Tricolored Blackbird ©Ian Souza-Cole
Please join us for Yolo Audubon’s Members’ Meeting and Monthly Presentation.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The public is invited to join Yolo Bird Alliance and its members for the monthly general meeting on September 18, 2024. The meeting is free and is held at the Davis Senior Center at 646 A Street in Davis. The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. and runs until 8:50 p.m. This event is free, and you do not need to be a member of Yolo Bird Alliance
Ian Souza-Cole, a Project Manager in the Working Lands group of Audubon California will speak on the conservation efforts for tricolored blackbirds. Ian will discuss the successes of Regional Conservation Partnership Program (the Program) in terms of reduced loss of colonies nesting in silage fields.
Ian will walk us forward from the early 1990s when much of the population of the Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor) began nesting in field crops grown for dairy silage in the San Joaquin Valley. Many colonies were inadvertently destroyed during harvest.
After previous inconsistent efforts, in 2015 the Program brought the dairy industry, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Audubon California, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other partners together in an effort to stem the losses. The Program compensated farmers for losses due to delayed harvest. In addition to encouraging creation of alternative nesting habitat to attract nesting birds away from agricultural fields.
Ian will discuss the successes of Partnership Program in terms of reduced loss of colonies nesting in silage fields. Protection of colonies in silage fields since 2015 likely contributed to the substantial increase in the numbers of birds nesting in this habitat and perhaps to an increase in California’s Tricolored Blackbird population as a whole. However, continued effort is needed to achieve the species’ recovery
SPEAKER BIO
Ian Souza-Cole is a Project Manager with Working Lands, Audubon California.
You do not need to be a member of Yolo Bird Alliance. If you would like to join, visit https://yolobirdalliance.org/join-renew-donate. If you only want to receive the monthly newsletter, visit https://yolobirdalliance.org/yolo-birdalliance-newsletter/.
DETAILS ON JOINING THE MEETING
Attend the Meeting in Person (In-Person Only)
Registration is not necessary to attend the meeting at the Senior Center.
Davis Senior Center
646 A Street
Davis CA