Bird expert to speak at Wood River Master Naturalist Spring Series
BY MARIA PREKEGES
Many migratory birds make the Wood River Valley their home at some point throughout the year. Outdoor enthusiasts interested in learning about these birds, their migration paths and the hardships and dangers they encounter should attend a migratory bird discussion from 1-4 p.m. on Friday, May 20, at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden.
The discussion will be led by Terry Rich, former Partners in Flight national coordinator. In a presentation titled “Bird Migration and Conservation,” Rich will talk about how people can get involved in not just enjoying birds, but in learning how to help protect them. The presentation is part of the Wood River Master Naturalist Spring Series.
Rich is considered an expert on migratory birds. He has a B.S. degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.S. degree in Zoology from Idaho State University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Boise State University, where he is learning and teaching about the application of conservation.
Rich served as the National Migratory Bird Program coordinator for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from 1992-2000, and as Partners in Flight national coordinator from 2000-2014.
Rich noted in an interview that numerous species of migratory birds pass through the Wood River Valley each year, displaying various types of migratory behavior.
“This is complicated,” he said. “We typically think of the species that spend the winter south of Idaho, in Mexico, Central America and South America, and then return to Idaho to breed. But there are also species that only go as far south as Arizona and New Mexico.
“Further, there are species that migrate into Idaho during the winter from the Arctic,” Rich said. “There are also species that migrate downslope from the mountains and winter in the valleys of Idaho. We call these altitudinal migrants. There are dozens of species in each category and it would take me a while to tally them.”
Idaho Department of Fish and Game Regional Wildlife Biologist Ross Winton said the Valley is visited by a variety of migratory birds.
“We have a very diverse group of migratory species that move through the Wood River Valley each year,” Winton said. “We see everything from hummingbirds to songbirds to swans and sandhill cranes.
“While many species merely travel through as they head north, hundreds of species will migrate to the Valley to breed, nest and raise young before they head back south in the fall. Some of the more visible species are swans, sandhill cranes and long-billed curlew, which like to forage in agricultural fields in the spring and fall, in addition to many of our birds of prey species, almost all of which migrate, to some extent.”
When asked about declining numbers of migratory birds, and the dangers they face, Rich said the issue is complicated.
“There are species listed by the federal government as threatened or endangered,” Rich said. “But there are many more species of conservation concern due to declining populations. The latter have been identified by bird conservation partnerships such as Partners in Flight.
“The ultimate problem is always human population growth,” Rich said. “This is unending and not addressed by leadership due to the many taboos in our society. Human population growth causes every other problem. Chief among these is loss of habitat due to roads, buildings, agriculture, and disturbance.
“The leading direct cause of death of birds is cats.”