At the end of April, the Ware River Nature Club is convening a one-day conference focusing on avian aerial insectivores. Details are below. Please share the information with anyone who might be interested. Both Becky Suomala and I from NH Audubon are presenting. It may be a bit far for many in the Upper Valley, for for anyone interested this is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the issues facing this declining group of birds.
Pam Hunt
Avian Conservation Biologist
NH Audubon
Our Aerial Insectivorous Birds: Current Conservation Issues
Saturday April 28, 2018 8:00 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.
Harvard Forest, Petersham
$35 Members*/ $45 Non-members
Lunch is included
The guild of northeastern avian insectivores—birds that specialize in feeding on flying insects—includes Whip-poor-wills, Common Nighthawks, Chimney Swifts, several species of swallows and flycatchers, and Purple Martins. Most of these species are experiencing dramatic population declines and range contraction. The magnitude of the declines over the past
25 years has been alarming. For that reason the plight of aerial insectivores
is gaining increased attention among biologists in New England.
This conference will address the ecology and current status of many of these species, particularly in New England; present theories regarding population decline; summarize recent research strategies and findings; and explore citizen science opportunities.
*Ware River Nature Club members
(Annual membership dues are $15)
Registration is open! See:
http://www.warerivernatureclub.org/avian-aerial-insectivore-conference.html
or contact: [log in to unmask]
TOPICS & SPEAKERS
Drivers of Aerial Insectivore Declines
Kim Spiller, UMass ECO Graduate School
Threats and Coping Strategies of Neotropical Migrants on the Wintering Grounds: Examples from Southern Mexico
Jessie Knowlton, Wheaton College
The Whip-poor-will: Biology and Conservation of a Crepuscular Enigma
Pam Hunt, New Hampshire Audubon
Artificial Nest Patch Experiments, Monitoring Strategies, and Population Trends of Common Nighthawks in New Hampshire
Rebecca Suomala, New Hampshire Audubon
Mary’s Mashpee Martins
Mary Keleher, Cape Cod Bird Club
KEYNOTE: The Disappearance of an Almost-Invisible Bird: The Mysterious Biology and Decline of the Chimney Swift
Margaret Rubega, University of Connecticut & Connecticut State Ornithologist
Migratory Connectivity of the Eastern Whip-poor-will
Marja Bakermans, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Andrew Vitz, State Ornithologist, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife
Conservation of Cliff and Barn Swallows, Two Species in Decline in the Northeast
Mara Silver, Northeast Swallow Conservation
Life Thru a Lens: Observing Nesting Birds and Bird Activity Through Live Streaming Cams and Camera Traps
Hollie Sutherland, UMass ECO Graduate School