In 2020, Sofia Martin Sirito was awarded one of our Bergstrom Grants for Latin Americans [now Skutch Keystone Grants]. A few days ago, five years later, she contacted us to let us know she had the first paper of her research published!
We asked Sofia if she could provide a short testimonial of the impact of the AFO grant on her research, and this is what she had to say:
During my PhD I am studying the reproductive ecology of grassland birds in environments with different degrees of grazing, with the aim of understanding how species respond to habitat transformations. I work mainly with the Grassland Yellow Finch (Sicalis luteola) and the Spectacled Tyrant (Hymenops perspicillatus).
My project has three main goals: to analyze reproductive success, study parental care and evaluate nest site selection (the topic of my latest publication). I am trying to determine if grazing modifies any of these parameters. Thanks to the AFO [Bergstrom —now Skutch Research] grant, I was able to acquire essential equipment for fieldwork, such as binoculars, cameras, powerbanks, GPS, boots and technical clothing. This help was key to meet the goals of the project and to continue advancing in my education as a researcher.
Congratulations, Sofia! We are thrilled to have been helpful in advancing your research. At AFO we continue to work to support researchers at all stages of their career through our Grants Program… and none of this would be possible without the support of our members.
If you’re one of the wonderful people who support our work, THANK YOU, and if you’re not, we invite you to join our association to help us continue supporting ornithology in multiple ways.
If you received an AFO grant and would like to have any updates on your work featured on our socials, contact Agustina, our communicator, at agustinatorretta@afonet.org and we’ll make it happen!
Header photo: Spectacled Tyrant (Hymenops perspicillatus) –female– by neil bowman | Getty Images.