Golden Gate Audubon Society

Restoring Seabird Colonies through Social Attraction

Thursday, October 19, in San Francisco

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In 1973, National Audubon successfully restored a breeding colony of Atlantic Puffins on an island in the Gulf of Maine where they had been extirpated in the early 20th century. They relied on social attraction – an innovative use of decoys and audio playback that since then has helped restore seabird colonies across the globe. In the Pacific Flyway, social attraction helped restore breeding colonies of Caspian Terns. It’s currently the centerpiece of a last-ditch attempt to prevent extinction of the Chinese Crested Tern.

Dan Roby is the Unit Leader–Wildlife for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, and Professor of Wildlife Ecology at Oregon State University. His primary area of research interest is the physiological ecology and conservation biology of birds, with an emphasis on seabirds.

Date:     Thursday, October 19

Time:    6:30 p.m. for refreshments, 7 p.m. for program

Place:    First Unitarian Universalist Church & Centre
1187 Franklin St,. (at Geary)

Cost:      Free for GGAS members, $5 for non-members.