REGISTRATION IS CLOSED and will open for 2025 in October.
We invite you to look at what we offered this past festival. Many of the trips are offered every year. Workshops are often based on availability of speakers, but are similar.
Thank you for your interest in the Wings Over Willcox Birding and Nature Festival.
Seminars are free to the public and do not require registration.
Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday All
Seminars
Friday 01/12/24 | ||||||||||
1 | Crane Basics | |||||||||
Meet at WCC: 8:05 AM | Return: 9:00 AM | |||||||||
When watching a group of Sandhill Cranes did you ever wish you knew more about these elegant birds, what theyre doing and why? Crane Basics is your opportunity to learn more about crane biology and behavior. You will gain insights into crane migration, family life, body language and vocalizations through our photographs and captivating video. Its knowledge that will significantly enhance your crane watching experience!
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Seminar Speaker: Sandra Noll and Erv Nichols - Erv Nichols and Sandra Noll, naturalists and crane experts, have traveled extensively sharing their skills as naturalists, photographers, lecturers, and interpretive guides in a wide variety of Fish and Wildlife Refuges, National Parks, Audubon Centers and other conservation areas. They have a special connection with Sandhill Cranes and have been featured speakers and guides at Festivals in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Nebraska. Erv and Sandra are featured in a nature video "Migrating with the Sandhill Cranes" by Bryan Nelson of Mother Nature Network and were consultants on PBS' "Nature" special "Born in the Rockies" in which the Rocky Mountain Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes was a highlighted species. Whether from a viewing deck, lecture hall or guiding bird walks, their passion connects people with our nation's special landscapes and wildlife. | ||||||||||
2 | Fire History, Recovery and Restoration in the Chiricahuas | |||||||||
Meet at WCC: 9:20 AM | Return: 10:30 AM | |||||||||
The Horseshoe 2 Fire was a 2011 wildfire located in the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona. The fire was started by human activities, and burned over 240,000 acres making it the fifth largest wildlife in Arizona history. Doug and Kate will be sharing examples of the impact of fire on the Sky Islands from one of the largest wildland fires to impact this area in recorded history. In addition, they will be highlighting the survey work and partnerships the Forest utilizes to evaluate bird species occurrence which supports Forest Plan implementation and project implementation, such as fuels management for long term habitat improvement.
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Seminar Speaker: Doug Ruppel - Doug Ruppel is the District Ranger in Douglas, Arizona for the Coronado National Forest of the US Forest Service. The Douglas District spans the Dragoon Range, the Chiricahua Range and the Peloncillo Range in southeastern Arizona and the western end of the bootheel of New Mexico. He has a MS in Range and Ecosystem Science from Colorado State University. Doug spent 27 years in the Ranching business in the southwest managing large ranching operations on both public and private land in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. In 2010 he came to work for the Coronado NF as a Rangeland Management Specialist. In his current capacity as a Line Officer for the USFS he has extensive experience with natural resource management in the desert southwest. He is regularly involved in fire management decisions in the area and leads a Ranger District with an extensive portfolio of Prescribed Fire and Fuels Management projects across three of the Sky Islands in the vicinity. Kate Hamedani - Kate Hamedani is the District Wildlife Biologist in Douglas, Arizona for the Coronado National Forest of the US Forest Service. She started her work in this position in 2022, and temporarily worked on the Sierra Vista Ranger District of the Coronado National Forest in 2021. She has an MS in biology from Murray State University in Kentucky with a thesis on the summer roosting habits of tri-colored bats in Kentucky and Tennessee. Earlier in her career she has worked for universities as well as state and federal government agencies, both in the southwestern and southeastern United States. In her current capacity as a Staff Officer for the USFS she provides guidance and assistance for the protection, management, and improvement of wildlife habitat within the multiple-use management framework of forest and range lands; as well as supporting collaborations with other groups and wildlife agencies to improve wildlife, fish, and rare plant resources. | ||||||||||
3 | Raptor ID | |||||||||
Meet at WCC: 10:50 AM | Return: 12:00 PM | |||||||||
Some raptors puzzle even the experts, but with some tips, you can narrow down the probable choices, and with some practice, nail most identifications. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll talk about the different families of raptors commonly found in Arizona, when to expect them, how their shapes differ for their hunting styles, and resources for more information.
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Seminar Speaker: Kathe Anderson - Kathe is an avid birder, leading bird walks, teaching classes, and participating in bird surveys, among other birdy activities. She's led hundreds of walks for individuals, conservation organizations, private groups, and life-long learning programs, and taught scores of hands-on birding-related classes for nature festivals, Arizona State University's Osher Life-long Learning Program, The Nature Conservancy, state parks and numerous local conservation organizations. She loves sharing her passion with others. | ||||||||||
4 | The Exciting Night Life of Bats! | |||||||||
Meet at WCC: 11:50 AM | Return: 1:00 PM | |||||||||
Karen has studied bats for more than 40 years. Learn about this exciting and unique nocturnal mammal and how it is so successful as a predator and pollinator. There are more than 1,100 species of bats that occur worldwide. Bats are an important part of our ecosystems and deserve our respect and admiration. Echolocation allows a bat to fly in total darkness to locate, chase, and capture flying insects. Bridges and other human structures are important roost habitat for many species of bats. Nectar bats visit and pollinate columnar cactus and succulents in our area.
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Seminar Speaker: Karen Krebbs - Karen Krebbs worked at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for more than 26 years, and now works on her own as an independent contractor for the National Park Service. She has extensive knowledge of birds, mammals, deserts, and animal adaptations and behavior. Karen has carried out research for bats in the United States and Mexico for more than 40 years. She trains biologists on the proper protocol for handling and studying bats. Karen regularly carries out workshops and presentations on bats and birds to groups, schools, festivals, and organizations in the southwest and Mexico. Her long-term inventory and monitoring program for bats in the Chiricahua Mountains continues in its 22nd year of study. She has written articles, books, and manuals for bats and birds. She has collaborated with other researchers on many bat research projects with local government agencies, universities, Mexico partners, and non-profit organizations. Karen has participated in natural history learning trips in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Mexico, Baja, Costa Rica, Africa, Galapagos, and Ecuador. Karens passion for bats is contagious! Her animal lectures and presentations are exciting and fun! Karen has a B. Sc. Degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from the University of Arizona. Karens latest books include Desert Life: A Guide to the Southwests Iconic Animals and Plants & How They Survive; Desert Life of the Southwest Activity Book; Explore Tucson Outdoors, and Bat Basics: An Introduction to the Life of Bats in the United States & Canada & Their Many Benefits. | ||||||||||
5 | Secrets of the Owls and Night Birds | |||||||||
Meet at WCC: 1:20 PM | Return: 2:30 PM | |||||||||
Flying silently like ghosts, owls go about their nightly errands under cover of darkness, usually unseen by us. Even so, they are instantly recognizable with their large heads and big eyes. Why do owls have such big heads? No other bird does. Owls are designed around their adaptations to a nocturnal lifestyle. Yet these adaptations also present problems. Nature evolves ingenious solutions to these problems and the true story is far more intriguing than the many myths that surround owls. Join Pinau Merlin for an engaging and fascinating look into the lifestyles and adaptive strategies of these amazing raptors of the night.
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Seminar Speaker: Pinau Merlin - Pinau Merlin is a nationally known speaker and naturalist and is the author of several books (including the Guide to Desert Holes, Guide to Bird Nests and Eggs. Guide to Hummingbirds of the West and is a contributing author to the Natural History of the Sonoran Desert) as well as over 80 articles about the wildlife, natural history, and ecology of the Desert Southwest. Pinau taught natural history at the U of A and was the Outreach Coordinator for the UA/USFWS Jaguar Project. She has also worked on numerous nature documentary films (including BBC, National Geographic, and others) as a natural history consultant and critter wrangler. Pinau has designed natural history centers, interpretive exhibits, nature trails and wildlife habitats for a variety of organizations in the Southwest. Her insights and observations about the natural history and wildlife of the Sonoran Desert have been featured on PBS, NPR and in Smithsonian and National Wildlife magazines, among many others. She is especially interested in the adaptive strategies of plants, birds, and wildlife and in interpreting animal language. | ||||||||||
6 | Sandhill Cranes 101 | |||||||||
Meet at WCC: 2:35 PM | Return: 3:30 PM | |||||||||
Learn more about the birds that started our birding festival – everything you wanted to know about the oldest (going back more than 65 million years) and one of America’s most magnificent birds.
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Seminar Speaker: Steve Marlatt - Steve has had an interest in wildlife from his earliest memories, growing up on wildlife refuges throughout the west where his father worked as a U.S. F&WS refuge manager. He has a B.S. in Wildlife Biology and has worked on studies of the Southern Bald Eagle and the Interior Least Tern. A part of the founding organizers of Wings Over Willcox, and an active leader and presenter ever since, he worked as a science teacher in Willcox area schools for 27 years. | ||||||||||
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Saturday 01/13/24 | ||||||||||
1 | Crane Basics | |||||||||
Meet at WCC: 8:05 AM | Return: 9:00 AM | |||||||||
When watching a group of Sandhill Cranes did you ever wish you knew more about these elegant birds, what theyre doing and why? Crane Basics is your opportunity to learn more about crane biology and behavior. You will gain insights into crane migration, family life, body language and vocalizations through our photographs and captivating video. Its knowledge that will significantly enhance your crane watching experience!
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Seminar Speaker: Sandra Noll and Erv Nichols - Erv Nichols and Sandra Noll, naturalists and crane experts, have traveled extensively sharing their skills as naturalists, photographers, lecturers, and interpretive guides in a wide variety of Fish and Wildlife Refuges, National Parks, Audubon Centers and other conservation areas. They have a special connection with Sandhill Cranes and have been featured speakers and guides at Festivals in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Nebraska. Erv and Sandra are featured in a nature video "Migrating with the Sandhill Cranes" by Bryan Nelson of Mother Nature Network and were consultants on PBS' "Nature" special "Born in the Rockies" in which the Rocky Mountain Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes was a highlighted species. Whether from a viewing deck, lecture hall or guiding bird walks, their passion connects people with our nation's special landscapes and wildlife. | ||||||||||
2 | Chiricahua National Monument, the Wonderland of Rocks | |||||||||
Meet at WCC: 9:50 AM | Return: 11:00 AM | |||||||||
This year National Park Service staff at Chiricahua National Monument, the Wonderland of Rocks, will be commemorating the park centennial April 18. Park Ranger, Suzanne Moody, will share how and why the monument was established in 1924, what there is to see and do, plus the special events scheduled throughout this historic year.
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Seminar Speaker: Suzanne Moody - This year National Park Service staff at Chiricahua National Monument, the Wonderland of Rocks, will be commemorating the park centennial April 18. Park Ranger, Suzanne Moody, will share how and why the monument was established in 1924, what there is to see and do, plus the special events scheduled throughout this historic year. | ||||||||||
3 | Using Bird Behavior to Identify Birds | |||||||||
Meet at WCC: 11:20 AM | Return: 12:30 PM | |||||||||
Eric will share a system of bird identification he has developed that uses behavior as a primary determinant in lieu of using plumage. Birding plumage often confuses birders as you have to learn the variations of plumage within each species, such as male plumage, female plumage, juvenile plumage, and breeding plumage vs. winter plumage. Eric's seminar will discuss how bird behavior remains constant within each given species, whether it is a male, female, juvenile, breeding season or winter. This unique method of bird identification will provide you with another tool for bird identification.
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Seminar Speaker: Eric Moore - Eric's interest in wild birds began as a young boy growing up in New England. At age six, Eric moved to Tucson where his love of wild birds took flight. He joined the Tucson Audubon Society when he was only 13 years old and was blessed to have wonderful mentors as he birded throughout southeastern Arizona. After Eric moved from Tucson to Prescott in 1991, he eventually followed his dream to combine his love of birds with his retail career experience and opened Jay's Bird Barn in 2003 at Watter's Garden Center in Prescott. In 2023 Eric moved his business to a new location and rebranded Jay's Bird Barn. It is now called The Lookout. The Lookout is a backyard, wild bird, and nature gift store, with all of the products would ever need to feed and attract birds to your yard. Eric's love of birds continues in spite of the day to day demands of owning a business and serving on the Prescott City Council. He has birded in Europe, Africa, South and Central America, Mexico, and islands in the Caribbean as well as 44 states. | ||||||||||
4 | Ducks/Not Ducks | |||||||||
Meet at WCC: 12:50 PM | Return: 2:00 PM | |||||||||
Wait! Those ducks don’t all look alike! What are those smaller ones? How do you tell all those brown ones apart? How about that one with a tuft on its head? And what about things that look and act like ducks and aren’t (coots, grebes and cormorants)? Focusing on the common species that spend their winters on ponds in southern Arizona, we’ll parse through a dozen or more species of waterfowl to give you pointers – and confidence – about what you’re seeing.
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Seminar Speaker: Kathe Anderson - Kathe is an avid birder, leading bird walks, teaching classes, and participating in bird surveys, among other birdy activities. She's led hundreds of walks for individuals, conservation organizations, private groups, and life-long learning programs, and taught scores of hands-on birding-related classes for nature festivals, Arizona State University's Osher Life-long Learning Program, The Nature Conservancy, state parks and numerous local conservation organizations. She loves sharing her passion with others. | ||||||||||
5 | Recent History of Borderlands Jaguars | |||||||||
Meet at WCC: 2:20 PM | Return: 3:30 PM | |||||||||
Southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico are the only locations in the United States where jaguars have been sighted in the past twenty years. In late 2016, one jaguar was in the Huachuca Mountains and the other in the Dos Cabezas. Earlier that year a video surfaced of a third jaguar in the Santa Rita Mountains. Although the Huachucas’ jaguar came to a bad end in Mexico, its return there was biologically significant, and the Santa Ritas jaguar returned to Mexico as well but survived. Meantime, the Dos Cabezas jaguar has persisted south of Willcox, and recently a new trail camera image has surfaced of another jaguar in the Huachcuas, although it remains unclear if it is a new individual. This presentation will examine how the presence of these endangered species in the region pose unique challenges for wildlife and land managers, and how they are even more popular among the general public given the rise in use of trail cameras.
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Seminar Speaker: Mark Hart - Mark Hart is a public information officer with the Arizona Game and Fish Department in Tucson. He serves as department spokesman for southeastern Arizona news media, and manages information and education programs throughout the region. Hart, who joined the department in 2009, also serves on the agencys CAT-1 Incident Management Team, and as a wildfire public information officer through the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management. In addition, he is an agency representative to the federal Borderlands Management Task Force. Hart, an alumnus of the American Wilderness Leadership School in Jackson, WY, earned a bachelors degree with high honors from Loyola University of Chicago in 1981. | ||||||||||
6 | The Nurturing Nature of Rattlesnakes | |||||||||
Meet at WCC: 3:50 PM | Return: 5:00 PM | |||||||||
Explore the surprising world of rattlesnake families through a series of vignettes and videos. Experience a day in the life of a rattlesnake family to discover how they care for and defend their babies. Learn about babysitting, drinking, and other lesser-known aspects of rattlesnake behavior too. Let's take a journey into the unique and exciting realm of our scaley neighbors!
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Seminar Speaker: Melissa Amarello - Melissa is a Co-founder and the Executive Director of Advocates for Snake Preservation (ASP), a local charity changing how people view and treat snakes. Melissa received her BS at the University of Arizona, MS at Arizona State University, and together with ASP Co-founder Jeff Smith, won the Jarchow Conservation Award for their creative conservation and activism. | ||||||||||
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