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Western and Hawaiian Songbird Research

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In partnership with the Klamath Bird Observatory and the USDA Forest Service, we utilized a dense network of bird monitoring and banding stations to explore a variety of intriguing topics. These include the altitudinal movements of entire communities and individual species, drivers of songbird vagrancy, site fidelity during molting and breeding seasons, survival and phenology of Hawaiian landbirds, and innovative methods to assess habitat quality for songbird communities using informed indices. I continue my involvement as a Research Associate with the Klamath Bird Observatory.

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Biodiversity Initiative

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Co-founded by Dr. Luke Powell, Dr. Jacob Cooper, Dr. Kristin Brzeski, and me, Biodiversity Initiative is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of birds and mammals in Central Africa since 2013. Operating primarily in Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon, we collaborate with local partners to manage camera trap arrays and long-term bird banding stations. These studies focus on habitat relationships and populations of various species. Our collective efforts, in partnership with Rain Forest Trust, CIBIO/Biopolis and INDEFOR-AP, have led to the establishment of a new National Park in the country's interior. This park serves as a sanctuary for numerous threatened and endangered species.

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Spotted Owl and California Condor Conservation

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Working alongside the Yurok Tribe and the USDA Forest Service, we conducted a detailed feasibility analysis for reintroducing California Condors to Northern California. This foundational analysis, spearheaded by Christopher West at the Yurok Tribe, assessed background lead levels in the recovery area, setting the stage for subsequent reintroduction efforts. During my tenure as a wildlife ecologist at the Pacific Southwest Research Station, I contributed to a team focused on Spotted Owl occupancy and demographics, leading to comprehensive studies on the impacts of Barred Owls on Spotted Owls and supporting the ongoing Barred Owl removal initiative.

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Creation of the Louisiana Bird Observatory

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In 2010, in collaboration with Dr. Erik Johnson at Delta Audubon and the Baton Rouge Audubon Society, we established Louisiana’s first bird observatory, the Louisiana Bird Observatory (LABO). Since its inception, our efforts at Bluebonnet Swamp have been consistent, producing significant insights into bird natural history and advancing research on migratory connectivity and impacts of environmental toxins on bird populations.

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Ruffed Grouse Habitat Selection

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In collaboration with John Depue at Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources, Dr. Rocky Gutierrez at the University of Minnesota, and Meadow Kouffeld at Itasca Community College, we have been studying habitat selection by Ruffed Grouse in North Central Minnesota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This ongoing research aims to inform the creation of new Grouse Enhanced Management Sites (GEMS) on Michigan Technological University property.

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Migratory Songbird Ecology in Central America and Mexico

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In collaboration with Dr. C.J. Ralph, Dr. John Alexander, and Dr. Matt Johnson, we studied habitat selection of migratory songbirds across lowland tropical forest along the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Further studies included population dynamics of the Prothonotary Warbler during overwintering periods. This work expanded in collaboration with Dr. David Flaspohler and Dr. Samuel Oliveira, in Tabasco, Mexico, to evaluate the impacts of oil palm plantations on the community composition, territorial behavior, and fitness of migratory birds. Additionally, several collaborators and I produced a review of the impacts of habitat quality on the overwintering ecology of migratory birds in Central and South America. 

 

Impacts of Silviculture Prescriptions on Small Mammals and Salamanders in the Upper Great Lakes

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Together with a team of ecologists we assessed the effects of various silvicultural prescriptions on small mammals and Eastern red-backed salamanders as part of the Northern Hardwood Silviculture Experiment for Enhancing Diversity (NH-SEED). Our future plans include resampling the site after further experimental manipulations to deepen our understanding of forest management strategies' long-term impacts on wildlife in the northern Great Lakes region.

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