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Rhode Island’s Coastal Birds: Spotlight on Piping Plovers and Saltmarsh Sparrows
at The Museum of Natural History and Planetarium
When: Thursday, August 10, 6pm-7:30pm, includes Ornithology Museum Vault Tour
Program fee: $7 per person per program/$5 per person for Museum, RWP Zoo, RI Audubon and RWP Botanical Center Members . Pre-registration is required. Capacity is limited.
Come learn about Rhode Island’s coastal habitats with Nick Ernst and Maureen Durkin, Wildlife biologists at Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, in this special program at the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in Roger Williams Park. Discover how these habitats are home to a wide variety of different bird species that rely on our dune systems, rocky shores, and salt marshes for breeding, wintering, and migration stopover sites. We’ll highlight two of those species, piping plovers and saltmarsh sparrows, that are both of conservation concern but use different strategies to adapt to life in coastal habitats. Piping plovers are a federally threatened species that nest and raise their young on Atlantic Coast beaches, including here in Rhode Island. Saltmarsh sparrows are a small songbird endemic to the Eastern U.S., where they spend their entire life cycle in tidal marshes. Their tidal marsh habitats are shrinking and threatened by sea level rise, leading to conservation groups in RI to partner on efforts to restore their habitat. Learn about the biology of both these incredible species, their current status in Rhode Island, and ongoing management efforts. Following the discussion participants will be invited to visit the Museum Ornithology Collection vault in a private tour. Programming is part of the Dinosaurs Among Us lecture series. Learn more about the North American Songbird SAFE program and ways to live bird friendly.
Bios:
Nick Ernst is a wildlife biologist for the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, where he has focused on habitat restoration, New England cottontails, tidal marsh birds, and native plant conservation for 10 years.
Maureen Durkin is a wildlife biologist for the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, where she has overseen beach-nesting bird conservation and management in South County and Aquidneck Island since 2019.