White-crowned Pigeons: Perils, Problems and Possibilities

Wildlife biologist Tom Wilmers will talk about the population trends of nesting White-crowned Pigeons in the Lower Florida Keys over the past 12 years.

Ø What was the impact of the 2005 hurricane season?

Ø Why does the nesting population in the Key West National Wildlife Refuge remain suppressed 6 years after Hurricane Wilma?

Ø Why did the nesting population in the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge rebound?

Ø What was the effect of the severe 2011 drought?

Ø What are the threats to the bird’s survival?

Ø How important are native fruit-bearing trees and…

Ø How can you help?

When: Tuesday, February 28

Time: 7 p.m.

Where: St. Columba Episcopal Church, 451 52^nd Street, Marathon

Tom Wilmers has been a wildlife biologist for 26 years at the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges, where he has conducted long-term studies of nesting sea turtles, bald eagles, great white herons, ospreys, brown pelicans and white-crowned pigeons. Tom has authored or co-authored 15 technical papers on a variety of wildlife species including the Miami blue butterfly and Key deer. Prior to coming to the Florida Keys, he worked seasonally as a biologist in Alaska, Montana, Oklahoma, Oregon and Virginia. He earned his Master of Science in Wildlife Management from West Virginia University.