The BioBlitz that took place this June at Oliver Reservoir in Nebraska was a weekend full of science, education, fun and adventure! Over 30 participants, mostly children, spent two days learning about dozens of different species of birds, insects and plants.
This photo journal highlights the most recent winter field season monitoring grassland birds in the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico. Teaching telemetry, radio tracking Grasshopper Sparrows and assessing predation/mortality rates are all a major part of this program.
Aplomado Falcons once ranged across the northern reaches of the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico, but their numbers have sharply declined in recent years. Bird Conservancy is working with with local partners and agricultural producers to improve habitat and provide specially-designed nesting platforms, with promising results.
Listening to a Continent Sing by birdsong expert Donald Kroodsma is a celebration of singing birds and the voices of people as well. In this interview, we caught up with the author who shared stories from his incredible 10-week, 10-state “birding by bicycle” journey with his son David.
The Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) program is one of the largest bird monitoring programs in North America, covering a work area of 450,545 square miles across all or parts of 13 western states in the U.S. 2016 will see a major expansion of IMBCR in partnership with Playa Lakes Joint Venture. Growth of the program complements monitoring efforts in the Northern Great Plains and promises encounters with even more bird species.
Not so long ago, seeing a bald eagle in Colorado might have felt like a once in a lifetime event. Today, thanks to dedicated conservation efforts and continual monitoring, the population of these majestic birds is recovering. In this post, Citizen Science Coordinator Matt Smith explains why the future looks bright for Bald Eagles.
Biologists studying overwinter survival rates of sparrows in the Chihuahuan Desert grasslands of northern Mexico are turning their attention to Loggerhead Shrikes. Taking advantage of shrub encroachment and the favorable habitat it provides for them, shrikes have become an apex predator of birds and many other animals on the landscape.
The McCown’s Longspur is suffering a stark decline—an astounding 95% drop since 1966. Researchers are investigating the breeding success of this ground-nesting grassland species on the Central Plains Experimental Range (CPER), located adjacent to the Pawnee National Grasslands in northeast Colorado.
With over 1,400 birds banded this season and 64 species recorded, the 2015 fall migratory season at Bird Conservancy of the Rockies’ Barr Lake Banding Station was “epic” for both birds and kids. Nearly 1,400 students and over 400 adults visited the station. Experiences varied from preschoolers taking their first-ever field trip on a bus to ornithology students from nearby universities beefing up their bird identification skills.
After graduating from college, volunteer Jennifer Meyers became a summer camp counselor for Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. Jennifer writes about her experiences at camp in the Colorado high country and how she gained just as much from summer camp as the kids she mentored and supported.
