2016 Award and Grant Recipients

[Libby Mojica]

2016 Raptor Research Foundation Award and Grant Recipients

The James R. Koplin Travel Award – The Koplin Award supports travel costs for students who are a senior author and presenter of a paper or poster accepted for presentation at an RRF conference.

Christopher Vennum – MS- University of Nevada, Reno.  “Demographics and recruitment of Swainson’s Hawks.”

Sara Pourzamani  –  MS- Boise State University. “Vocalization and nest defense of Burrowing Owls in the Snake River Birds of Prey Area.”

The Leslie Brown Memorial Grant – The Brown grant provides financial assistance to promote the research and/or the dissemination of information on African birds of prey.

Chaona Phiri – “Movement, recruitment and threats to vultures in Zambia”

Rebecca Garbett -“Investigating sources of lead for vultures and wildlife: is lead ammunition the cause of lead exposure in African vultures?”

The Stephen R. Tully Memorial Grant – The Tully grant supports research and conservation of raptors specifically to students and amateurs with limited access to alternative funding.

Paula Maiten Orozco Valor -“Effects of Agricultural intensification on the demographic and health on a typical raptor of agroecosystems, the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius), in the center of Argentina” is part of her doctoral thesis, which is framed within a long-term study on the effects of agriculture intensification on birds of prey.

The Dean Amadon Grant – The Amadon grant assists researchers working in the area of distribution and systematics of raptors.

Michaela S. Brinkmeyer -“Using high-resolution genetic markers to reveal American Kestrel connectivity: towards understanding kestrel population declines and the impacts of climate change on raptor monitoring and management.”

The Tom Cade Award – The Cade award recognizes an individual who has made significant advances in the area of captive propagation and reintroduction of raptors.  

RRF recognizes long-standing contributions of Robert B. Berry. Although it has never been his profession, Bob Berry has a long history of participation in, and support of, raptor research and captive propagation.  He participated in early Peregrine Falcon surveys on Assateague Island and was among the first raptor breeders to employ the technique of voluntary artificial insemination using imprinted raptors.  He was also a major catalyst in the development of radio telemetry tracking technology for the use in falconry and raptor research.  He is a founding board member and long-time supporter of the Peregrine Fund and was the founding president of the North American Raptor Breeder’s Association (a post that he held for 28 years).  For the past 2 ½ decades, Mr. Berry has directed the Peregrine Fund’s Orange-breasted Falcon program, focusing on the propagation and release of the Orange-breasted Falcon in Central America.

The William C. Andersen Memorial Award – The Andersen Memorial Award is given to both the best student oral and poster presentation at the annual RRF meeting.

Oral presentation winner:  Chris Vennum- University of Nevada, Reno. “Demography and Ecoimmunology of Recruitment in Swainson’s Hawks (Buteo swainsoni)”

Poster presentation winner:  Aiden Branney- Boise State University. “Burrowing Owls, Common Ravens, and Power Transmission Lines in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, Idaho”

President’s Award – This award is given in recognition and appreciation of exceptional service to the Raptor Research Foundation.

Ruth Tingay

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