The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 123(4):863-890, 2011 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NINETY-SECOND ANNUAL MEETING 
JOHN A. SMALLWOOD, SECRETARY 
The Ninety-second Annual Meeting of the 
Wilson Ornithological Society was held in joint 
session with the Association of Field Ornitholo¬ 
gists and the Cooper Ornithological Society from 
Wednesday. 9 March, through Sunday, 13 March 
2011. at the Younes Conference Centre in 
Kearney, Nebraska. Mary Bombcrger Brown, 
Director of the Tern and Plover Conservation 
Partnership. University of Nebraska. School of 
Natural Resources, chaired the Committee on 
Local Arrangements, which included Chris 
rhody, also of the Tern and Plover Conservation 
Partnership: T. J. Fontaine and Karie Decker. 
University of Nebraska. School of Natural Re¬ 
sources and USGS Nebraska Cooperative Fish 
and Wildlife Research Unit: Joel Jorgensen, 
Nebraska Game anti Parks Commission; Wayne 
Mollhoff. Nebraska Ornithologists' Union; Jacki 
Loomis. Elaine Connelly. Mark Mcsareh. Gregg 
Hutchison. Sue Ellen Pegg. and Sarah Rehme, 
University of Nebraska, School of Natural Re¬ 
sources; Paul Johnsgard, University of Nebraska, 
School of Biological Sciences: Lctitia Reichart, 
University of Nebraska at Kearney, Department of 
Biology: and Sarah Focke of the Kearney 
Visitors' Bureau. The local sponsors included 
ihe Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union; Nebraska 
Bird Partnership; Nebraska Game and Parks 
Commission; University of Nebraska. School of 
Natural Resources: Rainwater Basin Joint Ven¬ 
ture; USGS. Nebraska Cooperative Fish and 
Wildlife Research Unit: Nebraska Birding Trails: 
and the Kearney Visitors' Bureau. 
The Council met from 0806 to 1654 hrs on 
Wednesday, 9 March, at the Younes Conference 
Centre. That evening there was an ice-breaker 
Social for the conferees and guests, also at Ihe 
conference center. 
The scientific program began on Thursday 
morning with four concurrent sessions. Each 
society sponsored its own plenary lecture, sched¬ 
uled on consecutive days. On Thursday afternoon, 
the 20|| WOS Margaret Morse Nice Medal 
recipient. Richard N. Conner, presented the 
plenary lecture “The ecology of the Red-coekad- 
cd Woodpecker, by necessity a multidiscipline 
study." On Friday afternoon. Gary L. Krapu 
Presented the AFO plenary lecture. '•Sandhill 
Cranes and the Platte River: a local and global 
perspective," and on Saturday afternoon, Thomas 
B. Smith presented the COS plenary lecture, 
"Diversification along ecological gradients in the 
tropics." 
In addition to the plenary lectures, the scientific 
program included a remarkable 271 presentations 
organized into 34 sessions, 75 posters, and four 
symposia on Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica ce- 
rulect ) breeding biology and migratory behavior, 
research on North American prairie grouse, avian 
conservation and ecosystem services in agricul¬ 
tural landscapes, and Piping Plover ( Charadrius 
me Indus) and Least Tern ( Sterna antillarum) 
management on the Great Plains. 
The Local Committee hosted field trips each 
morning and afternoon to the Rowe Audubon 
Sanctuary, where attendees could observe from 
blinds the spectacular assemblage of migratory 
Sandhill Cranes (Grits canadensis), geese, and 
ducks at their staging area along the Platte River. 
Additional field trips before, during, and after the 
conference included bird watching in the Rain¬ 
water Basin of south-central Nebraska: observing 
Greater Prairie-Chickens ( Tympaniicluis cupido) 
and Sharp-tailed Grouse (71 phasianellus) dis¬ 
playing on a lek near Mullen. Nebraska; and 
visiting the Great Platte River Road Archway, a 
museum commemorating the westward migration 
across the Great Plains by covered wagon. 
On Saturday evening the conferees gathered for 
a reception prior to the annual banquet. The 
evening events included an enjoyable dinner and 
afterwards AFO President Scott Johnson, on 
behalf of all three societies, offered our gratitude 
to the Local Committee for a successful confer¬ 
ence. President Johnson then introduced WOS 
President E. Dale Kennedy, who thanked the three 
elected members of Council who had completed 
their terms of office. Jameson F. Chace, Sara R. 
Morris, and Margaret A. Voss, and welcomed the 
three newly elected members of Council, Willaim 
H. Barnard, Mark E. Hauber, and Margret I. 
Hatch. President Kennedy also congratulated the 
newly elected WOS President Robert C. Beason. 
whose term would begin at the close of the 
meeting, and gave to him the WOS ceremonial 
presidential gavel. The following WOS awards 
863 
