PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
American Kestrel ©Ryan Bourbour
American Kestrels are declining across much of their North American range, yet scientists are struggling to understand why. Join the Yolo Bird Alliance (YBA) for an informative presentation about local American Kestrel populations, by Dr. Breanna Martinico, PhD student Mary Badger. (In January 2024, the YBA’s program featured a different local initiative led by John McNerney and Kevin Hunting. Tonight’s program gives us insights on local collaborative efforts to advance American Kestrel conservation.) To increase our understanding of local American Kestrel populations, Dr. Martinico and Ms. Badger, along with multiple partners, launched the American Kestrel Nest Box Initiative. In 2023, they engaged landowners and agricultural producers to install American Kestrel nest boxes on their properties, and in 2024, began monitoring 132 new and existing nest boxes in Napa, Solano, and Yolo counties. They hope to gather data to understand nest site selection, habitat use, and their interactions on farms as pest control agents to guide further nest box installations in the region. In 2025 they are expanding their research to address questions regarding climate change, diet, dispersal, and toxicology. American Kestrels are an important natural resource and together we can contribute to their conservation.
SPEAKER BIO
Dr. Breanna Martinico is a wildlife biologist and ecologist, specializing in ornithology, and received her Master’s in Avian Sciences and PhD in Ecology from UC Davis. She works with University of California Agriculture and Natural resources as a Human-Wildlife Interactions Cooperative Extension Advisor. Her research focuses on the impacts of beneficial and pest birds in agricultural settings, and how agroecosystems provide critical wildlife habitat for many species. In her program she aims to provide practical management tools to maximize ecosystem services from birds while promoting practices that help conserve bird populations. She is compelled by the co-existence and mutual benefits of humans and wildlife in agroecosystems and is committed to working to find solutions that benefit both people and wildlife.
Mary Badger is a PhD student in the Graduate Group in Ecology at UC Davis. Her research explores how climate change and human land use affect the ecology of native raptors across different stages of their annual life cycle. Mary investigates how environmental factors, such as landscape composition and climate, influence raptor behavior and resource use. Through her work, she aims to highlight the vital ecosystem services provided by raptors, such as pest control, and contribute to conservation efforts for these important predators. Using tools like environmental DNA metabarcoding and GPS tracking, Mary uncovers hidden species interactions and movement patterns, providing novel insights into raptor ecology. Passionate about serving local communities, she emphasizes the importance of community engagement with growers, conservation groups, and student volunteers. Mary believes in the power of collective action to protect wildlife and promote sustainable land-use practices that benefit both ecosystems and people.
The Yolo Bird Alliance fosters an appreciation of birds and other wildlife through educational programs and field trips, brings conservation issues to public awareness, and acts to preserve Yolo County bird life and habitat. To learn more about the Yolo Bird Alliance, visit its web page at https://yolobirdalliance.org/. You can also visit the Yolo Bird Alliance on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/YoloBirdAlliance. If you would like to join and receive the monthly newsletter, visit https://yolobirdalliance.org/join-renew-donate/.
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 Bird Alliance’s conservation work and how you can help birds. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)
Please note: Participants may join the meeting from the Zoom desktop client downloaded on their computer or on their Apple or Android mobile phone or tablet to access the meeting. Participants may also join from a browser (Visit https://bit.ly/3hNyP8h to learn how to join a Zoom meeting).
You may email Yolo Bird Alliance Program Chair Ken Ealy before the meeting if you need assistance.