Back Bay Bird Identification

Project Leader: Leslie Azwell

Leslie is an Associate Wildlife Biologist certified through The Wildlife Society. She works for Mississippi State University’s coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi, Mississippi. She is the lead scientist on this project. Leslie is from Saint Louis Missouri. Her love for the outdoors began when she was very young going hunting and fishing with her Dad. She received her bachelor's degree from Mississippi State University in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture in 2023. Leslie is primarily an ornithologist, which means she study birds. She has worked on a few bird projects in her career. In 2021, she tracked Northern Bobwhite with VHF telemetry equipment to study their roosting behavior. In 2022, Leslie worked on a project with Autonomous Recording Units to study the calling behavior of Indigo Buntings. She will be starting her master's degree in Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture this winter also through Mississippi State University. This photo sorting process on Zooniverse is helping her complete her master's project. Leslie is excited to further her career in ornithology and to use this website as a platform for her data processing.

Project Advisor: Dr. Eric Sparks

Eric serves as the Director of the Mississippi Sound Estuary Program as well as Coastal and Marine Extension for Mississippi State University and dually as the Assistant Director of Outreach and Coastal Ecology Specialist for the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. In these roles he conducts a variety of research and extension activities across broad range of topics, but specializes in living shorelines, coastal ecology, marine debris, and environmental stewardship. In his spare time, he enjoys anything outdoors and spending time with his wife, son, and daughter.

Secondary Project Advisor: Dr. Mark Woodrey

Mark is an assistant research professor and an avian and coastal ecologist. His passion for nature and birds blossomed during his early years. By the age of 10, he was actively seeking out birds on foot or bicycle, exploring trails, and scaling rocks in state parks near his hometown. At just 12 years old, he started banding birds, igniting his interest in avian studies. His birdwatching adventures have taken him from his small Ohio town to Sweden. Residing in Mississippi for nearly 25 years, he is captivated by the wildlife and bird populations along the Gulf of Mexico coast. In addition to spearheading a long-term bird ecology and conservation initiative for the Gulf region, Mark has researched various topics, including Neotropical landbird migration and Swallow-tailed Kite nesting habits. His current focus with the Mississippi State University Coastal Avian Ecology Lab is to gather scientific data to enhance our understanding of birdlife in the Gulf region, guide land management decisions, and support nationwide bird conservation efforts.