Life Sciences Commons^™

Does Urbanization Surrounding Stopping Sites Affect Migratory Behavior In American Woodcock (Scolopax Minor)?, Zoe Pavlik

Honors College

Urban landscapes may influence bird species in complex ways, with some species exploiting urban environments, others adapting to them, and others avoiding them. Migratory birds encounter urbanization not just during breeding and overwintering, but also at stopping sites during migration. Migration routes of American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), a bird species experiencing long term population declines, follow the east coast of the United States, including the major urbanized areas of the eastern seaboard. I explored the effects of urbanization around stopping sites on Woodcock migratory behavior using the percentage of impervious surfaces within a buffer surrounding the site as a measure …

Painting Ecological Change In Pacific Northwest Bird Populations, Rachel Rothberg

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The following four oil paintings are part of an ongoing series that visually explores bird populations and behavior in Northwest Washington, particularly in Bellingham and Whatcom County. I combine biological, detailed illustration with painterly practices to communicate fragile ecological balances to my audience through a medium seen less frequently in the field of conservation. My work examines the tension between life and death in the natural world to provoke conversations about environmental issues and to encourage compassion for local scenery. The work illuminates how birds, humans, and the ecosystems we inhabit are intertwined, inspiring a sense of wonder for our …

Wildlife, Fisheries, & Conservation Biology_Draft Recommendations For Field Work During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Brian J. Olsen

School of Biology & Ecology

Draft copy of recommendations for field work during the COVID-19 pandemic, authored by Brian J. Olsen, Chair, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Conservation Biology, Interim Director of the Ecology and Environmental Sciences Program, and Associate Professor of Ornithology. In developing the recommendations Professor Olsen queried 100 University of Maine faculty members who conduct field research and collected comments from over two dozen.

The guidelines were sent for review to Frederick Servello, Dean of the University of Maine College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture, and Director of the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, Christopher Gerbi, Associate Dean for Research …

Wildlife, Fisheries, & Conservation Biology_Ecology And Environmental Sciences Program_Covid-19 News, Brian J. Olsen

School of Biology & Ecology

Email from Brian J. Olsen, Chair, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Conservation Biology, Interim Director of the Ecology and Environmental Sciences Program, and Associate Professor of Ornithology, University of Maine to students in the Ecology and Environmental Sciences Program (EES) with updates and information regarding the Program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paul Johnsgard: Comprehensive Vita And Bibliography, Paul A. Johnsgard

Papers in Ornithology

A current curriculum vitae and comprehensive bibliography for Paul A. Johnsgard, Foundation Regents Professor Emeritus at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Johnsgard has been the author of (at least) 91 books, 140 journal articles or chapters, 100 reviews or popular articles; the subject of 7 profile articles; and the director for 12 Ph.D. dissertations and 12 M.S. theses—all listed here. Dates covered are 1953 through 2020. Dr. Johnsgard is also an illustrator and photographer.

Updated January 2021.

Cavity Nest Webs As A Template For Studying Non-Trophic Interactions In Invasion Ecology, Joshua M. Diamond

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Invasive exotic animals are considered destructive forces in cities for preying on and competing with native species. I examined an aspect of competition from a different perspective, focusing on the role of Miami’s rich exotic bird assemblage in its cavity nest web, where a supply of woodpecker-created cavity nests limited by urbanization is the focal point of competition. We located 967 nest trees with 1,864 cavities and determined that woodpeckers successfully nested in this tropical urban region by exploiting standing dead palms (snags). Native upland forests were the most important cover type for woodpeckers but planted landscapes like parks and …

Wilson, Alexander Gordon, 1888-1970 (Sc 3384), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

MSS Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Small Collection 3384. Letters of WKU English faculty member Gordon Wilson to fellow faculty member Frances Richards and her sister Mary Ellen Richards, Franklin, Kentucky. The folklorist and accomplished amateur ornithologist writes effusively about his life and post-retirement work, including his autobiography and his linguistic and bird studies in the Mammoth Cave region. He reports various bird sightings and counts to Mary Ellen, discusses upcoming speeches and publications, shares news of his family, friends and health, and thanks Frances for gifts of phonograph records. Includes notes from his wife written after his death.

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 94, No. 4), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 94, No. 3), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

The Real Snowbirds Of South Florida: Using Citizen Science To Assess The Ranges Of South Florida's Overwintering Birdsh, Alexander V. Levine

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overwintering ranges of North American bird populations are shifting and the winter ranges of south Florida’s landbirds remain understudied. Expert-drawn range maps used for scientific studies and environmental public policy could therefore be depicting inaccurate ranges for many migratory birds. This study used citizen science data from eBird (2001–2017) to evaluate patterns in overwintering avian species richness and identify discrepanciesin expert-drawn species range maps for overwintering passerines in south Florida. Most of Florida’s overwintering bird species were sighted in south Florida. Of the species observed there between 2001 and 2017, 66% had range map discrepancies. Fifteen target species were …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 94, No. 2), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Bulletin No. 43: Birds Of The Connecticut College Arboretum: Eighty Years Of Change, Robert Askins

Bulletins

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 94, No. 1), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Condition-Dependence Of Blue Plumage Coverage In Indigo Buntings Passerina Cyanea, Spencer B. Hudson, Travis E. Wilcoxen

Biology Faculty Publications

Nuptial plumage colouration is seemingly favoured by females of avian species with regards to sexual selection. This particular secondary sexual characteristic has been previously shown to be a condition-dependent signal of individual quality among passerines with pigment-based colouration (i.e. yellows and reds). In contrast, relationships between structural plumage colouration (i.e. blues) and aspects of both physical quality and physiological function have been understudied. Using free-living Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea) as a study species, we compared the percentage of blue feather coverage to body condition, innate immune responses, antioxidant capacity, stress physiology, reproductive physiology, and …

Opportunities And Challenges For Big Data Ornithology, Frank A. La Sorte, Christopher A. Lepczyk, Jessica L. Burnett, Allen H. Hurlbert, Morgan W. Tingley, Benjamin Zuckerberg

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Recent advancements in information technology and data acquisition have created both new research opportunities and new challenges for using big data in ornithology. We provide an overview of the past, present, and future of big data in ornithology, and explore the rewards and risks associated with their application. Structured data resources (e.g., North American Breeding Bird Survey) continue to play an important role in advancing our understanding of bird population ecology, and the recent advent of semistructured (e.g., eBird) and unstructured (e.g., weather surveillance radar) big data resources has promoted the development of new empirical perspectives that are generating novel …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 93, No. 4), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 93, No. 3), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

A Multi-Indicator Assessment Of Conservation Success Across A Populated Forest Anthrome, Emma Cook, Natalie Ribble, John Quinn

Biology Presentations

The heterogeneous landscape of the eastern United States has resulted in a diversity of conservation interventions including public protected areas, private lands held in easements, and open space managed at various levels of intensity. Given the pressures of expected land use and land cover change, particularly in the Southern Piedmont ecoregion, multi-scale and comprehensive data are needed to prioritize conservation actions. We assessed local and regional indicators of conservation success across an urban-rural gradient by analyzing local bird abundance and diversity as a factor of forest patch area, land use matrix, and land management strategy. The study was conducted across …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 93, No. 2), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Heterogeneity Of Avian Breeding Habitat On Grazing Lands Of The Northern Great Plains, Maggi S. Sliwinski

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Native rangelands in the Great Plains are largely privately owned and used for beef production. Vegetation heterogeneity is important for maintaining biodiversity, but private land may be more homogenous than desired. My research had two components: 1) to examine whether a variety of grazing strategies created vegetation heterogeneity in a large, intact rangeland, and 2) to understand beef producers’ attitudes about vegetation heterogeneity.

First, I sampled vegetation structure, composition, and bird abundance at multiple plots on eleven management units in Cherry County, Nebraska. Units were managed with commonly used grazing strategies (e.g., short-duration grazing and season-long continuous grazing). I examined …

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 93, No. 1), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 92, No. 4), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 92, No. 3), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 92, No. 1), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 91, No. 4), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 91, No. 3), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 91, No. 2), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 91, No. 1), Kentucky Library Research Collection

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.

Data For Henson Et Al. 2014, Shandelle M. Henson, James L. Hayward, Gordon Atkins, Amanda Sandler, Wadenerson Saint Martin

Faculty Publications

These data are archived for the paper "Changing sea surface temperature alters timescale of reproductive synchrony in seabirds" by Henson et al., currently submitted to Nature.

Kentucky Warbler (Vol. 90, No. 3), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Kentucky Warbler

No abstract provided.