Author: Stefan Woltmann
Associate Professor, Dept. of Biology, and Center of Excellence for Field Biology, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN
Illuminating Natural History: The Art and Science of Mark Catesby
Before there was John James Audubon, there was Alexander Wilson, but before both there was Mark Catesby—the first artist-naturalist to engage in the ambitious project of depicting the flora and fauna of North America, most notably (and for readers of this journal, most agreeably) birds. In the first half of the nineteenth century, Audubon (1785-1851) became America’s most adulated avian artist, even as he worried about Wilson (1766-1813) as an ornithological rival, but Catesby (1683-1749) provided... Read More
Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to find and Save the World’s Largest Owl
This is a true story as told by Jonathan Slaght, a young graduate student, about his graduate study on Blakiston’s Fish Owl (hereafter Fish Owl) in the Primorye Province of eastern Russia. Slaght was originally in this region working for the Peace Corps. He later completed a Master of Science (MS) degree on song birds and forest management in the Primorye region. He learned to speak Russian fluently... Read More
OC bimonthly news brief September-October 2021
The Ornithological Council is pleased to provide this bimonthly report covering activities in September and October 2021. The Ornithological Council’s mission is to: Ensure that the best ornithological science is incorporated into legislative, regulatory, and management decisions that affect birds; Enhance the ability of ornithologists to pursue professional activities; and Promote the influence of ornithology... Read More
Upcoming event on ornithology careers outside academia
On October 22 at 4 pm EDT, the Wilson Ornithological Society and the Association of Field Ornithologists will be hosting the first of a series of quarterly virtual events for grad students and early professionals members of either society. The inaugural event, a panel discussion on “Careers in Ornithology and Avian Conservation Outside the Academy” moderated by WOS 2nd Vice President Auriel Fournier... Read More
The process of developing JFO into an Open Access journal
The new relationship between AFO and Resilience Alliance comes after a two year process to find a new publisher for the Journal of Field Ornithology. The publications landscape has changed considerably in the last decade with a number of intersecting trends. Academic libraries are reducing their publications budgets and increasingly seeking to purchase bundles and not individual subscriptions... Read More
Consequences and the strategy behind nest reuse in a Neotropical thrush
Have you ever seen a bird building its nest? The complex architecture of such structures is intriguing and lovely per se, but it is impossible not consider the hundreds, if not thousands, of trips carrying nesting material. A finished nest results from several days of parental effort aiming at providing adequate microclimate and protection to their offspring. It seems logical that all that energy... Read More
Nest-site selection by Cassia Crossbills and management implications
While gathering data on mate pairing patterns of Red Crossbills in the South Hills, Idaho for my dissertation, I occasionally found nests being built. Realizing that we knew so little about what eventually was described as the Cassia Crossbill, I decided to characterize nest locations. Trevor Fetz, another graduate student, was also conducting fieldwork on crossbills... Read More
OC bimonthly news brief July-August 2021
The Ornithological Council is pleased to provide this bimonthly report covering activities in July and August 2021. The Ornithological Council’s mission is to: Ensure that the best ornithological science is incorporated into legislative, regulatory, and management decisions that affect birds; Enhance the ability of ornithologists to pursue professional activities; and Promote the influence of ornithology... Read More
