I’m a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world!!
But, which world?
In today’s world, Barbies have all skin colors, body shapes, and are empowered women that redefine, deconstruct and create new role models for future Barbie and Ken generations.
In this Warbling Warrior´s Team, Barbie is a Bird Bander!!! I put tiny, lightweight metal and color rings on the bird’s legs to identify an individual in a population and study their morphometrics, movements, survival, health, and patterns of feather replacement (shoutout for my molt nerds out there woo-hoo!!), among many other morphological, ecological and physiological proxies. This knowledge is vital to assess whether bird populations are declining or not, so we can take effective conservation actions.
My journey as a bird bander started in 2017 when I was a sophomore student of Biology at the University of Havana. Six years later, a winding path has taken me to this day: a NABC-certified bird bander and a member of an enthusiastic network of Caribbean bird banders that are working towards creating capacity and launching bird conservation projects using this powerful monitoring tool.
I would've been at this point in my professional career if it wasn´t for BirdsCaribbean project: the Caribbean Bird Banding Network. During the course of a year and two months, I have received training in bird banding techniques, mentoring from fabulous trainers, access to resources and materials, and funding for establishing a banding station at the National Botanical Garden in Havana. Sometimes I open my eyes wide to make sure I am not dreaming.
That´s why I am joying this campaign to support a project that has boosted my professional and personal life in so many ways. Please help us continue developing the Caribbean Bird Banding Network with generous donations or by sharing the campaign´s link with family and friends!
Together we can continue banding and bonding for conserving our beloved birds!
I can band some birds, and see them everywhere: it´s birdwatching, it´s fantastic!
