Salem Audubon Birder’s Night - Population Changes Among High Desert Birds by Chuck Gates

[Tim Johnson]

Hi all,

Join us for Salem Audubon’s September Birder’s Night program, on September 9, starting at 6:30 pm. The meeting will be at the Scottish Rite Center, 

4090 Commercial St SE, Salem (next to the McDonalds Restaurant). Doors open at 5:30 pm. Come early for refreshments and socializing.

If you can’t attend in person, you can view the presentation remotely through Zoom by registering here: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Phz7De_cR-O0L0YrX9uC1Q#/registration

Chuck Gates will be speaking about relatively current population data relating to many of the high desert birds of Central Oregon. He will be covering 50 high desert species that range from those with increasing populations to those with crashing populations, and will discuss the likely causes of each. Species will include: Pinyon Jay, Sage Grouse, Common Nighthawk, Short-eared Owl, Horned Lark, Mt. Quail, and Sagebrush Sparrow.

The presentation will not be all gloom, but much of the news will be concerning.

Chuck shares some beautiful photos of high desert birds and discusses their current conditions and challenges, including the impact of climate change. 

Gates points out that there are three leading causes for most of the declines—habitat loss, habitat loss, and habitat loss.

Chuck Gates is a founding member of the East Cascades Bird Alliance and author of the Oregon Bird Site Guide (a web page describing over 1200 places to bird in Oregon). He is author of the Guide to Common Birds of the Deschutes River Canyon Area. Author and Curator of the Oregon Birding Site Guide sponsored by the East Cascades Bird Alliance. Steward and Editor of Oregon County Bird Checklists.

If you have any related questions, please feel free to contact me.

Tim Johnson