Mike Stake

Senior Wildlife Biologist
​Conservation Services

Ventana Wildlife Society
9699 Blue Larkspur Ln, Ste 105
Monterey, CA 93940
(831) 800-7423, fax (831) 455-2846
​mikestake@ventanaws.org

• Bio
• Areas of Expertise
• Publications
• Video

<

>

Mike is a San Francisco Bay Area native, returning home to the west coast in 2009 to work with Ventana Wildlife Society. Mike left California in 1988 to attend the University of Nebraska, opting for a stunning change of scenery, Husker football tickets, and a few eastern birds for the life list. After graduation, he spent several years with The Nature Conservancy at Fort Hood, Texas monitoring endangered Black-capped Vireos and Golden-cheeked Warblers. He later assisted with research projects in the Bahamas, Australia, Peru and Ecuador, and also taught English classes in Russia. After completing his Master’s Degree at the University of Missouri in 2003, Mike spent five years coordinating avian research projects with Hawks Aloft, a non-profit organization in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His work there included Gray Vireo monitoring, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher surveys, and working with power companies and agencies to help resolve avian issues associated with power lines.

 ​Project Design and Administration
 Conservation Planning
 Bird Banding
 Acoustical Bat Monitoring
 Data Analysis and Manuscript Preparation
 Sensitive Species Surveys
​ Survey Techniques (Point Count, Transect, Area Search, etc.)
​ Public speaking

Reidy, J. L., M. M. Stake, and F. R. Thompson. 2008. Golden-cheeked Warbler nest mortality and predators in urban and rural landscapes. Condor 110:458-466.
 
Smith, J. E., C. J. Whelan, S. J. Taylor, M. L. Denight, and M. M. Stake. 2007. Novel predator-prey interactions: is resistance futile? Evolutionary Ecology Research 9:433-446.
 
Smith, J. E., S. J. Taylor, C. J. Whelan, M. L. Denight, and M. M. Stake. 2004. Behavioral interactions between fire ants and vertebrate nest predators at two Black-capped Vireo nests. Wilson Bulletin 116:163-166.

Sorenson, K. J., L. J. Burnett, and M. M. Stake. 2017. Restoring a Bald Eagle breeding population in central California and monitoring 25 years of regional population growth. Journal of Raptor Research 51:145-152.

Stake, M. M. 2012. Trends in vagrant capture rates at a coastal California banding station (1993-2010). Bird Populations 11:14-21.
Stake, M. 2013. Avian predator management for the protection of California Least Terns and Western snowy Plovers at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area in 2011-2013. Technical Report #080 submitted to California Department of Parks and Recreation, Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area. Ventana Wildlife Society, Salinas, CA.

Stake, M. M. 2011. Trends in capture rates for summer, winter, and permanent resident songbirds at Big Sur, California. North American Bird Bander 36:149-155.
 
Stake, M. M., and K. Sorenson. 2011. Trends in riparian songbirds banded at Big Sur, Central California Coast. Western Birds 42:85-95.
 
Stake, M. 2008. The western landlord. Purple Martin Update 17(2):8-9.
 
Stake, M. M., F. R. Thompson, J. Faaborg, and D. E. Burhans. 2005. Patterns of snake predation at songbird nests in Missouri and Texas. Journal of Herpetology 39(2):215-222.
 
Stake, M. M., J. Faaborg, and F. R. Thompson. 2004. Video identification of predators at Golden-cheeked Warbler nests. Journal of Field Ornithology 75:337-344.
 
Stake, M. M., and D. A. Cimprich. 2003. Using video to monitor predation at Black-capped Vireo nests. Condor 105:348-357.
 
Stake, M. M., and P. M. Cavanagh. 2001. Removal of host nestlings and fecal sacs by Brown-headed Cowbirds. Wilson Bulletin 113:456-459.
 
Stake, M. M. 2001. Predation by a great plains rat snake on an adult female Golden-cheeked Warbler. Wilson Bulletin 113:460-461.

---

Watch Giants of Big Sur, the film