For WFO’s 47th Annual Conference, we are partnering with Colorado Field Ornithologists. The location: Copper Mountain, Colorado, west of Denver. The dates: Wednesday, July 19, to Sunday, July 23, 2023.
If you haven’t registered yet, here are some details to pique your interest, along with information you need to sign up.
Conference Highlights
If you have attended WFO conferences in the past, many features of this year’s event will be familiar. There are also some extras. To see a full schedule before you register, download the registration packet from the CFO website.
- Field trips covering a variety of habitats and ranging from birding specific counties to seeking target species such as White-tailed Ptarmigan, Brown-capped Rosy Finch, and Cassia Crossbill.
- Workshops including Nathan Pieplow’s ear-birding with a phone, a session on using iNaturalist, and a presentation on the Pinyon Jay and how community science contributes to surveying this declining species. One of the two presenters on the Pinyon Jay is WFO Board Member Elisabeth Ammon, executive director of the Great Basin Bird Observatory.
- Science sessions offering research from across the western US.
- A bioblitz using iNaturalist to record avian and nonavian species during the conference. Open to all participants, including young birders!
- Activities for students and young birders such as a preconvention camping trip and dedicated field trips and social events.
- Banquet on Saturday, July 23, featuring keynote speaker Jesse Barry, program director for Merlin at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.
American Three-toed Woodpecker, a field trip target and the convention “mascot.” Photo: Ed Harper
Conference Registration
Colorado Field Ornithologists is managing all aspects of conference registration. When you register as a WFO member, you need to enter the following coupon code to obtain the member rate: WFOMEMBER. WFO student members should enter the following coupon code: WFOMEMBERSTUDENT.
Not a WFO member? Consider joining WFO. Member fee for the full convention is $225. Nonmembers pay $280. A one-year WFO membership is $50. Or join for two years at $90 and be all set for next year’s conference! In addition to receiving a discount for our conferences, you are supporting WFO’s publication and student programs.
The CFO convention website has all the details you need to register. You will also find essential information on lodging, transportation, and meals.
CFO has an email contact, visible on the registration page, if you have questions about registering or you encounter problems.
Advice on Birding at Altitude
Headquarters for the conference is Copper Mountain Resort—elevation 9,712 feet. Some conference attendees may be challenged by traveling to this elevation from a low altitude. Page 4 of the registration packet offers practical advice about preparing for your trip and acclimating to this altitude. Note that field trips are rated from easy to hard so you can choose the trip that best suits you.