Using the passenger pigeon as an iconic example of what can happen to a super-abundant species in a relatively short span of time, the 22nd annual Mass Audubon Birders Meeting on Saturday, March 8, from 9 – 3, will focus on the extinction phenomenon from a variety of perspectives. Since 1992, birders from around New England have come together every March to attend Mass Audubon’s Annual Birders Meeting. With the help of supportive sponsors, they have successfully brought together engaging speakers from around the country, been joined by top-notch vendors, and drawn enthusiastic participants to these day-long events.

The meeting will take place at Bentley University in Waltham, and is co-hosted by Mass Audubon, the Museum of Comparative Zoology, and the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Featured speakers are:

Patrick Comins, Audubon Connecticut – Weather: Its Significance to Birds and Birders

Keynote Joel Greenberg, Research Associate of both the Chicago Academy of Sciences, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and the Field Museum – A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction

Matthew Kamm, Ph.D. candidate at Tufts University – Legacy of the Heath Hen

John Kricher, Professor of Biology at Wheaton College, Norton, Massachusetts – Bird Conservation: Ultimately it’s Personal

Michael Reed, Professor of Biology at Tufts University – Causes and Consequences of Avian Extinctions

There will also be a silent auction, proceeds of which will provide financial support to the Bird Conservation programs at Mass Audubon. Register ($60 sponsor members, $65 public) at https://secure2.convio.net/mas/site/Ecommerce;jsessionid=2941D35BFE22BC33B67791314E6F05F1.app271b?store_id=1761.