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North American Ornithological Conference
Hot Topics in the Tropics (2012)
North American Ornithological Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia: 18 August 2012
Symposium Organizers
- Janet Ruth, retired from USGS Arid Lands Field Station, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA.
- Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY
14850 USA; 607-254-2412, 607-254-2104 (FAX); kvr2@cornell.edu - Carol J. Beardmore, Fish and Wildlife Service – Sonoran Joint Venture, 2321 W. Royal Palm Rd. Suite 103, Phoenix, AZ 85021; 602-242-0524 x 248, 602-242-2513fax;
Carol_Beardmore@fws.gov - Wendy Easton, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, Pacific Wildlife Research
Centre, R.R.1, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta BC V4K 3N2 Canada; 604-940-4673, Fax 604-946-7022; wendy.easton@ec.gc.ca
Neotropical migratory birds continue to decline, despite decades of research and conservation planning; clearly a more integrative, full-life-cycle approach is necessary, that links primary research to on-the-ground conservation. The objective of this symposium is to engage avian researchers, especially students and post-docs, in a dialogue with conservation practitioners about the most important questions and research priorities that must be addressed to enable
the conservation of Neotropical migratory birds on their wintering grounds. Conservation of migratory birds requires coordinated actions throughout their life cycle, including research on seasonal connectivity between breeding and non-breeding locations, and on important factors limiting survival and productivity throughout the life cycle. Yet, relatively few studies have enabled the targeting of effective conservation actions to benefit migrants (and associated residents) on the wintering grounds. It is crucial to focus on research efforts that answer the most important questions about full life-cycle connectivity and limiting factors as applied to conservation; thus, this symposium will identify these critical gaps and also highlight novel techniques and technologies that enable us to address key questions in new ways.