Science and Research Committee

The Science and Research Committee was established by the Board of Directors in order to provide review of the project’s ongoing data gathering and banding efforts and to search out new initiatives to recommend to the Board. The group is also charged with the responsibility of monitoring environmental and management issues affecting the east coast migration of North American raptors with special emphasis on southern New Jersey. The committee also acts as liaison with local officials, interests groups and citizens regarding a broad range of issues of mutual interest. The committee is especially interested in developing relationships with researchers who would benefit from hands-on access to migrating raptors.

Interested individuals can contact us at cmrbp@comcast.net.

The committee is comprised of professionals working in the fields of wildlife research and management, raptor banders, educators, public land managers and others with extensive interest and experience regarding the goals of the Cape May Raptor Banding Project. The following individuals presently serve on the committee:

Kathleen E. Clark
Ms. Clark is the Principal Nongame Zoologist with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, Endangered and Nongame Species. She has had extensive research experience with migratory birds especially along the Delaware Bay and in southern New Jersey.

Paul Engman
Mr. Engman is a retired naturalist who has banded migrating raptors at Cape May for over thirty years. He presently serves as Vice President for the Cape May Raptor Banding Project.

Dan James
Mr. James is a wildlife biologist serving on the staff of the Chief Scientist for the Biological Resources Discipline, U.S. Geological Survey as Assistant Program Coordinator for the Status and Trends Program team. He has been a bander at Cape May for over 30 years.

Jim Malone
Mr. Malone teaches math and physics at the Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania. He has done extensive field work with raptors and teaches a Hawk and Owl Biology course. He and his students have used remote cameras to monitor nest sites, developed a metabolic chamber to measure CO2 output in raptors and initiated the use of digital cameras as part of determining wing loading in birds of prey.

Brian W. Smith
Mr. Smith is the Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture Coordinator (a bird conservation partnership with state, federal, non-profit and private entities) for the American Bird Conservancy. He has a Masters Degree in Raptor Biology and a Ph.D. in Forest Resources. He has worked extensively with burrowing owls and other migratory birds and is an active bander at Cape May.

Present projects on the committee agenda include continued compilation of historical data, satellite tracking of Swainsons Hawks, avian flu monitoring of migrating raptors, establishment of a national feather bank and land management issues at Cape May Point.