Note: This book is not an IBP project, but we'd like to amplify this call for contributions because it's an important project and we think it will be of interest to our many partners and friends in the Neotropics.
About 85% of the 4,000 bird species in the Americas reside south of the U.S. border for all or part of their annual cycle. Yet, the ornithological literature of the hemisphere, and the field of ornithology in general, has been dominated by English-speaking researchers and organizations from the U.S., Canada, and Europe. There are many complex, interacting reasons for this, including the relative wealth and number of academic and research institutions in the “global north”, but also factors such as biased views of scientific discovery, research led by those living and disseminating their findings outside the Neotropics, and limited funding for tropical studies.
A new book initiative is seeking to present a new view of Neotropical ornithology: that of those that live and work in the region. The book will integrate the contributions of indigenous, Afro-descendant, and other minority communities. It is anticipated that approximately 90% of the authors and nearly 100% of the lead authors will be researchers based in the Neotropics, the majority of them non-primary English speakers. English, Spanish, and Portuguese versions of this book are planned.
Contributions are expected from ornithologists, ecologists, conservation practitioners, ethnographers, educators, and social scientists and may be in the form of scientific studies, essays, cultural commentaries, stories from the field, or interviews. The target audience for the book includes wildlife agency professionals, scientists, policy analysts, decision makers, academics, students, amateur naturalists, bird watchers, and citizen/community scientists.If you are interested in participating in this project, please email editores.orni.libro@gmail.com or one of editors listed below. The deadline for abstract proposals is November 30, 2023.
Fabiola Rodríguez Vásquez, Ph.D., Tulane University, fabiola.rodriguezv@gmail.com
Ernesto Ruelas Inzunza, Ph.D., Universidad Veracruzana, ruelas.uv@gmail.com
Ana M. Gonzalez, Ph.D., Canadian Wildlife Service, ana.gonzalezprieto@ec.gc.ca
Camila Gómez, Ph.D., SELVA Investigación para la Conservación en el Neotrópico, camila.gomez@selva.org.co
Glaucia del Rio, Ph.D., Cornell Lab of Ornithology, glaucia.ornito@gmail.com
Steven Albert, The Institute for Bird Populations, salbert@birdpop.org