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I (Mary Whitfield) will contact Kristen Ruegg about her plans with the YBCU and find out what her timeline and needs are. I'll report back to the group once I find out.

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revise data that is collected during cuckoo surveys

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revise data that is collected during cuckoo surveys

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Is there additional useful information that could be collected during surveys?

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Is there additional useful information that could be collected during surveys?

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Review information on pesticide effects on birds

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Review information on pesticide effects on birds

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Foster Reliable Citizen Science to Improve Understanding of Species Presence in Northern Latitudes

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Foster Reliable Citizen Science to Improve Understanding of Species Presence in Northern Latitudes

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1) In western Colorado, nearly half of the historical detections come from residential forested as riparian forested. 2) More than 90% of riparian habitat in western CO is privately owned. 3) Nearly half of all historical detections in western CO have occurred passively/unsolicited by citizen scientists (drinking coffee on their porch, window strike, etc.) than detections actively solicited by call-playback survey.

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Develop Southern Wings project targeted at Gran Chaco and reforestation.

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Seek incentives for private landowners within breeding range of western DPS (including Mexico) to maintain/restore habitat.

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Seek incentives for private landowners within breeding range of western DPS (including Mexico) to maintain/restore habitat.

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Since prey base is thought to be important, research on the impact of pesticides seems key

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Investigate the importance of adjacent land use (ag, residential, natural, etc.) to YBCU occupancy and productivity.

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the YBCU WG could maybe do more on international activities than what could be implemented through a FWS recovery plan

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the YBCU WG could maybe do more on international activities than what could be implemented through a FWS recovery plan

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Compile Funding Sources we have mentioned

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Compile Funding Sources we have mentioned

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Break out group discussions could be organized in a one page doc or bullet list. And posted online to use as a reference

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1. Identify linked populations.
2. Where and when in the full annual life cycle is survivorship the lowest?
3. Collect vital rates and develop full annual cycle demographic models for linked populations (breeding, stopover, and wintering).

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Including suggestions by John Stanek to incorporate insect surveys into our monitoring efforts - PJW

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Focused research, similar to what has been done in AZ, NM, and the LCR, at a site more northern site.

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Focused research, similar to what has been done in AZ, NM, and the LCR, at a site more northern site.

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That extensive body of research is excellent and groundbreaking, but the results of cuckoo behavior (e.g. responsiveness, home range, movement) may be different at the more northern latitudes. Research could focus on one of the populations in Colorado, Utah, or Idaho.

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Riparian Restoration assisting with Carbon Credits and Climate Change

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Riparian Restoration assisting with Carbon Credits and Climate Change

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It seems like restoration could be tied into carbon credits, so possibly another funding source there? And of course riparian can slow flooding and increase ground water recharge.

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large-bodied insect abundances; availability of healthy low-elevation floodplain/arid woodland; temperature extremes

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Build 'ecological literacy' capacity in non-biologist professionals

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Build 'ecological literacy' capacity in non-biologist professionals

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Develop and/or support  cross-training in biology/ecology for 'built environment' practitioners. These folks are where the rubber hits the road - they are planning, designing, building and managing our cities, dams, irrigation diversions, farm fields, pivots, roads, subdivisions, earthwork, railroads, powerlines, etc. (Probably should include elected officials in that, but that's a whole other can of worms.) Consider your immediate sphere of influence.

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Some of the other topics here such as identifying critical research questions would certainly be useful. State agency or USFWS contacts can likely help identify funding sources for research, monitoring, or restoration.  A few that come to mind: NM Dept. of Game and Fish provides small grants every year through Share With Wildlife (the call usually goes out in May, topics based on agency priorities https://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/conservation/share-with-wildlife/), NMED's River Stewardship Program includes wildlife habitat (https://www.env.nm.gov/surface-water-quality/river-stewardship-program/), the Sonoran Joint Venture has a grant program (https://sonoranjv.org/funding/), NRCS for private lands

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The YBCU WG could propose recommendations for conservation that could begin immediately and outside of any FWS timelines. These recommendations and any outcomes can inform the Recovery planning process in the next few years.

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Another opportunity for low-hanging fruit on the breeding ground is in the LCR where reclamation has already invested heavily in restoring cuckoo habitat. Portions could be re-entered to provide younger habitat which has been found to be favored by cuckoos for nesting in that area. See Raulston talk from this symposium.

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A specific example of low-hanging fruit where stakeholders are already receptive to managing for cuckoo habitat is in the Sacramento river system where they are planning several large levee setback constructions and restoration for outmigrating Chinook salmon.

Interestingly, Chinook salmon restoration includes riparian tree plantings and flow management in the spring potentially ideal for creating and maintaining cuckoo habitat as well.  https://resources.ca.gov/CNRALegacyFiles/docs/ecorestore/projects/Southport_Setback_Levee.pdf

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We know they like understory and multi-layered riparian so focus restoration/planting/river flow projects on degraded habitat within designated critical habitat and nearby

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What are adjacent  land uses and how do they impact YBCU occupancy?

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This is where Structured Decision making could really help. The first few steps of SDM involve getting stakeholders together at the table and involving them throughout the process of developing values, goals and objectives, coming up with alternative strategies to get to the goals. They are there throughout the development of a quantitative model that uses scientific knowledge, expert advice, and data together with sensitivity and value of information to come up with an answer that stakeholders agree on. To me, the whole process of road to recovery is basically SDM. I suggest we model our efforts after the Rosy Finch working group and find a working group coordinator. As some of us have discussed already, this would involve getting a grant to hire someone.

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Identify stakeholders and foster more collaboration. Locate Gran Chaco partners and others along the migration route.

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Identify linked populations using blood and feather samples. https://www.ioes.ucla.edu/person/kristen-ruegg/

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Model survivorship from bird banding, recapture, and resighting data.

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Coordinated, multi-year survey effort across range of western DPS.  The C-SWG grant for 2022 is AWESOME!  Multiple consecutive years would be better :-)

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Prey base - throughout the annual life cycle

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Habitat loss on wintering grounds.

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Limited suitable breeding habitat - lost riparian plus many stands are overstory only.

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The cuckoo WG could propose detailed recommendations on specific on the ground adaptive conservation that the USFWS may not be able to make due to liability. An example could include conservation in low-hanging fruit areas with receptive stakeholders to be implemented immediately . USFWS can then use results in their recovery efforts.

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At minimum, get guidance from USFWS cuckoo leads on what information would be relevant and useful when they begin recovery planning process.