Denver Zoo's Curator of Birds, John Azuz, looks at success in Mongolia's Ikh Nart Nature Reserve — a featured talk for the 2016 Yampa Valley Crane Festival!

The lesser kestrel, Falco naumanni, is a small falcon that inhabits a broad habitat range from open grasslands to low scrub and savannahs in Spain and Eurasia for breeding territory and winters in sub-Saharan central and south Africa. Lesser kestrel populations experienced severe declines in the latter half of the 20th century, driven by habitat loss due to agricultural intensification and related pesticide use impacting kestrel prey species. In 2007, Denver Zoo's research team began studying the lesser kestrel's breeding biology and seasonal movements in Mongolia's Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Dornogobi Aimag. This small falcon species inhabits the steppe desert transition zone throughout southeastern Mongolia using any concealed spaces in rock outcroppings, tree cavities or man-made structures for nesting locations. Partnering with Mongolian biologists and students, the team has been observing kestrel breeding biology and seasonal movement, aiming to maintain a viable population while exposing students to science careers and deepening the local community's understanding of Ikh Nart as an important ecological study site and reinforcing the community's role in species conservation.

About the speaker
John Azua has been the Curator of Birds at the Denver Zoological Gardens for over 18 years and works with a great staff managing and caring for 120 species and 499 birds. He currently is the Hamerkop Species Survival Plan coordinator and studbook keeper and Hooded crane studbook keeper. He also serves on the management committee of the Andean Condor Species Survival Plan, Gruiiformes Taxon Advisory Group, Coraciiformes Taxon Advisory Group and Buceros Species Survival Plan. He worked previously at the San Diego Zoo’s Bird Department and Avian Propagation Center for 7.5 years and the San Diego Zoo’s Safari (Wild Animal) Park for 5.5 years. During his career he has been fortunate to participate in several conservation recovery programs or field research projects, involved with such species as, San Clemente Island Loggerhead Shrike, Ultramarine lory, Lilac-crowned amazon, Cinereous vulture, Lesser kestrel and other Asian raptors.
 

About the Yampa Valley Crane Festival
The Greater Sandhill Crane is an iconic species of the Yampa Valley. Returning in the spring, cranes nest and raise their young in wetland areas throughout the valley. In late summer and early fall, hundreds of cranes from the Rocky Mountain flock join the local birds to rest and feed before continuing their journey south. The festival includes daily crane viewings, expert speakers, films, art exhibits, workshops, family activities and more. All community activities and events are free unless otherwise indicated in the program, and the Bud Werner Memorial Library will be home base for many of these talks, films and events.

Learn more about the Yampa Valley Crane Festival at www.coloradocranes.org.