Scientific banding workshop at the Biological Station "Komchén de los Pájaros" in Dzemul Yucatan, a private protected area belonging to the Caribbean Coast Conservancy, a partner of the Yucatan Bird Observatory.
Six expert banders from England, one from Spain and one from Colombia were in attendance as instructors. Nineteen Mexican students, two Canadian students and one Spanish student were trained.
In addition to training in scientific banding techniques, the training included the handling and use of some modern instruments, such as the thermographic camera that allows to detect if the bird is stressed by the increase of temperature in the specimen captured in the nets and to take the decision to release immediately, without being banded, the one whose temperature is at risk, to avoid deaths due to myopathy. The use of ultraviolet light was also used in some species, such as nocturnal birds of prey, which today allows differentiating immature, juvenile and adult birds by feather color (not visible to the human eye). The students also learned how to evaluate, through the stress bars or tail growth of migratory bird species, whether or not they have sufficient trophic resources in the area.
It was 15 days of sharing experiences, coexistence with young biologists and the kind disposition of the trainers, which made this activity a successful and satisfying process for all.
GRAPHING WHAT'S NEW
A black bird, to our eyes, presents colors that allow us to identify its age, and its parents, for example, to determine when to stop feeding their immature birds so that they can become independent.
Use of thermographic camera to prevent capture myopathy
Stress bars, or tail feather growth, demonstrate by their arrangement whether the individual/species has sufficient trophic resources in the ecosystem.
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