Presented by Sarah Haley Stewart, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, recipient of a 2022 Kendeigh Grant

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Meeting ID: 858 0337 5009

Overview

The period of time between when a young songbird leaves its nest (fledges) and leaves the territory where it was hatched (disperses) is very risky. “Mortality rates are greatest directly after leaving the nest,” Sarah explains, and so “fledglings often need to use different habitats than those used by adults [to benefit from] greater physical cover from predators and the elements.” Little is known about the post-fledging ecology of the Eastern Whip-poor-will, a species that lays its eggs directly on the ground and cares for its young for up to three weeks after they fledge. The species is declining, and so Sarah used radio-tags on whip-poor-will fledglings to better understand their survival rates and habitat use, to inform habitat conservation efforts. The Kendeigh Grant she received was used to the cost of nine radio transmitters and associated supplies.

About Our Monthly Programs:

Guest speakers present on a variety of topics throughout the year. Programs were historically held at the Urbana Free Library auditorium and are currently held online via Zoom (no programs in January, June, July, or August).