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Brooke Poplin was awarded a Bergstrom Grant in 2023. A few weeks ago she contacted us to let us know she had finished her Masters, and shared how AFO’s grant helped with her research.

The call for the 2026 round of Bergstrom Grants IS OPEN! Visit: afonet.org/grants-award...

#AFOgrantsandawards
With support from AFO's Bergstrom Award, I completed my master's thesis on Harris's Hawks in south Texas andwas able to draw exciting conclusions into how urbanization affects raptor social behavior. In more urban areas, group sizes were smaller and social interactions declined to levels similar to solitary raptors. This pattern may reflect the relative stability of urban environments compared to the unpredictable desert, suggesting that sociality functions as a strategy to navigate complex habitats. Although Harris's Hawks show remarkable adaptability to urban areas, these environments also introduce significant risks such as vehicle collisions, electrocution, and poisoning that must be addressed through conservation efforts. BROOKE POPLIN "Sociality and coopertive hunting in Harris's Hawks in South Texas"
December 12, 2025 at 3:24 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
Después de una ronda exitosa y muy competitiva en 2025, ¡abrimos las aplicaciones para las becas Bergstrom Grants 2026!

Encuentra toda la información sobre elegibilidad e instrucciones para aplicar en nuestro sitio web: afonet.org/grants-award...

#AFOgrantsandawards
¡Está abierto el llamado para las becas Bergstrom Grants 2026! Las becas Bergstrom Grants de AFO financian investigaciones y otros proyectos que contribuyan a nuestro conocimiento de la historia natural, la ecologia y/o la conservacion de las aves que vivan en condiciones naturales. Están restringidas a no profesionales, estudiantes universitarios y candidatos de maestría que trabajen en Estados Unidos o Canadá. La fecha límite para aplicar es el 10 de febrero de 2026. El acceso a nuestro programa de becas es un beneficio para los miembros de AFO, que pueden disfrutr por solo 20 o 30 USD al año,¡junto con muchos otros beneficios! ¡Si ya eres miembro/a, recuerda renovar tu membresía antes de fin de año! ¡Consulta la información completa sobre la beca en nuestra web!
November 29, 2025 at 9:35 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
After a very competitive and successful 2025 round, applications are open for the 2026 Bergstrom Grants!

To learn more about eligibility and application instructions, please visit our website: afonet.org/grants-award...

#AFOgrantsandawards
Applications for the 2026 Bergstrom Grantss are open! AFO's Bergstrom Grants promote question-driven research and other projects that add to our knowledge of the natural history, ecology and/or conservation of birds living under natural conditions. They are restricted to non-professionals, undergraduates, and Masters degree candidates working in the United States or Canada. Deadline for receipt of applications is February 10th, 2026. Access to our grants programs is an AFO members benefit that you can enjoy for only 20 - 30 USD annually, along with many other benefits! If already a member, be sure to renew your memberships before the end of 2025! Check out the complete grant information on our website!
November 29, 2025 at 9:13 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
Nos complace anunciar a las ganadoras de la beca Skutch Keystone Grant, la beca más grande de la AFO. ¡Felicitaciones,Vanessa, Kristina y Lorena!

Lee sobre sus proyectos en nuestro blog: shorturl.at/lDMmn y aprende más sobre la beca aquí: shorturl.at/4IJ9N

#AFOgrantsandawards
October 28, 2025 at 5:30 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
We're very excited to announce the winners of the 2025 Skutch Keystone Grant, the largest grant we have at AFO. Congratulations, Vanessa, Kristina and Lorena!

Learn more about them: shorturl.at/lDMmn and about the grant: shorturl.at/4IJ9N

#AFOgrantsandawards
October 28, 2025 at 5:28 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
We are excited to announce the recipients of the 2025 Skutch Research Grants. Congratulations, everyone! We look forward to hearing how your research advances.

Learn more about our awardees and the Skutch Research Grants here: afonet.org/2025/09/meet...

#AFOgrantsandawards
September 23, 2025 at 7:24 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
At every AFO annual meeting, the association recognizes outstanding student presentations through the Best Student Presentation awards.

Congratulations, Will, Sarah and Matt! They all received a pass to Tracy Aviary, a pair of Vortex binos, an AFO hat and a 1-year membership.

#AFOgrantsandawards
September 4, 2025 at 4:32 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
El 1 de julio es la fecha límite para aplicar a las becas Skutch Research y Skutch Keystone Grants. Estas becas se ofrecen una vez por año, así que si te interesa aplicar, no dejes pasar esta oportunidad.

Información e instrucciones para aplicar: afonet.org/grants-awards/

#AFOgrantsandawards
June 26, 2025 at 6:18 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
New section! "WHERE ARE THEY NOW?"

In 2017, Felicity Newell was awarded the Skutch Keystone Grant, AFO’s biggest grant, to support her research in Peru's montane forests.

8 years later, we wanted to know the impact of the grant on her career, and her knowledge advances... 👇

#AFOgrantsandawards
Felicity Newell was awarded the Skutch Keystone Grant in 2017; 15,000 USD to fund her research and advance ornithological knowledge. 8 years later, we interviewed her: - Where is she now? - How did her research advance? - What was the impact of the Skutch Keystone Grant in her career and in ornithology? Picture: Felicity Newell portarit; smiling woman with long hair, wearing a black, long-sleeve t-shirt with a grey vest and cargo pants. Tell us a little something about yourself... F: My fascination with bird’s nests led me from Appalachia to the Andes. As I followed migratory species to their non-breeding grounds, I became interested in the incredible diversity of tropical birds and realized how little we know about most of them. During my PhD at the University of Florida, I was able to examine hypothesis-driven questions on natural history to fill some of these gaps. Pictures: male and female Green-and-black Fruiteater (Pipreola riefferii). Female is entirely green, with a small head, big eyes, and orange bill and legs. The male has a dar-blue hood extending through its chest, and a yellow band separating the hood from the green abdomen and body. There is also a simple nest with two small, white eggs. Credits: AGAMI stock and Marc Guyt | Getty Images What was your research about: F: I was interested in the hypothesis proposed by Skutch (1950) that tropical bird’s time their nesting to rainfall seasons that maximize food resources. This idea links food webs to climate but has never been full explored because (1) tropical species are hyper-diverse and often occur at low abundance, and (2) climate changes over large spatiotemporal scales so is quite hard to study. I am especially interested in changing rainfall. Today we know that daylength is also important, but after fifty years, we still don’t really know when tropical birds nest – or why. Pictures: Nest made by small sticks and bark with two small, white eggs; and foggy valley on an overcast sky. Why did you apply for a Skutch Keystone Grant? What were you looking to achieve? F: I was working in the Andes of northern Perú for my dissertation. I wanted to spend time in the field and learn about cloud forest birds in a remote mountain region where species ecology was poorly understood. My fascination with nests was a perfect fit for hypothesis-driven questions on avian life history. Pictures: Full body pic of Felicity looking through her binoculars, on a lush and foggy hillslope; and hummingbird with greenish upperparts, long straight bill and white throat sitting on its nest, made with moss and lichens. Credits: Pictures provided by Felicity Newell. How didi this grant help you with your research? F: Skutch was able to spend 20 years observing tropical birds in Costa Rica. Most of us do not have that luxury, but the grant helped me to spend half my time in the field over 5 years. It was an incredible opportunity to learn about mountain birds. I like to get to know species – not just a list, but how they live. My goal is to show why fieldwork is still relevant, but today more statistics are required. Picture: collage of 16 different montane forest bird species in the hand. Picture provided by Felicity Newell
June 21, 2025 at 7:40 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
¡Todavía se encuentra abierto el llamado a las becas Skutch Research y Skutch Keystone Grants! Estas becas están dirigidas a individuos trabajando en Mexico, América Central, América del Sur y el Caribe.

Encuentra toda la información sobre ambas aquí: afonet.org/grants-awards/

#AFOgrantsandawards
June 9, 2025 at 3:41 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
Applications for the Skutch Research AND Skutch Keystone Grants are still open. They are restricted to individuals based in Mexico, Central & South America, and the Caribbean.

Application instructions and further info can be found on our website: afonet.org/grants-awards/

#AFOgrantsandawards
June 9, 2025 at 3:39 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
Sofia Sirito was awarded a Bergstrom Grant for Latin Americans [now Skutch Research Grants] in 2020. A few days ago she contacted us to let us know she had the first paper of her research published.

Learn more about her research 👇, and read her paper here: shorturl.at/JGG5T

#AFOgrantsandawards
In 2020, Sofia Martin Sirito was awarded one of our Bergstrom Grants for Latin Americans [now Skutch Keystone Grants]. A few days ago, five years later, she contacted us to let us know she had the first paper of her research published. Swipe to learn how the grant helped Sofia advance her research and achieve this milestone in her career! 2During my PhD I am studying the reproductive ecology of grassland birds in environments with different degrees of grazing, with the aim of understanding how species respond to habitat transformations. I work mainly with the Grassland Yellow Finch (Sicalis luteola) and the Spectacled Tyrant (Hymenops perspicillatus)." Images: Two nests with five and three whitish eggs each, a picture of a male Grassland yellow Finch perched on a blade of grass, and of a female Spectacled Tyrant on the ground. My project has three main goals: to analyze reproductive success, study parental care and evaluate nest site selection (the topic of my latest publication). I am trying to determine if grazing modifies any of these parameters. Sofia had the first paper of her PhD research published a few days ago, titled “Grassland birds’ dilemma, how to adjust nest site selection against vegetation structure modification from livestock grazing”. Pictures: three pictures of people doing fieldwork. They are all wearing hats and caps, standing or sitting on the grass, their faces covered, each looking at a measuring pole, their cellphones or other people. Thanks to the AFO [Bergstrom —now Skutch Research] grant, I was able to acquire essential equipment for fieldwork, such as binoculars, cameras, powerbanks, GPS, boots and technical clothing. This help was key to meet the goals of the project and to continue advancing in my education as a researcher." Picture: Sofia Sirito taking a selfie, smiling to the camera. In the background there is a camping table with a laptop on it, a tent on the background under the shade of some trees, and backpacks and research gear spread all over the place.
June 6, 2025 at 8:55 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
Attention, students, researchers and ornithologists! Applications for our AFO Skutch Keystone Grant are currently open. This is AFO’s biggest grant, so you don’t want to miss this opportunity.

Deadline: July 1st

Application instructions and more info here: shorturl.at/8t10q

#AFOgrantsandawards
Apply for the 2025 Skutch Keystone Grant - Restricted to researchers based in Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean - Restricted to Masters or Ph.D. students, Post-doctoral Fellows, established professionals, and individuals working outside of academia - One or two grants of up to $15,000 USD a year - Intended to promote question-driven research and other projects that add to our knowledge of the natural history, ecology, and/or conservation of wild birds in Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Application deadline: July 1, 2025 Apply and learn more on AFO’s website (afonet.org/grants-awards) Aplica a la ronda 2025 de la beca Skutch Keystone Grant - Restringida a investigadores trabajando en México, América Central, Sudamérica y el Caribe. - Dirigida a estudiantes de grado/licenciatura, doctores, postdocs, profesionales con trayectoria y personas fuera de la academia. - Una o dos becas de hasta $15,000 USD por año. - Dirigidas a promover investigaciones y otros poyectos que aumenten nuestro conocimiento de la historia natural, ecología y/o conservación de aves silvestres. Fecha límite de aplicación: 1 julio, 2025 Aplica y lee más en la página web de AFO (afonet.org/grants-awards) Inscrição para a rodada 2025 do Skutch Keystone Grant - Restrito a pesquisadores do México, das Américas Central e do Sul e do Caribe. - Estudantes de graduação, PhDs, pós-doutorandos, profissionais seniores e pessoas fora do meio acadêmico podem se candidatar. - São concedidad uma ou duas bolsas de até US$ 15.000 por ano. - Destina-se a promover pesquisas e outros projetos que aumentem o conhecimento sobre a história natural, a ecologia e/ou a conservação de aves silvestres. Prazo limite de inscrição: 1 de julho de 2025 Inscreva-se e saiba mais informações no site da AFO (afonet.org/grants-awards)
May 2, 2025 at 8:07 PM
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We are excited to announce the recipients of the 2025 Bergstrom Grants. Congratulations, everyone!

The Bergstrom Grants support small projects, and are restricted to individuals based in Canada and the US.

Check out our complete Grants program here: afonet.org/grants-awards/

#AFOgrantsandawards
April 24, 2025 at 5:48 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
¡Atención, estudiantes, investigadores y ornitólogos! Está abierto el llamado para aplicar a nuestras becas Skutch Research Grants.

Estas becas son exclusivas para latinoamericanos que estén buscando fondos para sus investigaciones.

Toda la info aquí: shorturl.at/Blhsl

#AFOgrantsandawards
Aplica a la ronda 2025 de las becas Skutch Research Grants (ex becas Bergstrom Grants for Latin Americans) Normalmente damos cinco becas anuales de 1500 USD cada una. Restringidas a investigadores de Mexico, America Central, Sudamerica y el Caribe. Pueden aplicar estudiantes de grado/licenciatura, doctores, postdocs y personas fuera de la academia. Dirigidas a promover investigaciones y otros proyectos que aumenten nuestro conocimiento de la historia natural, ecologia y/o conservacion de las aves silvestres. Fecha limite de aplicacion: 15 de junio, 2025 Aplica y lee mas en la pagina web de la AFO: afonet.org/grants-awards
March 14, 2025 at 8:53 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
Atenção, ornitólogos! Estão aberta a inscrição para o nosso AFO Skutch Research.

As bolsas Skutch Research Grants são limitadas a pesquisadores do América Latina que procuram financiamento para os seus projectos.

Todas as informações aqui: shorturl.at/Blhsl

#AFOgrantsandawards
Inscrição para a rodada 2025 do Skutch Research Grants (antigo Bergstrom Grants for Latin Americans) Prazo limite de inscrição: 15 de junho de 2025 Inscreva-se e saiba mais informações no site da AFO (afonet.org/grants-awards) Restrito a pesquisadores do México, das Américas Central e do Sul e do Caribe. Estudantes de graduação, PhDs, pós-doutorandos e pessoas fora do meio acadêmico podem se candidatar. Normalmente, são concedidad cinco bolsas anuais de US$ 1.500 cada. Destina-se a promover pesquisas e outros projetos que aumentem o conhecimento sobre a história natural, a ecologia e/ou a conservação de aves silvestres
March 14, 2025 at 8:48 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
Attention, students, researchers and ornithologists! Applications for our AFO Skutch Research are currently OPEN!

Skutch Research grants are restricted to Latin America-based researchers looking for funding for their projects.

Find all information here: shorturl.at/Blhsl

#AFOgrantsandawards
March 14, 2025 at 8:43 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
El Consejo Norteamericano de Anillamiento (NABC) abre la convocatoria a pequeñas becas para apoyar el desarrollo y certificación de anilladores de aves de América Latina y el Caribe.

Aplica aquí: https://shorturl.at/camzZ

#AFOGrantsandAwards #anilladodeaves #NABC
Pequeñas subvenciones para sesiones de certificación de anillamiento para Latinoamérica y el Caribe. Oportunidad restringida a candidatos de América Latina y el Caribe. Fecha límite: 31 de marzo, 2025 Aplica en www.animalecology.org/grants
February 24, 2025 at 8:00 PM
fieldornith.bsky.social
The North American Banding Council (NABC) is soliciting applications for small grants that support the development and certification of Latin American and Caribbean bird banders.

Apply here: https://animalecology.org/grants/

#AFOgrantsandawards #NABC #birdbanding #ornithology
Small grants for Latin American and Caribbean Banding Certification sessions Grants are restricted to applicants from Latin America and the Caribbean. Deadline: March 31, 2025 Apply here: www.animalecology.org/grants
February 24, 2025 at 8:00 PM