BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.4.2//EN TZID:America/Toronto X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Toronto BEGIN:VEVENT UID:141@natureguelph.ca DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261203T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261203T210000 DTSTAMP:20260817T223138Z URL:https://natureguelph.ca/events/highlighting-local-research/ SUMMARY:Highlighting Local Research DESCRIPTION:Join Nature Guelph’s Bird Wing for presentations by local res earchers who are investigating the lives of birds and those who interact w ith birds.  The evening will include three presentations as follows:\n\n# 1 Title: From fledging to future: Post-fledging survival in Savannah spar rows and its consequences for population change. Sarah Mueller\, PhD.\n\nT alk description: Young\, inexperienced juvenile birds are highly vulnerab le to mortality due to a variety of causes\, from weather to starvation to predation. The post-fledging period—from fledging to departure on fall migration—is a particularly perilous time for young songbirds. However\, there’s a lot we don’t know about basic ecology in this period becaus e fledglings disperse quickly and are difficult to find and monitor. To st udy the environmental factors and individual characteristics that influenc e survival after leaving the nest\, Sarah tracked fledgling Savannah sparr ows on Kent Island\, NB\, with radio telemetry\, and investigated possible influences on survival\, including weather and population density. She al so used estimates of post-fledging survival rates in this population to in vestigate how low survival may impact population trends on Kent Island.\n\ nThis talk will highlight a little-known life stage of a migratory songbir d. It will provide insight into the challenges fledglings face early in li fe\, and the consequences of this life stage for populations.\n\nBio: Sara h completed her PhD at the University of Guelph in 2025. Now\, Sarah works for Ontario Nature\, contributing to a variety of projects including the publication of the third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. She is also a member of Bird Safe Guelph and has played a leading role in organizing Guelph Bi rd Day since 2022.\n\n#2 Title: Secret lives of cats: animal-borne camera s reveal predation rates of outdoor domestic cats (Felis catus) in two dis tinct regions of Canada. Jonathan J. Chu\n\nTalk description: Outdoor dom estic cats are estimated to be highly impactful to wildlife. In Canada it ’s been estimated that cats kill 60 million birds per year. While morta lity estimates by cats are staggering there are uncertainties regarding wh at species are killed\, how they vary across environments and why certain cats have higher predation rates. To address these questions\, Jonathan at tached animal-borne cameras\, CatCams\, and GPS trackers\, to owned cats i n southwestern Ontario\, around Guelph-Kitchener/Waterloo-Cambridge\, and the Okanagan Valley\, British Columbia\, between Kelowna and Osoyoos. Thes e cameras recorded from the point-of-view of each cat\, allowing Jonathan to accurately calculate predation rates and identify prey species.\n\nIn t his talk\, you will get a sneak peak of the world through the eyes of a ca t and learn what species are commonly depredated by cats in Canada\, how t hey differ between regions\, and what factors determine which cats have hi gher predation rates.\n\nBio: Jonathan is a PhD Candidate at the Universi ty of Guelph studying outdoor domestic cats. He aims to understand the rol e cats play in the outdoor environment and what we can do to ensure cats\,  humans and wildlife can sustainably live in our urban environments toge ther. Collecting insects and watching birds in the urban parks he frequent ed when he was growing up inspired him to study Urban Ecology. When not sp ying on the secret lives of cats\, he finds any excuse to go out and watch birds.\n\n#3 Title: Estimating survival across the annual cycle of migrat ory savannah sparrows. Jelany Duali\, M.Sc.\n\nTalk Description: Understa nding why migratory bird populations are undergoing widespread declines is challenging. Population size depends on breeding success\, but also on su rvival\, and survival rates can vary throughout the annual cycle and acros s breeding grounds\, migratory stopover\, and wintering areas that can be thousands of kilometres apart.\n\nIn his talk\, Jelany will discuss his wo rk collecting data to estimate survival rates across the different periods of the annual cycle in a small migratory songbird\, the Savannah sparrow. Working with a population located on Kent Island\, in New Brunswick\, Jel any uses a combination of manual and automated techniques to monitor indiv idual survival. During the summer\, Jelany conducts regular surveys to res ight individuals with a unique set of coloured leg bands. Once Savannah sp arrows leave Kent Island\, Jelany Duali uses radio-transmitting tags that individuals carry on harnesses to monitor their survival during migrations and the wintering season.\n\nBio: Jelany is a PhD candidate at the Unive rsity of Guelph in Dr. Ryan Norris lab\, where he also completed his maste r’s degree in 2024. Jelany currently studies the population dynamics of a Savannah sparrow population\, but his broad research interests focus on how scientific research can help implement and inform effective conservati on measures to protect migratory birds. As such\, his work is at the inter section of population and movement ecology. His other projects have focuse d on using tracking data to describe migration patterns in blackpoll warbl ers and the frequency and drivers of movements during the wintering season s in Palearctic and Neotropical migrants.\n\nTHIS EVENT IS FREE BUT DONATI ONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME. Donations can be made in person\, on our website\, through Canada Helps\, or by mailing a cheque to: Nature Guelph\, P.O. Bo x 1401\, Guelph\, Ontario N1H 6N8. Suggested donation of $5 for non-member s. Charitable receipts available for donations over $10. If you enjoy our events and programs\, consider buying an annual membership. http://www.na tureguelph.ca/membership/\n\nEmail birdwing@natureguelph.ca if you have an y event-related questions. Please do not request assistance with registrat ion through our social media accounts.\n\n \; ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://natureguelph.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/ 08/Dec2026presenters.jpg LOCATION:Wild Birds Unlimited\, 987 Gordon Street\, Guelph\, Ontario\, Cana da GEO:43.521544;-80.212595 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=987 Gordon Street\, Guelph\ , Ontario\, Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Wild Birds Unlimited:geo:43. 521544,-80.212595 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Toronto X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Toronto BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20261101T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR