to identify pinch points in Common Nighthawk migratory connectivity across the species’ annual cycle. Three Common Nighthawks tagged by KBO’s field team transmitted data that contributed to the research findings. Click to learn more and to watch a vibrant animation of nighthawk migration routes.
We are seeking one Field Technician and one Intern to help conduct our Oregon Vesper Sparrow demography research this summer.. KBO is contributing to a range-wide study to understand causes of decline in this imperiled subspecies. Primary duties will include nest-searching and monitoring, color band resighting, vegetation surveys, and data entry. This is a great opportunity to camp and work in the beautiful meadows of the western Cascades. Click to learn more.
Black-backed Woodpeckers are considered “keystone” species and indicators of bird community health. In a recent study published in Avian Conservation and Ecology, researchers surveyed birds and vegetation across a study area in the Fremont-Winema National Forest in Oregon to learn more about how Black-backed Woodpeckers use green conifer forests in this region, and how the occurrence of this species correlates with structural characteristics in these forests.
Cozy up and have fun this winter connecting with the birds! Shannon Rio will present four unique, interactive virtual events about our feathered friends via Zoom in January and February, 2021. At each event someone in the audience will win a gift certificate to a local Ashland business! You can choose to sign up for one or more of the events in the series. No previous bird knowledge is necessary and all are welcome!
At our holiday staff party this year, we recorded a special message for our partners and supporters. Thank you for your partnership and generosity, and we look forward to seeing you in 2021!
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. Click to learn more!
Oak ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest are highly biodiverse and host more than 300 vertebrate species; yet a significant proportion of historic oak ecosystems in the region have been lost, and most remaining habitat is in a degraded state. Songbirds that are closely associated with oak ecosystems have experienced concerning declines, which is one of the reasons why research and restoration in oak habitats are priorities in our region. A new study from Klamath Bird Observatory describes a restoration and monitoring project that sought to reduce factors that stress oak trees and improve functioning in oak-associated plant communities. The researchers studied the effectiveness of the oak restoration by monitoring birds both before and after oak restoration.
A new report published by the Western Hummingbird Partnership, “Rufous Hummingbird: State of the Science and Conservation,” illuminates in colorful images and graphics the biology and ecology of this tiny dynamo and highlights the many gaps in information that impede our ability to effectively protect it.
