Join Amy Seglund, a Species Conservation Program Manager with CPW, to learn about the threats to pinyon jays and what is being be done to protect them.
When: January 21st from 5:30 - 6:30 PM
Where: Virtual - a link will be sent to you prior to the event
What: Pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) populations have been found to be in steep decline with the species currently being reviewed by the USFWS to determine whether it needs to be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The reasons for these declines are unclear, but could be associated with degraded pinyon-juniper woodlands caused by extensive beetle kill, drought, and mismanagement. Pinyon jays breed collectively as a group in loose colony sites that are used over multiple years making these sites important to manage and conserve to boost populations.
Since very little was known about breeding colonies in Colorado, we began a project in 2019 to locate and investigate breeding colony use across the state. Since 2019, we have located close to 100 colonies and have learned much about pinyon jay behavior, habitat use, and threats to breeding birds. This information has been shared widely with land managers and members of the pinyon jay working group to help improve the status of the pinyon jay by implementing strategic conservation actions. Now we want to share the information with you!
This event is free and open to the public.
Read more about this project here!
About the speaker
Amy holds a graduate degree in Wildlife Biology from Cal Poly Humboldt where she studied the Pacific fisher. After graduating, she spent two years in the Peace Corp stationed in Guatemala where she inventoried and researched migrant and resident song bird populations and the impacts of agricultural development on avian species composition. Amy has worked for Colorado Parks and Wildlife for the last 18 years as a Species Conservation Program Manager. Her work has focused on many species including American pika, Gunnison’s and white-tailed prairie dogs, southern white-tailed ptarmigan, kit fox, brown-capped rosy-finches, and most recently pinyon jays.