I had the pleasure of designing the conference logo for the 2017 Raptor Research Conference that will be held November 7-12 in Salt Lake City by the Raptor Research Foundation, hosted by HawkWatch International.

Initially I struggled with the species to highlight in the logo, but after consideration I settled on the Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus). I like this choice because it is a widespread species that receives relatively little love compared to other raptors of North America, but it has so much to do with the work of the hosting organization – HawkWatch International. The Northern Harrier’s natural history is complex, its distribution spans much of the continent (and others as well), it is of course migratory, it is an important predator in many ecosystems including the iconic sagebrush steppe, it is entirely unique among other raptors of North America (only member of its genus represented here), and above all it is easily observable around the Salt Lake City area.

The conference is something special to me, as is the opportunity to create the corresponding logo. HawkWatch International provided me with the support that got me into field work in ornithology. I feel as though I will be forever indebted to the organization and the select few individuals that fostered my interests and excitement. The conference this November will be something of a homecoming for me, where I’ll have the opportunity to reflect on where I started and how far I’ve come in my career as an ornithologist (with a raptor emphasis).

I plan to present some of my research at the conference, and encourage all attending to do the same. Deadline for abstract submissions is 15 June.

Special thanks to Dave Oleyar and Neil Paprocki for the opportunity, and their help tuning in the logo design.