Megan Ruehmann

Megan brings 20 years of experience as a wildlife biologist to the EEI team, with the majority of that time focused on field ornithology. She received her B.S. in Conservation Science from the College of Santa Fe in 2000, where a professor sparked her interest in bird song identification, and then earned her M.S. in Wildlife Science from New Mexico State University in 2008. Guided by Dr. Martha Desmond, her thesis researched the effects of a non-native grass on Brewer’s Sparrow nest success in Grand Teton National Park, WY.

Megan is a skilled avian point count surveyor (trained in Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions, or IMBCR, protocol) for breeding birds as well as wintering grassland birds in a variety of habitats across the west. Other work specialties include studying sensitive and threatened species such as surveying Greater Sage-grouse, Sharp-tailed grouse and Lesser Prairie-chicken leks; abundance surveys of Golden Eagles across the western United States; and nest searching and monitoring productivity of Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle and Peregrine Falcons.

Megan currently serves on the New Mexico Ornithological Society, Audubon Southwest, and Southwestern New Mexico Audubon Society boards. In 2015, she received a New Mexico Ornithological Society grant to study the distribution of Mexican Whip-poor-wills in the Gila region of New Mexico. She finds species distribution and natural history intriguing and continues to pursue side projects in these topics. Megan and her husband John live in Silver City, where they spend much of their time adventuring in the Gila, running, biking, and traveling with their pups in their camper van.