Proceedings Of The Ninety-Second Annual Meeting

Abstract

The Ninety-sixth Annual Meeting of The Wilson Ornithological Society was held in joint conference with the Association of Field Ornithologists and the Society of Canadian Ornithologists-Societe des ornithologistes du Canada, from Wednesday, 15 July, through Sunday, 19 July, 2015, on the campus of Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, which hosted the meeting. Dave Shutler of the Department of Biology, Acadia University, chaired the Committee on Local Arrangements, which also included Colleen Barber, Andrew Boyne, Carina Gjerdrum, Andrew Horn, Marty Leonard, Mark Mallory, Cindy Staicer, and Phil Taylor, with help from Terry Aulenbach, Avery Bartel, Brenda Bigelow, Morgan Brown, Duane Currie, Tammy Gregory, Kayoung Heo, Christine Kendrick, Katrien Kingdon, Sarah Klapstein, Sarah MacDougall, Emma McIntyre, Karissa Reischke, Brent Robicheau, Dave Schultz, Larissa Simulik, Richard Stern, Dan Sweeney, Lisa Taul, Allison Walker, Jake Walker, Nicole Weisner, and Brett VanBlarcom. The Council met from 13:08 to 17:14 on Wednesday, 15 July, and again from 08:37 to 12:16 on Thursday, 16 July, in the Acadia Room of the K. C. Irving Environmental Science Centre, Acadia University. That evening (Thursday) there was an icebreaker opening reception for the conferees and guests at Fountain Commons. The scientific program began on Friday morning in Festival Theater with the WOS Margaret Morse Nice Plenary Lecture, cosponsored by SCO-SOC, delivered by the 2015 Margaret Morse Nice Medal recipient, Erica (Ricky) Dunn, Research Scientist Emeritus, Environment Canada, and titled “Bird observatories: diversity and opportunity.” On Saturday morning James F. Dwyer, Research Scientist, EDM International, presented the AFO plenary lecture, “Range sizes and habitats of nonbreeding Crested Caracaras: implications for the evolution of communal roosting.” The scientific program also included 98 papers organized into 12 sessions; 20 papers organized into three symposia on the ecology and conservation of landbird species at risk: Rusty Blackbirds (Euphagus carolinus) and Canada Warblers (Cardellina canadensis), measuring the impact of bird conservation programs, and bird migration in Atlantic Canada and the Gulf of Maine; and 68 poster presentations. On Friday and Saturday morning, before the plenary sessions, the Local Committee hosted field trips to local birding spots, including Miner’s Marsh and Evangeline Beach. On Sunday, conferees enjoyed longer outings, including a trip to Brier Island to observe pelagic birds and whales, a visit to Cape Split on the Bay of Fundy, and a tour of four local wineries. On Saturday evening there was a social gathering prior to the annual banquet. The evening events included dinner and afterwards Acting WOS Secretary Lindsey Walters, on behalf of all assembled, thanked the Local Committee for a successful conference. She then commended retiring WOS President Bob Curry for his many contributions to the society thus far, as the society looks forward to his continued service in his new role as First Past-President. The following WOS awards, grants, and commendations were presented at the banquet: