Polylepis Forest, Peru
I photographed this male Tit-like Dacnis (Xenodacnis parina) during a research expedition to a Polylepis forest. These high-elevation forests, along with many of the bird species they support, are threatened by habitat loss. The expedition sought data on bird community and population structure, molt and ectoparasites, supporting research on the evolutionary ecology of tropical birds while providing baseline data that can be used to detect changes relevant to conservation issues.