Neotropical ornithology: Reckoning with historical assumptions, removing systemic barriers, and reimagining the future
Soares, Leticia
Western University (University of Western Ontario)
Cockle, Kristina L.
CONICET Univ Nacl Misiones
Ruelas Inzunza, Ernesto
Universidad Veracruzana
Ibarra, Jose Tomas
Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
Mino, Carolina Isabel
CONICET Univ Nacl Misiones
Zuluaga, Santiago
Fdn Proyecto Aguila Crestada Colombia PACColombia
Bonaccorso, Elisa
Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Rios-Orjuela, Juan Camilo
Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)
Montano-Centellas, Flavia A.
Universidad Mayor de San Andres
Freile, Juan F.
Red Aves Ecuador
Echeverry-Galvis, Maria A.
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Bonaparte, Eugenia Bianca
CONICET Univ Nacl Misiones
Diele-Viegas, Luisa Maria
Universidade Federal de Alagoas
Speziale, Karina
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET)
Cabrera-Cruz, Sergio A.
Instituto de Ecologia - Mexico
Acevedo-Charry, Orlando
State University System of Florida
Velarde, Enriqueta
Cuatianquiz Lima, Cecilia
Universidad Veracruzana
Ojeda, Valeria S.
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET)
Fontana, Carla S.
Pontificia Universidade Catolica Do Rio Grande Do Sul
Echeverri, Alejandra
Stanford University
Lambertucci, Sergio A.
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET)
Macedo, Regina H.
Universidade de Brasilia
Esquivel, Alberto
WWF Paraguay
Latta, Steven C.
Natl Aviary
Ruvalcaba-Ortega, Irene
Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon
Alves, Maria Alice S.
Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Santiago-Alarcon, Diego
State University System of Florida
Bodrati, Alejandro
Proyecto Selva Pino Parana
Gonzalez-Garcia, Fernando
Instituto de Ecologia - Mexico
Farina, Nestor
Reserva Nat Prov Rincon Santa Maria
Martinez-Gomez, Juan Esteban
Instituto de Ecologia - Mexico
Ortega-Alvarez, Ruben
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
Nunez Montellano, Maria Gabriela
UNT CONICET
Ribas, Camila C.
Institute Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia
Bosque, Carlos
Simon Bolivar University
Di Giacomo, Adrian S.
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET)
Areta, Juan
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET)
Emer, Carine
Inst Pesquisa Jardim Bot Rio Janeiro
Mugica Valdes, Lourdes
Universidad de la Habana
Gonzalez, Clementina
Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolas de Hidalgo
Rebollo, Maria Emilia
Colaboratorio Biodiversidad Ecol & Conservac CoIB
Mangini, Giselle
UNT CONICET
Lara, Carlos
Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas
Pizarro, Jose Cristobal
Universidad de Concepcion
Cueto, Victor R.
Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco
Bolanos-Sittler, Pablo Rafael
Sorbonne Universite
Ornelas, Juan Francisco
Instituto de Ecologia - Mexico
Acosta, Martin
Universidad de la Habana
Cenizo, Marcos
Univ Maimonides
Marini, Miguel Angelo
Universidade de Brasilia
Vazquez-Reyes, Leopoldo D.
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
Gonzalez-Oreja, Jose Antonio
Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla
Bugoni, Leandro
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande
Quiroga, Martin
National University of the Littoral
Ferretti, Valentina
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET)
Manica, Lilian T.
Universidade Federal do Parana
Grande, Juan M.
Colaboratorio Biodiversidad Ecol & Conservac CoIB
Rodriguez-Gomez, Flor
Universidad de Guadalajara
Diaz, Soledad
Inst Appl Ecol
Buettner, Nicole
Un Poco Choco Reserve & Biol Stn
Mentesana, Lucia
Max Planck Society
Campos-Cerqueira, Marconi
Rainforest Connect
Lopez, Fernando Gabriel
Colaboratorio Biodiversidad Ecol & Conservac CoIB
Guaraldo, Andre C.
Universidade Federal do Parana
MacGregor-Fors, Ian
University of Helsinki
Aguiar-Silva, Francisca Helena
Institute Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia
Miyaki, Cristina Y.
Universidade de Sao Paulo
Ippi, Silvina
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET)
Merida, Emilse
Kopuchian, Cecilia
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET)
Cornelius, Cintia
Universidade Federal de Amazonas
Enriquez, Paula L.
El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR)
Ocampo-Penuela, Natalia
University of California System
Renton, Katherine
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
Salazar, Jhan C.
Washington University (WUSTL)
Sandoval, Luis
Universidad Costa Rica
Correa Sandoval, Jorge
El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR)
Astudillo, Pedro X.
Universidad del Azuay
Davis, Ancilleno O.
Sci & Perspect
Cantero, Nicolas
Wildlife Paraguay
Ocampo, David
Princeton University
Marin Gomez, Oscar Humberto
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
Borges, Sergio Henrique
Universidade Federal de Amazonas
Cordoba-Cordoba, Sergio
Univ Ciencias Aplicadas & Ambient
Pietrek, Alejandro G.
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET)
de Araujo, Carlos B.
CONICET Univ Nacl Misiones
Fernandez, Guillermo
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
de la Cueva, Horacio
CICESE - Centro de Investigacion Cientifica y de Educacion Superior de Ensenada
Guimaraes Capurucho, Joao Marcos
Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago)
Gutierrez-Ramos, Nicole A.
University of Puerto Rico
Ferreira, Ariane
Pontificia Universidade Catolica Do Rio Grande Do Sul
Costa, Lilian Mariana
Soldatini, Cecilia
CICESE - Centro de Investigacion Cientifica y de Educacion Superior de Ensenada
Madden, Hannah M.
Caribbean Netherlands Sci Inst
Santillan, Miguel Angel
Museo Prov Hist Nat
Jimenez-Uzcategui, Gustavo
Charles Darwin Fdn
Jordan, Emilio A.
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET)
Freitas, Guilherme Henrique Silva
Universidade Federal de Goias
Pulgarin-R, Paulo C.
Partnerships Forests
Almazan-Nunez, Roberto Carlos
Univ Autonoma Guerrero
Gomez, Milka R.
Proyecto Selva Pino Parana
Velazquez, Myriam C.
Fdn Moises Bertoni
Irala, Rebeca
Wildlife Paraguay
Gandoy, Facundo A.
UNT CONICET
Trigueros, Andrea C.
University of Missouri System
Ferreyra, Carlos A.
Minis Ecol & RNR Prov Misiones
Albores-Barajas, Yuri Vladimir
Universidad Autonoma de Baja California
Tellkamp, Markus
Univ Tachay Tech
Oliveira, Carine Dantas
Universidade Federal de Amazonas
Weiler, Andrea
Universidad Nacional de Asuncion
Arizmendi, Ma del Coro
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
Tossas, Adrianne G.
University of Puerto Rico
Zarza, Rebecca
Wildlife Paraguay
Serra, Gabriel
Institute Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia
Villegas-Patraca, Rafael
Instituto de Ecologia - Mexico
Di Sallo, Facundo Gabriel
CONICET Univ Nacl Misiones
Valentim, Cleiton
Institute Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia
Noriega, Jorge Ignacio
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET)
Alayon Garcia, Giraldo
Fdn Ariguanabo
de la Pena, Martin R.
Fraga, Rosendo M.
Martins, Pedro Vitor Ribeiro
Observ Aves Mantiqueira
Journal
ornithological applications
ISSN
0010-5422
2732-4621
Open Access
bronze
Lay Summary center dot Research conducted by ornithologists living and working in Latin America and the Caribbean has been historically and systemically excluded from global scientific paradigms, ultimately holding back ornithology as a discipline. center dot To avoid replicating systems of exclusion in ornithology, authors, editors, reviewers, journals, scientific societies, and research institutions need to interrupt long-held assumptions, improve research practices, and change policies around funding and publication. center dot To advance Neotropical ornithology and conserve birds across the Americas, institutions should invest directly in basic field biology research, reward collective leadership, and strengthen funding and professional development opportunities for people affected by current research policies. A major barrier to advancing ornithology is the systemic exclusion of professionals from the Global South. A recent special feature, Advances in Neotropical Ornithology, and a shortfalls analysis therein, unintentionally followed a long-standing pattern of highlighting individuals, knowledge, and views from the Global North, while largely omitting the perspectives of people based within the Neotropics. Here, we review current strengths and opportunities in the practice of Neotropical ornithology. Further, we discuss problems with assessing the state of Neotropical ornithology through a northern lens, including discovery narratives, incomplete (and biased) understanding of history and advances, and the promotion of agendas that, while currently popular in the north, may not fit the needs and realities of Neotropical research. We argue that future advances in Neotropical ornithology will critically depend on identifying and addressing the systemic barriers that hold back ornithologists who live and work in the Neotropics: unreliable and limited funding, exclusion from international research leadership, restricted dissemination of knowledge (e.g., through language hegemony and citation bias), and logistical barriers. Moving forward, we must examine and acknowledge the colonial roots of our discipline, and explicitly promote anti-colonial agendas for research, training, and conservation. We invite our colleagues within and beyond the Neotropics to join us in creating new models of governance that establish research priorities with vigorous participation of ornithologists and communities within the Neotropical region. To include a diversity of perspectives, we must systemically address discrimination and bias rooted in the socioeconomic class system, anti-Blackness, anti-Brownness, anti-Indigeneity, misogyny, homophobia, tokenism, and ableism. Instead of seeking individual excellence and rewarding top-down leadership, institutions in the North and South can promote collective leadership. In adopting these approaches, we, ornithologists, will join a community of researchers across academia building new paradigms that can reconcile our relationships and transform science. Spanish and Portuguese translations are available in the .