Hi all,
Phil Kavouriaris is a new graduate student in my lab at Murray State
University and is starting a research project on Black Vultures.
Specifically, he is interested in observing nests in various parts of the
state to understand their nesting habits better. He’s hoping to track down
more nests for his study this breeding season, and he’s looking for
landowners around the state that could possibly allow access to them.
Here’s the information he provided me to get the word out, and I encourage
you to reach out to him if yourself or someone you know might have property
with nesting Black Vultures.
“My name is Phil Kavouriaris and I am a first-year graduate student at
Murray State and a new member of KOS. My research is investigating the
nesting ecology and juvenile dispersal of Black Vultures in Kentucky.
Beginning this spring, I will be placing trail cameras at active nests to
observe nesting behavior. I am seeking your assistance in reporting Black
Vulture nests so I can diversify my sampling geographically and in terms of
nest substrate. The only requirements are the nest should be in Kentucky on
private land and the landowner would need to be open to my placing a camera
on the vulture nest and occasionally checking the cameras to offload SD
cards and replace batteries. Additionally, with landowner permissions, I
would like to conduct periodic visual observations of vulture nesting
behavior as a subset of sites.
I know from my short time as a member of KOS there is a tremendous
knowledge base and great passion and respect for native wildlife. I would
be grateful if members of the KOS community would report Black Vulture nest
locations to me as we enter the breeding season in the next month. Feel
free to forward this information on to any parties to whom this might be of
interest. I can also answer follow-up questions you may have about my
research. Please direct all related communications to the following email
address:
msu.blackvultures@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
I appreciate any assistance you may be able to provide.
Thanks,
Phil”
Thanks and good birding!
Clay Bliznick
Murray, KY
