PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Blue-winged Teal ©James K. Ringelman
Dr. Kevin Ringelman, Assistant Professor at UC Davis, will take us on a tour of North American waterfowl science, showing how cutting-edge research from his lab is integrating new technology to answer age-old questions on both breeding and wintering waterfowl. Expect to hear about unique predator-prey-parasite relationships in cavity-nesting waterfowl in Louisiana, how uncrewed aerial vehicles and thermal cameras reveal new insights waterfowl demographics on the Canadian prairies, and how the artificial intelligence revolution can be leveraged to automate nationwide monitoring efforts.
The public is invited to join Yolo Bird Alliance and its members for the free, monthly general meeting on February 18, 2026. The featured speaker is Dr. Kevin Ringelman, and his topic is “Quack to The Future: Ducks as A Driver of Innovation in Avian Ecology”. Dr. Ringelman will present in-person at the Davis Senior Center at 646 A Street in Davis. Additionally, this meeting will be on Zoom; instructions for joining via Zoom, follow. The meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. and ends at 8:50 (8:30 Zoom) p.m. People attending in-person are welcome to mingle following the conclusion of the Q&A portion, until 8:50.
SPEAKER BIO
Dr. Kevin Ringelman earned his undergraduate degree at Cornell University (2007), researching breeding swallows of the genus Tachycineta. He completed a Ph.D. in Ecology at UC Davis (2013) studying breeding waterfowl in the Suisun Marsh, followed by a postdoc at the University of Delaware focusing on American Black Duck movement ecology. After ten years as faculty at Louisiana State University, where he held the first H. Dale Hall Ducks Unlimited Professorship, he returned to Davis in 2024. His research applies field ecology and modeling to waterfowl and waterbird conservation.
This event is free, and you do not need to be a member of Yolo Bird Alliance. But if you would like to join, visit https://yoloaudubon.org/join-renew-donate/.
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/.
The meeting will be held in person at the Davis Senior Center, 646 A St, Davis, CA 95616.
Or, Register to Attend the Meeting online via Zoom.
Click here for the Zoom registration link, or you can copy & paste this link in your browser – https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Nd8kIk49RM-0PjO8rfjV4Q
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.