MEETINGS & EVENTS
We Hold Biannual Working Group Meetings in Spring & Fall
Upcoming Events
“Full annual life cycle conservation of the western Yellow-billed Cuckoo” Symposium
We are excited to announce that we will be holding a symposium and a roundtable discussion/Working Group Meeting at the American Ornithological Society meeting in Estes Park, Colorado.
Full life cycle conservation of the western Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Jenna Stanek, Jenny Davis
Wednesday, 2 October, 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. in Aspen Glen
This symposium will discuss varying occupancy and habitat use, expanding research techniques, and the integration of biological and social science to identify potential causes of decline throughout the full annual life cycle of a neotropical migrant.
The objective of the symposium is to be a venue for Yellow-billed Cuckoo researchers to share their research and identify collaboration opportunities across the cuckoo’s full annual life cycle range. Presentations include a diversity of topics including modeling habitat occupancy and use, emerging research techniques, restoration, social science integration, and migratory connectivity. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a long-distance migratory bird species that is widely-distributed across North America during its breeding season. It has, however, experienced a steep population decline (>60%) over the last 35 years across its range. The decline of western populations has been particularly severe leading to the listing of the western population as federally threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2014.The Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo was included as one of Road to Recovery’s (R2R) pilot species working groups to apply and test the R2R framework for achieving sustainable bird population recovery by bringing together both biological and social sciences. The Working Group and its members have made great strides with advancing the knowledge base on the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo and are now working to identify the key factors and management actions needed to reverse population declines.
Roundtable Discussion/Working Group Meeting
Cathy Wise, Jenna Stanek
Wednesday, 2 October, 5:00 p.m. in Teddy’s Teeth
We invite you to join us to learn more about our activities and discuss future directions as we work to recover the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo.
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a long-distance migratory bird species that is widely-distributed across North America during its breeding season. It has, however, experienced a steep population decline (>60%) over the last 35 years across its range. The decline of western populations has been particularly severe leading to the listing of the western population as federally threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2014. The Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo Working Group was founded in 2008 with a primary goal of developing a conservation strategy for the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Since its founding, the Working Group and its members have made great strides with advancing scientific efforts, collaboration, and information transfer. The Yellow-Billed Cuckoo Working Group was selected as one of Road to Recovery’s (R2R) pilot species for recovery. R2R reimagines migratory bird conservation by providing a systematic approach that brings together advances in the biological and social sciences to address the recovery of North American birds. The objective of the Working Group discussion will be to invite others to learn about what the Working Group has accomplished, the tasks that we have identified as important for cuckoo conservation, and opportunities for involvement. We will revisit topics from the symposium and discuss opportunities for collaboration across the full-annual range.
Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo Working Group Meeting
(In English)
Our Fall Working Group Meeting was held virtually in partnership with The Pajarito Environmental Education Center.
(En Español)
Nuestra reunión de otoño del Grupo de Trabajo, que se celebrará virtualmente en colaboración con el Centro de Educación Medioambiental de Pajarito.
Spotlight Webinar by Anna Kurtin - Listening in on Montana's Cuckoos: Employing Autonomous Recording Units in Population Monitoring
Webinar Summary
Event Type: Spotlight Webinar - Highlighting Cuckoo Research Results & Techniques
Audience: General Audience
Admission: Free
Location: Virtual
Recording Link: https://youtu.be/OC7kZRZE72Q
Please Join us for a spotlight webinar by Anna Kurtin, with the University of Montana & Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. There will be an introduction at the beginning of the event (about 5 minutes), followed by a presentation from Anna about her Master’s work using Autonomous Recording Units to study populations of Black-billed Cuckoos in Montana. After the presentation, we will have about 30 minutes of moderated Questions & Answers and Discussion.
About the Presenter
Originally from New Mexico, Anna grew up in central Texas hiking, biking, and exploring the outdoors. She attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a B.S. in biology with a concentration in ecology, evolution, and animal behavior and a minor in primatology. After graduating, she worked as an intern with the National Park Service in Arizona monitoring Mexican spotted owls and bat populations. She is currently pursuing her master's degree at the University of Montana with the Charismatic Minifauna Lab and Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, and she is a NSF Graduate Research Fellow. Her research is centered around testing survey methodology and modeling occupancy of Black-billed and Yellow-billed cuckoos in Montana, and she is interested in exploring research and management questions centered around rare and cryptic species.
Spotlight Webinar by the Southern Sierra Research Station - Using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System to Study Cuckoos
Webinar Summary
Event Type: Spotlight Webinar - Highlighting Cuckoo Research Results & Techniques
Audience: General Audience
Admission: Free
Location: Virtual
Please Join us for a spotlight webinar by Researchers with the Southern Sierra Research Station. There will be an introduction at the beginning of the event (about 8 minutes), followed by 5 presentations on using MOTUS to study Yellow-billed Cuckoos. From Motus Wildlife Tracking System, “The Motus Wildlife Tracking System (Motus) is an international collaborative research network that uses coordinated automated radio telemetry to facilitate research and education on the ecology and conservation of migratory animals.” After the presentation, we will have about 30 minutes of moderated Questions & Answers and Discussion.
Presentations
Introduction to Motus/setup in the Kern River Valley & Movements of cuckoos in the Kern River Valley – Pat Lorch PDF
Yellow-billed Cuckoo capture techniques – Sasha Robinson PDF
Yellow-billed Cuckoo tagging techniques – Annie Meyer PDF
Recommendations for using Motus for cuckoo conservation – Mary J Whitfield PDF
About the Presenters
This Webinar will be presented by Researchers with the Southern Sierra Research Station (SSRS). Biographies for each presenter can be found on the SSRS website: SSRS | Staff (southernsierraresearch.org). SSRS is a non-profit organization located in the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada. Through basic and applied research, they aim to understand the biological processes that control population sizes and species diversity. In collaboration with government, academic, and conservation organizations, they strive to increase the scientific knowledge of the species they research, to better inform environmental policy and encourage public appreciation within the region. If you are interested in learning more about their MOTUS work or how to attend a MOTUS Workshop, please check out their website:
Spring Steering Committee
Spring Steering Committee Meeting (Virtual). Email Hira Walker, Coordinator, if you wish to sit in on the meeting.
Winter Steering Commitee Meeting
Winter Steering Committee Meeting (Virtual). Email Hira Walker, Coordinator, if you wish to sit in on the meeting.
Fall 2022 Yellow-billed Cuckoo Working Group Meeting
Meeting Objectives: To have an informative and meaningful discussion on Rangewide and Regional Characteristics of Yellow-billed Cuckoo Breeding Habitat, share rangewide survey results from Summer 2022, and promote incorporation of human dimensions and structured information analysis in prioritizing research and improving management decisions. In addition, the Steering Committee will update the Working Group on current and future actions.
Objetivos de la Reunión: Mantener un debate informativo y significativo sobre Las Características del Hábitat de Cría del Cuco de Pico Amarillo (Coccyzus americanus), compartir los resultados de las encuestas realizadas en el verano de 2022 y promover la incorporación de las dimensiones humanas y el análisis estructurado de la información para priorizar la investigación y mejorar las decisiones de gestión. Además, el Comité Directivo actualizará al Grupo de Trabajo sobre las acciones actuales y futuras.
Links to Specific Talks/Enlaces a Charlas Específicas:
0:00 - Steering Committee & Overview of Current Actions/Reunión del Comité Directivo y Resumen de las Acciones Actuales, Hira Walker (Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo Working Group) PDF
9:32 - The Road to Recovery (R2R) Initiative/La Iniciativa R2R, Callie Stanley (Georgetown University)
15:37 - Summary of the Automated Recording Unit Researcher Meet & Greet/Resumen del Reunión sobre el Muestreo Acústico, Hira Walker (Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo Working Group) PDF
46:52 - R2R: Incorporating Human Dimensions in Recovery & Conservation/R2R: Incorporación de la Dimensión Humana en la Conservación, Katie Holland (Virginia Tech) PDF
1:19:27 - Structured Decision Making as a Recovery & Conservation Tool/Decisiones Estructurada como herramienta de Conservación, Clark Rushing (University of Georgia)
1:54:45 - Western Distinct Population Segment Rangewide Breeding Survey Results/Resultados de las Encuestas sobre Cucos en el Oeste de Estados Unidos, John Stanek (Southern Sierra Research Station) PDF
2:15:44 - Overlap in Southwestern Willow Flycatcher & Cuckoo Habitat Models/Solapamiento en los Modelos de Hábitat del Empidonax trailii extimus y del Cuco, Jim Hatten (US Geological Survey) PDF
2:46:23 - Introduction to Afternoon Presentations/Introducción a las Presentaciones de la Tarde, Hira Walker (Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo Working Group) PDF
2:53:07 - Cuckoo Statewide Habitats in California/Hábitats en California, Edwin Alberto Jacobo (Washington State University, Southern Sierra Research Station) & Mary Whitfield (Southern Sierra Research Station) PDF
3:01:56 - Cuckoo Habitats along the Owens River, California/Hábitats del Rio Owens, California, Murrelet Halterman (Great Basin Bird Observatory) PDF
3:07:24 - Cuckoo Statewide Habitats in Utah/Hábitats en Utah, Russ Norvell (Utah Department of Natural Resources)
3:13:32 - Cuckoo Statewide Habitats in Nevada/Hábitats en Nevada, Elisabeth Ammon (Great Basin Bird Observatory) PDF
3:23:43 - Cuckoo Statewide Habitats in Idaho & Wyoming/Hábitats en Idaho y Wyoming, Jay Carlisle (Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University), Katie Powell (USFWS Idaho), Katie Theule (USFWS Seedskadee NWR Wyoming), & Colin Dovichin (USFWS Seedskadee NWR Wyoming) PDF
Not Recorded - Statewide Habitats in Colorado & Use of Russian-Olive/Hábitats en Colorado & Utilización de Elaeagnus angustifolia, Adam Petry (Western Biology, LLC) PDF Available upon request
Not Recorded – Riparian Habitats in Arizona/Hábitats Ribereños en Arizona, Steven Prager & Cathy Wise (Audubon Southwest) PDF
Not Recorded – Xero-riparian Habitats in Arizona/Hábitats Áridos en Arizona, Nick Beauregard (Southern Sierra Research Station) PDF
Not Recorded – Habitats from Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico south to El Paso, Texas/Habitats de Isleta Pueblo, Nuevo México hasta El Paso, Texas, Dave Moore (US Bureau of Reclamation) PDF
Not Recorded – Statewide Habitats in New Mexico/Hábitats en Nuevo México, Erin Duvuvuei (New Mexico Department of Game & Fish) PDF
Not Recorded – Habitats in West Texas/Hábitats en el Oeste de Texas, Krysta Demere (Mountain-Prairie Region, US Fish and Wildlife Service) PDF
Not Recorded – Habitats in Mexico/Hábitats en México, Alberto Macías-Duarte (Academic Group of Natural Resources, Sonora State University, Hermosillo) PDF
Not Recorded – Development of a Handout on Breeding Habitat Restoration Recommendations/Elaboración de un Folleto sobre Recomendaciones de Restauración del Hábitat, Jay Carlisle (Intermountain Bird Observatory, Boise State University) PDF
Not Recorded – Discussion on Rangewide & Regional Breeding Habitat Patterns/Debate sobre los Patrones de Hábitat Local y Regional (Facilitator/Facilitador: Jenna Stanek, Los Alamos National Laboratory) PADLET DISCUSSION DISCUSSION NOTES
Not Recorded – Use of LiDAR to Assess Vegetative Structure of Potential Cuckoo Habitats/Uso de LiDAR para Evaluar la Estructura Vegetal de los Hábitats de los Cucos, Bruce Orr (Stillwater Sciences) PDF
Not Recorded – Concluding Remarks/Conclusiones de la Reunión, Bruce Orr (Stillwater Sciences)
Working Group Spring Meeting - 2022 (Virtual)
The meeting will highlight:
Yellow-billed Cuckoo trainings taking place this year;
The 2022 Yellow-billed Cuckoo US-rangewide surveys;
Exciting progress made in cuckoo science, conservation, recovery, and funding by federal, state, non-profit, and private biologists; and
Continuing efforts by the Steering Committee to 1) formalize the working group, 2) address priority action items, 3) engage working group members, and 4) plan for the Fall 2022 Meeting.
Links to First Two Talks:
Hira Walker: Ideas for Moving the Working Group Forward
Rob Clay: Cuckoos and Deforestation in the Paraguayan Chaco
Links to the Remainder of Meeting:
This is an almost 3 hour and 10 min video. To navigate to specific talks, hover your cursor over the timeline to see the chapter titles and breaks. Updates on subcommittee progress on priority action items are presented from the start of the video until 1:35:52, followed by four presentations and a final Q&A. Here are the approximate start times for each presentation:
0:00 Jay Carlisle, C. Wise, L. Douglas, P. Wohner, & S. Prager – Update: Restoration one-pager
9:58 Murrelet Halterman, J. Stanek, & A. Petry – Update: Cuckoo survey form and data revisions
15:52 Kristen Dillon – Update: Centralized cuckoo database
24:19 Shannon McNeil – Update: Grants for restoration work
36:33 Callie Stanley – Update: Full-life cycle model and how you can help
43:27 Mary Whitfield – Update: Bird genoscape for cuckoos
46.22 Linnea Hall (B. Orr & H. Walker filling in) – Update: Information-gathering on pesticide effects
52:55 Patti Wohner – Update: Special issue publication on research to inform cuckoo conservation
56:18 Cathy Wise, E. Juarez, & C. Stanley – Update: Southern Wings project on Gran Chaco
1:08:06 Jim Hatten, M. Johnson, & J. Holmes – Update: Application of a cuckoo habitat model rangewide
1:35:52 Jay Carlisle – Subcommittees and action items
2:18:23 Jenny Davis – Cuckoo workshops taking place this year
2:27:41 Edwin Juarez – The 2022 rangewide surveys and how you can help
2:45:45 Jenna Stanek – Looking ahead to the Fall 2022 Working Group Meeting
3:03:22 Moderator – Concluding remarks and Q&A from the working group
This meeting is a collaborative effort between the Yellow-billed Cuckoo Working Group and the Pajarito Environmental Education Center
Road to Recovery: Yellow-billed Symposium - 2021
Virtual meeting hosted by the Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC), Los Alamos, New Mexico. Meeting Objectives: To incorporate research and monitoring (from the presentations in this symposium on Day 1) into an adaptive management framework (Day 2) to solve the bigger problem of recovery. This will involve identifying the most critical high priority questions for research and monitoring that also provide opportunities for learning about what is working or not working in terms of management and recovery. We hope to identify where there is “low-hanging fruit” to implement recovery action that will include adaptive restoration and management practices. We hope to identify opportunities for co-production, i.e., how to involve farmers, water managers, public land managers, private land owners, indigenous peoples, etc. This symposium will focus on discussion and idea generating to begin specific conservation actions that would effectively address causes and reverse declines and other achievable actions that could benefit the species.
Abstracts-and-Bios-for-YBCU-symposium.pdf (peecnature.org)
Road-2-Recovery-YBCU-Agenda.pdf (peecnature.org)
Links to Talks and Discussions:
Peter Marra: The Road to Recovery
NMDGF/NMOS Yellow-billed Cuckoo Symposium -2010
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish/New Mexico Ornithological Society Joint Symposium on Yellow-billed Cuckoos in New Mexico. Held at the New Mexico Ornithological Society 48th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM. The objective of the symposium is to provide a venue for Yellow-billed Cuckoo researchers to share their results on cuckoo distribution, status, and habitat use within New Mexico and identify collaboration opportunities. Chair: Hira Walker
Agenda: NEW MEXICO (nmbirds.org)
Yellow-billed Cuckoos: Biology and Conservation in the Western United States -2010
Symposium held at the Joint meeting of the American Ornithologists’ Union, the Cooper Ornithological Society, and Society of the Canadian Ornithologists, San Diego, California. The objective of the symposium is to be a venue for Yellow-billed Cuckoo researchers throughout the western United States to share their research and identify collaboration opportunities. Yellow-billed Cuckoo research is occurring throughout Arizona, California, New Mexico and Colorado by investigators with the US Geological Survey, Southern Sierra Research Station, Chico State University, Point Reyes Bird Observatory, US Fish and Wildlife Service and Northern Arizona University. Researchers are collectively addressing many pressing habitat, demographic and behavioral issues of relevance to managing Yellow-billed Cuckoos and ensuring long-term survival of ecologically functional populations. The symposium will enable us an unprecedented opportunity to collaborate and address questions that build upon the conservation concerns of this species. Potential results include seminal scientific papers and widely application spatially-explicit models of habitat use and demography. Co-Chairs: Matt Johnson and Hira Walker
Program (page 10): 2010_AOU_COS_SCO_Program.pdf (americanornithology.org)
Abstracts: 2010_AOU_COS_SCO_Abstracts.pdf (americanornithology.org)