Putting Neotropical Ornithology on the Map

10/02/24 • 37 min

In 2023, over 120 contributors published a study in the scientific journal, Ornithological Applications, about a long history of exclusion Latin American and Caribbean scientists have faced. In the world of ornithology, the Global North is king – but only because they’ve made it that way. Host, Purbita Saha, speaks with two of the study’s leading researchers, Dr. Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza and Dr. Kristina Cockle, about the ways research from the Global South has been undermined, and how regional bias, racial discrimination, and socioeconomic differences have played a role. They discuss how this lack of acknowledgment is harming conservation efforts for birds and – teach us a thing or two about our feathered friends over in the Tropics!

To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.

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BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.

*A previous version of this episode included closing commentary from a Neotropical scientist who was not a contributor to the highlighted scientific journal paper. Their comments have been removed from the episode.

To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.

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Making the Windy City Safer for Birds

On October 5, 2023, thousands of migrating songbirds died after crashing into the McCormick Place Convention Center in downtown Chicago and surrounding buildings. Co-host Deja Perkins will speak with Douglas Stotz, a conservation ecologist at the Chicago-based Field Museum about that deadly night. She’ll also talk with Chicago Bird Alliance’s Judy Pollock about what has transpired in the months since. And co-host Purbita Saha takes us to New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center, once known for frequent window strikes but now is a safe haven for all birds – migrating and local.

To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy

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Backyard Birding with Project Feederwatch

Since 1976, Project Feederwatch has been through many changes and iterations. But what has remained is the dedication to collecting data that undeniably improves bird science. In this episode, host Deja Perkins speaks with Emma Greig, U.S. Project Lead for Feederwatch, about what this data has uncovered over the years. Deja also speaks with wildlife researcher Ashley Dayer, and gets into the specifics about all the great things bird feeding does for you – and despite some criticisms, great things it does for the birds, too!

To learn more about our guests and their work or to view this episode’s transcript and other resources, visit BirdNote.org.

BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.

Bring Birds Back Season 6 is sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Bird Conservancy.