October 24-25, 2000
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.

The conference will focus on research (especially new unpublished work) relating to Willow Flycatcher biology, management, and conservation. It will include all Willow Flycatcher subspecies, with an emphasis on the Southwest, Sierra and Pacific Northwest populations that are of particular management and conservation interest. In addition to serving as a forum for presentation of recent research, the conference will highlight examples of successful habitat restoration or other conservation, management, or recovery actions. Sessions, special presentations, and/or panel discussions are planned on topics such as: research needs (from the perspective of researchers, resource managers, regulatory biologists, and others); cowbird impacts and cowbird control; the role of exotic and "altered" habitats in Willow Flycatcher ecology; and updates on status and distribution. Presentations on other bird species, or on riparian systems and ecology in general, are welcome if they have direct application to Willow Flycatcher ecology or conservation. Selected presentations will be published in a peer-reviewed conference proceedings.

The last two decades have seen increasing management concern and research effort directed toward the Willow Flycatcher, especially in the Southwest. Recent research is generating large amounts of new, as-yet unpublished information. Similarly, a number of recent management efforts have yielded important information on what does, and does not, help effect conservation of the flycatcher. In just the last few years, work on the Willow Flycatcher has expanded to the wintering grounds in Central America, providing data on winter ecology and conservation issues. The upcoming conference provides an excellent forum for researchers, resource managers, and the interested public to share lessons learned, on-going issues and concerns, and to chart a course for future research and conservation efforts.

The conference is sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and hosted by Arizona State University. A preliminary announcement will be mailed soon, and a call for papers will follow.

Visit http://www.usgs.nau.edu/wifl_conf/ for further conference information and registration. Contact Mark Sogge (520-556-7311 x 232; Mark.Sogge@nau.edu) for additional information and/or to discuss ideas for any special sessions or presentations which you may want to organize.