Research Interests

Conservation of endangered species

My primary research interests can be classified into two broad categories: conservation biology and avian ecology. During my dissertation I was funded by the Department of the Interior through the Critical Ecosystems Studies Initiative for my work on the Cape Sable seaside sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis). This research involved both field and lab-based work, which I can develop into various undergraduate and graduate research opportunities at a home institution (such as population viability analyses and modeling the effects of managment and restoration scenarios). Click here to download a recent publication from this research.




Species diversity in a changing landscape

As a field-based scientist, I find there really is nothing more gratifying than answering questions right in your own backyard. This is the approach I took while at Rutgers University, where myself and collaborators worked to understand how species are reacting to a changing landscape. Our collaborative research assessed avian diversity and distribution across a successional gradient at the Hutcheson Memorial Forest, in Somerset, NJ. For this project we conducted point counts in old growth forest, secondary forest, old fields, and active farmland. Additionally, we characterized the vegetation at each point count to determine the relationships of habitat structure and composition to bird diversity and abundance. Given the pressing nature of climate change and land-use/land-cover conversion across the globe, there are plenty of opportunities to expand this type of work and include both undergraduate and graduate students. Ultimately the goal is to better understand the effects of land-use, disturbance, invasion by non-native species, and a changing climate, on breeding and migratory bird populations.

Using radar to track bird migration

Since 2004 I have been tracking bird migration from the Caribbean all the way up into the Northeastern US. To do so I use Doppler radar data in conjunction with weather forecast information to predict how birds will react to the weather during migration. These forecasts are then ground-truthed by a dedicated group of citizen birdwatchers. Will the birds ride a tailwind all night and make great strides to their breeding or wintering grounds? Or will they decide not to go anywhere due to the unfavorable conditions? Or, as many birdwatchers hope for, will they start off in earnest, only to encounter inclement weather at some point during their journey which then causes them to land in great numbers at predictable locations? This research is still in its infancy, but has caught the attention of thousands of birdwatchers across the eastern US. You can see the archives at www.woodcreeper.com (mid-Atlantic region) and badbirdz2.wordpress.com (Florida & Caribbean), but the real fun is just about to begin! What started out as a pasttime obsession has transcended into a full-time postdoctoral position at the New Jersey Audubon Society. Working with Dr. David Mizrahi we are using NEXRAD Doppler radar to identify and characterize critical stopover habitat across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern US. Additionally, we are using radar to understand the relationships between initiation of migration and atmosphric conditions. Results from these analyses can be used to better plan for alternative energy development. As part of my future research goals I would like to continue using remote sensing to study regional patterns of bird migration. Using radar and other technologies in conjunction with Geographical Information Systems will allow our lab to locate primary stopover habitat, which will lead to further field-based demographic studies of avian ecology, conservation, and wildlife management. Since remotely sensed data can provide a long-term archive, student research can range from very short to very long-term temporal analyses of bird migration, which can then be used for applications such as risk assessment of wind farms.

Ecology & Evolution of Neotropical Migrants

Because bird migration is a continuum between breeding and wintering grounds, studying one or the other only provides part of the picture. One of my research goals is to establish a long-term field research program on avian winter ecology in the American tropics. Data from this work will be used to compare and contrast with breeding season research conducted in the temperate zone. Additionally, I would like to develop several field courses including Conservation in The Americas, Neotropical Ornithology, and Ecology & Evolution of the New World Tropics.