Current Students
From California to Florida, exotic parrots in exotic places
I am interested in Ecology, Population Biology, Resource Management, Environmental Science, and Biogeography. I started my academic career interested solely in ornithology. I tend to ask the questions in regard to why birds do what they do, and where are they doing it. I have since discovered that I enjoy geography and the techniques used in Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing, etc...[read more]
Getting intimate with the American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) on the Jersey Shore
High levels of coastal development and recreational activity in the densely populated State of New Jersey have severely altered the breeding habitat for beach nesting birds such as the American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus). Recently, American Oystercatchers breeding in New Jersey appear to have gone through a habitat shift, moving from barrier beach habitat to salt marsh habitat, perhaps in response to these pressures...[read more]
Fire on the prairie- the plight of the endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis)
I am interested in the ways in which disturbance events affect successional processes, and how these processes in turn affect endangered species. Specifically, my research focuses on fire processes in the freshwater sawgrass prairies of Everglades National Park; and how these processes influence the federally endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis).
I am also interested in the use of remote sensing techniques, namely Doppler radar, to detect nocturnal bird migration...[read more]
"KISKADEE!" Fun in the sun while studying evolution
My main areas of interest are the effects of insularity and adaptation to novel environments, especially as these relate to birds. The focus of my present research is the Great Kiskadee, a flycatcher (Family: Tyrannidae) that was introduced to Bermuda from Trinidad in 1957. I am comparing the source and introduced populations to determine if any rapid evolution has occurred in the intervening years...[read more]
Grassland birds, and the woman who loves them
On a broad scale, I am interested in how human activity and alteration of the landscape affects birds. More specifically, my research focuses on conservation of the grasshopper sparrow in agricultural grasslands. These habitats are not typically managed with avian conservation in mind despite their being of value to threatened grassland birds...[read more]
I'm a conservationist, SON!
The project that I am currently working on is a study of how water level affects nest success of the federally endangered Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis). I have also begun a study on the effects of the invasive exotic Japanese Stilt grass (Microstegium vimineum) on the ground nesting and foraging Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus)...[read more]
