Dr. Larkin Addresses South American Golden-winged Warbler and Cerulean Warbler Summit

 The Golden-winged and Cerulean Warblers are two of the most critically threatened, non-federally listed species in eastern North America.  The conservation of these two species is particularly challenging in light of the fact that they are neotropical migrants.  As such, they spend only a few months each year in eastern North American during the breeding season and the remainder of the year in Central and South America.  Without significant, immediate conservation action on their breeding and non-breeding range, the likelihood that the Golden-winged and Cerulean Warblers will require protection under the Endangered Species Act is high.  The Golden-winged Warbler and Cerulean Warbler Summit is an international meeting that brings together conservation scientists, coffee, timber, and coal industry representatives and personnel from various state and federal agencies to discuss the status and management of Golden-winged and Cerulean Warblers.  Dr. Larkin was invited by the Summit Scientific Program Committee to present a talk on the findings from the first year of his study examining the ecology and management of Golden-winged Warbler in Pennsylvania.  Because Dr. Larkin has been involved with research associated with Golden-winged warbler breeding habitat since 1993, he was also asked to co-moderate a session that focused on the development of a habitat sampling protocol for Golden-winged Warbler breeding habitat.  Most of the summit was held in Bogota and was hosted by the National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers.  During his time in Colombia, Dr. Larkin was also provided tours of coffee and cocoa farms, as well as, the Cerulean Warbler Reserve in Rio Chucuri Basin of Santander.  The Cerulean Warbler Reserve is 500 acres and provides important habitat for wintering neotropical migrants like the Cerulean Warbler and endemic year-round residents such as Gorgeted Wood-quail (Odontophorus strophium).

Above right: Dr. Larkin guards the entrance to the reserve.

Below: Meeting room inside the National Federation of Colombian Coffee Growers Building in Bogota, Colombia. Yes, there really is a Juan Valdez.