Raptor Counting-Identification Training Course, Veracruz, Mexico

[Melanie Colón]

The Pronatura Veracruz River of Raptors Project witnesses the greatest raptor migration spectacle on Earth. Every fall, in central Veracruz Mexico, an average of four and a half million raptors from over 25 species have been counted in Pronatura´s monitoring stations in their southward migratory journey! On a good day, over 100,000 migratory raptors and vultures can cover the sky; but, during a Big Day, over 500,000 have been counted!
During the spring we have the opportunity to see the migration northward, although, the numbers are not comparable with the numbers in the Fall, it brings the opportunity to learn and practice to identify and count Raptors, the place have the same species and the same flight behavior as in the fall, this way, you will be able to gradually get the skill to count and identify raptors at the same time, as the same way that Veracruz River of Raptors counters do.
This raptor counting-identification course is perfect for those that want to join a raptor migration count site or improve their raptor identifications skill; this training course is set up for spring migration, March 14th to March 25th. Where thousands of raptors coming from their wintering grounds, streams the sky of the center of Veracruz where the training course is set up.
After this training course we expect you to be able to count and identify raptor species by your own, and improve the understanding of the Raptor migration, you will be potentially qualify to be hired in the Fall migration as a counter or assistant at the Veracruz River of Raptors project or be promoted for other raptor migration count sites in Central or North America, an experience that you can’t miss in your life.
The course will be taught by expert counters of the Veracruz River of Raptors project (counters that have seen more than 20 million raptors in their lives) and is composed by practices hours, theory hours and a day off, where we will take you to go birding around and meet Mexican birds like Laughing Falcon, Motmots, parrots, Toucans, Oropendolas, native warblers, delicious gastronomy and culture. The fee for this course is $700.00 USD, (housing and food provided), Look for the program at www.pronaturaveracruz.org and apply! This position is limited to 10 people only!

Compensation: No economic compensation.

Duration: 2 weeks (14th to 25th of March)

Qualifications: Any people interested to learn how count and identify distanced raptors, skill useful in bird surveys, point counts, migratory bird counts, wind farms surveys etc.

To Apply: Contact Kashmir Wolf: rioderapaces@pronaturaveracruz.org to receive all information about this training course or visit www.pronaturaveracruz.org and click in the Raptor identification and counting button on the website, we will accept people speaking English or Spanish.

Website: www.pronaturaveracruz.org