Chad Witko

Chad Witko

Senior Coordinator, Avian Biology

As Senior Coordinator, Chad Witko communicates about the Migratory Bird Initiative and other science programs within 探花精选, working with data and knowledge holders across the Western Hemisphere to build relationships and acquire migratory bird datasets. Through this work, he is a principal contributor to the development of the .

As an expert birder and ornithologist, Chad provides a lifetime of birding knowledge and nearly twenty years of field experience to the National Science Division at 探花精选.

Before joining 探花精选 in 2019, Chad worked on various bird research, conservation, and education projects across the United States. These include developing avian conservation strategies linked to forestry efforts in New Hampshire, serving as an eBird state reviewer, mist-netting and banding migratory passerines in California, and educating visitors to Eastern Egg Rock about seabird restoration efforts for Project Puffin.

Chad holds a BS in Environmental and Forest Biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and an MS in Conservation Biology and a Certificate in Applied Spatial Analysis for GIS from Antioch University New England. He currently resides in Vermont with his partner and daughter.

Articles by Chad Witko

A large brown hawk with a large pointed beak and a tracking device affixed to its back is held by two people.
To Protect Broad-winged Hawks, We First Need to Know Where They Migrate
September 07, 2022 — Researchers Laurie Goodrich and Rebecca McCabe are demystifying the long journeys of these migratory raptors to better inform conservation efforts.
Migratory Bird Initiative
The Flammulated Owl Is a Small Raptor Facing Big Threats
August 22, 2022 — Scott Yanco鈥檚 research on the migration and ecology of this reclusive owl can give the bird a fighting chance.
Migratory Bird Initiative
Our Plan to Count Shorebirds in the Colorado River Delta
February 28, 2022 — A peek into 探花精选鈥檚 scientific efforts to better understand a critical migration bottleneck.
Western Water News
Wandering Spoonbills Tell Us What We Need to Protect the Everglades
February 17, 2022 — Jerry Lorenz of 探花精选 Florida tracked this species to shed light on how the iconic "River of Grass" is changing, for better or worse.
Migratory Bird Initiative
The Connecticut Warbler Connects Threatened Forest Habitat on Two Different Continents
October 07, 2021 — New migration research suggests that supporting Indigenous-led Boreal Forest stewardship in Canada as well as local conservation efforts in Latin America will be key to protecting one of our聽most elusive songbirds.
Migratory Bird Initiative
Keeping Track of These Boreal Nomads Is Notoriously Difficult
March 02, 2021 — The irregular irruptions of winter finches inspire both delight and bewilderment among migration scientists.
Boreal Forests
As American Kestrels Mysteriously Decline, Researchers Look to Their Migration for Clues
November 20, 2020 — We still don't know a lot about the migration of North America's smallest falcon, but these scientists are using tracking technology that will help inform their conservation.
Migratory Bird Initiative
It's Summer, and That Means Fall Migration is Already Underway
July 10, 2020 — For some migratory birds, "fall" is more of a guideline than a rule.
Migratory Bird Initiative
Vermont Teens Draw Climate Solace from Drawing Birds
May 21, 2020 — Students at Brattleboro Union High School use art to channel both their climate grief and love for birds.
Climate

 

 

Favorite birds
Pomarine Jaeger
Skuas and Jaegers