The Schubot Center for Avian Health is proud to announce that Dr. EV Voltura, postdoctoral associate with VTPB/Schubot Center, has been selected for a highly competitive NIH IRACDA postdoctoral training grant position. This prestigious opportunity, effective December 1, 2024, is led by Drs. Rajesh Miranda (College of Medicine), Christopher Quick (CVMBS), and Gloria Regisford (Prairie View A&M University; PVAMU).

Dr. Voltura is among the first cohort of three postdoctoral trainees for the program, which aims to develop scholars with strong mentorship skills while fostering collaboration between Texas A&M University and faculty at PVAMU. She will continue to be mentored by Dr. Sarah Hamer, Schubot Center director, as she expands her research using birds at the Schubot aviary as models to study key health parameters relevant to human health.

We are excited to see Dr. Voltura’s contributions to both avian and human health research grow through this program. Congratulations, Dr. Voltura!

This year’s celebration was extra special as we hosted a private screening of Parrot Kindergarten, an upcoming avian documentary featuring the cognition research of Jen Cunha. Cunha was recently appointed as an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology due to her collaborations with the Schubot Center. Thanks to a special agreement with TAMU, attendees had the rare opportunity to watch the film before its official release.

We appreciate everyone who joined us for this festive and insightful event. Thank you for being part of our Schubot community, and we look forward to another exciting year ahead

Drs. Gaby Vigo-Trauco and Don Brightsmith, researchers at the Schubot Center, have conducted a groundbreaking study exploring why Scarlet Macaws often neglect their youngest chicks. Their research, recently featured in Forbes, reveals that while these macaws can lay up to four eggs per clutch, typically only one or two chicks survive to fledging. This phenomenon is primarily due to parental neglect of the later-hatched chicks.

The study delves into the factors influencing this behavior, providing valuable insights into the reproductive strategies of Scarlet Macaws. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing effective conservation efforts aimed at improving chick survival rates.

This study not only enhances our understanding of avian behavior but also underscores the importance of targeted conservation strategies to support the survival of these magnificent birds.

The Schubot Center is proud to support research that advances the health and conservation of parrots worldwide.

The Schubot Center was pleased to host Dr. Jen Smith, Assistant Professor at The Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M-Kingsville, for a thought-provoking seminar titled “Understanding Species and Site-Specific Variation in Microplastic Exposure in Birds: Highlighting Issues of Environmental Justice”.

Held on Friday, November 8th, the seminar attracted a diverse audience, including trainees, faculty, and staff from the VMBS, ENTO, Toxicology program, EEB, and ECCB, as well as 60 members of the Zoo/Exotics/Wildlife Club who joined virtually.

The seminar also included insights into Dr. Smith’s interdisciplinary research approach, which combines avian ecology, human dimensions, and sustainable wildlife management strategies.

We thank Dr. Smith for her valuable contributions and all who joined us for this memorable seminar. Stay tuned for future events in the Schubot Seminar series!

We’re thrilled to announce that Dr. Brightsmith’s team has been awarded a prestigious grant from ProCiencia PERU, a highly competitive program by the Peruvian government. Out of nearly 500 proposals, only 79 were funded this year, and his team was honored to be among them!

ProCiencia, the equivalent of the US National Science Foundation in Peru, is dedicated to advancing science, technology, and innovation to promote sustainable development and enhance Peru’s global competitiveness.

Their research project, titled “Impact of Climate Change on Forest Phenology and Psittacine Reproduction: A Study of Trophic Cascades in Madre de Dios’ Lowland Rainforest,” will explore how shifts in climate influence the flowering and fruiting cycles of tropical forests and their effects on parrots, specifically Psittaciformes, over the next three years. This project will be conducted in partnership with the peruvian university Universidad Nacional de Jaen and AIDER (Asociación para la Investigación y Desarrollo Integral), with crucial funding and support from Dr. Brightsmith’s team at the Schubot Center, which has led impactful parrot research in the lowland Amazon rainforest since 1999.

With ProCiencia’s support, Dr. Brightsmith’s team is excited to launch this next phase of research. We look forward to sharing their progress and findings as we deepen our understanding of climate change’s impact on tropical ecosystems and the magnificent parrots that inhabit them.

Congratulations to Dr. Brightsmith and the entire team for securing this significant grant! Your dedication to advancing parrot conservation and climate research continues to inspire us all.

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The Schubot Aviary welcomed a visit from College Station’s Girl Scout Troop 33002. This visit had been eagerly anticipated by the group due to their interest in birds, especially parrots.

The Schubot team hosted a one-hour tour of the aviary facilities as part of its commitment to educating the local community on avian-related topics and inspiring younger generations to pursue careers in wild bird health and research. Aviary manager, Debra Turner, guided the girls through the different areas and laboratories, sharing information about the current studies conducted with the various psittacine collections housed at the aviary and in the wild. Dr. Kent Turner gave an engaging introduction to bird parasitology and showed a few common specimens under the microscope.

As part of the visit, the troop was responsible for making “parrot enrichment materials” (A.K.A. parrot toys) to place in the different parrot enclosures. These toys stimulate and entertain the birds, helping to prevent destructive behaviors such as screaming and feather plucking. Enrichment materials are crucial for the well-being of the birds, and the girls took their task very seriously. It was a fun and rewarding experience for everyone involved!

A big thank you to the Schubot Center for providing this wonderful opportunity to learn about birds!

A small pandemonium of Schubot members has been busy working on an exciting parrot nutrition study led by postdoctoral research associate, Dr. EV Voltura. 

Nutrition is a vital component of every animal’s ability to achieve and maintain a healthy state of being. Parrots are no different. Unfortunately, many captive parrots are negatively affected by being fed inappropriate diets.  Research in this area is key to filling in gaps in our understanding of parrot dietary needs and nutrient requirements as they relate to health and thus our ability to improve their lives in captive settings.

We are monitoring Monk Parakeets being fed different diets in a controlled setting over time. Metrics of interest include feed intake, various health parameters (eg, physical exams, blood work, weight, body condition score, cloacal microbiota, fecal grams stains), digital images, and more.

In addition to advancing our understanding of how diet impacts parrot health, this project has been providing undergraduate, graduate, and veterinary students numerous opportunities to gain hands on research experience with parrots. 

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We are grateful for support from Harrison’s Bird Foods for making this important project possible.

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The LightsOut Texas Program held an on-campus symposium at Texas A&M University on August 8th and 9th as part of its educational campaign to raise awareness and inspire action to turn off lights at night during the spring and fall migrations. This initiative is designed to protect the migratory birds that cross over Texas each year.

Several members of the Schubot Center have been actively involved in testing the LightsOut birds for pathogens that affect both bird and human health. These birds are also being added as study specimens to the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections (BRTC). Schubot center member, Heather Prestridge, curator of the BRTC team, played a key role in implementing the program on the Texas A&M campus.

The symposium offered an engaging mix of activities, designed to promote both learning and social interaction among participants.

Dr. Sarah Hamer, Director of the Schubot Center, gave a talk to symposium attendees that included active research on the pathogens discovered in birds collected as part of the project. Drs. Caitlin Mencio and EV Voltura as well as Debra Turner also helped host symposium attendees at the aviary.

Attendees also enjoyed tours of the Schubot Aviary and the BRTC bird collection, which included demonstrations on specimen preparation and workshops on bird identification. In addition, the LightsOut Texas art exhibit opened at the Parker Astin Gallery in Bryan on August 8th, featuring “Rose,” a former long-term resident of the Schubot Aviary, as a museum specimen. Her tag proudly acknowledges the Schubot Center’s contributions to science. The exhibit will run through the rest of August.

Overall, the symposium was a great success, raising awareness for this important conservation effort.

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This summer, veterinary student Harry Brightman took part in the prestigious 13-week Veterinary Medical Scientist Research Training Program (VMSRTP), which offers first- and second-year veterinary students a valuable opportunity to dive into research. At the end of the summer, each student offers a talk as part of an on-campus VMSRTP Research Conference.

Working closely with the Schubot Center for Avian Health, Harry gained hands-on experience in DNA extraction and PCR techniques to identify avian malaria parasites in wild bird samples. These samples were originally collected by PhD student Meredith Anderson, DVM, who previously discovered significant exposure of these birds to neonicotinoid pesticides.

Harry’s research presentation, titled “Does Immunosuppression of Wild Birds by Neonicotinoid Pesticide Exposure Alter Pathogen Infection Prevalence? The Case of Texas Birds and Malaria Parasites,” earned him the Outstanding Clinical Research Presentation Award at the event. Afterward, he headed to Minnesota to present his work alongside other summer scholars from across the country.

Congratulations, Harry, on this remarkable achievement.

On March 1st, the Schubot Center actively participated in the Darwin Day celebration, an event organized by the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Program and the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Interdisciplinary Student Organization (EEBISO) to honor the birthday of Charles Darwin, the father of evolutionary biology. This event aims to offer our community an engaging glimpse into the work of TAMU researchers in biology and ecology through a casual and enjoyable initiative known as “Darwin Day: All Things Biology.“

The Schubot Center hosted an interactive booth with a variety of activities designed to inspire young individuals to engage in bird-related pursuits. This included a bird band bracelet activity, explaining the significance of bird banding in monitoring and researching avian species. Additionally, there was a demonstration titled “Stuffed Animal Bird Flies into the Mist Net” to illustrate the use of this technique in the wild. Dr. Caitlin Mencio and PhD students Amanda Beckman and Adam Bower led the booth, featuring a poster created also by Amanda Beckman showcasing various research and educational activities undertaken by Schubot members both within and outside the United States.

The Darwin Day “All Things Biology” celebration has become a cherished tradition for the EEB program’s community outreach efforts, and it remains a favorite event for many of us.

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