New York’s Vanishing Owls

Flocks of 40 – 50 or more Short-eared owls were once a common sight across New York State. Now, less than 100 remain. Join Friends of the IBA (FIBA) at Saratoga Library on November 1st to learn about the hidden life of these mysterious owls and the habitat in our own back yard that’s critical to their survival! Presented by FIBA Executive Director Laurie LaFond.

Laurie LaFond founded Friends of the IBA almost eight years ago. She has spent the past decade researching Short-eared owls and grasslands ecology, working closely with NYS DEC wildlife biologists and wildlife managers to conserve critical habitat across New York State.

Friends of the IBA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conserving critical habitat New York’s endangered, threatened and at-risk grassland birds. The organization is currently working to purchase 64 acres of critical habitat in the Washington County Grasslands Important Bird Area, or IBA. Learn more at https://www.ibafriends.org/node/186

(photo courtesy Dr. Gordon Ellmers)