Q & A: Bill Monahan
Bill Monahan
Bill Monahan is Audubon California’s Senior GIS Scientist. Working in the Emeryville office, Monahan is investigating the impacts of climate change on California birds and habitats.
What drew you to Audubon, and how long have you been working here?
In 2008, I completed my Ph.D. at UC Berkeley and was looking for an opportunity to apply my interests in birds, climate change, and spatial modeling in the conservation arena. Gary Langham had recently join Audubon California as director of bird conservation and – as luck would have it – was looking to build a climate change research program. I started initially as a conservation science fellow in August of 2008 and a year later transitioned to my present position.
What’s your favorite bird?
My favorite bird is the House Sparrow because it is so widespread and versatile. I studied microevolution in this species during my time at Berkeley, and now enjoy watching an active flock outside of my Emeryville office window. Not surprisingly, I take flak from many bird enthusiasts for selecting an introduced species as my top bird! My favorite native bird in California these days would have to be the Blue-winged Teal. Some individuals of this species can survive ambient temperatures as low as -58F and as high as +122F…how cool is that?
Where is your favorite place to enjoy the outdoors?
I grew up in Colorado and have fond memories of hiking and skiing with friends and family in the Rocky Mountains. In particular, I’ve spent a lot of time on Mount Evans along the Front Range outside of Denver, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the south, and the Wind River Range to the north in Wyoming.
Did you grow up with an interest in birds and conservation? Or is it something you came to later on, unexpectedly?
I grew up with Audubon magazines around the house. Additionally, I was in the field studying birds at a young age. Hence, I was essentially born in to birds and science. However, it wasn’t until mid-college that my interests in Ornithology and bird conservation became serious in an academic sense. While working on my honors thesis in Zimbabwe (researching nutrient cycling in Miombo woodland soils), I started a side project investigating nest-site selection and nest destruction in the Southern Masked Weaver. From there I went on to study native forest birds in Hawaii and Greater Sage Grouse in Colorado before moving to California.
Tell us about something that you're working on at the moment.
Most conservation planning is still geared towards addressing current threats and opportunities. However, large scale processes like climate change are beginning to challenge the way we think about what we are trying to conserve where. I recently joined an exciting partnership the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi Mountains of southern California that aims to implement conservation strategies that explicitly incorporate climate change out to 2050. We are in the process of drafting recommendations for how birds associated with particular habitats can be used as early warning indicators of climate change. Such information is especially critical for land managers tasked with adaptively managing their lands in the face of climate change.
Besides birding, what's your favorite thing to do when you're not working?
I like to cook and get out for walks on the beach.
What do you want Californians to know about birding and/or the state's environment that they don't already?
California encompasses a wide range of terrestrial environments, from hot and arid in the southeast to cool and wet in the mountainous areas towards the north. Such variation supports a great deal of biodiversity, including avian biodiversity. Over 300 species of birds occur regularly in the state on a seasonal basis. Wherever you go, be sure to pause and enjoy all the great birds that surround you.
What’s your favorite non-birding book?
I like reading short stories, particularly ones that deal with mystery.
