David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds

Dave Lee holding a White-tailed Tropicbird in the Bahamas.

Inspiration: David S. Lee (1943–2014) was a naturalist and conservation biologist and an important early member of BirdsCaribbean (then the Society of Caribbean Ornithology). David was perhaps best known for his studies of seabirds of the Gulf Stream, yet he published hundreds of scientific papers and articles in the popular press on natural history, and he spearheaded conservation projects for birds, crocodiles, bats, turtles, and tortoises worldwide. Donations from Dave’s wife, Mary Kay Clark and his mother, June Bash, allowed the establishment of the award. Since 2016 this fund has been managed by BirdsCaribbean to continue David’s passion for protecting wildlife.

Goal of the Award: The fund supports applied and innovative projects with direct conservation effects on Caribbean birds and/or their habitats. Applicants should also demonstrate how their project will involve local conservation groups and communities in the Caribbean.

Eligibility: Scientists/naturalists working in the Caribbean, in conservation organizations or academic programs, may apply. Applicants should be students or early career ornithologists, conservationists, or wildlife professionals (i.e., not established faculty or senior staff of a conservation organization, less than 10 years post-graduation). A student must be enrolled in an accredited university program (advanced undergraduate level, or Masters or doctoral degrees) in ecology, biology, conservation, or related fields to be eligible.

Use of Funds: The funds can be used to cover travel to field sites, living expenses in the field, or costs for equipment and supplies to conduct conservation projects. Examples of equipment and supplies include traps, cameras, automated recording units, nest boxes, etc. Funds cannot be used for salaries, other wages, or overhead fees.

Awardees will be required to submit a report to the BirdsCaribbean’s Grant Committee one year from the project start date, and a blog article about this work for our broader community. We also encourage award recipients to present the results at the biennial International Conference of BirdsCaribbean, and publish in the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology. Presentations and publications are expected to acknowledge both David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds and BirdsCaribbean for support.

Check our pages, blog post and social media for announcements of when the fund is open for grant applications & for details of how to apply.

BirdsCaribbean’s general Grant Application Guidelines are available here.

Address your questions or inquiries to: info@birdscaribbean.org.

Please consider making a tax deductible contribution to The David S. Lee Fund for Conservation.

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Thank you for your participation and support!

Past David S. Lee Fund award winners:

Project Year/s	Awardee	Project
2024	Dr Ancilleno Davis	Establishing baselines in research, data and science for birds (BiRDS for birds) in The Bahamas
2024	Claudia Mantilla	Distribution shifts of the Oriente Warbler: species assessment in Villa Clara province, Cuba
2024	Daniela Ventura	Understanding the importance of a small urban park for conserving migratory and resident bird species in Havana
2024	Justin Saunders	Raising awareness and education on the endangered Jamaican Blackbird in a National Park
2024	Michael Ocasio	Conservation ecology of the Puerto Rican Oriole
2024	Michelle Moyer	Investigating male and female vocalizations of an understudied endemic Caribbean songbird in Puerto Rico
2024	Qwahn Kent	Understanding the social and spatial organization of the Palmchat in the Dominican Republic
2024	Jonathan Nochebuena	Help the Bridled Tern return to Isla Contoy National Park, Quintana Roo, Mexico
2023	Michelle Moyer	Investigating Male and Female Vocalizations of an Understudied Endemic Caribbean Songbird
2023	Daniela Ventura del Puerto	Establishing a long-term bird banding station in the National Botanical Garden in Havana, Cuba.
2021/2022	Julissa I. Irizarry	Evaluating the effects of greening actions on avian diversity on tropical urban landscapes
2021/2022	Michelle Moyer	Territory use of the critically endangered Bahama Oriole across the annual cycle
2021/2022	Jonathan Ruben Nochebuena Jaramillo	Establishing a long-term banding program for migratory birds in Isla Contoy National Park, Mexico
2021/2022	Luis A. Ramos Vázquez	Understanding nestling diet composition of Roseate Terns (Sterna dougallii) through fecal DNA Metabarcoding.
2021/2022	Amber Wendler	Investigating variation in cooperative breeding behavior between bird populations
2021/2022	Damion Laren Whyte	Caribbean psittacines as indirect controllers of ecosystem dynamics through commensal feeding associations and ecosystem engineering
2021/2022	Jean P. González Crespo	Pre-reproductive survival, movements, and habitat use of the Yellow-shouldered Blackbird in Southwestern Puerto Rico.
2021/2022	Josmar Marquez	Current status of the breeding colonies of Sula leucogaster, Sula sula, Sula dyctalatra in Los Roques Archipelago, Venezuela
2021/2022	Anahy Marcano	Monitoring flamingos on Margarita Island, Venezuela
2021/2022	Avery Young	Avian winter habitat selection in avocado farms in the Bahoruco region of the Dominican Republic
2020	Michelle Moyer	Habitat Use of the critically endangered Bahama Oriole across the annual cycle: The importance of the non-breeding season
2020	Walter Espindola	Comparing methods in order to assess the population size of Red footed-booby colonies in the Caribbean.
2020	Josmar Marquez	Population assessment of the Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus tenuirostris) in Coche Island, Nueva Esparta, Venezuela
2019	Janine Antalffy	Conservation biology of the Bahama Oriole, a critically endangered island endemic
2019	Josmar Marquez	Population evaluation of the Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus tenuirostris) on the island of Coche, Nueva Esparta, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
2019	Juan Carlos Fernandez Ordonez	Updating information about Audubon’s Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri loyemilleri) at Los Roques archipelago (Venezuela) (continuation)
2019	Laura Fidalgo	Hurricane effects on birds in the Luquillo mountains and Elfin-woods Warbler post-hurricane habitat use.
2019	Spencer Schubert	The effect of soundscapes on habitat restoration: Do call broadcasts attract avian seed dispersers to deforested sites?
2019	Anderson Jean	Inventaire d’oiseaux et de recherche sur les menaces que confronte l’avifaune du Complexe des Lacs des Cayes et de Camp-Perrin
2018	Yvan G. Satgé	Foraging choices of the Diablotin Black-capped Petrel: using spatial ecology and diet to inform conservation
2018	Janine Antallfy	Conservation biology of the Bahamas Oriole, a critically endangered island endemic
2018	Juan Carlos Fernandez Ordoñez	Updating information about Audubon’s Shearwater (Puffinus lherminieri loyemilleri) at Los Roques archipelago (Venezuela)
2018	Eduardo Llegus	Post-Hurricane landscape restoration as bird sanctuary in Natural Reserve Punta Cucharas, Ponce, Puerto Rico.
2018	Holly Garrod	A tale of two todies: understanding how vocalizations mediate hybridization between two sympatric species
2017	Holly Garrod	Nest response of Broad-billed Todies (Todus subulatus) to an invasive nest predator, the small Asian mongoose
2017	Maya Wilson	Population biology, life history and ecology of the Bahama Swallow (Tachycineta cyaneoviridis): informing conservation of an endangered species
2017	Paige Byerly	Conservation Genetics of the Caribbean Roseate Tern
2017	Ramon Williams	Distribution, diversity, and abundance of Grenadian birds, including endemic and restricted-range species
2017	Spencer Schubert	Artificial perch installation as a method for enhancing avian seed dispersal and accelerating early-stage forest recovery in the central Dominican Republic.
2017	Wayne Smart	Seabird nesting performance, colony declines and invasive predators, in the Southern Grenadines.