The Ecology of Migratory Songbirds

DERBY — “There and Back Again: The Ecology of Migratory Songbirds” will be presented by Dr Robert Askins on Tuesday, December 16, at 7:30 pm.

Dr Askins, a professor of biology at Connecticut College, is nationally recognized for his research of the ecology of migratory birds and the impact of forest fragmentation on their populations.

Bird migration has been one of the great mysteries of biology. Some songbirds travel thousands of miles, crossing featureless oceans and deserts, as they migrate from their northern breeding territories to winter territories in the tropics. Emphasizing recent research on forest warblers, Dr Askins will describe the yearly cycle of migratory birds. Dr Askins will explore differences in their behavior and habitat requirements in summer and winter, and discuss the migratory journey, focusing on how birds navigate accurately over such great distances and the importance of migratory stopover sites where they refuel along the way. Appreciation of the color and excitement of a spring or fall “warbler wave” will be heightened by knowing more about where these birds are going and how they will find their way.

Kellogg Environmental Center is at 500 Hawthorne Avenue in Derby, just off Route 34. A donation of $4 is requested.

For further information, directions or to register, call the environmental center at 734-2513.