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SENECA ROCKS AUDUBON SOCIETY
" Costa Rica, a Birder's Paradise"
with Margaret and Roger Higbee (in person)
6:30 pm, May 14, 2025; Clarion Free Library
Five Todd Bird Club members – Carol Guba, Gloria Lamer, Linda Wagner, and Roger and Margaret Higbee - traveled for ten days with Hillstar Nature to Costa Rica in March 2024. Some of the birds of Costa Rica that will be presented range from the Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrant to the Jabiru and the Fiery- throated Hummingbird to the Great Potoo, as well as one of the most sought after species, the Resplendent Quetzel. The habitats covered ranged from the Caribbean lowland rain forest to the cloud forests of the Talamanca Mountains and all habitats inbetween. Over 340 species were seen during the trip.
Roger and Margaret have been birding and photographing birds for over 50 years. They are the county coordinators for Indiana County for the Pennsylvania Bird Atlas project, conduct or help with 10 Winter Raptor Survey routes, coordinate the Indiana Christmas Bird Count, and conduct five Breeding Bird Survey routes. They have birded in every state and most of the provinces of Canada.
This program is free to the public at the Clarion Free Library's lower conference room.
Roger and Margaret Higbee (in back) with fellow birders in Costa Rica. Photograph courtesy of Roger Higbee.
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Yellow-throated Toucan, courtesy of Roger Higbee.
"Why Are Tree Swallows Stressed?
with Dr. Jennifer Houtz (in person)
6:30 pm, June 11, 2025; Clarion Free Library
A bird's ability to cope with and recover from ecological stressors such as extreme temperatures can influence its survival. Wild birds can respond to stressful events by upregulating hormone levels. Our speaker Dr. Jenn Houtz will share results from her doctorate work on Tree Swallow stress physiology and general tips for attracting cavity nesting birds to your backyard.
Dr. Jenn Houtz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Allegheny College. She received her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University, where she studied the gut microbiome and stress physiology in Tree Swallows. She received her B.S. in Animal Behavior from Millersville University, where she studied the social behavior of Wire-tailed Manakins in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
As a first-generation student, Dr. Houtz is also passionate about mentoring undergraduate researchers, teaching, and science outreach.
This program is free to the public at the Clarion Free Library"s lower conference room.
Jennifer
Dr. Jennifer Houtz
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