Chad Witko

Chad Witko

Senior Coordinator, Avian Biology

As Senior Coordinator, Chad Witko communicates about the Migratory Bird Initiative and other science programs within Audubon, working with data and knowledge holders across the Western Hemisphere to build relationships and acquire migratory bird datasets. Through this work, he is a principal contributor to the development of the Bird Migration Explorer.

As an expert birder and ornithologist, Chad provides a lifetime of birding knowledge and nearly twenty years of field experience to the National Science Division at Audubon.

Before joining Audubon in 2019, Chad worked on various bird research, conservation, and education projects across the United States. These include developing avian conservation strategies linked to forestry efforts in New Hampshire, serving as an eBird state reviewer, mist-netting and banding migratory passerines in California, and educating visitors to Eastern Egg Rock about seabird restoration efforts for Project Puffin.

Chad holds a BS in Environmental and Forest Biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and an MS in Conservation Biology and a Certificate in Applied Spatial Analysis for GIS from Antioch University New England. He currently resides in Vermont with his partner and daughter.

Articles by Chad Witko

A Red Crossbill looks down from its perch in a pine tree, holding a seed in its beak.
Fancy Finches? This Extensive New Field Guide Is For You
October 04, 2024 — Co-authored by a finch expert and veteran guide writer, the book covers everything from House Finches to honeycreepers. (Yep, they're finches, too.)
A Red Knot walking on a rocky coast with water splashing around it.
These 5 Birds Are All Winners in the Migration Games
August 08, 2024 — The world’s best athletes impress us with their prowess at the Olympics. But have you heard about the 50,000 mile annual marathon of the Arctic Tern or the 100-mile-per hour sprint of a Whimbrel?
Tracking Data Show Us One of North America's Most Epic Migrations
May 10, 2024 — Advancements in technology help conservationists protect Sandhill Cranes along their awe-inspiring journey.
The Way Phainopeplas Breed and Migrate May Help Them Adapt to A Changing Climate
January 11, 2024 — Using tracking devices, Dan Baldassarre revealed key aspects of the "goth cardinal's" fascinating behavior.
How the Breeding Season Teaches Us More About Migratory Birds
August 23, 2023 — During the brief windows when migratory birds are busy breeding and relatively stationary, migration researchers leap into action to unravel the mysteries of their journeys.
Meet the Stragglers of Spring Migration
June 12, 2023 — There are a few bird species that are still finishing their spring migration. Use the Bird Migration Explorer to learn more about these tardy travelers.
How Many Birds Can A Bunch of Audubon Staff See In a Year?
May 18, 2023 — We made a pact to do a Big Year collaboratively in 2022. Here's what we saw, and what we learned in those 12 months of birding and sharing.
Wood Stork.
The Weird and Wild Migration of the Wood Stork Raises Many Questions
September 15, 2022 — This unmistakable emblem of the Everglades and other Southern wetlands may be changing its migratory behavior in response to human impacts on the ecosystem.
A large brown hawk with a large pointed beak and a tracking device affixed to its back is held by two people.
To Protect Broad-winged Hawks, We First Need to Know Where They Migrate
September 07, 2022 — Researchers Laurie Goodrich and Rebecca McCabe are demystifying the long journeys of these migratory raptors to better inform conservation efforts.
The Flammulated Owl Is a Small Raptor Facing Big Threats
August 22, 2022 — Scott Yanco’s research on the migration and ecology of this reclusive owl can give the bird a fighting chance.

 

 

Favorite birds
Pomarine Jaeger
Skuas and Jaegers