Nick Bayly

There is a photo of me at age six wielding my first pair of binoculars, which despite being heavy and considerably wider than my head, did not put me off. Since then my fascination with birds and the natural World has grown ever stronger, developing into what could only be described as an obsession with migratory birds. These remarkable creatures, capable of outstanding feats of endurance and navigation, still intrigue and amaze me. Despite these seemingly supernatural abilities, migrants are in trouble - populations of migratory birds are in free fall worldwide. It is for this reason that I have devoted the last 15 years of my life to trying to understand them. What it is they need to travel thousands of kilometers a year? Where are they most in trouble? Where are they most vulnerable?

For the last 8 years I have been living and working in Colombia, directing SELVA's migratory species research area.

November 2016