Media Contacts:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Pat Leonard, pel27@cornell.edu, (607) 254-2137
American Bird Conservancy: Jordan Rutter, jerutter@abcbirds.org, (202) 888-7472
Environment and Climate Change Canada: ec.media.ec@canada.ca, (819) 938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free)
Bird Conservancy of the Rockies: Arvind Panjabi, arvind.panjabi@birdconservancy.org, (970) 482-1707 x20
Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center: Annalisa Meyer, meyeran@si.edu, (202) 633-3081
Experts for Interview:
Ken Rosenberg (lead author)
Applied Conservation Scientist
Cornell Lab of Ornithology and American Bird Conservancy
Dr. Rosenberg works at the interface between research, conservation planning, and environmental policy. He is an expert in synthesizing and interpreting research on the status and distribution of bird populations, and engages with wildlife managers and policy-makers to ensure that conservation decisions are based on the best available science. Dr. Rosenberg serves on the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) U.S. Committee and is the lead scientist on NABCI’s annual State of the Birds Reports. In addition, he studies the critical role that stopover sites and habitats play for migratory birds after they travel south of the U.S. to Central and South America.
adriaAn dokter (Radar ornithology)
Research Associate
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Dr. Dokter uses weather radar networks as well as individual tags to address questions in migration ecology, including when and where birds migrate, when and where birds die within the annual cycle, and how shifting patterns in mortality and recruitment of young birds cause bird abundances to change. His research bridges the disciplines of ecology, computer science, physics, and meteorology, addressing questions about the effects of global change on the distribution and seasonal migration of birds.
Adam C. Smith (statistical analyses and models of North American bird populations and changes over time)
Senior Biostatistician
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Dr. Smith is Senior Biostatistician with the Canadian Wildlife Service, a branch of Environment and Climate Change Canada, and an adjunct professor at Carleton University. He specializes in using large datasets of bird observations to track the status of bird populations and to investigate the causes behind changes in those populations.
Arvind Panjabi (Grassland and aridland MIGRATORY BIRDS)
Avian Conservation Scientist
Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
Dr. Punjabi is a key player in development and implementation of monitoring programs aimed at these species. He works closely with Partners in Flight, manages the PIF Species Assessment Database, and was instrumental in applying the PIF assessment process to the Mexican avifauna, in conjunction with federal and NGO partners in Mexico. Dr. Punjabi has also been involved in species assessment coalition efforts across wider Central America.
MICHAEL PARR
President
American Bird Conservancy
Mike Parr joined the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) in 1996 after graduating from the University of East Anglia, UK, and working for BirdLife International. He has coauthored several books including: Parrots - A Guide to the Parrots of the World, Important Bird Areas in the United States, and The American Bird Conservancy Guide to Bird Conservation, along with numerous articles and papers. He is Chair of the Alliance for Zero Extinction and a member of the Board of Directors of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
Peter Marra (Ecology, migratory patterns, decline of birds across the Western Hemisphere)
Director, Georgetown Environment Initiative
Emeritus Senior Scientist, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center
Peter Marra the Laudato Si’ Professor of Biology and the Environment at Georgetown University. His research in avian conservation science has three broad themes, including the ecology of migratory birds, urban ecosystem ecology, and disease ecology. Marra's primary interests lie in understanding the factors that control population persistence and dynamics, so his research examines the roles of climate, habitat, food, and pathogens, as well as other anthropogenic sources of mortality on the individual condition of both migratory and resident birds.