Guest speaker and Binghamton University graduate student Connor Loomis will talk about how Broome and Cayuga counties represent a unique area of North America in that they have 3 Corvus species living together in a shared landscape, including the Common Raven, the American Crow and the Fish Crow. The smallest of these species, the Fish Crow is a new arrival to the north, becoming established in the late 1970’s. They exist here, in one of their northernmost breeding colonies, in small numbers (between 60-150 individuals). Much of Fish Crows’ life history, ecology, and genetic diversity remain unstudied. In a time where conservation efforts must consider the implications of global change, it is imperative that we document basic life-history and behavioral characteristics of species to understand the threats that face them. In addition, the quantification of genetic diversity within this northern population can help elucidate trends regarding population health or divergence. Identifying the traits and environmental factors that cause population ranges to expand and contract with our changing environment allows for insights into how this population and others will respond to further human-induced change.

Connor O’Horo Loomis is a PH. D. student and teaching assistant in Binghamton University’s Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Department, where he teaches Introduction to Population Biology and Zoology. He is a part of the Crow Research group, a joint research group between Binghamton University and Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology.

As always, Naturalists’ Club member meetings are free and open to the public.