Cristian Poveda Pazmiño (he/him)

I received my BSc in Biology from Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE) in 2019. As a student and then a professional I developed a genuine interest in birds’ ecology, behaviour and conservation. I got most of my research experience and skills from collaborating in different research projects in Ecuador, covering a wide array of topics such as plant-hummingbird interactions, population ecology, behavioural ecology, and applied conservation. I had the opportunity to be part of the Galapagos Hawk annual population monitoring from 2014-2017. In 2018 I joined the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) “Landbirds” project as a volunteer, and then in 2021 and 2022 as an ornithological trainee. These experiences sparked in me a particular interest for the study of birds on islands, with a conservation perspective. Currently, I am a PhD candidate in Biological Sciences at the Centre for Ecology and Conservation. My research project, titled "The introduced smooth-billed ani in Galápagos" is supervised by Dr Christopher Kaiser-Bunbury, and co-supervised by Prof Ilya Maclean, Dr Birgit Fessl (CDF) and Dr Sophia Cooke (Environmental Funders Network).

My experience in Galapagos highlighted the archipelago’s critical need for research and conservation, especially regarding the control of non-native species. This need led my supervisors and I to develop my PhD research aimed at understanding the ecology and behaviour of the only invasive bird in Galápagos, the smooth-billed ani (Crotophaga ani). One of the main goals of this research is to inform a management plan for this species in the archipelago. Our aim is to cover diverse aspects of their ecology, such as their dietary habits, territory use, population density, and habitat preferences. This, in turn, would shed light on how this invasive species is impacting local biodiversity in Galápagos and will set the priorities in matters of management of this invasive bird. Ultimately, our aim is that this research serves as a framework for the development of future management plans for other invasive birds on islands around the world.