UB-ERI Supports Regional Bird Banding Training in Trinidad and Tobago

The University of Belize Environmental Research Institute (UB-ERI) is proud to highlight the participation of UB-ERI Avian Biologist, Abidas Ash, in a recent regional bird banding workshop held in Trinidad and Tobago and coordinated through a collaboration between the Institute for Bird Populations (IBP) and BirdsCaribbean.

The workshop brought together more than 20 participants from nearly a dozen countries across the Caribbean region, with the goal of strengthening regional capacity for bird monitoring, research, and conservation. The training focused on safe and ethical bird banding techniques, aging and sexing birds using molt patterns, and understanding how bird banding data contribute to long-term scientific monitoring and conservation decision-making.

Abidas Ash participated as one of the workshop instructors in her role as the MoSI (Monitoreo de Sobrevivencia Invernal) Central America Coordinator. Alongside fellow instructors and regional collaborators, she helped train participants in the practical and scientific foundations of avian monitoring techniques that support hemispheric conservation efforts for both migratory and resident bird species.

The workshop emphasized the importance of collaborative science across the Caribbean and Central America, particularly as many migratory birds rely on interconnected habitats throughout the region during different stages of their annual life cycles. Building local expertise in bird banding and monitoring is critical for generating the long-term datasets needed to inform conservation planning and ecosystem management.

During the training, participants worked hands-on with a variety of resident and migratory bird species commonly monitored in the Caribbean, while also learning field identification, data collection standards, and ethical handling practices. The workshop additionally highlighted the importance of mentorship, continuity, and community involvement in sustaining long-term conservation programs.

For UB-ERI, participation in regional initiatives such as this reflects the Institute’s ongoing commitment to biodiversity research, scientific capacity building, and strengthening collaborative conservation networks throughout Belize, central America and the wider Caribbean region.