Hawks on the Wildland-Urban Interface

Bordered on all sides by parks and protected areas, and home to the renowned Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, Tucson is ideally situated for studying the urban-wildland interface. Dr. Bill Mannan, in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment has been looking at urban and rural hawk populations for over 14 years. His rich dataset on Cooper's hawks helped to determine if Tucson is a source or sink for the species. Dr. Mannan and his students have been able to address both ecological and management questions with their work. Dr. Mannan has contributed his knowledge and experience to the community, serving on Tucson Audubon's executive board and participating in the Cactus Ferruginous Pygmy Owl recovery team.