Evening Speaker Series – Common Nighthawks (LOCATION CHANGE)

Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory is famous for the large hawk flights that occur in the airspace over Duluth every fall. However, less well known (and understood) is a wide range of additional migratory events that occur during the same season. Observers collect data of continental significance of migrating nighthawks, warblers, finches, and many other species as they exit the boreal forest to the north and west of Duluth. This program will discuss how these data are collected, what they are used for, and why they are important. The Common Nighthawk will be used as an example of what can be done to analyze these visible migration counts and why it is imperative that they continue into the future. Prepare for a fun evening of tales of massive migratory flights, photographs of birds in flight, and just a dash of statistics.