A Most Curious Shorebird: Secrets of the American Woodcock Revealed
March 22 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Join us at the Museum for an illustrated talk by Scott R. McWilliams, professor at the University of Rhode Island. The American Woodcock is a common (but declining) inhabitant of New England though this shorebird has abandoned the shores for the forests. Yet few of us have seen or heard this secretive bird, and even fewer know about the woodcocks’ way of life and how our land use over time has affected their populations. The secrets of this secretive shorebird will be revealed including its migration patterns, its unique mating system, its habitat needs, and how we can manage lands for their benefit.
When: Sunday, March 22, 2026
Time: 3-4 pm
Place: At the Museum, 2nd floor and virtual, via zoom
Scott McWilliams with Peregrine falcon
Prior to coming to URI, Scott McWilliams was a Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin (Madison). Scott earned his PhD from University of California at Davis where he studied the physiological ecology of arctic-nesting geese, and an MSc from Iowa State University where he studied the behavioral ecology of a threatened species of salamander. Scott earned a BA in Biology from Hiram College (Ohio). His research group primarily focuses on the nutrition, physiology, and ecology of wild vertebrates, with an emphasis on migratory birds of conservation interest. Current research topics include the physiology and ecology of songbirds during migration; habitat use, diet, and nutrition of arctic-nesting geese, sea ducks, and migratory songbirds; forest management to support healthy bird populations; exercise physiology of long-distance migratory songbirds; effects of climate change on migratory birds; how offshore wind farms affect migratory birds.
American Woodcock photo by David Small, USFWS
Meeting ID: 880 5313 5989
Passcode: 485518
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https://us02web.zoom.us/meetings/88053135989/invitations?signature=fG47br7WKIWlmzI3qoNyHahdKJSnIgNL2GouwwoVVns
