Peter H. Bloom, Ph.D. - Zoologist/President

Peter Bloom has been a professional environmental consultant for more than 35 years, principally in California. He specializes in the environmental sciences, is an internationally recognized expert in raptor biology and conservation and is considered one of the best all-around field biologists in California with his extensive knowledge and experience with all terrestrial vertebrate groups (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) and the vascular plants. Corporate clients for whom he has prepared or contributed to the production of numerous biological assessments and environmental impact reports include The Irvine Company, Rancho Mission Viejo, Tejon Ranch, Newhall Ranch, Ahmanson Ranch, Metropolitan Water District, and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. He has also worked extensively with the Department of Defense, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Fish and Game, and various non-profit conservation groups providing valuable research and advice, primarily on raptor ecology and conservation. He has conducted avian and herpetological research in the western United States, Alaska, Peru, Ecuador, and India and has been responsible for a wide variety of biological, ecological, and conservation studies ranging from local biological assessments to regional conservation planning. Dr. Bloom has published more than 30 peer-reviewed scientific papers and technical reports and taught California natural history at a local junior college for more than 12 years.

Download a PDF of Peter H. Bloom's resume.

Professional Experience

As president of Bloom Biological, Inc., Dr. Bloom has prepared numerous biological assessments and worked on several avian research projects in the western United States, Alaska, Peru, Ecuador, and India, spending over 600 hours conducting helicopter and fixed-wing nest survey work and aerial radio-tracking of eagles, California condors, hawks, and herons. He has also been responsible for conducting or supervising:

fiber-optics and electrical powerline installation surveys and construction monitoring;
surveys of nesting and wintering birds of prey for the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), BLM, U.S. Forest Service, Department of Defense, and numerous private land owners;
radio-tagging of adult California red-legged frogs in Ventura County;
focused surveys for California gnatcatcher, southwestern willow flycatcher, least Bell's vireo, arroyo toad, California red-legged frog, desert tortoise, Pacific pond turtle (including trapping and surveying habitat), coast horned lizard, flat-tailed horned lizard, Belding’s orange-throated whiptail, coastal whiptail, coastal patch-nosed snake, California glossy snake, two-striped garter snake (including trapping and surveying habitat), red-diamond rattlesnake, and Pacific pocket mouse;
general herpetological, small mammal, breeding and winter bird surveys in southern California;
translocation of several hundred arroyo toads at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base;
sensitive herpetological, mammal, and raptor surveys for the Transportation Corridor Agency in Orange County; and
a raptor status and management plan for Naval Weapons Station, Seal Beach and Fallbrook Detachment.

As a research biologist at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, served on the Science Advisory Board of the South Orange County Natural Communities Conservation Program. During his tenure there he:

provided herpetological input into the Orange County environmental GIS and Cleveland National Forest environmental inventory.
managed a long-term (30 yr.) raptor ecology study in California;
managed a successful Great Blue Heron mitigation project designed to increase numbers of nesting herons through placement of artificial nest platforms;
supervised and performed predator management activities for USFWS related to protection of California least terns, snowy plovers, and light-footed clapper rails in southwestern California from avian and other vertebrate predators (locations included Vandenberg Air Force Base, Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, Batiquitos Lagoon, Port of Long Beach, Port of San Diego, and Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge);
supervised a two year CalTrans radio-telemetry study of nesting peregrine falcons and their relationship to California least terns in southwestern California; and
organized and finished seven years of a MAPS passerine monitoring station.

While serving as a research biologist and advisor in India, responsibilities included educating local biologists in the various techniques needed to capture birds, and conducting radio-telemetry research.

Served as thesis advisor to seven students at CSU Long Beach, one student at CSU Humboldt, and one student at CSU Fullerton.

As research biologist for the National Audubon Society, was responsible for writing the grant proposal and ultimately the successful award of two grants totaling $300,000 for six years of fulltime research on the ecology of southern California raptor populations. Responsibilities included project management, personnel selection, supervision of 12 volunteers, proposal and budget preparation, method design, data analysis, report writing, and publication of results. Directed the effort to capture all wild free-flying California condors for transmitter placement or captive breeding. Radio-tracked condors and conducted contaminant studies involving condors and 180 golden eagles.

As a research biologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, was principal investigator on a three year study designed to determine the status of northern goshawk populations in California for CDFG.

Trapped and placed transmitters on great gray owls for the U.S. Forest Service, prairie falcons for CDFG, and peregrine falcons in Peru for the Bodega Bay Institute of Pollution Ecology.

As a wildlife biologist for BLM, was principal investigator of a study designed to determine the status of the Swainson's hawk in California. Surveyed all semi-arid and desert regions, reviewed literature and museum records, assessed reproduction, banded adults and young, and prepared the final report. His efforts contributed to the state-listing of Swainson's hawk as threatened.

Surveyed and reported on the ecology and distribution of raptors inhabiting the 200-square-mile Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base.

While serving as a biological technician for BLM, conducted reptile, amphibian, small mammal, and avian surveys of 3.25 million acres of public land as part of a grazing EIS.

Permits & Certifications

Federal endangered species recovery permit (TE-787376) for red-legged frog (including placement of transmitters and transponders), arroyo toad, California gnatcatcher (including banding), least Bell’s vireo (including banding), southwestern willow flycatcher (including banding), California least tern, snowy plover, peregrine falcon, bald eagle, and Swainson’s hawk.

California scientific collecting permit and memorandum of understanding for all raptors, including state-threatened Swainson’s hawk, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, and many additional species of birds, including state-threatened western yellow-billed cuckoo, California least tern, snowy plover, peregrine falcon, and bald eagle.

Federal Master Banding Permit No. 20431

Federal Bird Marking and Salvage Permit

Predator Management Permit

Migratory Bird Relocation Permit (burrowing owl and other species)

Brown-headed cowbird trapping authorization

Desert Tortoise Council-approved for conducting desert tortoise monitoring surveys

Education

Ph.D., Biology, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow

M.S., Biology, California State University, Long Beach

B.S., Zoology, California State University, Long Beach

Awards

The Wildlife Society Western Section: Professional of the Year, 2005

Association of Field Ornithologists: Bergstrom Award, 1981

The Nature Conservancy: $27,000 for satellite transmitters, 2004 and 2006

Selected Publications

Turkey vulture marking history: the switch from leg bands to patagial tags. North American Bird Bander 30:59-64. 2005. (with C. S. Houston)

Basic II and basic III plumages of rough-legged hawks. Journal of Field Ornithology 76:83-89. 2005. (with William Clark)

Molt and sequence of plumages of golden eagles, and a technique for in-hand ageing. North American Bird Bander 26:97-116. 2001. (with William Clark)

The status of Harlan’s hawk in southern California. Western Birds 31:200-202. 2000. (with Charles Collins)

Post-migration weight gain of Swainson’s hawks in Argentina. Wilson Bulletin 111:428-432. 1999. (with M. I. Goldstein, J. H. Sarasola, and T. E. Lacher)

Characteristics of red-tailed hawk nest sites in oak woodlands of central California. Proceedings of a Symposium on Oak Woodlands: Ecology, Management, and Urban Interface Issues. Pgs. 365-372. 1998. (with W. D. Tietje, and J. K. Vreeland)

The urban buteo: red-shouldered hawks in southern California. Pgs 31-39 in: Raptors in Human Landscapes, Adaptations to Built and Cultivated Environments. 1996. D. M. Bird, D. E. Varland,, and J. J. Negro, eds. Academic Press. (with M. D. McCrary)

Reproductive performance, age structure, and natal dispersal of Swainson's hawks in the Butte Valley, California. Journal of Raptor Research 29:187-192. 1995. 1995. (with B. Woodbridge and K. K. Finley)

The biology and current status of the long-eared owl in coastal southern California. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 93:1-12. 1994.

Red-shouldered hawk home range and habitat use in southern California. Journal of Wildlife Management 57:258-265. 1993. (with M. D. McCrary and M. J. Gibson)

The dho-gaza with great horned owl lure: an analysis of its effectiveness in capturing raptors. Journal of Raptor Research 26:167-178. 1992. (with J. L. Henckel, E. H. Henckel, J. K. Schmutz, B. Woodbridge, J. R. Bryan, R. L. Anderson, P. J. Detrich, T. L. Maechtle, J. O. McKinley, M. D. McCrary, K. Titus, and P. F. Schempf [Bloom senior author])

Lead hazards within the range of the California condor. The Condor 92:931-937. 1990. (with O. H. Pattee, J. M. Scott, and M. R. Smith)

Investigations of the decline of Swainson's hawk populations in California. Journal of Raptor Research 23:63-71. 1990. (with R. W. Risebrough, R. W. Schlorff, and E. E. Littrell)

Importance of riparian systems to nesting Swainson's hawks in the Central Valley of California. Pgs. 612-618 in Warner, R.E. and K.M. Hendrix eds., California Riparian Systems, Ecology, Conservation, and Productive Management. University of California Press. 1984. (with R. D. Schlorff)

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