REPORT OF THE SEVENTY-SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE COOPER ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
The Cooper Ornithological Society held its 76th annual meeting as part of the IV North American Ornithological Conference in conjunction with the American Ornithologists' Union, Association of Field Ornithologists, CIPAMEX (Sección Mexicana de Consejo Internacional para la Preservación de las Aves, A. C.), Raptor Research Foundation, Society of Canadian Ornithologists, Waterbird Society, and Wilson Ornithological Society, at the World Trade Center in Veracruz, Mexico, 3–7 October 2006. The Steering Committee was cochaired by Charles M. Francis and José L. Alcántara, and the Scientific Program Committee was cochaired by John R. Faaborg, Juan Francisco Ornelas, and María del Coro Arizmendi. There were close to 1800 registrants. The program included four plenary presentations, 305 papers in 24 symposia, 368 contributed papers, 565 posters, and 14 workshops.
The Society's award for lifetime achievement in ornithological research, the Loye and Alden Miller Award, was presented to Robert E. Ricklefs. See the full citation in the Award Announcements. John Rotenberry, the President of the Cooper Ornithological Society, read the full citation. Dr. Ricklefs graciously accepted the award and noted that he was particularly honored because he has a special affinity to the Cooper Ornithological Society, having published his very first scientific paper in The Condor.
Bonnie S. Bowen, David S. Dobkin, and Eileen M. Kirsch were recognized with Honorary Membership to the Cooper Ornithological Society for their service to the society. Dr. Bowen's past service to the Society includes serving as President (2004–2005), President-Elect (2001–2003), and Treasurer (1999–2002), and as a member of the Board of Directors (1996–1999). She has also represented the interests of the Society to OSNA for the past seven years. Dr. Dobkin served on the Board of Directors (1996–1999) and has been the Editor of The Condor from 2000 to the present. Dr. Kirsch has served as Secretary from 1997 to the present. She has also served on the Student Paper Awards Committee (including chairing the committee in 1996) and the Student Participation Committee (1996–1997), and she hosted the 2004 annual meeting.
Mewaldt-King Student Research Awards were presented to Stefan Woltmann, Tulane University, for “Dispersal of Myrmeciza exsul in a fragmented tropical landscape”; Andrea K. Townsend, Cornell University, for “Effects of West Nile virus on the mating strategies of American Crows: a behavioral modification of infection risk?”; and Kathi L. Borgmann, University of Arizona, for “Seasonal variation in avian nesting success.” Jessica Eberhardt, James Tucker, and Jeff Stratford assisted Tara Rodden Robinson, the Mewaldt-King Award Committee chairperson, with the selections this year.
Grinnell Student Research Awards were presented to Sanja Hinic-Frlog, University of California–Davis, for “Foot-propelled underwater locomotion in swimming birds,” and Jennifer A. Hancock, Ohio University, for “Head-bobbing, foraging behavior, and retinal morphology in charadriform birds.” Cameron Ghalambor was the Grinnell Award Committee chairperson.
The Cooper Ornithological Society presented four awards for outstanding student papers: Daniel Cadena, University of Missouri–St. Louis and Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia (with coauthors A. M. Cuervo and Z. A. Cheviron), “How do leapfrog patterns of geographic variation arise?”; Zac Cheviron, Louisiana State University (with coauthor R. T. Brumfield), “The role of elevational gradients in the population genetic structure of Rufous-collared Sparrows (Zonotrichia capensis)”; Christopher P. Nadeau, University of Arizona (with coauthors C. J. Conway, O. M. Hinojosa-Huerta, B. Burger, and L. Piest), “Effectiveness of multispecies vs. single species call-broadcast surveys for the federally endangered Yuma Clapper Rail”; and Brian A. Schwartz, University of Montana (with coauthor T. E. Martin), “Relative investment of biparental incubation in a tropical species.”
Through the annual balloting by all members of the Society, Alexander Badyaev, Katie Dugger, and Marilyn Ramenofsky were elected to three-year terms on the Board of Directors. Proposed by-laws changes previously appearing in The Condor were also passed.
In the Board of Directors' meetings, the following were elected to, or to continue in, office: John T. Rotenberry, President; Thomas E. Martin, President-Elect; Kimberly A. Sullivan, Treasurer; Thomas C. Edwards Jr., Assistant Treasurer; Eileen M. Kirsch, Secretary; Carol J. Beardmore, Assistant Secretary; David S. Dobkin, Editor of The Condor; and Carl D. Marti, Editor of Studies in Avian Biology.
The next annual meeting of the Cooper Ornithological Society will be held at the Holiday Inn in Moscow, Idaho, 19–23 June 2007. Kerri Vierling is chair of the Local Committee, and Steve Knick is chair of the Scientific Program Committee.
