The Impact CFO and Our Members Have Had in 2024
When members and donors invest in Colorado Field Ornithologists through joining, attending events, donations, or volunteer efforts, CFO, in turn, strives to make the most impact with that support. Keep reading to see what CFO has accomplished so far in 2024 for birds and the habitats they need to survive.
Research Grants
CFO provides research grants every year to advance the understanding and preservation of our state’s birds and the habitats they depend on. In 2024, these grants funded seven research projects.
Successful proposals included “Genoscape and Migratory Connectivity of the Loggerhead Shrike”, “Determining the Correlation Between Bird Health and Oxidative Stress During Spring and Fall Migration”, and “Investigating Song Function in Female Birds Using Red-winged Blackbirds as a Model.” You can view all the past research grant recipients on the CFO website.
4th Annual Colorado Birding Challenge
Funds raised from the 2024 Colorado Birding Challenge supported the Conejos River Restoration Project. This river is the largest tributary to the Rio Grande in Colorado, both originate in the San Luis Valley. The Conejos system supports wildlife habitat, agricultural production, and outdoor recreation. The Conejos River Restoration Project, a partnership between the Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project and Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, addresses the need for multi-benefit restoration along four miles of the Conejos River.
Conservation Outreach
Conservation efforts to protect birds and their habitats are more important than ever in the years ahead.
As an organizational member of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Wildlife and Habitat Roundtable, CFO is following actions surrounding the updating and review of the Colorado State Wildlife Action Plan. The purpose of the State Wildlife Action Plan is to outline, guide, and prioritize the state’s fish and wildlife conservation needs. It will outline which species and habitats are the most vulnerable.
For the second year in a row, CFO is on the planning committee for the 2025 Partners in the Outdoors conference that will be held in April. The Partners in the Outdoors Conference is Colorado’s foremost opportunity to cultivate common ground, explore best practices of partnering, and design collaborative solutions with diverse voices and stakeholders to conserve Colorado’s outdoor heritage.
CFO Annual Convention
CFO returned to Lamar, Colorado this past May for its annual convention. An area that is truly one of the best locations in the state during spring migration. Birders of all levels came together for field trips, social activities, and a scientific session.
One of the highlights was the presentation by Dallas May (of the May Ranch) and Jonathan Reitz. Dallas May is a commissioner for Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the May family has worked closely with CPW for decades. Jonathan Reitz is a wildlife biologist for CPW and has been working closely with the May family to implement strategies that have contributed to the remarkable conservation efforts on the ranch. This includes healthy prairie dog colonies that support Burrowing Owls and allowed for the reintroduction of black-footed ferrets, habitat management for future populations of Lesser Prairie-Chicken, and encouraging beaver activity that enhances Black Rail habitat. The May Ranch and Jonathan received CFO’s first-ever Land Steward Appreciation Award at the convention.
Colorado Birds Journal
Colorado Birds continues to be the gold standard of regional ornithology journals. Colorado Birds provides in-depth coverage of the identification, distribution, behavior, ecology, and conservation of the state’s avifauna.
In each issue, readers learn about notable bird occurrences throughout the state, practical field identification tips, interesting bird feeding behaviors, plus information on CFO activities. The full archive of past Colorado Birds since 1967 are available online.
Dinosaur Ridge Hawk Watch
CFO continues to support the Dinosaur Ridge Hawk Watch, coordinated by Denver Field Ornithologists, by contributing towards hiring the professional hawk watch counter. Hawk Watch is a community science project that tracks raptor numbers while teaching participants how to identify migrating birds of prey and observe their behavioral traits. Visitors are welcome at the Dinosaur Ridge Hawk Watch site during spring migration. Birders of all skill levels are welcome to participate.
Dead of Winter Knowledge Quest – Speaker Series
Our 2023/2024 Speaker Series presentation (aka Dead of Winter Knowledge Quest) once again hit a lot of high marks with presentations including Dr. Kyle Horton from CSU on spring migration and Hannah Floyd on how to use iNaturalist. The 2024/2025 season kicked off on November 20th with Eric DeFonso talking about birding in New Zealand. If you missed these presentations, you can view them on CFO’s YouTube channel.
Our Community
Our newsletter, sent every other month, continues to gain popularity with its mix of CFO event information, birding news, and highlights of resources that CFO has to offer. CFO’s social media presence continues to grow; 7,500 members of the CFO Facebook Discussion Group (it is a private group to avoid spam, all are welcome to join) and nearly 400 followers on Instagram. Follow the CFO Facebook page to get the latest updates on events and other opportunities. We also sponsor the popular COBirds Google group.
These events and resources, and so much more, are only possible through the support of our members and donors. To allow us to continue our mission for birders like you to study, conserve, and enjoy Colorado’s birds, we hope you will continue to support CFO in the future. Thank you.
