Public Lecture Series @Port Aransas – Nicole Wonderlin

The public lecture series features in-person presentations by scientists on their research and programs, free for everyone to attend. Lectures are held at 7:00 PM, with doors opening at 6:30 PM.

Using Technology to Understand Migratory Bird Use of Coastal Habitat

The Texas coastal ecoregion provides wintering and migratory stopover habitat for 98% of the long-distance migratory bird species of North America. These habitats are essential for birds to rest and refuel as they make their journey. Unfortunately, coastal habitats face increasing threats due to human modification of the environment and the effects of climate change, such as sea level rise. To understand how these environmental changes affect migratory birds, my collaborators and I have established a network of automatic sensors at key sites around Port-Aransas to monitor local bird communities and how they are changing over time. In this talk, I will discuss the exciting opportunities that sensing technology provides for monitoring bird populations, including bioacoustics analysis of birdsong and radio telemetry to detect tagged migratory birds passing through the region. From this sensing network, we hope to broaden our understanding of migratory bird use of critical Texas Gulf Coast habitat across space and time.