WOMEN IN SEABIRD SCIENCE
Sydney M. Collins
she/her
Reseacher and Outdoor Educator
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Discipline
Behaviour, Conservation, Migration & Movement Ecology, Public/Community Engagement
Regional Focus
Toronto Ontario Canada, Gull Island Witless Bay Ecological Reserve Newfoundland and Labrador Canada, Middleton Island Alaska USA, Cape St. Mary's Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
Years Active
11-15 years
Species Focus
Auks (Alcidae), Gulls and Terns (Laridae), Gannets and Boobies (Sulidae), Storm-Petrels (Hydrobatidae & Oceanitidae), Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae)
Tell us about your work with seabirds.
I spend my days researching seabirds and teaching about birds and conservation as an outdoor educator! Through my academic research, I study consistency of behaviour across spatial and temporal scales and its applicability to conservation, specifically focusing on measures of animal personality and consistency of space use. My research is investigating whether Leach's Storm-Petrels (Hydrobates leucorhous) that exhibit consistent behaviour also experience consistent exposure to risks. I love using remote monitoring techniques (like PIT/RFID systems, GPS and GLS tags) to investigate consistency of behaviour and to answer questions about the life history of cryptic seabirds.
What advice would you offer to individuals aspiring to pursue a career as seabird scientists?
Explore any opportunities that come your way. When you submit an application or send that important email, you open a new possible path for yourself. Even if you decide partway through that path is not the one you want, you will have made valuable connections and learned about yourself along the way. In the same light, say yes to unexpected opportunities. My career is not what I thought it would be; during my undergrad, I said yes to a sudden opportunity in seabird fieldwork when I thought I was destined to work in a lab, and I couldn't be happier.
Sydney Collins sitting in a forest on Gull Island, Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, holding a Leach's Storm-Petrel.
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@SydneyCollins23
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