Wildlife Madagascar is please to welcome back Matt McGee, a PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley, who begins his third field season in the Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve (ASSR) this month.
McGee’s research centers on the ecology and behavior of vangas, a diverse group of birds found only in Madagascar. His ongoing work in the reserve is contributing to a growing long-term dataset on how these species use and respond to their forest habitat.
This season marks an expansion of the project. In addition to the foraging observations that have anchored previous field seasons, McGee and his team will launch a new mist-netting initiative across multiple elevations within the reserve. Captured birds will be banded, measured, and sampled for feathers, feces, and, where possible, blood — data that researchers say will help reveal how bird communities vary along ASSR’s elevational gradient and lay the groundwork for future monitoring efforts.
The field season will also introduce a new training partnership with The Peregrine Fund’s Madagascar team. Staff from the organization will work alongside McGee’s team to train local researchers in bird handling, banding, and biological sampling — an effort aimed at strengthening in-country capacity for avian research.
McGee’s return for a third consecutive season underscores the importance of sustained, long-term research in protected areas like ASSR. As the team revisits multiple field sites and elevations, this year’s work will add another chapter to a growing record of data on Madagascar’s unique and threatened bird communities.