Blog

Speaking of our social media, we’re happy to introduce our new Digital Media Coordinator, Tyler Wenzel. Tyler is a native of Pennsylvania who has lived in Costa Rica since 2011. He has extensive experience in the education field and brings this expertise to his passion for ornithology. He has collaborated with Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology on their course on hummingbirds and is the author of Birds of the World articles for several species of Costa Rican endemic hummingbirds. He has also contributed images or text to several books including authoring the foreword to The Endemic Birds of Costa Rica.

Tyler independently makes educational content on TikTok (in Spanish) @WenzelWildlife that has been viewed by millions of people throughout Latin America and shares his photography on Instagram @TylerWenzelPhotography and his website.

Fiddler’s Creek Songbird Finale

We’ve wrapped up this year’s songbird research at Fiddlers Creek. We’re still entering the data to get you a better picture of the changes this year. Stay tuned for updates! The ongoing habitat changes at our research site in Fiddlers Creek Preserve highlight a dynamic ecological transition. What was once a landscape dominated by agriculture has gradually evolved into expansive grasslands, providing essential habitat for species adapted to open environments. However, as these grasslands transition into shrubland, the composition of the bird population is shifting. Species that thrive in more open, grassy areas decline as shrubs encroach, while birds that prefer denser, shrubby habitats, such as Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, Northern Cardinal, and American Robin, are becoming more prevalent. This shift underscores the importance of continuous monitoring to understand the implications of habitat regeneration on local biodiversity and to guide future conservation efforts.

FoHVOS Kestrels