Nelsy Nino says she’s always found it amazing how birds communicate through sound. The Colombian biologist moved to Canada to study birds in the country’s southernmost region while at the University of Windsor. Her professor says she's identified a distinct female mimicry.Nelsy Nino is an international PhD student in the faculty of science at the University of Windsor who's studying the sounds that birds make.
"A lot of people love birds for how colourful they are — like their plumage, their displays, their behaviour — but vocal behaviour is just so amazing."Nino says of particular interest is how some songbirds imitate other songbirds. According to Nino, her home country has one of the highest avian diversity populations and endemic birds you can't find anywhere else which has helped with her transition to Canada to study.University of Windsor professor Dan Mennill examines a rufous-and-white wren.
"What are the differences between male and female mimicry? How important are the mimic sounds of males to a female who's making a mate choice decision?" According to Mennill, scientists can't just be parachuted into the tropics from temperate zones to bring data back to universities such as UWindsor.Mennill says it's important to have diverse universities and to create pathways for people from across the globe to afford and attend Canadian schools.