2018 Mackinaw Raptor Fest
April 6, 2018 - April 8, 2018
The third annual Mackinaw Raptor Fest, sponsored by Mackinac Straits Raptor Watch (MSRW), will take place April 6 to 8, 2018. The keynote speaker will be Gene Jacobs, lead researcher and owner of the consulting firm, Raptor Services, and the Linwood Springs Research Station near Stevens Point, Wisc. In “Snowy Owl Winter Habitat Use,” Jacobs will share his research which uses solar-powered transmitters to record owl locations in three dimensions — latitude, longitude, and altitude. During several optional sessions throughout the fest, Jacobs will discuss what he has discovered over 30 years of banding Northern Saw-whet Owls, share the results of 45 years of studying Red-shouldered Hawks nesting ecology, and explain how and why Merlins are expanding their range.
The Morning Plenary Speaker Josh Haas will show his popular “Raptor Migration and Conquering ID: Using Video to Make Raptor ID a Snap!” The Evening Plenary Session, which can be attended separately from the daytime talks, features renowned wildlife artist and falconer Glen McCune from Petoskey, Mich. who will bring one or more of his live birds.
Break-out sessions feature other excellent speakers, including Joseph Youngman’s “Waterbird Migration Over Lake Superior” an explanation of various waterbird species pathways through Lake Superior, and much more.
Owl Banding and Constellation Discovery will also take place at the Guest House of Headlands Dark Sky Park in Mackinaw City on the evenings of April 6 and 7.
Registration for the Mackinaw Raptor Fest opens in early January 2018. For more information, visit www.mackinawraptorfest.org.
[vc_button url=”http://www.mackinacraptorwatch.org/” text=”Learn more about Mackinaw Raptor Fest” size=”” align=”left” type=”midnight” outlined=”0″ icon=”” target=”_blank”]