Executive Director

Jill Bluso Demers is the Bird Observatory's Executive Director. Jill has a B.A. in Biology from Colby College, in Waterville, Maine, and has a M.S. in Natural Resources: Wildlife from Humboldt State University, where her research focused on the breeding ecology of Forster's Terns in San Francisco Bay. Jill came to the Bird Observatory as the Science Programs Director and became the Executive Director in July 2009. Previously, Jill was a biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey. Throughout her career, Jill's research interests centered on applied ecological studies that inform the management of birds and their habitats. Jill looks forward to continuing to lead the Bird Observatory’s Science and Outreach Programs in new directions to help fulfill our mission of using science to conserve birds in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.

Contact:jdemers@sfbbo.org

Outreach and Communications Director

Stephanie Ellis We are pleased to welcome back Stephanie Ellis as our Outreach and Communications Director. Stephanie worked as the Outreach Specialist at the Bird Observatory from 2007 – 2009, and returns after working as the Director of Animal Care for the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley. She has years of experience in bird conservation and outreach on both coasts. Originally from Massachusetts, Stephanie studied Psychology and BioBehavior with an emphasis in Ornithology and worked for the Massachusetts Audubon Society. “Bird conservation has played a crucial role in my life for the last 15 years. I am thrilled to be a part of the Bird Observatory,” said Stephanie. “Here I am in a position to reach out to the community and raise awareness of the plights of birds in the Bay area, and to bring attention to the outstanding conservation efforts of the Bird Observatory.”

Contact:sellis@sfbbo.org

Administrative Assistant

Kathi Kendrick joined the Bird Observatory as an Administrative Assistant, and we are all singing her praises as she organizes and streamlines our office and brings smiles to our faces daily. Originally from Nevada, she later traded the sagebrush for palm trees and moved to California where she became keenly interested in nature and conservation. Kathi comes to us with 9 years of administrative experience while working for H.T. Harvey & Associates, an ecological consulting firm in Los Gatos.

Contact: kkendrick@sfbbo.org

Accountant
Gail Richardson is the Bird Observatory's Accountant. She has a M.S. in Accounting and Finance from the University of Colorado and brings years of experience with corporate and nonprofit organizations in the retail, banking, pharmaceutical and higher education fields. Gail spent her childhood in Ohio where her grandmother introduced her to the wonders of nature in general and birds in particular. She is an avid birder and formerly volunteered as a bird bander at the Coyote Creek Field Station. She relishes the opportunity to use her strong background in accounting and financial analysis to support the mission and goals of the Bird Observatory.

Contact: grichardson@sfbbo.org

Science Staff

Caitlin Robinson-Nilsen is the Waterbird Program Director at the Bird Observatory, overseeing all aspects of the Waterbird Program. Caitlin has a B.A. in Environmental Studies and American Studies from Skidmore College in New York and a M.S. in Environmental Studies from San Jose State University. Her Master’s research focused on the Federally Threatened Western Snowy Plover nesting in the South Bay Salt Ponds. An authority on the Western Snowy Plover, she is the co-unit leader for the San Francisco Bay Recovery Unit. Caitlin uses her expertise to inform management and restoration of the Bay’s wetland habitats as a Science Team member of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, the largest wetland restoration on the west coast.

Contact: cnilsen@sfbbo.org

Josh Scullen is the biologist in charge of managing the Coyote Creek Field Station, the Bird Observatory's bird banding station, as well as management of our extensive databases. Josh also keeps busy in the field conducting waterbird surveys on the South Bay Salt Ponds and field studies for the Landbird Program. Josh has a B.S. in Wildlife Management from West Virginia University and is a North American Banding Council Certified Trainer. Originally from Maryland, Josh has spent several years conducting field work throughout North and Central America and Hawaii, and has lived on the California coast since 2006.

Contact: jscullen@sfbbo.org

Karine Tokatlian is a biologist working with the Waterbird Program and also assists our ecologists with the Habitats Program. Most of her time is spent in the field monitoring Western Snowy Plovers during their breeding period and conducting waterbird surveys on the South Bay Salt Ponds. Karine has a B.S. in Field and Wildlife Biology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She has spent several years monitoring protected breeding bird populations along the California coast, including the Western Snowy Plover and California Least Tern. As a native of California, Karine has a profound respect for the conservation of coastal ecosystems and, gratefully, has the opportunity to nurture her interests through the efforts of the Bird Observatory.

Contact: ktokatlian@sfbbo.org

Alvaro Jaramillo is a senior biologist working with both the Science and Outreach Programs. Alvaro has a B.S. in Zoology from the University of Toronto, and a M.S. in Ecology and Evolution from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia. An expert on the birds of California and North America, he is also an authority on the birds of Chile, authoring of Birds of Chile (2003) and collaborating on Chile’s Important Bird Areas program. An author and contributor to numerous field guides and popular publications, Alvaro’s passion is not only to understand the biology and natural history of birds, but to enrich other’s enjoyment of birds and further avian conservation. He was recently nominated to receive the Eisenmann Medal of the Linnean Society of New York, established to honor those who excel in ornithology and encourage the amateur.

Contact: ajaramillo@sfbbo.org

David Thomson is a senior ecologist leading our Habitats Program. David has a B.S. in Biology from Seattle University in Washington and a M.S. in Wetland Ecology from Southeastern Louisiana University, where he contributed to and led research on coastal wetlands. Since moving to California in 2001 he has actively researched the ecology and restoration of wetlands in San Francisco Bay, including an ongoing study to develop methods and materials for restoring tidal marsh-upland ecotonal habitats. The methods he has developed are being utilized to restore habitats at sites throughout the estuary as a part of the tidal marsh ecosystem's restoration. David hopes to contribute to our understanding of bird habitat ecology and enrich our research programs with this perspective.

Contact: dthomson@sfbbo.org

Aidona Kakouros is an Ecologist for our Habitats Program. Aidona has a B.S. in Forestry and Natural Environment Studies from Aristotelian University of Thessalonica, Greece and a M.S in Environmental Studies from San Jose State University where she studied interactions between Forster’s terns and California gulls. Aidona got hooked with environmental conservation initiatives in her early teen years and since then she has participated professionally and voluntarily in a variety of conservation projects including ecotype mapping, bird and other wildlife species studies, habitat assessment and environmental education. Aidona strongly believes that habitat restoration gives us an exceptional opportunity to further increase our understanding of the ecosystem dynamics and particularly of species’ interactions; thus, it should incorporate an experimental approach to meet this end. She is very excited to participate in a project with such a creative potential and determined to employ her knowledge and skills towards this direction.

Contact: akakouros@sfbbo.org