May Lunch & Learn: Shining a Light on Nighthawk Conservation
2024-05-15 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Join us for our May Lunch & Learn presentation. We’ll be joined by Canadian ecologist, Elly Knight who will be shining a light on nighthawk conservation!
The ground-nesting Common Nighthawk is one of North America’s most widely distributed bird species and yet it remains one of the least understood, thanks in part to its nocturnal habits. Unfortunately, the Common Nighthawk is also declining across much of its range, with many causes potentially available for the decline of this long-distance migrant. We’ll discuss how emerging research from across the annual cycle and community science are providing first steps towards the conservation of this enigmatic species.
Elly is an applied ecologist interested in how environmental variation across temporal and spatial scales affects the ecology and population trends of wide-ranging species. She is currently a Quantitative Ecologist with the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute and Boreal Avian Modelling Project at the University of Alberta. Elly has been studying Common Nighthawks across the continent for over a decade, including for her PhD and as former Program Manager of the Canadian Nightjar Survey.
This virtual program is FREE and open to all. Registration is required, please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIucu-rqzMvHtPM_n7wK1VVtPczdntJYNiN
For those not able to join via Zoom, we will livestream the program on our HMANA Facebook page as well.

June Lunch & Learn: The Red-tailed Hawk Project: developing a model for studies in raptor ecology and evolution
2024-06-05 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
The Red-tailed Hawk Project: developing a model for studies in raptor ecology and evolution

Join us for our June presentation series as we welcome Cornell University PhD candidate, Bryce Robinson.

In this presentation, Bryce will outline the work of the Red-tailed Hawk Project, including what we do and don’t know about the species, the goals of the working group, and their approach to data collection. Bryce will also share preliminary results from the project’s work, including their extensive tracking efforts to better understand movement in migratory populations.
Bryce W. Robinson is a PhD candidate at Cornell University and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, where his research focuses on the evolution of diversity in the Red-tailed Hawk. As part of this work, Bryce co-created and leads the Red-tailed Hawk Project, a working group aimed to fill knowledge gaps in our understanding of the life history and evolution of the species. Additionally, Bryce is an ornithological illustrator whose work has been featured in scientific papers, on journal covers, and in logos for organizations and events. To see Bryce’s work, visit www.ornithologi.com and to learn more about the Red-tailed Hawk Project, visit www.redtailedhawkproject.org.

This program is FREE and open to all. Registration is required, please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtc-6qpjoqE9N8hmSyiYStIEGIsnckY8ol
For those not able to join via Zoom, we will livestream the program on our HMANA Facebook page as well.

Lunch & Learn: Are Raptors Facing a Climate Emergency?
2024-07-24 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Detroit)
For July, we welcome Will Weber, chair of HMANA’s Climate Committee to speak about raptors and climate change. Are Raptors Facing a Climate Emergency? Surviving Rapid Changes
Climate change presents raptors with direct and indirect challenges. We will look at the precedents for raptor survival during climate change on a geological time scale compared to aspects of contemporary climate change. The Raptor Population Index suggests trends in raptor migration and distribution that may be attributable to a warming earth.

Will Weber was a Peace Corps Volunteer science teacher in Nepal from 1971-75. He received a Ph.D. degree in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan. He was the founder and first president of the Holiday Beach Migration Observatory in Ontario and has been a board member or committee chair of the Hawk Migration Association of North America for more than four decades He was instrumental in the development of HMANA’s HawkCount database and the creation of the Raptor Population Index which utilizes HawkCount data to determine raptor population trends at sites across North America.

Will founded and directed Journeys International, Inc., and has led more than 60 international nature and culture expeditions to Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Pacific. He is now retired in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he is an enthusiastic birder and involved in local land conservancy efforts.

This program is FREE and open to all. Registration is required, please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/…/tZYoce2spzsqGdN72u3m…

For those not able to join via Zoom, we will livestream the program on our HMANA Facebook page as well.

A tiny muse in the woods: the Northern Saw-whet Owl: How this common but elusive owl inspired a tidal wave of grassroot research
2024-08-21 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
Join us for our August virtual Lunch & Learn series where we welcome Marion Clément to talk owls!
Wednesday, August 21 2024 12pm ET
A small owl with bright yellow eyes and long lashes, it’s no wonder the Northern Saw-whet Owl recently won Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s cutest owl award. Despite its undeniable charm, almost nothing is known about this common species. Since 1994, banding stations across North America have been collaborating under Project Owlnet to shed light on this nocturnal predator. Due to the owl’s small size and nomadic behavior, banding recoveries are still our best tool to understand this owl’s population trends, habitat needs, migration and breeding. There is still so much to discover.
Marion Clément (she/her pronouns) has been working on raptor conservation and owl research since 2015. She began her work under the mentorship of David Brinker, one of Project Owlnet’s creators. After helping Brinker with a Barn Owl nest monitoring study, she discovered her passion for wildlife. She worked as a wildlife biologist for 5 years in Maryland, and then pursued a Master’s Degree at Clemson University to study habitat selection of Barred Owls along an urban gradient. She first moved to Colorado in 2020 to work for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on Threatened and Endangered Species, then joined Bird Conservancy of the Rockies in 2022 as the Mexican Spotted Owl Coordinator. On her own time, Marion started a Northern Saw-Whet Owl banding station with the support of Bird Conservancy of the Rockies near her home in Fort Collins, Colorado.
This program is FREE and open to all. Registration is required, please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sduirpzMsHdKkw6256Mw3-lTAqfpFf6pt

For those not able to join via Zoom, we will livestream the program on our HMANA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, hmana.org, following the event.

Unveiling the breeding home ranges of the enigmatic Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)
2024-09-18 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
HMANA is cosponsoring our September Lunch & Learn Series with the Harris Center for Conservation Education in NH to bring you a presentation by Diego Gallego García.
Presentation description: When studying avian ecology, the first questions that come to our minds are: where does the bird breed? How much space does it need? Does it change annually? Understanding home range size, and identifying the habitat characteristics influencing it, is key to addressing potential conservation issues.
Unfortunately, in the case of the secretive Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus), its elusive habits have hindered the study of its breeding home ranges for decades… until now. Thanks to a long-term study and effort by Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and collaborators in northeastern North America, we now
have movement data of GPS-tagged individuals during their reproductive cycle. This program will bring to light the novel discoveries regarding breeding home ranges of this forest raptor, the first of their kind. We will also examine potential variables affecting the size of these territories, and we will discuss the potential role of its marked nest site fidelity, a factor that could be crucial for its conservation.
Speaker Bio: Diego Gallego García is a Ph.D. Candidate at CONICET (Argentinian National Scientific and Technical Research Council), and member of CECARA (Center for the Study and Conservation of Birds of Prey in Argentina). He a Spanish biologist (BSc Biology, MSc Zoology) who has devoted his research career to wildlife biology, lately focusing on the ecology and conservation of raptors in the Americas. His Ph.D. Thesis deals with the movement ecology and dispersal behavior of the endangered Chaco Eagle (Buteogallus coronatus) during its first years of life. As part of a recent traineeship at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Diego participated in the Broad- winged Hawk Project, and published novel data on the breeding home ranges of this elusive forest bird.
We hope you’ll join us! Wednesday, September 18, 12pm ET
This program is FREE and open to all. Registration is required, please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwvduqgpjkrGtYjIMosORLkdmon-C0WTpYS

For those not able to join via Zoom, we will livestream the program on our HMANA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, hmana.org, following the event.

Ferruginous Hawk Migration Ecology: Off the Beaten Path
2024-10-16 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
Join us as for our October Lunch & Learn Series where we’ll feature an enlightening discussion of migration for one of the lesser-known North American raptors across three countries – The Ferruginous Hawk!
Jim Watson, Wildlife Research Scientist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, will present information from his long-term studies of adult and juvenile hawks from breeding populations in the western states and Canada including concerns related to its status.
Bio: Jim Watson is a Wildlife Research Scientist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the lead researcher for statewide raptor studies. He has spent the past 50+ years studying raptors in the western United States and abroad. Jim’s research focus includes raptor population dynamics, migration ecology, and management of raptors in human landscapes. His recent work evaluates impacts of wind energy and lead contaminants on golden eagles and ferruginous hawks.
This program is FREE and open to all. Registration is required, please click here to register.

For those not able to join via Zoom, we will livestream the program on our HMANA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, hmana.org, following the event.

Hawk Migration Association's Winter Raptor Survey Program
2024-12-11 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
December Lunch & Learn
Wednesday, December 11, 2024 12pm eastern
We are looking forward to getting WINTERY in December! Vic Berardi, HMANA board member and chair of the Winter Raptor Survey committee will be joining us to talk about the Winter Raptor Survey program. He will discuss how to participate in this community science program, some of the raptors that you might see, and an update on the data that’s been collected over the years.
Vic Berardi is the founder of the all-volunteer Illinois Beach State Park Hawk Watch, which has conducted twenty-five seasons of full-time hawk migration monitoring since 2000. In 2013 he co-founded a new site at the Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve, also on the shore of Lake Michigan, in Highland Park, IL. Both of these sites contribute data to the study of raptors migrating along the western coast of Lake Michigan and through urban areas. Vic served as the Central Flyway Editor for Hawk Migration Studies for several years. In 2014 he was the recipient of HMANA’s Appreciation Award for his outstanding service furthering hawk migration studies and conservation. In 2009 he was awarded the Service to Chicago Area Birders by the Chicago Audubon Society. In 2007 he was awarded the Grassroots Conservation Leadership Award for raptor education and research. Vic is also an accomplished photographer and regularly donates his photos to raptor conservation efforts. Many of his photographs have been on the covers of Hawk Migration Studies. He has also contributed to books by well-known raptor experts, including Brian Wheeler, Jerry Liguori, and Brian Sullivan.
This program is FREE and open to all. Registration is required, please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvf-CvqD4jGNZqYKx7kZzW3V8dltb74Lqf
For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMANA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, hmana.org, following the event.

Lunch & Learn: Seattle's Adaptable Urban Cooper's Hawks
2025-01-22 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
Join us as we kick off our first 2025 Lunch& Learn presentation on Wednesday, January 22 at 12pm eastern! We are excited to welcome Cooper’s Hawk researcher, Ed Deal.
Thirty years ago Cooper’s Hawks began colonizing urban and suburban landscapes throughout the US, developing a tolerance for living in proximity to humans. Ed Deal, from Seattle’s Urban Raptor Conservancy, will provide insights into these common but elusive raptors. The Seattle Cooper’s Hawk Project is one of several studies in large US cities (e.g., Milwaukee, Albuquerque) and the only all-volunteer, community science project. Since 2012 the group has monitored the local Cooper’s Hawk population nesting density and annual nest productivity. A color-ID banding program helps us track fledgling dispersal, longevity, and adult breeding site and winter site fidelity. Study results show annual increases in nesting pairs, high nest success rates, high fledgling productivity, little evidence of migration, strong site fidelity and mostly short natal dispersal distances. In 2012 we documented 26 nesting attempts, with 22 successful nests producing 70 fledglings. In 2024 volunteers monitored 65 nesting attempts within the Seattle city limits. Fifty-one nests succeeded, producing 200 fledglings. Nest productivity is consistently high, averaging 3.6 fledglings per successful nest. To date we have color banded over 600 Coops and accumulated over 900 repeat sightings. 46% of our banded birds are re-sighted. Our population has nearly tripled in just 13 years. It will be interesting to see when they reach carrying capacity.
Bio: You would think someone born in Cooper Hospital and raised in Audubon, NJ would be a child prodigy birder. But Ed’s mid-life conversion involved taking Bud Anderson’s Hawk ID class in 1991. He went on to volunteer on Fall Migration hawk banding projects in the Goshutes Mtn, NV, Florida Keys and Cape May, NJ, in addition to Diamond Head, Chelan Ridge and Entiat Ridge in WA. He volunteered on Falcon Research Group’s entire 17-year study of nesting Peregrine Falcons in the San Juan Islands and completed his 30th year monitoring & banding nesting Peregrines in the Seattle area. For the last 13 years he has worked with a group of volunteers studying the expanding urban population of Cooper’s Hawks in Seattle. He holds a Federal Master Raptor Banding Permit. He is a graduate of the Seattle Audubon Master Birder Program and a recovering lister.
This program is FREE and open to all. Registration is required, please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZckdO2spzkrEtX5Fo6T7oszFznDxAu2R_IU

For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMANA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, hmana.org, following the event.

Lunch & Learn Series: Northwest Winds – Winds of Change, Winds of Hope
2025-02-05 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Join us for our February Lunch & Learn presentation with Clay Sutton. Clay was the Plenary speaker for our 50th anniversary conference in November in Duluth, MN and we’d like to share his fabulous presentation with the wider hawkwatching community!
Clay Sutton will reflect upon his own 50 years of watching hawks, primarily at Cape May, New Jersey, but also at many of the key raptor watches throughout North America and beyond. He relates “What a long, strange trip it has been,” and how in his wildest dreams he never expected to see, in his lifetime, the changes that he has witnessed. Many changes have been good and for the better, and some not so much. We have benefitted greatly from emerging resources, and have been the benefactors of amazing advances in optics, information, and technology. We have all seen changes in the composition of raptor flights, and changes in the very expectations of what we may see. We have experienced significant shifts in the migration phenology and winter ranges of hawks. But what hasn’t changed is the energy, dedication, and enthusiasm of those who annually staff their posts, climbing to mountain outcrops, urban overlooks, sandy beaches, and lighthouses at land’s end to monitor and celebrate the annual passage of birds of prey. Clay will conclude that the 21 st Century may have brought great changes, but that shifting winds will never diminish the need, or our passion, for what we do.
Clay Sutton is a life-long resident of Cape May County, New Jersey, where he has worked as an environmental planner, environmental program administrator, vice-president of an environmental consulting firm specializing in threatened and endangered species. Now “mostly retired,” he spent the last past two decades as a self-employed environmental consultant, field biologist, and naturalist. Clay is a free-lance writer, lecturer, tour leader, and was a long-time instructor for the Institute for Field Ornithology. He first began watching hawks in 1974, and the science and wonder of bird migration has remained his captivating interest.
Clay is a co-author, with Pete Dunne and David Sibley, of the classic Hawks in Flight (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1988; Second Edition, 2012), a complete and holistic guide to raptor identification. Clay has long been proudly associated with HMA, and has been a member since 1979.
Clay and his wife Pat Sutton co-authored How to Spot Butterflies (1999), How to Spot Hawks & Eagles (1996), and How to Spot an Owl (1994), all published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Their acclaimed book, Birds and Birding at Cape May (Stackpole Books, 2006, 568 pages), is the in-depth result of their efforts over many years documenting and protecting the migration and the area that they so love. This landmark book is a complete guide to birds and birding for the Cape May region, covering what to see, when, where, and how to go, as well as chronicling the unique and storied ornithological history of the Jersey Cape.
This program is FREE and open to all. Registration is required, please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtd-mgqj4pGdCj7gqvhFwoPz-AFA-Cfwa8

For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMANA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, hmana.org, following the event.

Lunch & Learn: USGS Bird Banding Laboratory: a century supporting and advancing management and conservation science
2025-03-26 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
Join us for our March Lunch & Learn as we welcome Antonio (Tony) Celis, Chief of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Bird Banding Lab (BBL). Tony’s talk will provide an overview of the Bird Banding Lab (BBL) program, including its history, current initiatives, and future vision. He will discuss the lab’s mission, methods, key successes, and what lies ahead for the BBL.
Bio: In this role, Tony collaborates with the BBL team and partners to maintain the lab as
the premier resource for long-term bird banding and marking data in North America. His vision
is to enhance the BBL as an integrated scientific resource that quickly adapts to emerging
research needs, study methods, and technologies to support effective bird management and
conservation science.
Tony earned his B.S. in Biology from the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos in
Mexico (2002), followed by a Master’s in Integrative Biology (2008) and a Ph.D. in Natural
Resources and Environmental Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
(2015). He later held a postdoctoral research position at the Illinois Natural History Survey
(2017). His research focuses on various aspects of avian ecology and behavior, with an
overarching goal of improving conservation efforts. His work includes studies on bird migration
and stopover ecology, population dynamics of species of concern, and bioacoustics
This program is FREE and open to all. Registration is required, please click the link below to register.https://us02web.zoom.us/…/register/_71RTYngQaSXYwsX95QhhQ

For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, www.hawkmigration.org following the event.

April Lunch & Learn: Tadoussac: A Paradise for Hawk Watchers and so much more!
2025-04-30 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
We are excited to welcome Alexandre Terrigeol, Director of the Tadoussac Bird Observatory as our April Lunch & Learn speaker!

For over 30 years, the Tadoussac Bird Observatory, on the North Shore of Quebec, Canada, along the Saint Lawrence River has been monitoring bird migration through a multitude of research projects. Once primarily known for its exceptional numbers of raptors during the fall, visible at close range, it is now songbirds that have taken the spotlight since 2018. Drawing on various research projects, we will highlight the essential role this site plays in enhancing our understanding of bird migration and migration trends. We will also discuss upcoming projects, other sites where we work, and the initiatives we are developing to encourage the public to visit us.

Alexandre Terrigeol is a biologist specializing in the study of birds and their migration. Since 2021, he has served as the Director of the Tadoussac Bird Observatory, where he leads research to better understand the migratory behaviors of birds with his team of passionate ornithologists. His commitment to wildlife preservation is complemented by his dedication to raising public awareness of ecological issues. He annually organizes the Côte-Nord Migratory Bird Festival and leads various birdwatching activities while capturing bird photography. He is also involved in bird population monitoring programs and actively participates in scientific outreach events.

This program is FREE and open to all. Registration is required, please click the link below to register.https://us02web.zoom.us/…/register/pK6ZFIU8Tp-WN9wKv9NFsw

For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, hawkmigration.org, following the event.

Monitoring American Kestrel populations at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, PA
2025-05-21 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
For our May Lunch & Learn, we are happy to welcome JF Therrien, Senior Scientist and Graduate Study Director at Hawk Mountain, who will speak about Monitoring American Kestrel populations at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, PA.
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is well known for its long-term population monitoring of North
American raptors. In 1954, it launched the first American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) nestbox
program in the world. Over the years, the project grew and was replicated with innumerable
networks of nestboxes scattered across the Americas. The network in place at Hawk Mountain
includes over 125 nestboxes monitored annually, some of which, at the very same location they
were erected 60+ years ago. Combined with other methods, the nestbox program allows a “peak
under the hood” during the breeding season, a critical life history stage for this small colorful
falcon. The long-term study of this iconic farmland raptor at Hawk Mountain has allowed a
broad spectrum of discoveries from basic descriptions of diet, occupancy, site fidelity, clutch size
and hatchability rates to advanced analyses of reproduction effort, growth and survival rates, all
the way to genetic structure assessment as well as population dynamics and the factors associated
with the observed ongoing temporal trends such as contaminant load, disease prevalence, and
habitat use. Overall, this unique and invaluable long-term monitoring program assists in
identifying conservation needs, helps orient efforts and acts as a model for conservation
worldwide.
JF Therrien grew up in Sherbrooke (Canada), about 30 minutes from the border with Vermont.
He has a Bachelor degree in biology from the Université de Sherbrooke (2003) and a Master degree in biology from the Université Laval, Canada (2006). He received his Ph.D. degree in biology at the Université Laval, Canada (2011). JF is the Senior Scientist and Graduate Study Director at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary since 2011 and is working on various aspects of raptor conservation science such as satellite tracking of rough-legged hawks, Turkey vultures and snowy owls, monitoring American kestrel breeding populations and monitoring raptor migration around the globe.
This program is FREE and open to all. Registration is required, please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/…/register/v0WYbkT7S_CtUnO8QaSywQ

For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, hawkmigration.org, following the event.

We hope to see you there!

Ecovida Hawkwatch: Studying and Celebrating Raptor Migration
2025-06-18 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
For our June Lunch & Learn, we are excited to welcome Kenneth Acuña Vargas and Randall A. Montoya Solano who will be speaking about the Ecovida Hawkwatch in Costa Rica.

The Ecovida Hawkwatch, located in the lowlands of the tropical rainforest in northern Costa Rica at Refugio Lapa Verde, has been studying raptor migration since 2022. Join us to learn how we carry out the monitoring from our stunning observation tower, as well as the seasonality, species, and numbers of raptors we record each season. We’ll also explore how a local community turned raptor migration into a celebration—focused on education, conservation, and culture around birds —and created Costa Rica’s first international raptor festival, with the support of partner organizations beyond our borders.
Kenneth Acuña Vargas is a Tropical Biologist with a focus on ecology and sustainable development. He currently has 8 years of experience studying birds and 3 years working with raptors. In 2023, he began his journey as a volunteer at Ecovida Hawkwatch, and in 2024, he became the project’s field coordinator.
Randall A. Montoya Solano is a Conservation Biologist working through community engagement and participatory science. He was part of the founding team of Ecovida Hawkwatch as the volunteer coordinator. Currently he serves as the Festival Coordinator of Alas Viajeras, Costa Rica’s International Migratory Raptor Festival.

This program is free and open to all but registration is required. please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/…/register/66AYUlqCQD2lyRj6ZaidJw

For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, hawkmigration.org, following the event.

We hope to see you there!

Wings Across Borders: How Audubon is Protecting Birds Throughout the Americas
2025-07-23 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
Join us for our July Lunch & Learn presentation with Jorge Velásquez, Science Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at Audubon Americas.
Audubon Americas is addressing the interconnected bird conservation crisis across the Western Hemisphere by advancing three core strategies in Latin America and the Caribbean: Protected Areas, Regenerative Agriculture, and Coastal Resilience. Our efforts are part of the hemispheric response to the loss of nearly 3 billion birds in North America and the mounting threats to resident bird species in Latin America. Through strategic partnerships and community-led action, we are helping safeguard critical habitats, transform working lands into bird-friendly landscapes, and build nature-based defenses along vulnerable coasts. Together, these strategies not only protect birds but also strengthen ecosystems and communities in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss.
Jorge Velásquez serves as Science Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at Audubon Americas. In this role Jorge conducts spatial action mapping efforts to develop conservation portfolios for multiple projects, coordinates the development of web apps and tools to communicate results and leads impact monitoring of conservation projects. He holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolution from SUNY Stony Brook.
This program is free and open to all but registration is required. please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/…/register/Ja0xlz34SMicVdd92vlSsQ

For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, hawkmigration.org, following the event.
We hope to see you there!

Andean Condor Conservation in Ecuador: National Aviary's Satellite Telemetry Project
2025-08-13 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
Join us for our August Lunch & Learn (Wednesday, Aug 13 at 12pm ET), where we will learn about Andean Condor conservation efforts.

With fewer than 150 Andean Condors left in Ecuador, the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA is actively working with our partner, Fundación Cóndor Andino, to help this Vulnerable species (classified as Critically Endangered at the national level). In 2024, our Senior Director of Avian Care and Conservation Programs Kurt Hundgen, alongside our partners, launched the Satellite Telemetry Project. The goal of this project is to better understand Andean Condor movement in the Southern Andes of Ecuador in order to develop more effective conservation strategies in this region. In this presentation, Kurt will be sharing details from this project, discussing Andean Condor conservation more generally, and will talk about the National Aviary’s role.

Kurt Hundgen, having been with the National Aviary since 2013, currently serves as the Senior Director of Avian Care and Conservation Programs. He oversees all animal care standards as well as nearly a dozen active conservation programs locally in Pennsylvania and globally. This includes leading key conservation programs for Andean Condors in Ecuador, Guam Kingfishers in Guam, African Penguins in Namibia, and more.

This program is free and open to all but registration is required. please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/…/register/r-A9T7ulQpqkGJ_5k1xshg
For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, hawkmigration.org, following the event.

We hope to see you there!

American Goshawk Breeding Ecology and Microclimate
2025-09-17 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
For our September Lunch & Learn, we are excited to welcome Jessy Wilson, a master’s student studying raptor biology at Boise State University. She will be presenting preliminary results from her master’s thesis research, in which she evaluates nest microclimate as a potential driver of breeding success for American Goshawks in the northern Great Basin.
This goshawk population is unique in its connectivity across multiple forested mountain ranges of southern Idaho and northern Utah, whose territories consist of naturally fragmented stands of mixed conifer and aspen, all nested within a predominantly sagebrush-steppe ecosystem. While goshawks can and do take advantage of this fragmented forest habitat during the breeding season, they are considered sensitive to exposure induced by low canopy cover and to temperature extremes, though these relationships have not been extensively studied at fine spatial scales. Forest temperatures are variable and known to deviate from local weather station temperature data due to heterogeneity in topography and vegetation structure, among other factors. Jessy’s thesis addresses this research gap by placing thermologgers in known goshawk nest structures, quantifying canopy cover using smartphone hemispherical panoramas, and conducting survival analyses of nestlings incorporating these data. Using a more biologically relevant scale of temperature data may reveal insight on goshawk nest microclimate-nestling survival dynamics that has not been previously documented.
Jessy Wilson is a master’s student studying raptor biology at Boise State University. Before reaching her current progress in her graduate degree, Jessy spent several years migrating to places where she could study raptor species, including California Condor recovery efforts in southern California and Arizona/Utah, Snail Kite breeding monitoring in the Florida everglades, hawk migration banding in Minnesota and Idaho, and Golden Eagle nest monitoring along the Snake River.

This program is free and open to all but registration is required. please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/…/register/EifsVtj5SAqS9Jwe3DXD1w

For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, hawkmigration.org, following the event.

We hope to see you there!

Comparative Immunogenomics of the holarctic Gyrfalcon and globally-distributed Peregrine Falcon
2025-10-29 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
Please join us for our October Lunch & Learn series where we will welcome Sage Dale, Boise State Master’s student, who will speak about her Gyrfalcon and Peregrine Falcon research.

Low pathogen abundance throughout the Arctic has been advantageous for nesting birds to avoid diseases found at lower latitudes, but may have limited selective pressures to develop genomic mechanisms of immune defense. The poleward shift of vectors of diseases has increased opportunities for novel pathogen exposure to high latitude communities. There is a need to understand the genomic mechanisms of immunologically naive Arctic wildlife. Here, we leverage high quality genomes and a comparative genomic approach to characterize the innate immune genes of an essential protein of the vertebrate immune system, toll-like receptors (TLRs), between a specialized Arctic raptor with suspected low immune competence (Gyrfalcon, Falco rusticolus) and its globally distributed congener (Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus). We hypothesize that TLRs will be closely related between falcon species, with Gyrfalcon showing lower TLR diversity.

Bio: Sage Dale is a Master’s or Raptor Biology student in the Conservation Genetics Lab at Boise State University. She’s interested in Arctic ecosystem biodiversity and using molecular and computational techniques to enhance traditional ecological methods for studying birds on these landscapes. While at BSU, she had the opportunity to participate in several long term gyrfalcon monitoring efforts including those with The Peregrine Fund in Nome, Alaska, the High Arctic Institute in NW Greenland, and with the Natural Science Institute of Iceland. Prior to graduate school, she received her bachelor’s in zoology from Oregon State University and spent several years working various field and research positions throughout the country and abroad. Some of these included working on raptor migration in New Mexico, spotted owl bioacoustics in Oregon, osprey distribution and relatedness studies throughout the southeast United States, and kiwi bird conservation in New Zealand.

This program is free and open to all but registration is required. please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/nA_NkpwfSJSKJHQwa5cOKA

For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, www.hawkmigration.org, following the event.

We hope to see you there!

Lunch & Learn: Owl Banding in the Boreal Forest
2025-11-19 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
Please join us as we talk OWLS for our November Lunch & Learn! We will be welcoming Bruce Murphy, bander and educator from the Hilliardton Marsh Research and Education Center in Ontario, Canada.
Since 2000 we have been banding northern saw-whet owls at the Hilliardton Marsh in Ontario. During that time we have also had a great deal of success banding boreal owls and long eared owls. This talk we lead you through what we have discovered about our research and how fortunate we are to live in the boreal forest where so many of these owls breed then disperse across the Atlantic flyway. You will see what we have discovered about boreals owls, but be warned after this talk you will want to travel to the boreal to see these mysterious owls for yourself!
Bio: Bruce is a retired environmental science and outdoor education teacher and has been banding songbirds at the Hilliardton marsh since 1996 and owls since 2000. His interest in banding began when he was in grade six when he visited a banding station with his class and saw a black capped chickadee being banded. He was fortunate to teach a semester-long outdoor education class that we called TERRA where his grade 11/12 students taught visiting school groups and the general public about banding and wetland ecology. It was the highlight of his career and many of his students have had their weddings at the marsh. Currently he is still very involved in both songbird and owl banding and lives 3 miles away from the marsh on the shores of the Blanche river where he and his partner Joanne enjoy watching birds at the feeders when the chickens and turkeys aren’t stealing all the bird food.
This program is free and open to all but registration is required. please click the link below to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/W0X6DVrfRneq5ynNhhNpJQ
For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, www.hawkmigration.org, following the event.

We hope to see you there!

Restoring the Iconic Bearded Vulture and other Vulture Species to their Former Range in Europe – a Success Story.
2025-12-17 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
For our December Lunch & Learn presentation, HMA will be cohosting with the Harris Center for Conservation Education to talk vultures! We will be hearing from José Tavares and Alice Gama from the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF) in Europe.
The VCF is an international foundation committed to the conservation of European vultures. The VCF has extensive experience in captive breeding, reintroduction, restocking and conservation of vultures in their natural habitats. The VCF is the lead organisation in all aspects of the conservation of vultures in Europe. In particular, the VCF coordinates the highly successful reintroduction of the Bearded Vulture in the Alps, including the coordination of monitoring at an alpine scale, thus working with a wide range of partners, and is also reintroducing this species in Andalusia, Corsica, Grands Causses (France), Maestrazgo (Spain) and Bulgaria. The VCF also coordinates the captive breeding network for this species.
The VCF has also been translocating Cinereous Vultures for reintroduction in France and Bulgaria, and is leading the global fight against illegal wildlife poisoning, namely through the implementation of a very successful model called Wildlife Crime Academy, through which enforcement authorities and other competent agencies get their capacity and skills enhanced to fight this threat. The VCF has also co-led the production of the Vulture Multi-species Action Plan – the global blueprint for conservation of Old-World vultures, that has been endorsed by the CMS. The VCF gathers the latest data, produces best-practice and know-how on vulture conservation in Europe.
José Tavares is the VCF Director and has 30+ years of experience in implementing nature conservation solutions. At the VCF since February 2013, José is working towards turning the VCF into a sustainable, effective, leading organization securing the protection of vultures and their habitats. This work involves not only on-the ground conservation projects and activities on vultures, but also, crucially, organizational development and management. This includes the management of projects in multiple countries, the development of complex partnerships and stakeholder building, and problem-solving.
Alice Gama is the Financial and Administrative Manager at VCF. Natural from Portugal. BSc in Biology. Between 2003 and 2006 she developed field work about raptor migration and breeding in Costa Rica and USA, and the impact of power-lines on bird populations in Portugal. From 2007 to 2016, she worked at a local environmental NGO, in Northeast Portugal, as a conservation manager, overseeing raptor conservation projects, including EU funded LIFE projects. At the VCF since 2016, she is responsible for the financial management and supporting the organisation’s administration and bookkeeping. Even if focused on the administrative side of things, working in vulture conservation at the VCF is truly inspiring and impactful, especially as we focus a lot on creating cooperation initiatives with so many organisations across borders and continents.

This program is free and open to all but registration is required. please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/RhR-1SXERVy4XbR-32sSeQ
For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, www.hawkmigration.org, following the event.
We hope to see you there!

Lunch & Learn: Tracking Merlins and rethinking science in motion
2026-01-28 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Detroit)
For our January Lunch & Learn series, we welcome Dr. Fernando G. López who will speak about his Merlin research on January 28th at 12pm eastern.
Conflicts between native predators and endangered species present complex challenges for conservation. In this talk, Dr. Fernando López will present results from a multi-year study of Merlins (Falco columbarius) in the Great Lakes region, where recent range expansion has increased predation pressure on the endangered Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus). Using satellite tracking, space-use analyses, diet studies, and experimental non-lethal translocations, this research provides new insights into Merlin ecology and evaluates management strategies aimed at reducing predation risk while maintaining ecosystem integrity.
Beyond the scientific results, the talk will also reflect on how conservation science can move beyond traditional academic boundaries. Fernando will briefly introduce et al blog, a project of ornithology without frontiers that connects science, conservation, and society across the Americas, exploring how research can generate impact through collaboration, communication, and shared knowledge.
Fernando López, Ph.D. is an Argentine ornithologist and ecologist with extensive research experience across the Americas. He completed his Ph.D. studying the reproductive ecology of American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) nesting in natural tree cavities, and has worked on a wide range of topics including raptor ecology, species conservation, and human–wildlife interaction. As a postdoctoral fellow at the Smithsonian Institution, he led research on the satellite tracking and non-lethal management of Merlins to support recovery efforts for the endangered Piping Plover in the Great Lakes. Fernando has more than 20 scientific publications in avian ecology and conservation, collaborating with international teams across disciplines. He and his wife, Dr. Emilia Rebollo (ornithologist too) recently launched et al blog (www.etalblog.com and @etalblog on various social media platforms)— a new project in science communication and public engagement, rooted in the idea of ornithology without frontiers, aimed at connecting science, people, and biodiversity through a motorhome journey across the Americas.
This program is free and open to all but registration is required. please click the link below to register.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Sox_gDbOQwSjN-MnmbGSvQ
For those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, www.hawkmigration.org, following the event.

We hope to see you there!

What We Are Learning About Golden Eagles in North America's Eastern Flyway
2026-02-11 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Detroit)
Join us for our February Lunch & Learn as we welcome Nick Bolgiano to talk about Golden Eagle migration through PA!
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 – 12pm eastern
For most raptor species that migrate through Pennsylvania, the highest concentrations of
migrants are seen in the southeast, especially along the Kittatinny Ridge, where the Hawk
Mountain and Waggoner’s Gap hawk watches are located. An important exception to this rule
is the Golden Eagle, for which the western corridor fall migration corridor through Pennsylvania
hosts the highest volume of migrants. As much as 2-3 times as many Golden Eagles use this
route compared to the eastern fall corridor through Pennsylvania, which includes the Kittatinny
Ridge.
Six seasons of data from the Bald Eagle Mountain-Eagle Field hawk watch provide a missing
piece in describing the Golden Eagle’s western fall corridor through Pennsylvania, as well as
through Pennsylvania as a whole. Route data from telemetered eagles and hawk watch data on
numbers, ages, and timing of flights from select watch sites give an overall coherence to the
Golden Eagle’s fall migration through the state.
Nick Bolgiano is a life-long birder from State College, Pennsylvania. He worked for 23 years at
Minitab Statistical Software, first as a software tester and then as designer of graphics. He has
been a hawk watcher for the last 31 years at Stone Mt and Tussey Mt in central Pennsylvania.
He came to believe that the fall Golden Eagle migration along Bald Eagle Mt north of State
College was one the biggest missing pieces in our understanding of the Golden Eagle’s Eastern
Flyway dynamics. In 2019, he teamed with Jon Kauffman of Shaver’s Creek Environmental
Center to conduct a one-season hawk watch on Bald Eagle Mt. In 2025, the sixth season fall
watch season happened there and now we have that missing piece.
This program is free and open to all but registration is required. please click the link below to register.https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ez0BUpHNT-2r05-osmzZFgFor those not able to join via Zoom, we will live stream the program on our HMA Facebook page as well. Recordings of all programs will be available on our website, www.hawkmigration.org, following the event.

We hope to see you there!
