[mou] MRVAC meeting Thursday 5/22

[Steve Weston]

MRVAC Presentation: Thursday, May 22 at 7:30 pm


How do Birds Choose a Nest Site?

By Doug Johnson 

Scientists as well as laypersons have long thought about the processes that birds use to select a territory for breeding.  Such information is critical for conservation activities, so that proper habitat can be protected or managed.  It is useful too for birders seeking to find particular species.  Historically, most research on the topic focused on the vegetative and physical characteristics of the birds' territories, song perches, or nest sites.  More recently, emphasis has shifted to larger scales, involving habitat patch characteristics and landscape features.  In addition, some birds seem to use the presence or behavior of other birds to select a site. This talk will review the topic as well as present some new findings, with an emphasis on grassland birds. 


Douglas Johnson is a research statistician and senior scientist with the US Geological Survey's Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, headquartered in Jamestown, North Dakota.   He also serves as Adjunct Professor in Conservation Biology and Wildlife Conservation. Doug and his colleagues have conducted a variety of studies of grassland and wetland birds in North and South Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota.  He currently serves as Associate Editor for The Auk and Book Review Editor for the Prairie Naturalist. 


When: Please join us at 7:00 pm at the Minnesota Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship to socialize over coffee and cookies from 7:00 - 7:30 pm. A brief business meeting and the featured speaker begin at 7:30 pm. The meeting concludes at 9:00 pm.  MRVAC meetings are free and open to the public.

Where: The Minnesota Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship 10715 Zenith Ave S Bloomington, south of Old Shakopee Road between France Ave and Penn Ave 

Steve Weston,                                                                                                                              MRVAC Program Chair                                                                                sweston2 at comcast.net


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