Category: Journal of Field Ornithology
Journal of Field Ornithology | Translation volunteers
In an effort to make our Journal of Field Ornithology more inclusive, the abstracts of all published articles are presented in English and Spanish. At the end of 2023, we noticed we needed some extra help with the translation of the abstracts, so we put out a call for volunteers to translate. 33 people from […] Read More
Guest feature | A canopy net for Cameroon’s rainforest hornbills
Fruit-eating birds of tropical canopies are often large, garish, and loud, but just out of reach for ornithologists. In 1993, my advisor, Dr. Tom Smith, trekked through the rainforests of southern Cameroon with Baka and Badwe’e forest guides hoping to learn more about the movement patterns and diet of hornbills—large, fruit-eating birds thought to be keystone seed dispersers of Central African rainforests. Read More
AFO meetings | AFO-SCO-WOS 2024 joint meeting recap
Welcome! Between July 29 and August 1, 2024, AFO held its annual meeting jointly with its sister societies, the Wilson Ornithological Society and the Society of Canadian Ornithologists in Peoria, Illinois. Nothing like three full days of fabulous research, learning, and camaraderie to unite and strengthen our ornithological community! Plenaries and talks Each date began with […] Read More
AFO meetings | Annual members meeting (virtual) on May 14, 2024
Please join us for the annual AFO Members Meeting next month on Tuesday, May 14th from 2-3:30pm Eastern Time. We have an informative agenda that will update members on recent AFO accomplishments. Following the meeting we will be treated to a fun presentation by AFO Communications and Marketing Specialist, Agustina Torretta. She will present: “Saffron-cowled Blackbird Project: A translator’s gateway to the conservation world.” Read More
Guest feature | Use of acoustic monitoring to estimate occupancy of the Antioquia Brushfinch (Atlapetes blancae), a critically endangered species, in San Pedro de los Milagros, Antioquia
The Antioquia Brushfinch (Atlapetes blancae) is a range restricted bird limited to a plateau in the Central Andes of Colombia, just 45 minutes from the city of Medellín, Colombia. This species was described in 2007 by a British ornithologist based on three museum specimens collected in 1971 by the brothers of a Christian organization committed […] Read More
Guest feature | What’s on the menu? Exploring diet across two European Hawfinch populations
Understanding the diet of a species can help us see how they interact within the ecosystem in which they live. Having knowledge of what an organism is eating can tell us a lot about the survival, reproduction success, and overall fitness of that organism. Focusing on birds more specifically, having a high level of knowledge […] Read More
Guest feature | When small is big – Habitat requirements of three Owlet species and their conservation in Central India
Imagine discovering an Owl so small that it was called an Owlet which later became extinct for over a century! That’s precisely what happened with the Forest Owlet, a small owl species found in Central India. In 1872, a specimen was collected by F. R. Blewitt and subsequently described by Hume in 1873. However, the […] Read More
Guest feature | Video nest monitoring to aid recovery of island birds
The conservation of birds on oceanic islands is particularly challenging. These species may have inherently small population sizes, inhabit limited ranges, and be vulnerable to changes in the predator community. As explorers and settlers inevitably arrived, they altered habitats and introduced new predatory species. These changes led to drastic reductions, and occasional extinctions, in island […] Read More
