The annual meeting of the American Ornithological Society will take place at the El Conquistador Resort in Tucson, Arizona, April 9-14, 2018. This meeting will offer a great opportunity for sharing and discussing scientific research in all areas involving birds. There will be a special emphasis on research and conservation focused on the 2018 meeting theme of Celebrating Connections: Birds Across Borders.

The Sonoran Joint Venture is co-organizing a binational symposium entitled Desert birds in peril: research and conservation challenges in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States in the face of climate change. Mexico and the United States share the Chihuahuan and Sonoran Deserts, home to unique and diverse ecosystems such as desert scrub, sky islands, riparian forests, and desert grasslands. The exceptional biodiversity of the region includes over 500 species of birds, including numerous endemic and threatened species. These vulnerable systems will be altered in the future by many factors including altered rainfall patterns, increased temperatures, and invasive species expansion driven by climate change, land use change, and public policy. This symposium and round table discussion will bring together Mexican and American ornithologists and conservationists working on both sides of the border, including participants from a diverse array of institutions (non-profit organizations, government agencies, and academia) to share recent research results. We will end with an interactive discussion about future directions for management and research for desert bird conservation in the region. This symposium will take place throughout the day Saturday April 14.

In addition to the “Desert birds” symposium and many other sessions, two events are free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by the American Ornithological Society and the Tucson Audubon Society, no conference registration is required for these two events only. We encourage everyone to attend!

• Open to the public: a special evening keynote address from Dr. Ron Pulliam, founder of the Borderlands Restoration Institute and Professor Emeritus, University of Georgia. This will take place Tuesday evening, 10 April, 7:00 pm in the Presidio Ballroom of the El Conquistador Resort. Attendees are welcome to stay for the evening poster session, which begins at 7:30.
• Open to the public: a special evening symposium on 40 years of birding and research in southeast Arizona, honoring the careers of Dr. Stephen and Ruth Russell (co-organized by the Sonoran Joint Venture). This will take place Thursday evening, 12 April, 6:00-7:30 pm, in the Presidio Ballroom of the El Conquistador Resort.

Visit the conference website to register, learn more, and see the schedule.