Birds are integral parts of Earth’s ecosystems and are excellent indicators of ecosystem health. However, recent continent-wide analyses of bird populations report dramatic, widespread declines across many species. In this talk, PhD candidate Tyler McFadden will discuss ongoing research assessing the status of bird populations at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, located in Silicon Valley’s rapidly urbanizing backyard. Thirty years of bird survey data collected here indicate that a surprising number of common birds are declining. Tyler will discuss long-term changes in the local bird community, the underlying drivers, and the potential consequences for people and ecosystems.
Tyler McFadden is a PhD candidate in the Department of Biology at Stanford University, where he studies human impacts on biodiversity. His research focuses on how ecological communities respond to these impacts and seeks to identify practical strategies for conserving biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes. Tyler has a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Science from Oregon State University and has studied birds in California, Oregon, Chile, Mexico, Honduras, and Costa Rica. Tyler is passionate about environmental education at all levels and loves sharing his enthusiasm for the outdoors with his students. Check out his website and follow him on Twitter.
This talk is recommended for high school and up. Please register – the Zoom link will be sent in the confirmation. If you have any questions, please contact Sirena Lao, Environmental Education and Outreach Specialist, at slao@sfbbo.org.
This program is part of Virtual Bird Fest, a celebration of World Migratory Bird Day with our partners at the San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society and Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge! Check out all the activities from May 6th-9th here.
This program is possible thanks to the support of SFBBO donors. To help keep these events going, we hope you’ll consider making a suggested donation of $5 or more if you can. Your tax-deductible donation helps us make these events available to the public and engage broad audiences with birds, nature, science, and conservation. You may donate in increments of $5 below, click here to donate a different amount, or contact us for other ways to donate.