Laboratory of Ornithology (LabOr)

CONSULTING AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

• Environmental assessment studies: environmental impact studies and monitoring associated with highways, railroads, power lines, quarries, dams,  irrigation schemes, wind farms,  tourism projects, and golf courses.
• Design, implementation and monitoring rehabilitation actions in riparian galleries, surface water bodies and quarries: evaluation of baseline, implementation of rehabilitation plans and monitoring.
• Assessment of the potential for ornithological tourism: application of methodologies to aid decision making on the use of environmental tourism.
• Birds as bio-indicators to assess the effect of management on aquatic and terrestrial habitats: farming systems, intensity of livestock grazing, forest pests.
• Production of technical contents: addressed to managers of farming zones and forestry (including hunting areas) using birds as a model (i.e. transform data into management tools).

DISSEMINATION AND EDUCATION

• Production and dissemination of educational outreach elements: flyers, leaflets, information boards, environmental pathways and educational games.
• Courses, seminars and conferences: lectures, short courses and thematic seminars.

SURVEYS AND MONITORING

• Studies on the occurrence and distribution of birds: application of bird census with special emphasis on the following functional groups:  forest birds, steppe birds,  diurnal raptors,  owls, nightjars and aquatic birds.
• Flora and vegetation and conservation status of habitats: application  of protocols for surveying environmental descriptors.
• Studies on food habits: screening and prey identification in food remains of birds.
• Ringing: birds of terrestrial ecosystems. The ringing technique brings important additions in studies of phenology, distribution and feeding habits of several species of birds.
• Tagging and follow up of birds: capturing, tagging and radio-tracking birds. Data processing and analysis.