A5005368208- Avian ecology and behavior
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Mercury impact and mitigation studies
- Wildlife Conservation and Criminology Analyses
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Climate variability and models
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Bird parasitology and diseases
- Marine animal studies overview
- Wind Energy Research and Development
- Heavy metals in environment
- Energy and Environment Impacts
- Climate Change, Adaptation, Migration
- American Literature and Culture
- Aerospace and Aviation Technology
- Wind and Air Flow Studies
West Virginia University
2012-2022
University of Vermont
2003-2012
William & Mary
2010
University of Arizona
2003
In the United States, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act prohibits take of golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) unless authorized by permit, stipulates that all permitted must be sustainable. are unintentionally killed in conjunction with many lawful activities (e.g., electrocution on power poles, collision wind turbines). Managers who issue permits for incidental determine allowable levels manage accordingly. To aid managers making these decisions western we used an integrated population...
To maximize fitness, flying animals should flight speed while minimizing energetic expenditure. Soaring speeds of large-bodied birds are determined by routes and tradeoffs between time costs. Large raptors migrating in eastern North America predominantly glide thermals that provide lift or soar along slopes ridgelines using orographic (slope soaring). It is usually assumed slope soaring faster than thermal gliding because forward progress constant compared to interrupted when pause regain...
Large birds regularly use updrafts to subsidize flight. Although most research on soaring bird flight has focused of thermal updrafts, there is evidence suggesting that many species are likely multiple modes subsidy. We tested the degree which a large uses subsidy provide insights into decision-making underlies behaviour. statistically classified more than 22 000 global positioning satellite–global system for mobile communications telemetry points collected at 30-s intervals identify type...
Renewable energy production is expanding rapidly despite mostly unknown environmental effects on wildlife and habitats. We used genetic stable isotope data collected from Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) killed at the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area (APWRA) in California demographic models to test hypotheses about geographic extent consequences of fatalities caused by renewable facilities. Geospatial analyses δ2 H values obtained feathers showed that ≥25% these APWRA-killed eagles were...
Abstract When wildlife habitat overlaps with industrial development animals may be harmed. Because and people select resources to maximize biological fitness economic return, respectively, we estimated risk, the probability of eagles encountering being affected by turbines, overlaying models resource selection for each entity. This conceptual framework can applied across multiple spatial scales understand mitigate impacts industry on wildlife. We risk Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) from...
Summary Animals respond to a variety of environmental cues, including weather conditions, when migrating. Understanding the relationship between and migration behaviour is vital assessing time‐ energy limitations soaring birds. Different modes have different efficiencies, are dependent upon types subsidized lift dependent. We collected GPS locations from 47 known‐age golden eagles that moved along 83 tracks. paired each location with determine meteorological correlates during spring fall as...
Migration is costly in terms of time, energy and safety. Optimal migration theory suggests that individual migratory birds will choose between these three costs depending on their motivation available resources. To test hypotheses about use strategies by large soaring birds, we used GPS telemetry to track 18 adult, 13 sub‐adult 15 juvenile Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos eastern North America. Each age‐class had potentially different motivations during migration. During spring, the...
Renewable energy production can kill individual birds, but little is known about how it affects avian populations. We assessed the vulnerability of populations for 23 priority bird species killed at wind and solar facilities in California, USA. Bayesian hierarchical models suggested that 48% these were vulnerable to population-level effects from added fatalities caused by renewables other sources. Effects extended far beyond location impact distant regions across continental migration...
From 1995 through 1999, 2,240 individuals of 28 species waterbirds were examined in the United States for ingested lead fishing weights. A combination radiography and visual examination stomachs was used to search weights blood liver samples from live birds carcasses, respectively, collected analysis. Ingested found most frequently Common Loon (Gavia immer) (11 313 = 3.5%) Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) (10 365 2.7%), but also one 81 (1.2%) Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax...
Movement behavior and its relationship to habitat provide critical information toward understanding the effects of changing environments on birds. The eastern North American population Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) is a genetically distinct small conservation concern. To evaluate potential responses this landscapes, we calculated home range core area sizes 52 eagles 6 age–sex classes during summer winter seasons. Variability in size was related variation topography open cover, age sex....
Abstract Altitude measurements from wildlife tracking devices, combined with elevation data, are commonly used to estimate the flight altitude of volant animals. However, these data often include measurement error. Understanding this error may improve estimation and benefit applied ecology. There a number different approaches that have been address These filtering based on GPS behaviour study species, use state‐space models correct The effectiveness is highly variable. Recent studies...
Operating wind-power projects often includes protecting volant wildlife. One method for doing this uses an automated system to detect, identify (through use of artificial intelligence; AI), track animals (targets) and curtail turbines when risk a collision is high. However, assessments the effectiveness, in terms identification accuracy subsequent turbine curtailment such systems are lacking. Over 1 year, we assessed installed at wind project California, USA determine its rates which...
Migration allows animals to live in resource-rich but seasonally variable environments. Because of the costs migration, there is selective pressure capitalize on variation weather optimize migratory performance. To test degree which performance (defined as speed migration) Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) was determined by age- and season-specific responses weather, we analyzed 1,863 daily tracks (n = 83 migrant eagles) 8,047 hourly 83) based 15 min GPS telemetry data from 277 30 s 37)....
Knowledge of the distribution and movements populations migratory birds is useful for effective conservation management biodiversity. However, such information often unavailable because difficulty tracking sufficient numbers individuals. We used more easily obtained feather stable hydrogen isotope ratios (δ2H) to predict summer grounds small, threatened, population Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in eastern North America. then identified locations extent connectivity this population....
Abstract Human activity influences wildlife. However, the ecological and conservation significances of these are difficult to predict depend on their population‐level consequences. This difficulty arises partly because information gaps, data stressors usually collected in a count‐based manner (e.g., number dead animals) that is translate into rate‐based estimates important infer consequences changes mortality or population growth rates). ongoing methodological developments can provide make...
ABSTRACT We studied breeding dispersal of double‐crested cormorants ( Phalacrocorax auritus ) associated with management practices that suppressed their reproduction on Lake Champlain in the northeastern United States. implemented an experiment one colony by spraying corn oil cormorant eggs portions and leaving other untreated. Gulls Larus spp.) consumed during oiling process, but we reduced then eliminated predation levels after first year study. used mark‐recapture techniques within...
Conserving wide-ranging animals requires knowledge about their year-round movements and resource use. Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) exhibit a wide range of movement patterns across North America. We combined tracking data from 571 multiple independent satellite-telemetry projects America to provide comprehensive look at the magnitude extent these on continental scale. compared use relative four alternative administrative ecological mapping systems, namely Bird Conservation Regions...