In partnership with Dr. Steven Furino, University of Waterloo, COTERC continues to work on the Neotropical resident bird monitoring program. This program was established in and has been gathering important baseline data to aid in conservation management decisions. One particular individual has become show particular interest and has been building her research skills with this project. This individual is Charlotte Foale.

Charlotte originally came to know Caño Palma Research Station as a volunteer with Global Vision International in 2008. She stayed on as an intern and became very involved in the program with a building interest in helping to fill in the holes in nesting data. She has strong interests in furthering conservation efforts by partnering with other agencies to help develop education and awareness programs for guides, tour operators, local hotel staff, and local peoples. What follows is a report from Charlotte on her challenges and achievements in the program.

Recent field report from the field by researcher, Charlotte Foale, January 2009.

The nest-search project is now a year old. We are hopefully wiser, definitely greyer, and absolutely ready for 2009. In 2008, we documented over 500 nests, despite over a month taken at during the busiest nesting period to help some over-whelmed bird-banders. In the first week of January 2009, we have documented 42 nests – hopefully a sign of a busy year ahead. I essentially have 9 months to collect, from January to September, with the peak occurring March-May. With the breeding season unknown for 30 local species, I do continue surveys through December, but strategies change, and weather dictates a slower pace. Aside from the shear beauty of the environment I get to work in, the gaps in nesting information for resident species are a great motivation to hit the trail and canals.

There are 49 species in the local area with information gaps on breeding behaviour. This ranges from the very specific, such as egg descriptions, to species with absolutely no nest record. Among the data collected in 2008, we have previously undocumented incubation and fledging information on the white-collared Manakin, as well as a nest reported to be of the Green Ibis – of which there is no previous record. With an increased knowledge of both of the birds and the area, these are two of the species I will be targeting in 209. I believe we have a good chance of obtaining some solid data for publication, chipping away at the knowledge deficit, raising the awareness, and conservation value of both the species, and the area, and keeping me outside doing what I love!


Pictured here is Charlotte Foale (left), who is partnered with Dr. Furino and COTERC in the resident bird monitoring program, and Greg Mayne, Director of Site Services, discussing the bird nesting program, in San Francisco, Costa Rica, Jan 2009.