Research Projects:
Hudsonian Godwits
Hudsonian Godwits have one of the most extreme annual cycles of any migratory bird, which makes them an ideal model to explore the effects of migration on breeding biology. Past research by Dr. Nathan Senner employed geolocation-tracking devices and intensive field efforts during both the breeding and non-breeding seasons to understand how two separate populations of godwits are being differentially affected by global climate change and created a linked population showing that godwits the breed in Alaska spend the non-breeding season in southern Chile. His dissertation research uncovered differences in two populations responses to climate change and how these differences are leading the Hudson Bay breeding population to face regular reproductive failure, while the Alaskan breeding population enjoys relative stability. My master's thesis explored how these changes are altering the reproductive investment of individuals in these two populations especially through differences in microhabitat nest site selection. For my doctorate, I aim to explore how their annual cycle plays a role in their breeding success in terms of seasonal carryover effects.
Hudsonian Godwits have one of the most extreme annual cycles of any migratory bird, which makes them an ideal model to explore the effects of migration on breeding biology. Past research by Dr. Nathan Senner employed geolocation-tracking devices and intensive field efforts during both the breeding and non-breeding seasons to understand how two separate populations of godwits are being differentially affected by global climate change and created a linked population showing that godwits the breed in Alaska spend the non-breeding season in southern Chile. His dissertation research uncovered differences in two populations responses to climate change and how these differences are leading the Hudson Bay breeding population to face regular reproductive failure, while the Alaskan breeding population enjoys relative stability. My master's thesis explored how these changes are altering the reproductive investment of individuals in these two populations especially through differences in microhabitat nest site selection. For my doctorate, I aim to explore how their annual cycle plays a role in their breeding success in terms of seasonal carryover effects.
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Kiwi Tick Ecology
All five species of kiwi (Apteryx spp.) are listed as threatened or near threatened and an important aspect of kiwi conservation is understanding parasite biology due to their potential to act as a vector for disease and hinder kiwi survival. Although the ectoparasite fauna on kiwi birds has been categorized, there is a paucity of information on the biology of the kiwi tick, Ixodes anatis Chilton, 1904, and other parasites found on this unique avian host. I explored the presence of I. anatis in burrows known to be used by North Island brown kiwi (A. mantelli). There was a significant positive correlation between the frequency with which burrows were used by kiwi and both tick intensity and prevalence. This work is some of the first published research on this endemic tick species' ecology. Given the conservation risk for kiwi and the endemic status of I. anatis, understanding the impact of this tick species on kiwi as well as its natural history should be a priority for future research. The photo to the left is of a kiwi chick. You can see the ticks on its face - especially near the ear canal and between the eyes. Kiwi chicks appear to have especially high tick loads which may put them at risk to anemia due to blood loss as well as inhibiting hearing putting them at greater risk to predation. |
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Western Bluebirds - Reproductive Investment
As part of Dr. Janis Dickinson's ongoing project on Western Bluebird behavioral ecology, I looked at the repeatability and heritability of egg size. Using data collected over ten years of the long term project on egg length, width, and volume, I'm looking at how repeatable egg size is within a clutch and across a female's lifetime. By using mother-daughter pairings, I can look at heritability of egg size. I've also collaborated with Janis's lab on projects looking at the spatial effects of resource distributions and vocal kin recognition with Dr. Caglar Ackay. Additionally, I was hired by Dr. Caitlin Stern to work on her graduate studies looking at the costs of breeding near kin and non-kin. Photo at right is of an incubating female Western Bluebird in a nest box with two eggs visible beneath her. |
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Arctic Breeding Birds Phenological Response to Global Climate Change
The effects of global climate change on wildlife populations have been well documented worldwide. Changing climate, particularly warming, leads to a range of effects on populations including expansion or decline. The phenology of energy-intensive events in a bird’s annual cycle, which include migration and breeding, requires precise timing for survival and reproductive success and climate change can often affect this timing. This is especially important in arctic breeding birds when the time window for breeding may only be a few weeks. However, descriptive studies on the reproductive success and survival of arctic birds have shown both positive and negative effects of climate change, which have profound implications for conservation and management. Here I used a comparative phylogenetic analysis on representative species to test whether natural history traits predict the phenological response to climate change.
Photo to left: Two just hatched Least Sandpipers. Photo by Garrett MacDonald
The effects of global climate change on wildlife populations have been well documented worldwide. Changing climate, particularly warming, leads to a range of effects on populations including expansion or decline. The phenology of energy-intensive events in a bird’s annual cycle, which include migration and breeding, requires precise timing for survival and reproductive success and climate change can often affect this timing. This is especially important in arctic breeding birds when the time window for breeding may only be a few weeks. However, descriptive studies on the reproductive success and survival of arctic birds have shown both positive and negative effects of climate change, which have profound implications for conservation and management. Here I used a comparative phylogenetic analysis on representative species to test whether natural history traits predict the phenological response to climate change.
Photo to left: Two just hatched Least Sandpipers. Photo by Garrett MacDonald
