Feather Trails: A Journey Among Endangered Birds

Presented by the Santa Barbara Audubon Society and Friends of California Condors Wild & Free

Courtesy of Chaucer’s Bookstore, books by Sophie Osborn will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

Birds are visible, vocal sentinels that alert us to environmental harms through their declining numbers or their failure to thrive. In this illustrated lecture, based on her new book Feather Trails – A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds, Sophie Osborn will share her personal experiences reintroducing endangered Peregrine Falcons, Hawaiian Crows, and California Condors to the wild. She’ll talk about the triumphs and tribulations of being a wildlife biologist and explore the threats that imperil these birds – threats that are harmful to us, too.

Osborn will discuss what led to the endangerment of these three captivating species, recount the efforts of biologists to recover their populations, and read a few excerpts from her book that describe what it was like to work with these magnificent birds.

Sophie A. H. Osborn is an award-winning environmental writer and wildlife biologist whose work has included the study and conservation of more than a dozen bird species in the Americas. She contributed to reintroduction efforts for several endangered birds and served as the field manager for the California Condor Recovery Program in Arizona for four years. Her books include Condors in Canyon Country, which won the 2007 National Outdoor Book Award for Nature and the Environment. She has written articles for BirdWatching, Wyoming Wildlife, and Sojourns magazines. Sophie Osborn’s writings are available at www.wordsforbirds.net.

This talk is free and open to all; no tickets or reservations required. For more information, please call Santa Barbara Audubon Society at 805-964-1468.

California Condor photo by Christie Van Cleve