Bird necessities: the importance of small forest islands for behavior in a tropical savanna

AOS Research Grant Seminar

Presenter: Valentina Gómez-Bahamón, Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech; 2023 AOS Latin American and Caribbean Conservation Research Grant

Savanna birds in the tropics depend on small forest islands for nesting, roosting, foraging, displaying, escaping predators, and other essential daily activities. Unfortunately, these islands are rapidly disappearing as savannas are converted into extensive monocultures of exotic timber species and crops. To understand how birds use these habitats and which ecological characteristics are most important, we studied bird behavior and habitat attributes across forest islands in the Colombian Orinoquía. I will present the main findings of this research, highlighting how forest island heterogeneity supports bird communities and the behaviors they depend on. I will also discuss how this work has expanded research for conservation at the Tomogrande Biological Field Station, contributed to mentoring local early-career researchers, and fostered outreach activities with local communities to promote the conservation of tropical savanna ecosystems.

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