Raquel Crespo

I have always felt deeply interested in wildlife, for this reason I decided to enroll in the Biology’s Degree at the University of Extremadura. In order to focus more on this area, I went to Murcia to study at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine the Master's degree of Management of Wildlife. Thanks to this, I was able to develop my first study focused on parasite infection in raptors, with special interest in the Eurasian Eagle-owl (Bubo bubo). From there, my professional career began, increasingly focused on the development of knowledge of wildlife, and more specifically in birds. I did various internships and volunteering in numerous Spanish and Portuguese centers, where I acquired skills in handling birds. Likewise, I managed to get a volunteer job where I worked for 3 months in the Berlengas Islands (Portugal) associated with the Life Berlengas project of the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds(SPEA).

Currently, I am working as a technician at the Institute for Game and Wildlife Research (IREC), focusing on the study of coloration as a signal of individual quality, taking birds as a model. Some of the species I work with are the Red-legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa), the Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata), and the Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus).