Upcoming Public Programs
All BRSS programs are free and open to the public
Many programs offered are virtual using the Zoom app — see details below`
We count! Raptor migration monitoring in the Americas
Wednesday October 8th @ 7:00PM
Zoom call with julie Brown
Julie Brown, Raptor Migration and Programs Director for the Hawk Migration Association (HMA), will speak about HMA’s work and the continental network of hawkwatching sites, why collecting spring and fall migration data is important, and what we’ve learned about raptor movements and populations. She’ll dive into migration data from hawkwatches around NY, CT, and NJ, as well as data from across the continent and what they’re showing us about the health of raptor populations.
Julie Brown is the Raptor Migration and Programs Director at the Hawk Migration Association. Before joining HMANA in 2009, she migrated throughout the US and tropics working as a field biologist primarily with raptors, focusing on human impact studies, migration research, and behavioral studies. She received her BS in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine and her MS in Conservation Biology from Antioch University New England, where she studied Peregrine Falcon migration in Costa Rica for her thesis. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, whom she met hawkwatching, and her two bird-loving children, a flock of chickens, her dog, and lots of fruit trees. She is a volunteer counter at the Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory each fall.
Finch irruptions, finch feeding and the stokes guide to finches of the united states and canada
Wednesday November 20th @ 7:00PM
Zoom call with matthew young
From backyards to wilderness peaks, finches are some of the most exciting, mysterious, and popular group of songbirds. In this information-packed talk, Matthew Young, coauthor of The Stokes Guide to Finches of the United States and Canada, will introduce you to the finches of the United States and Canada, from feeder-favorite goldfinches to Red Crossbill tribes, to least known mountain-top Black Rosy-Finches and endangered Hawaiian honeycreepers, covering identification, language, behavior, irruptions, finch conservation, and much more. Like the book, which is filled with interesting facts, scientific knowledge, and stunning photos, this talk will leave you understanding so much more about the finches you thought you knew. Matthew will also talk about Feeding Finches, The Crossbill Call Type Project, and the Evening Grosbeak Road to Recovery Project.
Matthew Young is a co-lead on the Evening Grosbeak Road to Recovery Project in addition to being the Founder and Board President of the Finch Research Network. Matthew worked in the field of social work with special needs populations at the William George Agency for 12+ years and is currently a Wild Bird Products Specialist and Conservation Coordinator for Aspen Song Wild Bird Food. Additionally, Matthew worked at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology across 15 years — his work covering Golden-Winged Warblers, voices of Hawaii’s Birds, and Merlin Bird ID — and was Project Lead on the Lab’s first Irruptive Finch Survey in 1999. Widely known as a preeminent authority on finches of North America, he has written finch species accounts for breeding bird atlases and Birds of the World, and has published several papers on finches and the Red Crossbill vocal complex.
Return to the Sky: The Reintroduction of Bald Eagles
Wednesday January 14th @ 7:00PM
Zoom call with Tina morris
As the bald eagle, our national symbol, was facing extinction in the continental U.S. in 1976, Tina Morris was beginning her graduate work at Cornell University. By luck and circumstance, she was selected to reintroduce the species into New York State in the hope that eagles could repopulate eastern North America. Young, female, with no experience, she faced the challenges of saving this iconic bird while striving for acceptance in the unfamiliar male-dominated world of raptor biology. Playing mother to seven eagles forced her to transcend the isolation of field research to rescue an endangered species while in turn rescuing herself.
Tina Morris completed her graduate work in ornithology and wildlife biology at Cornell in 1978, writing her thesis on the adaptations of hacking techniques to reintroduce bald eagles. Following her studies at Cornell, she worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nature Conservancy for several years, focusing on endangered species and critical habitat conservation, before embarking on a 23-year career teaching English and biology. Since her retirement in 2020, she has devoted her time to her own writing, especially creative nonfiction with a science or nature focus. Thirty years ago, with four children in tow, Tina and her husband bought a farm in northern Massachusetts, which they manage as a wildlife sanctuary, promoting biodiversity and habitat protection for species in decline.
Splitting Feathers: How Genetics Is Redefining Bird Classification
Wednesday February 11th @ 7:00PM
Zoom call with Ricky Flamio
What is a species? We used to think a species was something that could not breed with another group, but we now know that is no longer the case. Every October, the eBird Taxonomy Update is released and we witness the splitting of familiar bird species into two (or more) and the lumping or combining of multiple species into one. In this talk, I will explain the process by which these taxonomy updates occur as well as the DNA evidence that backs a lot of these changes. We will explore topics such as cryptic (morphologically similar) species, hybridization, and subspecies, using examples from real bird groups, that make classification challenging. We will end with a discussion on why classification is important, despite nature’s resistance to fit neatly into defined boxes.
Richard (Ricky) Flamio Jr., PhD, a current board member of Bronx River - Sound Shore Audubon, is a geneticist with a PhD in Zoology. Dr. Flamio’s PhD dissertation focused on the conservation of endangered sturgeon, and his postdoctoral work involved the production of the wood stork genome. Dr. Flamio currently works in Manhattan at Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Cornell Medical College, where he uses his genetic background to study lupus, an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation and multi-organ tissue damage in those afflicted. He also teaches a research methods class to City University of New York students, and he enjoys mentoring the next generation of scientists.
Creating Bird Habitat Through Green Infrastructure in Urban Areas
Wednesday March 18th @ 7:00PM
Zoom call with dustin partridge
From a bird’s-eye view, New York City is a landscape of concrete and glass and a space dominated by impervious surfaces that offer little value to wildlife. Yet, up to 25 million birds migrate through the city each year. When thoughtfully designed, green infrastructure like green roofs and bioswales can serve as vital habitat patches in a densely built environment. This talk will explore which bird and bat species are using small urban green spaces, how to design green infrastructure for conservation impact, and present case studies that demonstrate its potential to support biodiversity in cities.
Dr. Dustin Partridge, the Director of Conservation and Science at NYC Bird Alliance, is a pioneering scientist in urban green space conservation research in North America. His work, focused on wildlife conservation in New York City, has driven cities to reconsider the ecological value of small green spaces. Dr. Partridge’s published research has reshaped the national conversation on the role of cities in conservation and led to significant policy changes in New York City. These include the passage of Local Laws 92 and 94, which mandate green roof and solar installations on new buildings, and the Green Roof Tax Abatement, which offers substantial financial incentives for green roof installations in high-need areas. An adjunct professor at Columbia University and a sought-after speaker in media and public forums, Dr. Partridge is a scientist whose approach to conservation is based in using science to drive solutions that benefit both wildlife and people.
shorebirds in spring
Wednesday April 15th @ 7:00PM
Zoom call with tom reed
For many birders, spring is about the warblers—and rightly so. But eventually, the trees leaf out, the mosquitoes arrive, and we’re getting ready to schedule an appointment for a bad case of warbler neck. When this happens, it’s time to look at shorebirds! Join Tom Reed, the Migration Monitoring Coordinator at NJ Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory, for a spring refresher on all things sandpipers: identification, status and distribution, and maybe even a little bit about how Tom and his team keep tabs on their numbers at Cape May.
Tom Reed, a lifelong resident of Cape May County, NJ, has been fascinated by birds since the age of 10. He is the first Migration Monitoring Coordinator for New Jersey Audubon’s Cape May Bird Observatory, responsible for keeping the observatory’s finger on the pulse of migration. Each year, Tom oversees six monitoring projects that collect data on 300+ species of birds, as well as migratory insects and marine mammals. Tom also plays a role in the organization’s eco-travel and guide-for-hire programs. In his spare time, Tom serves as the avian naturalist with the Cape May Whale Watch & Research Center.
