Presentation on “Rallidae (Rails): Uncovering the migration habits of secretive birds.”

On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, at 7 p.m., Dr. Auriel Fournier will give a presentation on “Rallidae (Rails): Uncovering the migration habits of secretive birds.” The event will take place at Illinois Wesleyan University Room C101 at the Center for Natural Science (CNS), 201 Beecher Street, Bloomington. A description follows.

Rails are a group of wetland birds known for their secretive behavior, which brings challenges in studying their migration and other aspects of their natural history. Dr. Fournier will present her research to better understand the migratory patterns of rails, what habitats they use, which will help us better understand how wetlands across their annual cycle can be managed to meet their needs, as well as for other wetland bird species. Dr. Fournier, an Assistant Research Scientist at the Illinois Natural History Survey, is the Director of the Forbes Biological Station in Havana, Illinois. In addition to her roles as researcher and field station director, she has also established an impressive leadership stature at national and international levels. Dr. Fournier is the recipient of a 2022 Early Career Investigator Award from the Prairie Research Institute. As Chair of the Gulf of Mexico Avian Monitoring Network Coordination Committee, she is a major contributor on two important reports on state-of-the-art approaches to monitoring and managing bird populations in the northern Gulf of Mexico. This year, the Gulf of Mexico Avian Monitoring Network was recognized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with a Regional Director’s Honor Award.