Gaining a better understanding of Ohio’s owls is a goal of Ohio Dominican University ornithologist Blake Mathys. Last fall he launched the Central Ohio Owl Project, but his research actually extends beyond the title, as Mathys will accept owl reports from anywhere in the state.

Carrie Elvey, Senior Naturalist and Community Engagement Coordinator, The Wilderness Center

Examine the lives of young birds, survivorship rates and survival strategies.

Member Meeting and Speaker Program, 'What Is That Bird Doing?: Feeding Behavior', with Nancy Howell and Bill Deininger March 2021 Recording.

Photo: Bill Deininger at Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve by Betsey O'Hagan.

Through the wonderful videos taken by Bill Deininger, we will view many species of birds while feeding, discuss what they are feeding upon, adaptations for feeding, and how using these behaviors can help with bird identification. 

Member Meeting and Speaker Dr. Jackie Augustine, Executive Director, Audubon of Kansas, a behavioral ecologist who studies the mating behaviors of wild birds. 

Recording of the January 2021 WCAS Member Meeting and Speaker, John Hannon, BirdLife International, US Representative  reviews the current state of bird conservation across the globe and how the BirdLife Partnership, which includes Audubon, is working throughout the Americas to combine community development with conservation, protecting the habitats of birds, and bringing awareness of the need for healthy ecosystems.

John Hannon will share the current state of bird conservation across the globe and how the BirdLife Partnership, which includes Audubon, is working throughout the Americas to combine community development with conservation, protecting the habitats of birds, and bringing awareness of the need for healthy ecosystems.

Tomas Curtis, student at Kent State University, will discuss the history of studying lichens including the work and accomplishments happening in Northeast Ohio. ​Listen to this pre-event conversation with Tomas Curtis to learn more!

Birds building this type of nest appear to embody an instinctive understanding of the emergent mechanics of thin, flexible, and frictional grains, one that is currently lacking in the scientific community.

Rosemary Mosco is a wonderful naturalist who puts her naturalist eye into cartoons that are fun and also accurate. You will smile, if not laugh at the antics of birds and other wildlife in her renderings - all based on what she has seen.

Watch the WCAS Member Meeting and "Hybridization of Cerulean and Parula Warblers", with Ryan Trimbath, Ecologist, Cuyahoga Valley National Park at the Summer Speaker Series, Tuesday, September 1, 2020.

In nature, hybridization between species is not common, but does occur. During the summers of 2014 and 2015, in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, an unusual warbler song was heard. ​

The Member Meeting included chapter news and two special invitations intended to promote the Audubon mission and act as a bridge between local and global birding communities, followed by a presentation by David Lindo, aka 'The Urban Birder', on the "Basics of Urban Birding".

Above: David Lindo by Asherita Viajera.

UK celebrity birder David Lindo, aka 'The Urban Birder', shares the magic and thrills of urban birding and tips for birding during global pandemics. ​The Basics of Urban Birding session is for beginners and people who are curious about the birds they see around them but can’t recognize.

Ever wonder how to attract more birds to your home without buying bird seed? Audubon’s Michael Goldman will explain how to do just that. By planting native plants in your yard you too can have a whole menagerie full of birds. 

Photo: Dr. Hunter King at The University of Akron received an NSF grant to study the collective mechanical interactions of disordered, randomly packed elastic filaments, or slender rods similar to twigs as used in birds' nests. Pictured here are "nest" materials in his lab. CREDIT Dr. Hunter King, The University of Akron

How do distinctive mechanical characteristics relate to structural demands of natural nests? Get your science on as we begin to address these questions through experiments with artificial 'nests', and observations of the construction process.

Photo: A family on Wiencke Island, Palmer Archipelago, off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. By Liam Quinn from Canada - Gentoo Penguins with chicks at Jougla Point, AntarcticaUploaded by snowmanradio, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16175168

The lives of many migratory birds, as well as charismatic wildlife, such as polar bears and killer whales are dependent on an environment that we may consider harsh. This presentation will cover the Arctic environment, Arctic amplification of climate change, and consequences for ecosystems.   ​

Image: Skeletal anatomy and wing shape in rock pigeons.

Across cultures and through history bird wings appear, grafted in their entirety, onto other beings or objects of symbols of speed or flight. Bneath the feathers lies a system of bones, muscles and tendons that governs flight mechanics in a very concrete way. Join us to explore the evolutionary story and anatomy of bird wings.

Above: Purple Martins (Progne subis) at Magee Marsh by Tom Fishburn.

Purple Martins are the largest swallow in Ohio. Nesting in colonies, usually martin boxes or gourds supplied by people, the birds are a sound of the summer. As the martins ready themselves for migration to Brazil, they will gather by the thousands around lakes and wetland habitats. Portage Lakes in Summit County is one of the areas in which the birds congregate. This program shares information about the life history of the martins as well as the importance of the habitats the birds need prior to migration as well as in South America.

Photo: Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) by Earl Peck, Annual Spring Bird Walk, May 2019

As a photographer and an amateur birder, WCAS member, Earl Peck, will share his photographs of birds in their natural habitats from his travels in many parts of the world. We’ll view hummingbirds in the US and Costa Rica, penguins on the Galapagos Islands, in Argentina, the Falklands, and South Georgia Island, and much more. Relax while we visit places and birds you want to see. ​

Photo: David Lindo by Nina Rangøy.

David Lindo, The Urban Birder, presents "How to Be an Urban Birder" at the Kirtland Bird Club Speaker Series, Wednesday evening, November 6, 2019 at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. David will talk about his urban birding experiences around the world in an effort to raise awareness and educate people on the importance of preservation and conservation of bird and wildlife habitat. ​

Photo: Red-headed Woodpecker in Bay Village, Ohio by Tom Fishburn.

For bird conservation efforts to be successful, conservation organizations in Ohio need to pool resources to maximize efforts to protect habitats and restore bird populations. Wildlife Biologist, Joseph Lautenbach, will discuss conservation partnerships and success stories throughout Ohio.