Join us for a great evening with Dr. Brian Linkhart from Colorado College as he discusses his work with Flammulated Owls.

The Rocky Mountains of southern Colorado have been the home base for a 40-year investigation of the breeding ecology of Flammulated Owls, a fist-sized insectivore that primarily breeds in the pine forests of western North America. Generations of banded
(ringed) adults and their offspring on these study sites have revealed many insights on patterns in reproduction and survival, but until relatively recently, almost nothing was known of the owl’s wintering habits—indeed, migration had never been fully documented in the species, and some researchers suggested the owls might simply undergo torpor. That changed in 2010, when small coin-sized devices carried on the backs of Colorado breeders first revealed their fall and spring journeys and winter
destinations, and more recent recoveries show the owls migrate as far south as southern Mexico and Central America. In this presentation, we track this annual journey, and discuss risks posed by a changing climate and habitat fragmentation.

Dr. Brian D. Linkhart has been a Professor in the Department of Organismal Biology and Ecology at Colorado College since 2001, where he teaches field courses in Ornithology, Ecology, and Field Biology. Previously, he was a seasonal research biologist for the Rocky Mountain Research Station for 18 years, and he began teaching summer field seminars on forest ecology in the mid-1980s. Over the past 40 years, Brian has conducted research on the ecology of songbirds, grouse, hawks and owls across the American Southwest and Mexico, but since 2001 summers have mostly been spent mentoring 6-10 undergraduate students while conducting field research on Flammulated Owls.

This will be an in-person meeting (and broadcast on Zoom) held at the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Office located at 4255 Sinton Road 80907. The classroom entrance is on the back (east side) of the building. The main door will be locked.

Snacks & Bird Talk (meet & mingle) 6:30pm
Meeting announcements 7:00pm
Program Presentation 7:15pm