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Tag: bird conservation

2018 is the Year of the Bird!

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

The National Geographic Society, in partnership with National Audubon Society, Birdlife International, and The Cornell Lab of Ornithology have proclaimed 2018 as the Year of the Bird. The Year of the Bird marks 100 years of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act—the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. The Year of the Bird will celebrate the wonder of our feathered friends and provide an opportunity for people everywhere to recommit themselves to protecting birds. The Year of the Bird will be 12 months of storytelling, science, and conservation aimed at heightening public awareness of birds and the importance of protecting them.

KBO, many other organizations, and people all around the world are committing to help protect birds today and for the next hundred years. Everyone can join in and be a part of the #YearoftheBird! National Geographic will be highlighting simple actions you can take part in each month to make a difference for birds—visit their website (see link below) to read more about this special year. Another wonderful resource is the All About Birds website’s “6 Resolutions To Help You #BirdYourWorld In 2018” (see link below). KBO will post news and updates of these actions and how to stay involved throughout the year through our Call Note blog and at eBird Northwest.

As Thomas Lovejoy, biologist and “godfather of biodiversity” once stated: “If you take care of the birds, you take care of most of the environmental problems in the world.”

CLICK HERE to visit National Geographic Society’s website Year of the Bird page.
CLICK HERE to visit The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s website “6 Resolutions to Help You #BirdYourWorld in 2018” article.

 

Citizen Scientists Needed for Short-eared Owl Surveys

Written by KBO on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Community Science, Conservation, KBO Partners, KBO Science.

Klamath Bird Observatory is partnering with Intermountain Bird Observatory to launch the pilot year of the Western Asio Flammeus Landscape Study (WAfLS) in Oregon. This citizen science project, now spanning eight western states, is designed to gather information to better evaluate the population status of the Short-eared Owl. The Oregon Conservation Strategy has identified the Short-eared Owl as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need and the National Audubon Society Climate Initiative has identified the species as Climate Endangered. This pilot survey is a critical starting point to fill information gaps for this species in Oregon. Results will directly influence high-value conservation actions by state and federal agencies. We are looking to recruit dedicated volunteers to help complete this state-wide survey.

WAfLS volunteers will enjoy rural Oregon at twilight while completing two road-based surveys during late winter and early spring. The surveys consist of driving on secondary roads, stopping at 8 to 11 points to complete a five-minute survey. At each point volunteers will record detections of Short-eared Owl as well as some brief habitat information. The entire survey is completed within 90 minutes. Training material will be provided and no experience is necessary to volunteer. Participants will need to follow field and data entry protocols, have use of a vehicle, smartphone or GPS device, and be able to identify a Short-eared Owl.

CLICK HERE to visit the WAfLS project website for more details including the protocol, survey maps, past years’ reports and publications and how to sign-up.

Contact Ellie Armstrong at eea@klamathbird.org for any questions regarding the Oregon surveys.

Help fill these information gaps by signing up for a survey!

NEWS RELEASE: Birds Teach Scientists How to Improve Streamside Restoration

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

***News Release: December 12, 2017***

Contact: Sarah Rockwell, Research Biologist, Klamath Bird Observatory, 541-201-0866, smr@klamathbird.org

Birds Teach Scientists How to Improve Streamside Restoration

Ashland, OR—Restoring river health in the western United States is important for addressing drought and water quality issues in support of restoring endangered salmon populations, but it is often challenging to understand how best to restore wildlife habitat along stream banks. A new study by a team of researchers from Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO), in partnership with the Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP), sheds light on how best to understand the success of river restoration efforts: follow the birds.

Researchers studied a series of sites along the Trinity River in northern California for four years to figure out how best to restore vegetation along streambanks following river restoration. Creating new side channels and lowering the floodplain next to streams is good for fish spawning and rearing, but creating more salmon habitat sometimes requires a bulldozer. Removing lush, dense bank vegetation in the process may seem like bad news for birds, but the TRRP replants portions of the riverside with native trees and shrubs, and the birds come back. Still, it is important to monitor the newly created floodplains to ensure they are providing good habitat for wildlife – just in case this human assistance isn’t working the way we expect it to. The research team found that there are ways to plan river restoration and replant vegetation that encourage the birds to return, which can help improve restoration projects in the future.

To learn how birds respond to restoration, scientists studied four key bird species that are common in riverside habitats (Black-headed Grosbeak, Song Sparrow, Yellow-breasted Chat, and Yellow Warbler) at a set of sites that have undergone restoration by the TRRP and a set of sites that were left as remnant mature forest. Birds are good indicators of healthy, functioning ecosystems, in part because they have a diverse range of habitat needs and respond quickly to changes in their environment. The authors compared vegetation on the recently restored sites to the remnant mature forest, and monitored which vegetation features were preferentially used by birds. Birds in the study overall chose to use areas with features of mature forest that were less abundant on new floodplains in the early stages of revegetation (planted just 3-10 years ago). Birds used the newly restored sites too, particularly the remnant patches of undisturbed habitat on those sites. Looking at where birds choose to raise their young reveals why: birds generally placed their territories and/or nests in areas with more canopy cover, taller trees, greater tree species diversity, and multiple layers of vegetation at different heights – all habitat features that may take decades to develop on restored areas. Knowing that these habitat features are important helps land managers recreate the best quality habitat for terrestrial wildlife and informs restoration planning. For example, future projects may benefit birds by leaving patches of mature vegetation within or near restoration sites whenever possible.

One result was unexpected. “We were really interested in the fact that Yellow-breasted Chats and Yellow Warblers frequently placed their territories or nests in areas with more Himalayan blackberry,” says Dr. Sarah Rockwell, KBO Research Biologist and lead author of the study. “Himalayan blackberry is a non-native, invasive shrub that land managers spend a lot of time and money removing – an important restoration practice – but the removal may have unintended consequences for birds.” She suggests that replanting with similarly structured native shrubs may be important in order to provide good nesting habitat for these birds following restoration.

Click here to view the abstract of Habitat selection of riparian birds at restoration sites along the Trinity River, California. Published in Restoration Ecology (Early View online) DOI: 10.1111/rec.12624.

Click here to download a zipped press package: News Release – Birds Teach Scientists

Click here to download a PDF of this news release: News Release – Birds Teach Scientists How to Improve Streamside Restoration

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About Klamath Bird Observatory:
Klamath Bird Observatory advances bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships. We achieve bird conservation in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the migratory ranges of birds native to our region. We developed our award-winning conservation model in the ruggedly beautiful and wildlife-rich Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion of southern Oregon and northern California. Emphasizing high-caliber science and the role of birds as indicators of the health of the land, we specialize in cost-effective bird monitoring and research projects that improve natural resource management. Also, recognizing that conservation occurs across many fronts, we nurture a conservation ethic in our communities through our outreach and educational programs. Visit Klamath Bird Observatory at www.klamathbird.org.

About Trinity River Restoration Program:
Created by a Record of Decision from Congress in 2000, the TRRP is an inter-agency partnership (including National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation, California Natural Resources Agency, Hoopa Valley Tribe, Yurok Tribe, and Trinity County) with funding from Bureau of Reclamation appropriations, Central Valley Project Improvement Act funds, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service funds. Its creation was motivated by drastic declines in salmonid fish populations observed in the Trinity River since the installation of two dams in the early 1960s, which slowed and stabilized the river flow, causing changes in the shape of the river channel and hydrology that were detrimental to salmonids. The TRRP is tasked with returning salmon fisheries to pre-dam levels by restoring the river’s physical processes – through techniques such as watershed restoration, managed flows, channel rehabilitation including construction of floodplain habitat scaled to restoration flow levels, gravel augmentation, and addition of large woody debris. These efforts are managed by the Trinity Management Council Partners, and advised by the Trinity Adaptive Management Working Group and a Science Advisory Board. Visit TRRP at www.trrp.net.

BIRDING THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST with Harry Fuller and Shannon Rio March 2—6, 2018

Written by KBO on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, Trips & Events.

This birding adventure will focus on wintering birds of the Pacific Northwest that spend the summer in nesting territories further north. 

We will bird in and around Puget Sound, including Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, then travel along the Hood Canal and north to the upper tip of the Olympic Peninsula. A ferry will take us from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island. Plan to see Trumpeter Swan, Harlequin and Long-tailed ducks, Rhinoceros Auklet, Pacific Loon, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Brant, Black and White-Winged scoters, Northern Shrike, Short-eared Owl, Rough-legged Hawk, and many others. Some of the Pacific Northwest’s most beautiful landscapes will be the backdrop for fantastic birding. We may also get to see an orca pod on the ferry!

Costs: Early-bird fee is $569 per person if paid by January 1, 2018. The fee includes four nights’ hotel accommodation and travel to and from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac – airport code SEA). Also included is the expertise of master bird guide Harry Fuller. The group will travel by van and ferry during the adventure. $300 of the fee is a tax deductible donation to the Klamath Bird Observatory. After January 1, 2018 cost of the trip is $619 so sign up early as it will make plane flights cheaper and easier to obtain. Reasonably-priced early-morning flights from Medford (MFR), Eugene (EUG), or San Francisco (SFO) to SeaTac are available on a few major airlines (Alaska, Delta, and American—and Southwest Airlines out of Oakland (OAK)).

Participants pay for their meals and travel to and from SeaTac airport where the trip begins and ends. Due to logistics and to maximize everyone’s adventure experience the group will be limited to 10 participants. Arrangements have been made for double-occupancy rooms in the towns of Lacey, Sequim (2 nights), and Burlington, WA where we will be stopping overnights.

To sign up for or more information about this sure-to-be-memorable birding adventure, contact Shannon Rio at shannonrio@aol.com or by phone (541) 840-4655. You will have the double pleasure of taking a special birding trip along with contributing to conservation as you support KBO.

 

***Please note—after January 1, 2018 cost of this trip will be non-refundable. Shannon Rio will help with coordinating arrival times as we gather in Seattle and any other details.

You Can Make a Difference! – KBO Annual Appeal

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

Click here to donate to Klamath Bird Observatory’s Annual Appeal

Each time I step outside into nature, especially wild places, I am grateful. Golden-crowned and White-crowned sparrows herald the season with their fall arrival. As I wander through higher-elevation pine forests or the oak woodland around the valley, I am filled with awe and deep appreciation for the miracle of trees. Western Screech-Owls sing a nighttime sound. The day brings bird calls and young birds singing some fragment of the song that they will belt out when next spring arrives. Being outside is a gift, one that I want to preserve, cherish, protect, and pass on in its fullness to the next generation. I look to ways to give back to nature.

My association with the Klamath Bird Observatory has spanned many years. During that time, my awareness and appreciation for the part that science plays in protecting birds and wild places has deepened. By visiting the banding station where information related to migratory birds is gathered, I have understood the hard work of data collection. I have learned that it directly results in protection of birds and migratory pathways. When I meet the scientists and interns who come to Klamath Bird Observatory to do this meaningful work, the essence of conservation becomes REAL to me.

Members of the board of KBO give our time, energy, and money because we want to give back for all that we get from this organization. Though each board member has made significant contributions to KBO this year, each one of us plans during our annual appeal to do it again. Join us in giving, in cherishing the land and enjoying the birds. The next time you walk in the woods, feel good that you are a member of our conservation family and that YOU make a difference.

Shannon Rio
President, Board of Directors

Click here to donate to Klamath Bird Observatory’s Annual Appeal

Upcoming Climate Change Presentations

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

Dr. John Alexander, Executive Director of the Klamath Bird Observatory, will speak about climate change at two upcoming events. He will be the featured speaker at next Rogue Valley Audubon Society (RVAS) monthly meeting November 28, 2017 and will join other local scientists at Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center’s (KS Wild) “Your Climate Refuge: hotter, drier, and no less wild” event November 29, 2017.

John will share what critical impacts climate change is having on regional and national bird populations, and summarize research that KBO is undertaking in his talk “Climate Change: A Bird’s Eye View”. Recent research suggests that the challenges bird communities already face are exacerbated by climate change. As climate change brings shifts of habitats, birds can be among the first to tell the story of climate trends. Just like the canary in a coal mine they may alert us to what is happening and what the future holds, if we are paying attention. The U.S. Department of Interior’s 2010 State of the Birds Report on Climate Change, to which Klamath Bird Observatory contributed, addressed this critical issue.

Both meetings are open to the public—join us to learn about international, national, and regional efforts to adapt bird conservation and natural resource management strategies to effectively meet the most urgent needs in the face of climate change.

The RVAS’s monthly meetings are held at the Medford Congregational Church Lidgate Hall at 1801 E. Jackson Street in Medford beginning at 7 pm. Their next meeting is November 28, 2017. Click here to learn more about RVAS and their upcoming events.

 

KS Wild’s “Your Climate Refuge: hotter, drier, and no less wild” event takes place at Southern Oregon University’s Stevenson Union, Room 330 on November 29, 2017 6 pm – 8 pm. Click here to learn more about this and other upcoming KS Wild events.

Citizen Science Opportunity for Fall Migration

Written by KBO on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, Conservation, KBO Science.

Looking for a new place to bird during fall migration? Klamath Bird Observatory and The Selberg Institute are continuing a yearlong citizen science project on the beautiful Sampson Creek Preserve just east of Ashland and, are looking for volunteers to help monitor during fall migration. This project offers something for all birders and outdoor enthusiasts.

Continue reading

KBO Scientist’s Kirtland’s Warbler Research Discussed in Living Bird

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

Klamath Bird Observatory research scientist Dr. Sarah Rockwell was mentioned in the most recent issue of Living Bird, published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (click here to see the article). Sarah completed her Ph.D. research with Dr. Peter Marra (now Director of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center) on the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler in her home state of Michigan. She found that after drier winters in The Bahamas (which are predicted by several climate change models), Kirtland’s Warblers arrived on Michigan breeding grounds later in the spring, raised fewer offspring, and had lower survival rates that year. This emphasizes the importance of winter habitats for migratory birds; conditions there can carry over to affect birds during different parts of the annual cycle.

“Without natural wildfires, the Kirtland’s Warbler may always be a conservation-reliant species, but it is important to demonstrate the success the Kirtland’s recovery team has had in alleviating limitations on the breeding grounds, and increasing the population from around 200 pairs in the 1970s to over 2,000 pairs today,” says Sarah. “My research helped demonstrate threats that could result from drought on wintering grounds in The Bahamas, which still need to be addressed. Nathan Cooper’s research (discussed in the article) adds important data to the question of identifying where else Kirtland’s Warblers might be spending the winter, as well as important stopover sites along migratory routes, which would be good candidates for habitat protection. My work also demonstrated that Kirtland’s Warblers have higher mortality during migration than any part of the year, making this a critical part of its life cycle.”

Dr. Rockwell, who says she’ll always have a soft spot for this charismatic species, will present her research as an invited speaker in the Kirtland’s Warbler symposium that will take place as part of this year’s American Ornithological Society meeting. She will also present KBO research using birds as indicators to evaluate riparian restoration at beaver dam analogue sites in the Scott Valley, California (click here for more information about this project).

Dr. Sarah Rockwell’s Kirtland Warbler publications:
Rockwell, S. M., C. I. Bocetti, and P. P. Marra (2012). Carry-over effects of winter climate on spring arrival date and reproductive success in an endangered migratory bird, Kirtland’s Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii). The Auk 129:744-752. http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1525/auk.2012.12003

Rockwell, S. M., J. M. Wunderle, Jr., T. S. Sillett, C. I. Bocetti, D. N. Ewert, D. Currie, J. D. White, and P. P. Marra (2017). Seasonal survival estimation for a long-distance migratory bird and the influence of winter precipitation. Oecologia 183:715-726. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00442-016-3788-x

Informing Science-based Evaluation and Expansion of Protected Areas

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

***NEWS RELEASE: May 8, 2017 6:15 AM PDT***

John Alexander, Executive Director, Klamath Bird Observatory, 541-890-7067, jda@klamathbird.org

Ashland, OR – New study demonstrates an improved approach to ensure protected areas enhance and conserve biodiversity. The results of the study were used to inform expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.

A team of researchers from the Klamath Bird Observatory, Point Blue Conservation Science, and other partner organizations used big data and fine-scaled modeling to 1) evaluate an existing network of protected areas in the Klamath Siskiyou Bioregion of southern Oregon and northern California, and 2) to identify and prioritize new areas for protection. The study used birds as indicators of important habitats and biodiversity.

The researchers found that the region’s protected areas, including seven National Parks and Monuments, were protecting coniferous forest habitat. However, adequate amounts of grassland and oak woodland habitats were not being protected. Birds that are associated with these under-protected habitats have been identified as at-risk at both national and regional scales and the conservation of grasslands and oak woodlands has become a priority.

Results from the study identified some protected areas where grassland and oak woodland birds did occur, as well as additional areas that, if protected, would increase the amount of priority birds protected by the region’s Parks and Monuments. Specifically, these priority habitats occur within the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and on adjacent multiple-use lands. This scientific insight informed science-driven recommendations to expand the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. With support from Oregon’s US Senators Wyden and Merkley, President Obama signed an executive order on January 12, 2017 increasing the size of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument by more than 45,000 acres resulting in more protection for grassland and oak woodland birds.

“This study offers robust scientific evidence that expanding the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument provides critical protection to an amazing ecosystem found nowhere else in the world, and will serve Oregonians well for decades to come,” said Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley. “National monuments are American treasures that belong to the people.”

This study and its application offer an improved science-based approach to evaluating protected areas and identifying and prioritizing new areas for protection. The results were published today by the Ecological Society of America in a special feature of the journal Ecosphere, Science For Our National Parks’ Second Century. The special feature highlights the crucial value of long-term monitoring and scientific inquiry and the role of science in informing natural resource management and conservation on public lands. This research was completed with support from the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and US Forest Service and contributes to the Partners in Flight bird conservation initiative. A gigantic amount of data used for this research was made available through the Avian Knowledge Network. The paper can be accessed online at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.1799/full.

Citation: Alexander, J. D., J. L. Stephens, S. Veloz, L. Salas, J. Rousseau, C. J. Ralph, and D. A. Sarr. 2017. Using regional bird density distribution models to evaluate protected area networks and inform conservation planning. Ecosphere 00(00):e01799. 10.1002/ecs2.1799

Click here to download a zipped press package: News Release – Science informs protected area evaluation and expansion (RELEASE DATE 5-8-2017)

Click here to download a PDF of this News Release: News Release – Science informs protected area evaluation and expansion (RELEASE DATE 5-8-2017)

 

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About Klamath Bird Observatory:

Klamath Bird Observatory advances bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships. We work in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the migratory ranges of the birds of our region. We developed our award-winning conservation model in the ruggedly beautiful and wildlife-rich Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion of southern Oregon and northern California. Emphasizing high caliber science and the role of birds as indicators of the health of the land, we specialize in cost-effective bird monitoring and research projects that improve natural resource management. Also, recognizing that conservation occurs across many fronts, we nurture a conservation ethic in our communities through our outreach and educational programs. Visit Klamath Bird Observatory at www.klamathbird.org.

About Point Blue Conservation Science:

At Point Blue Conservation Science (Point Blue), our 140 staff and seasonal scientists conserve nature through science, partnerships and outreach, on land and at sea. Using our long-term data, we identify and evaluate both natural and human-driven change over time. We work hand-in-hand with governmental and non-governmental agencies as well as private interests to help ensure that every dollar invested in conservation yields the most for biodiversity and our communities. Visit Point Blue at www.PointBlue.org.

About Avian Knowledge Network:

Avian Knowledge Network is a network of people, data, and technology working together to improve bird conservation, management, and research across organizational boundaries and spatial scales. Visit the Pacific Northwest node of the Avian Knowledge Network at www.AvianKnowledgeNorthwest.net.

About Partners in Flight:

Partners in Flight is a network of organizations advancing the conservation of birds via sound science, integrated conservation partnerships, habitat delivery, and targeted citizen outreach. Visit Partners in Flight at www.PartnersinFlight.org.

See Bird Conservation In Action!

Written by KBO on . Posted in Klamath Call Note.

American Robin with just-applied leg band. Photo credit: KBO

Klamath Bird Observatory is hosting a bird banding demonstration at our Sevenmile Guard Station long-term monitoring site (on Fremont-Winema National Forest) Monday August 1st. KBO biologists will be conducting bird banding and sharing captured birds and the valuable information they provide before their release.

The Sevenmile Guard Station site is one of the longest continuously operated bird monitoring stations in the region, established in 1996. Recently-fledged thrushes, sparrows, and warblers can be expected as well as early-migrating individuals of almost anything!

See our Bird Banding Demonstration Invitation for more info and directions. Snacks, drinks, and updates on how KBO and our partners are helping shape bird conservation and informing land management. Please RSVP to Bob Frey by July 26th.

Hope to see you there!