After a several year hiatus from international fieldwork, it is time once again to pack my bags and I could not be more excited! I will be joining one of my favorite field biologists and adventure buddies – Dr. Liz Scordato (you may remember her from my work in Egypt). We will see how many of our clothes match this time around. It is important to note here that Liz needs to get all the credit for dreaming up this project, planning it, and funding it. I am just happy that I get the opportunity to go along and add some of my own parasite research into the mix. We are off to South East Asia to study the Pacific Swallow. A charismatic little bird that is related to the Barn Swallows I studied during my PhD. I think they look very different from Barn Swallows, but my family and friends seem to think otherwise.
So what is so interesting about the Pacific Swallows (other than the fact that it lives in a beautiful part of the world with incredible food)? Like Barn Swallows, Pacific Swallows are human commensals, meaning they prefer to nest on man-made structures and live close to people. These birds are found across the South East Asia, but populations look quite different depending on where they are found. The Pacific Swallow is sometimes referred to as 1 species, 3 species, or divided into as many as 14 subspecies based on visual differences. We have very little understanding of how closely these different types of pacific swallows are related to each other, when they became separate, why they look different, or if they are still interbreeding today.
Because of their close association with humans, Pacific Swallows offer an interesting window into how human-mediated ecological change impacts animals on both short term and long term scales. By looking at the physical characteristics of different populations of Pacific Swallows and analyzing their DNA to piece together detailed information about their genomes, we can reconstruct both their recent and past history.
Because of their close association with humans, Pacific Swallows offer an interesting window into how human-mediated ecological change impacts animals on both short term and long term scales. By looking at the physical characteristics of different populations of Pacific Swallows and analyzing their DNA to piece together detailed information about their genomes, we can reconstruct both their recent and past history.
My particular part of this research will be to add information about parasites. I will be counting, collecting, and identifying parasites from adults and nests. I also plan to analyze DNA from these parasite to look into their genomes and reconstruct their past, like we are doing with the swallows. This will allow me to ask if parasites share a similar or different history compared to their hosts. I am excited to see what we can find.
To make these big field projects happen requires months of planning and logistics. The success of international fieldwork really depends on establish good contacts with local collaborators. Working with and getting to know these collaborators is one of my favorite parts of doing this work. While there can be interesting experiencing translating culture and language, these relationships can often result in long-term collaborations, projects, and friendships. We have worked to establish contacts in all the different states we will be working in with scientists and people from the forestry service. After contacting collaborators and securing permits, which we usually do up to a year in advance of the project, we next have to think about equipment and packing. The goal is to travel as light as possible while also having everything we need. This means we never skimp on the research equipment that we need to bring, but often limit our personal items to make everything fit.
Fieldwork is one of the main reasons that I became a scientist, and I think this is true for many biologists. There is the allure of adventure and travel, seeing and trying new things, and the thrill of uncertainty and unplanned turns and bumps in the road that contrasts nicely with my life typically filled with to-do lists and carefully planned calendars. A good field biologist needs to be adaptable, creative, and ready for anything. But it is also the chance to be outside, in nature, closely observing animals and asking interesting questions. More than anything, it is my curiosity and love of discovery, and the opportunity to figure out a little piece of how nature works that kindles my love of fieldwork. It is privilege to be able to do this work and in particular to have the opportunity to be part of this project. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you along the way.
Liz will also be blogging during our trip, and you can follow us on twitter at #pacswallowproject
Liz will also be blogging during our trip, and you can follow us on twitter at #pacswallowproject