PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Most of the migration of songbirds happens while we’re sleeping, as warblers, sparrows, and other birds pass overhead during their nocturnal flights. These migrating birds are not entirely silent during the night; many species repeatedly make short calls as they fly, referred to as nocturnal flight calls. In this presentation we will outline the basics of how bird migration can be monitored using audio recordings of nocturnal flight calls. Then we will describe the methods and some preliminary results of a study assessing migration timing and intensity at sites ranging from the Coast Range near Lake Berryessa to the town of Davis and nearby natural areas. We focus on a few species that are common migrants that regularly give nocturnal flight calls: Lazuli Bunting, Yellow Warbler, Wilson’s Warbler, and Swainson’s Thrush. In addition to describing our initial findings and many challenges, we will teach the audience a bit about when and where they might be able to hear these flight calls, and how to identify a few of the most common ones.
Rob Bio. Rob Furrow is an Assistant Professor of Teaching in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology at UC Davis. He has been birding since his youth, and revels in early mornings with migrating songbirds. Nocturnal flight calls have long been an interest of his, so he was thrilled when Cameron proposed a project systematically assessing local bird migration using these calls.
Cameron Bio. Cameron Tescher is a fourth year majoring in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology at UC Davis who is interested in migration of songbirds, especially those in the Central Valley. Through multiple years of birding across the state including in Yolo County for four years as a college student, he has always wanted to learn more about nocturnal migration. He planned this project with support from Rob Furrow and the Yolo Audubon Society to help understand the when’s, where’s, and how’s of the massive number of migrants that travel across the Central Valley.
This event is free, and you do not need to be a member of Yolo Audubon. If you would like to join click here. If you only want to receive the monthly newsletter, click here.
DETAILS ON JOINING THIS ZOOM MEETING
You must register (no cost) in advance for this meeting. An account with Zoom is NOT necessary to join a meeting. Zoom limits the number of participants to 100. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Registrants will receive email updates about this online event, as well as periodic email updates about Yolo Audubon’s conservation work and how you can help birds. (you can unsubscribe at any time.)
During the presentation, you will be able to ask questions via Zoom’s chat feature for the Q&A afterwards.
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