Brown-capped Rosy-Finches nest at higher elevations than any other bird species in the United States, and their breeding distribution is almost entirely limited to Colorado. Despite residing in an almost pristine environment for most of the year, they have declined by as much as 95% over the past 50 years and, unfortunately, we don’t know why. Read on to learn more about our efforts to solve this mystery.
In the darkness of night, after the rest of the world has retired for the evening, our teams are in the wilderness looking for Mexican Spotted Owls. Today’s post from one of our field techs shares what it’s like to experience nature’s nocturnal side.
Long term data sets are critical for understanding trends and changes in our world. The inspiring story of Billy Barr and his knack for writing down everything is just one example of how everyone can make a contribution to science in their own way.
In 2013, two Osprey nicknamed Rainbow and Shadow from the Grand Lake area were fitted with tracking locators to help us understand their migratory habits. Three years later, the adventure continues!
Last year, Bird Conservancy led an exciting new effort to survey and inventory colonial waterbird populations in North Dakota. The inventory and associated population information produced from this project will provide baseline data for future monitoring efforts, as well as contribute to regional and national waterbird conservation efforts. Here’s the scoop!
The 5th annual Yampa Valley Crane Festival takes place in Steamboat Springs and Hayden, Colorado, from September 8-11, featuring guided crane viewing sessions, talks by crane experts, live owls, family activities, and more.
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.
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.
The Bird Conservancy (formerly Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory) collaborated with a graduate student at Oxford University to study the impacts of natural gas well pads and their associated roads on the distribution of sagebrush-obligate songbirds. The student, Max Mutter, writes about the experiences leading up to the study and shares a key result.
