Scientific Director, Co-founder
Neil helped found Wild Lens while working on a Master’s degree in Raptor Biology from Boise State University. Coming from a strictly science and research background, Neil cut his teeth with Wild Lens producing several short films for the Eyes on Conservation series (now branded as Earth to Humans!).
Neil received his Master’s of Science degree in Raptor Biology from Boise State University in 2013 studying the effects of climate and land use change on wintering raptors in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. Neil also co-directed the film Bluebird Man, the inspirational story of Al Larson’s work with bluebirds. Neil then spent 4 years as the Conservation Biologist for the raptor-centric NGO HawkWatch International in Salt Lake City, Utah before returning to Idaho in 2019. Neil is currently a PhD student at the University of Idaho in Moscow studying Rough-legged Hawk migration – Thesis Abstract.
Neil has worked with Golden Eagles in Utah and breeding Gyrfalcons in Nome, Alaska. He has lead or participated in a number of projects including work with wintering and migrating raptors, Short-eared Owls, Golden Eagles, and American Kestrels. Neil received his B.S. in Animal Behavior from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania in 2007. Between 2007 and 2010, Neil spent the majority of his time working with the endangered California Condor in southern California, northern Arizona, and southern Utah. In addition to trapping raptors during several fall migration seasons for the Idaho Bird Observatory, he has also worked with songbirds in New Hampshire and Nevada, fish in southern Utah, and Ptarmigan in the Alaskan arctic.
Publications:
Paprocki, N., Glenn, N.F., Atkinson, E.C., Strickler, K.M., Watson, C., and Heath, J.A. 2015. Changing habitat use associated with distributional shifts of wintering raptors. Journal of Wildlife Management 79(3):402-412.
Miller, R.A., Carlisle, J.D., Paprocki, N., Kaltenecker, G.S., and Heath, J.A. 2015. Annual variation in autumn migration phenology and energetic condition at a stopover site in the western United States. Pp. 177-191 in E.M. Wood and J.L. Kellermann (editors), Phenological synchrony and bird migration: changing climate and seasonal resources in North America. Studies in Avian Biology (no. 47), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Paprocki, N., Heath, J.A., Novak, S.J. 2014. Regional distribution shifts help explain local changes in wintering raptor abundance: implications for interpreting population trends. PLoS ONE 9(1):e86814. Doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0086814
Miller, R.A., Paprocki, N., and Urban, E.H. 2013. Melanistic adult male Northern Harrier wintering in Idaho. Western Birds 44:78-79.
