The Central Plains Experimental Range, adjacent to the Pawnee National Grasslands, is a beautiful locale in northeast Colorado where an intact prairie landscape still exists. This summer, Amber Carver had the fortune of spending many days on the range, collecting data for her master’s degree in integrative biology from the University of Colorado-Denver.
Black Swifts are at risk to the effects of climate change. As our atmosphere heats up and viable Black Swift breeding habitat dwindles, proactive conservation of this species is critical. A team of researchers is working to conserve the North American population of Black Swifts, conducting research across the West to better understand the “coolest bird.”
Alas, despite much progress, a disparity still exists between the sexes in the sciences. There are fewer women than men working in science-related fields. What can we do to encourage more young girls to enter the sciences? Biologist Erin Strasser spoke with female colleagues working in the sciences to glean their insights and advice and inspire other women to become awesome lady scientists.
With summer waning, RMBO has completed its sixth season of conducting surveys under the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) program. How many birds were counted? What new and rare species were detected? Biologist Nick Van Lanen answers these questions and offers a wrap-up of another successful summer survey season.
It’s started, and the fall exodus of hundreds of millions of birds is becoming apparent at our feeding stations. David Menough of Wild Birds Unlimited offers tips on attracting migrants to your backyard and a fall departure-arrival schedule for the Front Range. It’s amazing to see these birds checking their datebooks for their departure days.
On July 25, 35 volunteers gathered along the Navajo River in southern Colorado to plant more than 200 native trees on two private properties. RMBO biologist Martin Moses writes about the project and the use a handy new tool: the water jet stinger.
Variety keeps life exciting. This is not only true in our personal experiences, but in the way we present our backyard habitats to those creatures we are attempting to entice to these feeding areas. David Menough, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited of Arvada , offers tips on a variety of attractors you can use to entice more diverse populations of birds.
Since many bird species that breed in the Rockies and elsewhere in the western U.S. winter in Central America, it’s important for RMBO and partners to support and advance conservation abroad. In March, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory coordinated a landmark meeting in San Vito, Costa Rica, to determine the conservation status of the birds of Central America.
Spring is right around the corner. If you’d like to share the beauty of this miraculous time of year with your family, now is the time to get your birdhouses ready. Birds begin looking for suitable nesting sites now. David Menough, owner of Wild Birds Unlimited of Arvada, offers do’s and don’ts for selecting the right birdhouse.
The Chihuahuan Desert grasslands of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States are the principal wintering grounds for 90% of grassland bird species breeding in the western Great Plains of North America. Species such as Baird’s Sparrows, Chestnut-collared Longspurs and Sprague’s Pipits, which rely on this region during the winter, have declined by upwards of 80% since the 1960s. Results from Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory and cooperators’ research, published in February in the journal Biological Conservation, shed light as to why these birds are declining and emphasize that unless immediate action is taken, forecasts are dire.
