Yakima Valley College, in collaboration with the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy, presents the 2022 Winter Talk Series. The series explores current issues related to the Yakima Valley region’s environment and ecosystems and features guest lecturers who are subject matter experts in a variety of disciplines. Admission is free and open to the community.
The Odd Life of an Underground Owl: Tracking Imperiled Western Burrowing Owls
Presenter: Courtney Conway, University of Idaho Professor and Director of the U.S.
Geological Survey’s Idaho Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit
Tuesday, January 18, 2022 • 7:00pm • Register for talk
Courtney Conway will dig into the unique underground lives of the Western burrowing owl. In addition to sharing data describing the species’ population declines over the past 60 years, Conway will share what we do and don’t know about the life history of an imperiled bird. Conway’s recent research, which involves attaching tracking devices to over 300 owls, reveals previously unknown behavior and migratory patterns that could prove valuable in making conservation decisions to protect the owl’s breeding and wintering sites.
Conway is a professor of wildlife sciences with the University of Idaho and the director of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Idaho Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit. His research focuses on wildlife management, conservation biology, behavioral ecology and life history evolution. He has won numerous awards for teaching as well as research and service excellence.
For more information: 509.574.4869.