My favorite memories were created in Northern Cyprus during my upbringing, as I spent a lot of time away from my cousins in the fields near our homes. Black Birders Week is a way for Black birders, who may have not seen another Black birder, to join together and encourage more participation and diversity in outdoor spaces. In response to the incident in New York involving birder Christian Cooper, and ongoing Black Lives Matter demonstrations in USA and worldwide – as well as in encouragement of the first #BlackBirdersWeek – BirdLife staff based in the UK, Senegal & Kenya voice their reflections and advice as birders. Here’s how you can participate and follow along in many inspiring stories straight from Black birders and outdoor enthusiasts, while learning some unforgettable science: Sunday, May 31: Yesterday, Black Birders Week kicked off with the hashtag #BlackInNature to celebrate Black nature enthusiasts everywhere. TA: I am sure that the journey differs with every individual that is working in the wildlife conservation field, but for me it all started at a local city farm in London, 15 mins walk from my house. I am very excited and thrilled to know that people of all races are using their voices to educate and contribute to making a positive change towards our planet. It’s very worrying that there are people out there that feel the need to see beautiful and innocent people as a threat, just because our skin color is different. When I was growing up, I think it would’ve meant everything to have been exposed to a scenario like this when I was a kid. I thought it was a lost cause back then and after I left secondary school with bad grades, I settled with anything that would get me by and this is where I got into electrical engineering. I went over to South Africa during my first year at university, when I volunteered with this amazing wildlife conservation organization called Wildlife ACT. Territories are re-established in the late autumn, and from spring until July they are defended against all other blackbirds. I do pray that I don’t have to experience something like this, or that anybody else does as it could really ruin an experience that means the world to them or took a very long time to achieve. They are very clever, highly social and emotionally connected with one another. Rescue pet of the week This week’s rescue pets are Loopy and Rupert, two deaf cats who are brothers. I think anybody that hasn’t seen the species before in the wild or in captivity and eventually sees them for the first time almost certainly becomes an advocate in protecting them. I recall watching the video clip with my jaw open, thinking if such an experience happened to me, I don’t know what I would have done or if I would have handled it as well as Christian did. If there was a bird-ranking chart, Lanham says it would be “9.5 out of 10 on the want-list for most birders”. Continuing this summer's astonishing trend for uber-rare seabird action, the Scilly pelagics were always likely to score big. Published 31 Aug 2019, 07:52 BST, Updated 5 Nov 2020, 05:13 GMT. Credit: The UK Wolf Conservation Trust. It reassures me that everybody can make a difference towards our planet.” Aktas’s interest in becoming a conservation biologist, storyteller and explorer was not born overnight. Identification of Short-tailed Shearwater in the North Atlantic Ocean Short-tailed Shearwater is an abundant species of the Pacific Ocean. Q: During Black Birders Week there were a lot of discussions about racism and interactions with the police, have you ever experienced any challenges or dangers when conducting fieldwork? A young Robin redbreast (Turdus migratorius) observed in Spring 2020. I was not part of the organizing team, but when it was posted to social media, I knew it was a topic that was here to stay and make an impact. I had the opportunity to travel between Northern Cyprus and Jamaica a lot because my parents were from these countries. It has always been a dream to explore the natural world, to witness all of the wildlife it has and the wild spaces that we all share. Happening now, Black Birders Week was featured by the Audubon Society and government agencies, including the U.S. It was so nice to be put in touch with the many amazing people that work in STEM fields. Black Swamp Bird Observatory, the proud host of The Biggest Week, is thrilled to announce a series of workshops for birders of all skill levels. Q: As a conservation biologist who focuses on canids, how would you like to use your skills to further the initiative? Even though we are all scattered geographically around the world, we could produce incredible results. The inaugural Black Birders Week will inspire a new generation of birders … TA: A lot of people in STEM fields were inspired by a white person, myself included, and hopefully through Black Birders Week people are able to be inspired by STEM professionals from all other races too. That soon led me to work at Battersea Park Children’s Zoo in London where I was truly introduced to conservation as a few endangered animals lived there. EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change, Michigan Economic Development Corporation BrandVoice, Not Everyone Experiences the Joys of Birding Like Me—A White Woman. I was really moved to see all these different groups forming a community and all supporting each other. As our species continue to populate the world, and space becomes limited alongside the natural world, my biggest mission now is to build my career around a world where we can co-exist with every species. The event aims to increase visibility of Black birders, who face challenges and dangers that non-Black people do not experience when recreating or conducting fieldwork in the outdoors. Tolga Aktas tracking and monitoring for African wild dogs in South Africa. It really gave me a true appreciation of the natural world, even to a point that I traded the use of my Gameboy Advance to my cousin so I could get my hands on a chicken egg. Tolga Aktas adjusting a radio tracking collar onto an African wild dog. Include a fun fact about the bird you post. If you look closely enough, you can almost see the same emotions that us humans share with one another. My research has brought me to scenic environments from deserts to boreal forests. Living in a village there were loads of animals running around, lizards, bugs and snakes. Q: What impact has Black Birders Week had on you? Credit: Wildlife ACT. Now, I am a biologist with the National Park Service in San Diego, CA. The bright orange-yellow beak and eye-ring make adult male blackbirds one of the most striking garden birds. Tolga Aktas exploring the natural landscapes in the Cotswolds, United Kingdom. There are around 65 species of thrushes, which are categorised Before I knew it there were brothers and sisters from all races standing up for each other and what is right. Thursday, June 4: Features a livestream discussion on #BirdingWhileBlack from7:00 to 8:30 pm EST. Black Birders Week was launched by the Black AF in STEM group (Black As F**k in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) following an incident in New York City’s Central Park where a white woman called the police when a black man asked her to put her dog on its leash in an area where dogs must be leashed to protect wildlife. If you have a dream and believe that your story and voice can make a difference towards the natural world, follow your heart, work hard and don’t look back. A message from Black Swamp Bird Observatory in regard to the 2021 Biggest Week In American Birding and Coronavirus / COVID-19. I just hope that these same people stand with us for years to come, and not only during these recent events. I recall being so fascinated by these animals. This was when I didn’t know much about ecology and biodiversity and its importance in ecosystems. Leftover fat from cooking; Polyunsaturated margarines or vegetable oils. It adapts well to habitats altered by humans, and in places it may walk about on suburban sidewalks or scavenge for crumbs around beachfront restaurants. I always knew I loved wildlife, but when I was younger I didn’t have the resources to push me to do what I am doing today. Tolga Aktas: Conservation Biologist | Black Birders Week, AMA with Dr. Russ Mittermeier from “Primates”. New South Wales. Let us learn from this to live in unity, harmony, peace and love. This is the common blackbird of open country in the West, often seen walking on the ground with short forward jerks of its head. British Birds July 2019. And, by chance, it comes at the time when there are riots across the USA after the death of George Floyd at the hands, or knee, of a white policeman. In reality, it is not. “Growing up, there weren’t many outlets showing diversity, so I was only able to be inspired by white conservationists and naturalists,” Aktas said. Once I broke into the wildlife conservation field, I knew that I had achieved some form of success in my life. New friendships were established, people were getting recognized, and the discussion about racism was circulating everywhere. Milk. I look forward to seeing what the Black AF in STEM group will achieve next. Tolga Aktas is a UK-based conservation biologist who participated in Black Birders Week. Published on 01 July 2019 in Latest issues. They’re doing amazing work over in South Africa, protecting endangered animals like the wild dogs, lions, leopards, elephants, cheetahs, rhinos and vultures. With so much uncertainty about the safety of travel and large gatherings, we have not committed to a decision just yet. At first when I was starting out, my attitude was to focus on a particular species and build my career around it. The males live up to their name but, confusingly, females are brown often with spots and streaks on their breasts. Bird of the Week: Black Grouse A distinctive eyebrow, a lyre-shaped tail and the 'lek': discover this charismatic upland bird. My interest in canid conservation first began in 2016 when I first volunteered with wolves at a sanctuary in the UK. NurPhoto via Getty Images. My research has brought me to scenic environments from deserts to boreal forests. Published on 02 May 2019 in Latest issues. Vagrancy to the North Atlantic probably is greater than suggested by the few documented records. Whether you are looking for facts about hummingbirds, songbirds, shorebirds or raptors in your backyard or are planning a trip or birding tour anywhere in the world Fatbirder is the site for you. It has been going on for too long and it is a shame that it still occurs today. For a bird that features in the majority of British gardens, the sudden loss of ‘your’ local Blackbird must come as quite a shock. Soft fats can destroy the waterproofing and insulating properties of feathers. Fatbirder is the premier birders’ web resource about birds, birding and birdwatching. It’s Latinate name, Turdus merula is a binomial name deriving from two Latin parts: Turdus ‘thrush’ and merula ‘Blackbird’. I spent a couple of months there getting valuable work experience. TA: I have been very fortunate to not have experienced any racism during my times conducting fieldwork. Blackbird: RSPB Blackbirds are members of the thrush family, and like their cousins the song and mistle thrushes, fieldfares and redwings they have a varied diet, eating insects and worms in the summer and fruit in the winter. In winter, Brewer's Blackbirds gather in large flocks, often with other blackbirds, and may be seen foraging … I cover the living world, from microbes to ecosystems. The number one aim of this week is to uplift and recognize black naturalists and create a dialogue surrounding why there are so few of us in natural sciences and outdoor hobbies such as birding. Outdoor sports and recreation are overwhelmingly white, and, in birding, the majority of participants are over 55. By Caroline Offord. The kidnapped islanders were known collectively as Kanakas (see Kanaka).Blackbirding was especially prevalent between 1847 and 1904. During Black Birders Week, the world witnessed many advocates standing up for those that had fallen due to racism, whether it was modern tragedies or tragedies in the distant past. Kara Jamie Norton (@whereskara) is an independent science journalist based in New York City. Night-time singing and early arrivals. The biggest struggle is overcoming the doubt in ourselves and finding the courage to accomplish our goals, dreams and aspirations. One of the most common UK birds, its mellow song is also a favourite. This favours the blackbirds’ instincts to forage around in the undergrowth for food whereas crows are more interested in an easy meal. During this period, territorial drive is low, and many birds will feed outside their territories at abundant food sources. Open to everyone and held through the Observatory's secure Zoom account, these wonderful workshops will be fun, informal, totally unintimidating, interactive, and free to Observatory members. We need to show them that jobs in these fields are achievable for them too, no matter what color their skin is or where they’re from. Small birds cannot eat dry foodstuffs like these. Photograph by Gordon Langsbury / RSPB Images This is an elegant, long-legged wading bird with a long beak it uses for probing into water and soft mud to find food, like insects, worms and snails. This week is black birders week – a mainly North American thing. Many Biggest Week fans are wondering about the status of the 2021 festival. Tolga Aktas (TA): It all started with following my uncle at dawn and dusk as he took his sheep and goats out to graze near the mountains in Northern Cyprus. Shop now. Currently confirmed events in GREEN.Organiser cancelled events in RED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS.Rearranged dates f However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the issue isn’t present as I was probably just at the right place at the right time. The hashtag was filled with individuals from Black scientists to nature-lovers showing what they love about nature and how they were introduced to it. After spending a month with the team at Wildlife ACT, tracking wild dogs and lions from dawn and dusk, I knew in my heart that I would be coming the following year to study these species for my university thesis. Last week, Black researchers and avian enthusiasts flocked to social media to participate in the first ever Black Birders Week (May 31-June 5). My journey was a bit scrambled at first as I had to go through a career change from electrical engineering to be where I am today. Credit: The English School of Falconry. Credit: Clint Randall. The Blackbird is one of a small number of species that sometimes sing during the night, a behaviour that occurs more often in the presence of street-lighting.Blackbirds have large eyes, relative to their body size, and BTO research has revealed them to be the first species to arrive at garden feeding stations on dark winter mornings. British Birds May 2019. Resource about Birds for Birders. In between all of these experiences I have been earning my Animal Biology degree from the University of Gloucestershire. This allowed me to discover different habitats, ecosystems and fundamentally the wildlife that were native to these countries. Credit: Wildlife ACT. I owe a lot to watching wildlife documentaries when I was younger, because if it wasn’t for those then I probably wouldn’t have embarked on all of the experiences which led me to the position where I am today. Tolga Aktas holding a bateleur eagle, a species native to Africa and small parts of Arabia. 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