presented by Charles B. van Rees

The talk will be divided into two parts:  first, Charles will present research on migratory gull behavior from his Fulbright fellowship at Doñana biological station in Seville, Spain, and then review some of the species and places that make Spain one of Europe’s ultimate birdwatching destinations. The presentation focuses on Doñana National Park, Europe’s largest protected area, and the first place ever protected by the World Wildlife Fund. This incredible landscape is a World Heritage Site, with evidence of human use and habitation as far back as the Phoencians, and which supports a vibrant array of ecosystems from aeolian dune systems to massive Mediterranean wetland complexes. More than 300 bird species move through or breed in the park, and it sports dozens of endemic, and often endangered reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and plants.

Charles B. van Rees is a conservation scientist, naturalist, and nature communicator with a professional background in ornithology, animal behaviour, and wetland ecology. From 2019-2021 he worked as a postdoctoral research scientist at Flathead Lake Biological Station and recently accepted a position at the Odum School of Ecology and River Basin Center at the University of Georgia in Athens. His past research has focused on the ecology and conservation of endangered Hawaiian waterbirds, the habitat use of migratory gulls in southern Spain, and technological innovations to manage aquatic invasive species in Northwest Montana. Outside of his scientific career, Charles provides interpretation and guiding in natural history, and is a co-host/co-producer for the popular American natural history podcast, The Nature Guys.

The program will be presented through the online Zoom platform on May 10, 2021, at 7pm Mountain Time (you can hop on at 6:30pm to chat with fellow FAS members). Check your emailed Pileated Post for the link or email us at info@flatheadaudubon.org requesting the link with instructions to connect.

The program is free and open to the public.