From Declines to Recovery: A Half Century of Changes in Migratory Songbird Abundance on Block Island

Join us for a VIRTUAL illustrated talk by DPNC Outreach Coordinator Lauren Michael, who draws on more than 50 years of bird banding data from Block Island Banding Station – where each fall, thousands of young songbirds pass through on their first migration south.

This talk explores the history of one of the longest running bird-banding stations in North America, as well as how migratory songbird populations on Block Island have changed over time. By looking closely at long-term patterns, we uncover a more nuanced—and more hopeful—story about migratory songbirds, and what it may mean for their conservation today.

WHEN: Sunday, May 10, 2026
TIME: 4 p.m.
PLACE: Virtual via zoom

Lauren Michael is the Outreach Coordinator at the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center in Mystic, CT. Before stepping into this role, she spent most of her twenties crisscrossing North America as a field biologist, studying a wide range of bird species — from songbirds and seabirds to the elusive rail. She received her MSc from the University of Rhode Island, where she studied long-term trends in migratory songbirds on Block Island, RI. Lauren earned a BA in Biology from Kenyon College in Gambier, OH.

Above Myrtle Warbler photo by Bonello, Jake, Public Domain via FWS