A Tale of Two Species:

Conservation conundrums for

Pintails and Swallows
 

Dr. Bob Clark | Tuesday Apriol 26, 2016

6:30-9:00 pm - The Woods Alehouse, Saskatoon, SK

Canadian Prairie landscapes are among most productive in the world for a diverse community of breeding birds due in large part to the wide variety of wetland and upland habitats in this region.  Yet, these natural habitats and the wildlife these habitats support have been under pressure from loss and degradation for years, representing an ongoing challenge for conservation agencies.  A further complication is that most locally breeding birds migrate to distant areas during the non-breeding seasons where they are exposed to similar and unique threats, making it quite difficult to determine with certainty where, when and why bird populations are most limited. I plan to guide you through the annual cycle of two species of migratory birds for which there are deep conservation concerns, the northern pintail (a duck) and the tree swallow (a songbird).  I hope to give you some insights into the distinct travels and lifestyles of pintails and swallows, and also highlight some reasons why we should consider the history of their populations as indicators of our environment and well-being.  Given the remarkable resilience of prairie habitats and wildlife, there are many ways that we could help these species and I intend to suggest some ideas to achieve this goal.