Monthly Meetings

Donald Grant Mitchell was drawn to nature from a very early age. Growing up on a farm in Salem, Connecticut, nature was always close at hand. Educated in the classics, Mitchell had a studied knowledge of the philosophy of beauty, especially the beauty of nature, through his exposure to the great writers and philosophers from an earlier time. His farm,

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Due to a COVID outbreak in the New Haven Area we are going to do this presentation remotely.  Members will get an email with the details.   This presentation will provide the history and management of Wild Turkeys in our state. Topics include the rise and fall of turkey populations, life history, predators, management programs, and vocalizations. Paul Benjuntas will demonstrate

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(NOTE: This is a virtual presentation; the Zoom link will be sent to members via the NHBC email group) Armenia is a landlocked country surrounded by Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. It has a total area of just under 12,000 square miles, mostly mountainous, and from time immemorial has been a migration route for birds between the European continent and

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Many of the New Haven Bird Club members participated in the Connecticut Bird Atlas project in 2018-21. Join us for an early look into the results of the CT Bird Atlas project with Dr. Chris Elphick, an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut. His work focuses on the conservation ecology of

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WINGSPAN GAME NIGHT   The New Haven Bird Club will hold a Game Night for anyone who plays, or is interested in learning how to play Wingspan on Friday, March 17 from 7:00 to 9:30 p.m at the Whitney Center's Cultural Arts Center (same room where NHBC Monthly Meetings are held).   WINGSPAN is a board game that debuted in 2019 that uses bird behavior and characteristics to control the flow of the

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Most birds do not have a penis, and most ornithologists have not thought about bird penises much. However, evolutionarily, the loss of this organ in birds is an extremely significant event: why lose an organ that seems so handy to get sperm close to female eggs? The few birds that have kept their penis may offer some insights as to

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Thursday September 14, 2023 – Dr. Sylvia Halkin We start off our indoor program year with a presentation on Northern Cardinals by Dr. Sylvia Halkin, Professor Emerita at Central Connecticut State University. Her talk will include a description of how Northern Cardinals use their song repertoires to communicate with one another, plus information about changes in their song over the

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The New Haven Bird Club will hold a Game Night for anyone who plays, or is interested in learning how to play Wingspan on Friday, September 22nd from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m at the Whitney Center's Cultural Arts Center, 200 Leeder Hill Drive, Hamden CT (same room where NHBC Monthly Meetings are held).   WINGSPAN is a board game that debuted in 2019 that uses bird behavior and characteristics to control the flow

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Ken Elkins will discuss a special program he co-developed called “Bird Tales” for reaching people living with dementia. The program encourages connections with birds on a multi-sensory level, through sight, sound, smell, and touch. Ken is Director of the Connecticut Audubon Society Coastal Center at Milford Point.

The New Haven Bird Club will hold a Game Night for anyone who plays, or is interested in learning how to play Wingspan on Saturday October 14th from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m at the Whitney Center's Cultural Arts Center, 200 Leeder Hill Drive, Hamden CT (same room where NHBC Monthly Meetings are held).   WINGSPAN is a board game that debuted in 2019 that uses bird

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2023 is the 30th anniversary of the Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp Program. Min will review the program and its impacts. Min serves as Migratory Bird Program Leader in the Wildlife Division, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut.

Join us for an online presentation showcasing a Texas tour by leader Frank Gallo of Sunrise Birding. Prepare to be transported on a captivating journey through some of Texas' most breathtaking birding destinations, where you'll have the opportunity to encounter numerous remarkable species. We will not be meeting in person for this presentation.

Join Sam Merker, postdoctoral researcher at the University of Connecticut, for an engaging presentation on the captivating life-history of the American Bittern. Discover insights into current research, including what researchers hope to uncover using data from the Connecticut Bird Atlas.  ******************************************************************************************* Please note: This meeting will be virtual only.  Members are sent a link to the meeting.

Embark on a virtual tour of Colombia's bird species with biologist and tour guide Diego Calderon. He has more than a decade of experience leading bird tours. His adventurous expeditions have taken him to remote areas, including the Pirre and Santa Marta Mountains, where he captured remarkable photographs and voice recordings of elusive birds like the Blue-bearded Helmetcrest and Santa

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Join Charles Roberto, birder extraordinaire and esteemed board member of the Teatown Lake Reservation, a nonprofit nature preserve and environmental education center in Westchester County, New York. He will guide us in an unforgettable exploration of Québec's mesmerizing Gaspé Peninsula. Experience the beauty of this enchanting region through stunning images captured during a trip with the National Audubon Society.

Join us to learn about Common Ground. Located in New Haven, it is the nation's longest-running environmental charter school, creating the next generation of successful college students and powerful environmental leaders. Our speaker will be Joel Tolman, a passionate educator and environmentalist who currently serves as Director of Community Impact & Engagement at Common Ground. NOTE: The April meeting is

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NOTE: For all hybrid indoor programs, the (in-person) social half-hour begins at 7 p.m. and the meeting and program begin at 7:30 p.m. After 11,000 years of Indigenous Peoples’ history and more than 400 years of inhabitants from Europe and the rest of the globe, New England presents us with a uniquely humanized American landscape. The soft, domesticated contours of

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Join Chris as he takes us through the various sparrow species found in Connecticut at the height of sparrow migration. Learn facts and useful ID points for these entertaining but underappreciated birds. Chris will discuss the sparrow species from the most to the least common. Chris is past-President of the New Haven Bird Club and the Connecticut Ornithological Association, the

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Don't be shy! This is your chance to shine! Members' Night is all about sharing your favorite photos, stories, and/or memories from birding adventures and bird club activities. You'll be among fellow birding enthusiasts who will truly appreciate your experiences. Details, including how to volunteer as a presenter, will be announced via the Club email group and on our website.

Join us for a presentation by local raptor specialist, Joseph Zbyrowski, during which he will emphasize barn owl characteristics, physical features, and behavior. He will also discuss restoration methods to encourage owls to nest and reproduce. Joseph has been working with hawks and owls for more than 30 years. He is a retired teacher of environmental science; master bird-bander; and

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The NHBC was organized on April 3, 1907. In the lead-up to the Club’s centennial in 2008, John did extensive research on NHBC’s history. This included stories about the women and men who have contributed to the Club’s success over the last century. John will review the highlights of those 100 years and bring us up-to-date with additions to the

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**This virtual-only meeting will start at 7p.m.** Dr. Joan Morrison will share highlights from her research on the federally threatened Crested Caracaras in Florida, uncovering new insights into their breeding biology, diet, social behavior, and spatial ecology. Her work has been pivotal in understanding these birds; their intelligence and gregarious nature makes them challenging to study. The primary threat to

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**This virtual-only meeting will start at 7p.m.** Historically redlined neighborhoods are the most undersampled urban areas for bird biodiversity today, a fact which can impact conservation priorities and further urban environmental inequities. Diego Ellis Soto’s research in this area goes beyond the traditional extent of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and takes a look into the role humans

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Why is it that a large group of birders can look at one species and all of them will misidentify it? Why do certain people consistently find an inordinate number of rare birds? Why are some birders seemingly able to identify birds at great distance on brief or distant views with Ninja-like ability? These questions and many more will be

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