Santa Barbara Audubon Society’s (SBAS) next free program will feature a talk about New Zealand Bird Conservation, presented by Glenn Kincaid, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23, in Farrand Hall at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol. Doors open at 7 p.m.
The natural history of New Zealand has produced a distinctive collection of avifauna — more than half of the country’s native birds are found nowhere else on earth. New Zealand’s native birds face unique threats, and many species are at risk or endangered.
New Zealand has been at the forefront of developing innovative approaches to counter these threats. The SBAS talk will touch on the evolution of New Zealand’s native birds, their present status, and some of the strategies that have been developed to save them from extinction.
When he was young Kincaid was fascinated by the birds that came to the feeder. Many years passed before he realized you could actually go looking for the birds. Since that realization, he has looked for birds on all continents except Antarctica. In 2015 Kincaid undertook a Green Big Year in Santa Barbara county, saw 285 species of birds, and biked 4,400 miles.
In addition to seeking out birds, he is interested in matters of bird conservation and has been involved for several years in monitoring Santa Barbara’s only known breeding population of Purple Martins. Kincaid divides his time between Santa Barbara, Castle Valley, Utah, and Blenheim, New Zealand.
For more information on this, and other events, visit the Santa Barbara Audubon Society’s website at www.SantaBarbaraAudubon.org. Direct questions about programs to Publicity@SantaBarbaraAudubon.org.
The Santa Barbara Audubon Society, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
— Alexandra Loos for Santa Barbara Audubon Society.