Toucan Ridge Bird Observatory

A beautiful wing of the red‑legged honeycreeper (Cyanerpes cyaneus) showcases amazing intrinsic colouration—iridescent blues and greens that shimmer with each movement, contrasted by vivid red legs and subtle black markings.

Colours can be used for:

Sexual selection: Bright, iridescent males attract mates; more intense colour often signals health and good genes, so vivid plumage helps males stand out during courtship displays.

Structural colouration: Much of the blue and iridescence comes from feather microstructures (thin‑film interference and nanostructures) rather than pigments, producing hues that shift with angle and light.

Camouflage and role differences: Females are generally greener and duller, which helps conceal them at nests, while males trade crypsis for display—balancing mating success and survival.

Signalling condition: Colour intensity can indicate diet quality and parasite load, so brighter individuals often signal better overall condition to competitors and potential mates.

Follow us for more bird facts.

Graduate Student Highlight -

Nathanya is pursuing her Master’s under the supervision of Kyle Elliott and Barbara Frei at McGill University in Montreal.

Her love of birds began in undergraduate studies and has resulted in a much‑treasured “Bird Nerd” mug. In her free time she can be found birding in local urban parks, curled up reading, playing Just Dance, or baking.

Nathanya says Belize stole her heart after spending a month deploying tags on birds with T.R.E.E.S ❤️

Project description

Migratory birds have declined since 1970 and face numerous challenges in urban areas, including cat predation, exposure to artificial light at night, and collisions. The threat posed by urban landscapes throughout the annual cycle is poorly understood but increases as cities expand.

Our aim is to quantify urban exposure of Chestnut‑sided Warblers (Setophaga pensylvanica) and Yellow Warblers (S. petechia) for the first time.

As part of this research, we deployed radio tags at T.R.E.E.S to cover spring migration. For updates from the field, follow Nathanya

She has also been integral in capacity building with our bird team and them feeling comfortable putting on radio tags on songbirds 🙌

Thank you Nathanya, McGill team and T.R.E.E.S bird team..

Chris and our kitchen crew are hard at work mulching our new tropical fruit trees with nutrient-rich compost — giving roots a healthy start and helping conserve water. Big thanks to Mr. Gary for supplying the compost!

We also included lots of our Inga leafs, which are high in nitrogen to the mix..Now that’s farm to kitchen…

Bird banding and Monitoring Internship — Now Open for Summer/Fall!

Join a hands-on field internship focused on bird ecology, monitoring, and conservation. Gain field skills (mist-netting, banding, point counts), data-entry experience, and teamwork while working alongside experienced biologists.

Who: Aspiring/early-career biologists

When: See individual poster for dates

Cost & details: on the poster

Apply: [email protected]

Info: [email protected]


T.R.E.E.S.
Toucan Ridge Bird Observatory

Don’t miss this chance to level up your field experience and bird banding skills..