A5063564905- Avian ecology and behavior
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Bird parasitology and diseases
- Plant and animal studies
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Study of Mite Species
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Wildlife Conservation and Criminology Analyses
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Marine and fisheries research
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Forest Management and Policy
- Morphological variations and asymmetry
Arkansas State University
2016-2025
Boise State University
2012-2025
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
2010-2014
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
2012-2014
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
2014
University of Utah
2012
Roadkill is widely recognized as one of the primary negative effects roads on many wildlife species and also has socioeconomic impacts when they result in accidents. A comprehensive dataset roadkill locations essential to evaluate factors contributing risk enhance our comprehension its impact populations dimensions. We undertook a compilation records, encompassing both published unpublished data gathered from road surveys or opportunistic sources. GLOBAL ROADKILL DATA includes 208,570...
Abstract Understanding migratory connectivity is essential for determining the drivers behind population dynamics and implementing effective conservation strategies species. Genetic markers provide a means to describe connectivity; however, they can be uninformative species with weak genetic structure, which has limited their application. Here, we demonstrated genomic approach describing in prothonotary warbler, Protonotaria citrea , Neotropical songbird of concern. Using 26,189 single...
Forest cover in the eastern United States has increased over past century and while some late-successional species have benefited from this process as expected, others experienced population declines. These declines may be part related to contemporary reductions small-scale forest interior disturbances such fire, windthrow, treefalls. To mitigate negative impacts of disturbance alteration suppression on species, strategies that emulate natural regimes are often advocated, but large-scale...
Abstract One of the greatest challenges to informed conservation migratory animals is elucidating spatiotemporal variation in distributions. Without such information, it impossible understand full-annual-cycle ecology and effectively implement actions that address where when populations are most limited. We deployed recovered light-level geolocators (n = 34) at 6 breeding sites North America across range a declining long-distance bird, Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea). sought...
Collisions with buildings cause up to 1 billion bird fatalities annually in the United States and Canada. However, efforts reduce collisions would benefit from studies conducted at large spatial scales across multiple study sites standardized methods consideration of species- life-history-related variation correlates collisions. We addressed these research needs through coordinated collection data on (35), Canada (3), Mexico (2). collected all carcasses identified species. After removing...
Abstract For many avian species, spatial migration patterns remain largely undescribed, especially across hemispheric extents. Recent advancements in tracking technologies and high‐resolution species distribution models (i.e., eBird Status Trends products) provide new insights into migratory bird movements offer a promising opportunity for integrating independent data sources to describe migration. Here, we present three‐stage modeling framework estimating of First, integrate band...
Abstract We examined the temporal, spatial, and demographic factors that influenced roadway mortality of barn owls ( Tyto alba ) along a 248‐km stretch Interstate 84 in southern Idaho using systematic road surveys. Counts dead animals from surveys can be underestimated because sampling biases; therefore, we also conducted experiments to assess effects search removal bias on estimates owls. every 2 weeks over 2‐year period detected 812 (unadjusted rate 1.64 owls/km/yr). After adjusting this...
ABSTRACT Nest sharing by birds, or the phenomenon where multiple individuals of different species contribute genetically and parentally to offspring in a single nest, is rare form cooperative breeding that has only occasionally been reported socially monogamous birds. Here we describe, both behaviorally genetically, unique case two female western kingbird ( Tyrannus verticalis ) × scissor‐tailed flycatcher T. forficatus hybrid, simultaneously occupying (and likely co‐incubating eggs in)...
We present the complete genome sequences of 11 species kingbirds. Illumina sequencing was performed on genetic material from wild-caught and museum specimens. The reads were assembled using a de novo method followed by finishing step. raw data are publicly available via Genbank.
Preening is the principle behavioral defense used by birds to combat ectoparasites. Most have a small overhang at tip of their bills that shear through tough cuticle ectoparasitic arthropods, making preening much more efficient. Birds may also scratch with feet defend against This particularly important for removing ectoparasites on head, which cannot preen. Scratching be enhanced comb-like serrations are found claws in many avian families. We examined prevalence and intensity barn owls...
Studies of habitat selection are often limited utility because they focus on small geographic areas, fail to examine behavior at multiple scales, or lack an assessment the fitness consequences decisions. These limitations can hamper identification successful site-specific management strategies, which urgently needed for severely declining species like Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea). We assessed how breeding decisions made by and subsequent effects these nest survival, varied across...
A fundamental aspect of symbiotic relationships is host specificity, ranging from extreme specialists associated with only a single species to generalists many different species. Although symbionts limited dispersal capabilities are expected be specialists, some able associate multiple hosts. Understanding the micro- and macro-evolutionary causes variations in specificity often hindered by sampling biases power traditional evolutionary markers. Here, we studied feather mites address barriers...
Host–symbiont relationships are ubiquitous in nature, yet evolutionary and ecological processes that shape these intricate associations often poorly understood. All orders of birds engage symbioses with feather mites, which ectosymbiotic arthropods spend their entire life on hosts. Due to permanent obligatory association hosts, limited dispersal primarily vertical transmission, we hypothesized the cospeciation between mites hosts within one avian family (Parulidae) would be perfect (strict...
Abstract For most bird species, little is known about their ecology and survival between fledging independence despite the potential for post-fledging to be a factor limiting population dynamics. Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea) are declining migratory full-life-cycle conservation efforts that include period warranted attempt reverse decline. To understand movement, habitat selection, survival, we radio-tracked 20 fledglings throughout dependent period. Broods were split by parents,...
Significance Parent–offspring conflict has explained a variety of ecological phenomena across animal taxa, but its role in mediating when songbirds fledge remains controversial. Our analysis nesting and postfledging survival rates within 18 songbird species found that offspring commonly leave safer environments for riskier ones—known as bottlenecks. This timing fledging incurs cost survival, benefits adults by increasing their likelihood raising at least one to independence. Parents...
Point counts are commonly used to assess changes in bird abundance, including analytical approaches such as distance sampling that estimate density. Point-count methods have come under increasing scrutiny because effects of detection probability and field error difficult quantify. For seven forest songbirds, we compared fixed-radii (50 m 100 m) density estimates obtained from known numbers birds determined by territory mapping. We applied point-count analytic a typical management question...
Light-level geolocators, miniature devices used for tracking avian migration over the full annual cycle, are being widely deployed on small migratory passerines. However, effects of carrying geolocators breeding biology songbirds unclear, and variable species- guild-specific conclusions have been drawn regarding their return rates (apparent survival). In particular, there is a lack published information Nearctic–Neotropical migrant warblers canopy-dwelling bird species, which limits our...
Abstract Feather mites are obligatory ectosymbionts of birds that primarily feed on the oily secretions from uropygial gland. mite abundance varies within and among host species has various effects condition fitness, but there is little consensus factors drive variation this symbiotic system. We tested hypotheses regarding how within‐species among‐species traits explain in both (1) (2) relationships between body components fitness (reproductive performance apparent annual survival). focused...
Colorful plumage traits in birds may convey multiple, redundant, or unreliable messages about an individual. Plumage reliably information disparate qualities such as age, condition, and parental ability because discrete tracts of feathers cause individuals to incur different intrinsic extrinsic costs. Few studies have examined the content a species that inhabits forest canopies, habitat with unique light environments selective pressures. We investigated four patches (blue-green crown rump,...
Abstract Host specificity is a fundamental life history trait of symbionts and exists on broad continuum from that are specific to one or few hosts (host specialists), those associated with multiple different host species generalists). However, the biological mechanisms underlying complexity wide variation in symbiont poorly understood both perspectives across many symbiotic systems. Feather mites common avian vary their extreme generalists specialists, even among within same genus. Here, we...