Working in both Caribbean-side rainforests and Pacific-side tropical dry forest ecosystems, GDFCF researchers and partners from the Costa Rica Bird Observatory (CRBO) recently completed several days of fieldwork in ACG. The focus of this project is to locate migrating Wood Thrush and other neotropical migrants of concern that overwinter in ACG. GDFCF board member Frank Joyce and GDFCF biologist Natalie Sanchez led the research team along with CRBO Executive Director Pablo Elizondo and his staff. Birds were mist net-caught, weighed, measured, feather and fecal samples were obtained, and they were gently released. The feather and fecal samples will be DNA barcoded and that information will be used to develop a food web analysis so that we can better understand the habitat conditions of these birds during their non-breeding visit to ACG. In turn, this will inform current and future conservation management, especially in mid-elevation Atlantic rainforests. This technique confirmed the strong presence of Wood Thrush in Caribbean-side forests. During this round of fieldwork, we were able to obtain roughly 80 samples from a wide variety of birds. In addition to collecting samples, “point count observations” were conducted by ACG parataxonomists near Estacion Pittilla using playback vocalizations. In this photo, Calixto Moraga is conducting a playback to determine the presence of Wood Thrush.
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