Ohio Avian Research Conference

We are happy to announce that the Ohio Avian Research Conference will be returning this year on Saturday, November 16th, 2024. The full-day event will be hosted by the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, in Columbus, OH, and will include a full day of scientific presentations, and a keynote presentation. Complete details for the conference are available below.

Important Dates:

  • October 25: Submission deadline for oral and poster presentations
  • November 7: Registration deadline (registration closes at 12:00pm on 11//07/2024)

Click on a heading below for more information:

Program Overview

8:00 am

Registration, poster set-up, exhibitors

Check-in, setup posters, and enjoy light refreshments while meeting our exhibitors and networking with other conference attendees.

9:00 am

Welcome & announcements

Welcome by Matthew Shumar (OBCI/OSU) and Leigh Ann Miller (GIAC).

9:15 am

Keynote presentation


How Hooded Warblers live, and thrive, with cowbird nest parasitism

Dr. Ronald L. Mumme
Professor Emeritus
Department of Biology
Allegheny College

10:30 am

Oral presentations

Session #1: Species ecology and conservation

• Joseph Lautenbach, ODNR-Division of Wildlife
• Carl Engstrom, The Ohio State University
• Ningzhu Bai, The Ohio State University
• Nathan Byer, Cleveland Metroparks
• Rebecca Ralston, The Ohio State University

12:15 pm

Lunch

Box lunch provided to all pre-registered attendees. Transition to poster session and exhibitors when done.

1:15 pm

Poster Session

Presenters will be available to discuss their research during this time.

2:00 pm

Oral presentations

Session #2: Human dimensions, community science, and conservation

• Kristina Slagle, The Ohio State University
• Alia Dietsch, The Ohio State University
• Laura Kearns, ODNR-Division of Wildlife
• Matthew Shumar, The Ohio State University

3:45 pm

Closing remarks

Final announcements.

Keynote Presentation

Dr. Ronald L. Mumme

Professor Emeritus
Department of Biology
Allegheny College

How Hooded Warblers live, and thrive, with cowbird nest parasitism

Dr. Mumme is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biology at Allegheny College. His major research interests are animal behavior and avian behavioral ecology, and since 2010, his research has focused on the the relationship between plumage pattern and foraging performance in the Hooded Warbler, a species that uses displays of its conspicuous white tail spots to startle potential insect prey and enhance foraging success. Ron’s field work on this species has been conducted at Hemlock Hill Field Station located near Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Mumme’s research on Hooded Warblers has received a modest amount of media coverage, including pieces in BirdwatchingDaily, Phys.org, EurekAlert!, The Wildlife Society, and elsewhere.

Location

Grange Insurance Audubon Center
505 W Whittier St,
Columbus, OH 43215

Submit an Abstract

The scientific committee of the Ohio Avian Research Conference invites you to submit an abstract for consideration as an oral presentation or poster. Submissions are open through 5 PM on Friday, October 25th, 2024. Abstracts are limited to 250 words and should have a concise and informative title of no more than 100 characters. We have limited space for oral presentations, thus, depending on the number of submissions, posters may be recommended for some presenters. Oral presentations are limited to 15 minutes in length. Formatting details for the posters will be provided soon. Questions on the scientific program can be directed to Matthew Shumar at obcicoordinator@gmail.com.

Registration

Registration comes with a boxed lunch of your choice. If you are a student and interested in volunteering to assist with the conference, we will cover your registration. Please email Matthew Shumar at obcicoordinator@gmail.com for more information.

Registration rates:

  • General registration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35
  • Student registration (high school – PhD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20

Past Conferences

2023

The 2023 Ohio Avian Research Conference took place on Saturday, October 14th, 2023. Dr. Nathan Cooper, Research Ecologist with the Migratory Bird Center at Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute gave an amazing keynote presentation to more than 100 attendees. Additionally, the conference included seven oral and seven poster presentations, and a career panel for students.

OBCI Coordinator, Matthew Shumar, welcomes attendees to the conference
The conference was joined by a number of exhibitors, including the OSU-Olentangy River Wetland Research Park, Black Swamp Bird Observatory, and Conservation Coffee
Omar Morosse, from Kenyon College, presenting his poster: Assortative mating in the North American Barn Swallow
Rebecca Ralston from The Ohio State University, presenting her poster: Trends in Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) Spring Arrival Timing
Dr. Nathan Cooper delivering the keynote presentation
Attendees during the poster session.

Photos courtesy of Jessica Caton Diefenbach

Conference Program