DATE: Tuesday, May 13, 2008

TIME: 7:30 P.M.

PLACE: Freeport Memorial Library, 144 W. Merrick Rd. (at S. Ocean Ave.)

SPEAKER: Carolyn Spilman

TOPIC: Beach-Nesting Birds of Long Island

Coastal environments support some of the world’s highest diversities of birds, as well as some of its largest migratory and breeding congregations. Many of Long Island’s priority species are beach-nesting birds that are found in few other places in the state, including the Piping Plover. This region supports more than 400 breeding pairs of Piping Plovers, which make up approximately 30% of the Atlantic Coast population and over 10% of the global population. Despite these numbers, the Piping Plover remains a federally threatened species and Long Island’s nesting populations are considered vulnerable. Audubon New York’s Long Island Bird Conservation Program focuses its efforts on beach-nesting birds and their conservation issues. Learn about these birds, including their identification, breeding behavior, and habitat requirements, as well as how you can help with local monitoring efforts and habitat protection. Join us!

Long Island Bird Conservation Coordinator Carolyn Spilman holds a bachelor of science degree in biology and a master of science degree in wildlife management from the State University of New York. Her specialty is in ornithological studies and her research interest is in the effects of human activities on wildlife populations. As a graduate student she studied the effects of lakeshore development on Common Loon nesting success in the Adirondack Park. Since completing her master’s degree, Carolyn has traveled the country to work on various research projects, including a grassland bird study in Nebraska and avian influenza research in California. She returned to New York in October 2006 and worked with the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Bird Conservation Area program before moving to Southold, NY to start the Long Island Bird Conservation Program for Audubon New York.

Join us!