Climate-Smart Seabird Nests – 2022

Eddie Bartley and Mark Rauzon near a climate-smart nest box

A 2022 grant provided support to Point Blue Conservation Science for creating and evaluating climate-smart nesting habitat for cavity nesting seabirds on the Farallon Islands.

Protecting the Endangered St. Vincent Parrot – 2021

St. Vincent's parrot

In 2021, the Farallon Islands Foundation provided a grant to Birds Caribbean to survey and relocate birds to a protected area during and after the 2021 volcanic eruptions of the La Soufriére Volcano. The volcano, which began erupting on April 9, 2021, resulted in falling rocks, pyroclastic flows, and heavy ashfall across the mountainous island nation of St. Vincent — … Read More

Dick Spight Farallon Islands Foundation Intern – 2018

In 2018, FIF funded a seasonal intern who was trained by Point Blue staff and resided on the Farallon Islands from March 17 through August 18, 2018 conducting seabird monitoring research. Monitoring activities included breeding success censuses, and banding and identification of seabirds and other wildlife. The intern also received hands-on experience with database management, science writing, experimental design and … Read More

Assessing hurricane impacts to Puerto Rican Birds – 2018

Puerto Rican Tody, a native bird of Puerto Rico. Photo credit: Jose Salguero.

During September 2017, the island of Puerto Rico was impacted by two major hurricanes — Irma (September 7) and Maria (September 20).  These two storms, especially Maria, devastated infrastructure and natural areas throughout the island. FIF’s 2018 grant to the Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña, Inc. (SOPI) and Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) helped to fund an island-wide bird census to assess the … Read More

Assessing Rat Removal Efforts on South Georgia Island – 2016

South Georgia Island

On South Georgia Island, located in the Southern Atlantic Ocean, populations of ground-nesting native seabirds (including two endemic species, the South Georgia Pipit and the South Georgia Pintail) have been decimated by the introduced Norway Brown Rat. Since 2011, the Friends of South Georgia Island have been working to eradicate rats and mice from the island. The island was baited … Read More

Supporting the study of Tufted Puffins, Cassin’s Auklets and Common Murres on the Farallon Islands – 2013

Tufted Puffin

FIF has supported research conducted on wildlife populations by Point Reyes Bird Observatory (PRBO) since the foundation’s inception in 1999. One of our earliest projects assisted PRBO research by funding, building, and transporting nesting boxes for auklets on North Farallon. Our 2013 grant to PRBO was designed to further the group’s research efforts for the Farallons’ Common Murre, Tufted Puffin and … Read More

Equipment For The Study of Least Terns on Alameda Island – 2013

Least tern with chick

The Golden Gate chapter of the National Audbon Society (GGAS) has been working since 1976 to study and protect California’s northernmost Least Tern colony, situated on Alameda Island in the San Francisco Bay. In conjunction with GGAS efforts, the tern colony grew from 10 nests to 440 28 years. In 2003, the colony produced the second highest number of Least … Read More

Alameda County Breeding Bird Atlas – 2011

Alameda County Breeding Bird Atlas. 2011.

The long-awaited Alameda County Breeding Bird Atlas, in the works since the 1990’s, was produced by volunteers from GGAS and Ohlone Audubon. It includes 173 carefully written species accounts, 30 wonderful illustrations by Hans Peeters, and a detailed vegetation map of the county using the latest data available. Year of grant: 2011 Amount: $3,000 Grantee: Golden Gate Audubon Society

Nesting Boxes for Auklets on the Farallon Islands – 2000

An avian condo

The Cassin’s Auklet is a burrow and crevice-nesting seabird of the Pacific Coast. With a declining population and nesting range, it is a candidate for California’s Species of Special Concern list. About 80% of California’s Cassin’s Auklets breed on the Farallon Islands. Mated pairs lay only one egg per year. Point Reyes Bird Observatory (now Point Blue) has studied breeding … Read More