Eagle, Quetzal, Grackle:
Ornithological Understanding in the Aztec World
Five hundred years ago, in the middle of a mountain lake, the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán blossomed with dazzling aviaries and keen naturalists. Sadly, this heritage of ornithological knowledge has been all but forgotten – or erased – by Western tellings of history. With a strong emphasis on eyewitness accounts, Victoria’s work aims to open our eyes to this world of careful observation and sophisticated bird husbandry. As an avid birder of Mexican heritage, Victoria is passionate about ensuring this important facet of history continues to be acknowledged. This presentation reveals Aztec society’s lost legacy of spot-on descriptions of birds and their behavior, accurate understanding of bird anatomy, and thoughtful bird care. Incredibly, this bears many clear similarities to how we observe, capture, and care for these exquisite creatures in the modern day.
Speaker Bio:
Victoria has enjoyed nature, particularly birds, from a very young age. She was a devoted volunteer at Rushton Woods Preserve’s songbird and saw-whet owl banding stations from 2015 until starting college studies in 2023. In September of 2021, Victoria had the honor of joining the eBird review team for Philadelphia County. Her passion for conservation led to the creation of “Hope in the Night,” which is an art installment honoring window-killed birds and their power to inspire change. This installment is currently displayed at the Discovery Center. Victoria has long been fascinated by ethno-ornithology and loves learning how different cultures view and interact with birds. Currently, she is an undergrad student of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania, where she founded the Quackers Bird Club at Penn, the university’s first birding club.
