I n the Fall 1996 issue of Birdwatch Canada , I told readers about our study of the distribution and abundance of migrant and resident landbirds during winter in Cuba. We are also interested in finding out some of the things that most influence wintering populations of migratory birds. Migratory birds have complex annual cycles and populations could face problems on the breeding grounds, the wintering grounds, during migration, or, quite likely, all three.
Coastal scrub is low, dense, dry forest near the coast.
Coppice woodland is secondary forest that has been cut over repeatedly to supply wood for charcoal production. Most of its trees have multiple trunks that emanate from a central root mass. During each visit, we captured and banded birds following a standardized and repeatable protocol. These species received colour-bands as well as standard number bands, allowing us to individually identify them in the field. Using a combination of observation and mist netting to resight and recapture banded birds allows us to estimate the amount of population turnover.