Ornithology Commons^™

Multi-Sensor Tracking Reveals The Extent Of Nocturnal Migration In Landbirds, Paul Dufour, Raphaël Nussbaumer, Paul Doniol-Valcroze, Yann Rime, Peter Adamík, Susanne Åkesson, Raphaël Arlettaz, Arnaud G. Barras, Nyambayar Batbayar, Andrea Contina

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Most bird species are diurnal but drastically change their diel cycle of activity to migrate at night. Nocturnal migration has been documented using different methods (e.g., experiments, radar and radio tracking, and acoustic monitoring), but accurately quantifying the proportion of nocturnal versus diurnal flight at the individual and species levels, and understanding how this behavior evolved across the avian tree, has remained methodologically challenging.1,2,3 Such uncertainty is not only of theoretical importance but also limits our ability to mitigate conservation threats, particularly from light pollution and building collisions.4,5,6 With multi-sensor …

History And Distribution Of Great-Tailed Grackles (Quiscalus Mexicanus) In Arkansas, R. Tumlison, V. Andersen

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Great-tailed Grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus) were reported first in southwestern Arkansas in 1969, were nesting there in 1977, and established a resident population by 1980. Nesting was reported in far northwestern Arkansas in 1986. Presently, the species is known from 44 of Arkansas’s 75 counties, those mostly in the western and central counties. Most individuals appear to be migratory, with most reports occurring in April and May. However, breeding and now resident populations have been reported in the southwestern, northwestern, and central counties, particularly in urban areas. Birds are very commonly reported to forage at fast-food establishments and truck …

Increased Neural Activity In The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis Of Uninfected Canaries After Observation Of Infected Conspecifics, Madeleine Chang, Sophia Santangelo, Devon Comito, Bennett Hardy, Patricia C. Lopes

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Recent evidence suggests that the immune system may be upregulated in anticipation of pathogen exposure, yet the neural mechanisms that respond to and signal impending infection risk remain poorly understood. We investigated neural responses to infection risk in uninfected hosts observing infected conspecifics, using the canary (Serinus canaria domestica)—Mycoplasma gallisepticum host–parasite system. We focused on five brain regions of interest, comprising three nodes of the social decision-making network—preoptic area, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and hippocampus—a stress modulatory region (paraventricular nucleus) and a visual processing region (nucleus rotundus). After 1 h of observing infected canaries, …

Companion Parrot Vocal Learning And Reproduction Of Human Speech Sounds, Karla Vilches Castaño

Master's Theses

Vocal learning is rare among animals but is well developed in parrots, which can imitate novel sounds and, in captive settings, reproduce human speech. This study helps address a larger evolutionary question about vocal learning. Specifically, whether vocal learning ability is best understood as a single generalized trait or as a multi-dimensional system in which different acoustic features can be learned and reproduced with varying degrees of fidelity. This thesis quantifies how closely companion parrots match their human tutors across three acoustic dimensions (spectrographic structure, intensity contour, and pitch contour) and tests whether mimicry accuracy varies among individuals, differs between …

Foraging Plasticity And Mercury Contamination In Red-Legged Kittiwakes: A Multiple Stressor Perspective, Sam E. Clay

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Arctic seabirds are facing increasing stress from climate change, yet the interactive effects of multiple stressors on behavior remain poorly understood. Adopting a multiple stressor perspective promises to advance understanding of avian behavioral responses to climate change, as climate change is exposing Arctic and subarctic animals to a complex set of stressors rather than a single stressor in isolation. Using the red-legged kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris) as a model, I examined how multiple stressors, including mercury (Hg) exposure, shifting wind conditions, and varying foraging conditions linked to sea surface temperature (SST) may interact to constrain behavioral plasticity and energetically expensive behavior …

Linking North American Demographic Trends To Mexican Non-Breeding Grounds In A Migratory Warbler, Majuwana Gamage Dulanthi Dileka Kariyawasam

Theses and Dissertations

Migration enables species to exploit seasonal resources despite high energetic costs and mortality risks, making it a key focus for conservation under environmental change. I investigated migratory connectivity in Orange-crowned Warblers using stable hydrogen isotopes (δ²H) from feathers collected at nine non-breeding sites across Mexico. Results indicated generally weak connectivity (MC = 0.18), with most sites hosting individuals from six breeding clusters across Canada and the United States. However, one northwestern breeding group showed strong connectivity, suggesting crosswise migration to eastern Mexico. By integrating these findings with long-term Breeding Bird Survey data, I detected contrasting population trends, with Pacific Coast …

Forest Characteristics And Avian Community Differences Among Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga Cerulea) Use Types, Dustin Kohler

ATU Scholars Symposium

Avian species are often used to measure the health of an ecosystem, in part because the specific forest structure can significantly impact the avian community. A heterogeneous landscape can support a more diverse avian community and benefit specialist species like the Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea), a rapidly declining, neotropical migrant that can be found in large deciduous forests. The Ozark Mountains of northwestern Arkansas represent a small core area for the species, but at all sites in the upland Ozarks where Cerulean Warbler research has been conducted, there are fewer individuals than there were twenty years ago; some …

Population Loss And Site Abandonment Of Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga Cerulea) In The Ozarks, Brayden D. Johnson, Dustin Kohler

ATU Scholars Symposium

Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea) have declined across their breeding range, including the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, where historically occupied sites have experienced reduced populations or abandonment. Understanding population trends and habitat structure is important for informing forest management and conservation. This study compares historic and current Cerulean Warbler counts at selected upland sites within the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest and evaluates whether differences in canopy composition between abandoned historic sites and foraging sites currently used by Cerulean Warblers can explain site abandonment. Population trajectories varied among sites. Cherry Bend remained consistently occupied from 1998-2004 with 16-24 individuals and supported 17 …

Grassland Bird Community Responses To Fire Management, Mason H. Dillard

ATU Scholars Symposium

Vegetation structure plays a major role in determining avian community makeup. Controlled burn frequency changes vegetation structure and consequently the makeup of avian communities. To examine this relationship, I surveyed breeding birds in grasslands and savannahs of the Ozark Mountains, Arkansas River Valley, and Northwest Arkansas. I created models to outline the relationship between these three factors (avian community, fire management, and vegetation structure.) I also examined surrounding land cover and patch size as potential variables that may impact avian community structures.

I will outline the role fire management plays in determining the makeup of breeding bird communities in grasslands, …

Bluebird Bait: Quantifying The Attraction Of Ectoparasites To Nestling Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia Sialis), Ella Grace Bollinger

ATU Scholars Symposium

Ectoparasites, such as mosquitoes (Culicidae), blackflies (Simuliidae), and biting midges (Ceratopogonidae), have been shown to reduce population viability by lowering post-fledging survival and decreasing the lifetime reproductive success of adult birds. This issue is particularly concerning for songbirds such as the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) because their nestlings are relatively naked and have limited mobility, making them highly vulnerable to attacks by biting flies. However, the specific mechanisms attracting ectoparasites to nests remain understudied. We hypothesized that biting fly and mosquito abundance would be significantly higher at active Eastern Bluebird nests than that of empty boxes and would increase with …

Interspecific Overlap In Seabird Diet Throughout The Breeding Season, Alexis V. Berkey

Student Publications

Seabirds are central-place foragers that breed in multi-species colonies, providing an opportunity to study species coexistence. I quantified interspecific competition among four seabird species (common terns Sterna hirundo, Arctic terns Sterna paradisaea, Atlantic puffins Fratercula arctica, black guillemots Cepphus grylle) breeding in the Gulf of Maine in 2022, 2024, and 2025. I hypothesized that, throughout the breeding season, 1) seabird diet would change and 2) interspecific overlap in diet would increase. I compared diets across species and time using direct observation of prey feeds and stable isotope values of seabird egg membranes and blood, which provide …

The Importance Of Body Size And Spatial Scale In Modeling Winter Bird Distributions, Carissa M. Mobley

Student Publications

Birds’ annual cycles include biologically linked breeding and non-breeding seasons, yet most research and bird atlases focus exclusively on the breeding season. There have been very few winter bird atlas projects in North America, and none have been published for the northeastern United States. Short daylight hours and harsh weather limit winter survey coverage, making species distribution models (SDMs) essential for addressing spatial gaps.

I evaluated the optimal spatial scale for SDMs across bird species differing in body size and tested whether optimal scale varies with body mass. Using 16,967 eBird checklists collected during the first winter survey period (December …

Audubon Society Minutes, W.A. Ginham

Documents

Minutes of the Audubon Society--October 7, 1931, in Wesleyan Hall. The second part of the meeting was noted on November 4, 1931.

Urban Areas Are Associated With Earlier Breeding Timing In American Robins, Lola Hackle, Jennifer Wickes, Elise Mittlestat, Ashley Stine, Keegan Abeson, Carolina Villalona, Mikus Abolins-Abols

The Cardinal Edge

Climate change and urban environment have been shown to affect bird reproductive timing. In particular, urban development can create the so-called “heat islands” – urban areas that are hotter than the surrounding environment. While the primary cue birds use to time their reproduction is daylength, birds also use temperature as a supplementary cue to fine-tune their reproductive timing. Change in the timing of breeding may impact the survivability of nestlings due to temperature fluctuations and food availability. The American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is a widespread songbird in North American cities and rural areas. We sought to see if urban heating …

Vultures, Bryan M. Kluever, Lee A. Humberg, Scott C. Barras

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

Fact sheet about vultures including information about human--wildlife conflicts, the vulture roost, affects on livestock, structures, human health and safety, identification of damage, management methods, legal considerations, and economics. Also included is an overview of the species.

Kernel Density Estimate (Kde) Surfaces Of Wintering Tidal Marsh Birds Along The Mississippi Gulf Coast, Carlos Ramirez-Reyes, Kristine O. Evans, Mark S. Woodrey, Rachel V. Anderson, Jared Feura, Landon R. Jones, Raymond B. Iglay

Research Data

This dataset accompanies the article Spatial patterns of habitat use of wintering tidal marsh birds along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and includes kernel density estimate (KDE) raster layers describing spatial patterns of bird abundance and community richness derived from winter bird surveys. The study examined landscape features associated with the occurrence and spatial distribution of eight tidal marsh bird species during the non-breeding season along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Using field observations collected along fixed transects, the analysis evaluated differences between occupied and unoccupied transects, associations between bird occurrence and landscape-level predictors at ecologically relevant spatial scales, and species co-occurrence …

Do California Rangeland Healthy Soil Practices Offer Co-Benefits For Grassland Birds?, Ximena O. Gil

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Rangelands are important landscapes in California that support a robust cattle industry and serve as vital grassland habitat for birds. Climate change is projected to impact rangelands, leading to economic and ecological deterioration. In California, the Healthy Soils Program (HSP) incentivizes climate-smart solutions to increase working land resiliency. While the HSP targets soil and range health for livestock, it may also benefit birds. We surveyed rangeland operators to examine whether the implementation and duration of specific range management practices, such as range seeding, prescribed grazing, and silvopasture, are associated with bird community responses, using avian point count data from Point …

Data From: Mass Mortality Of Avian Migrants In New Mexico, Usa, That Coincided With An Extreme Weather Event, Dylan M. Osterhaus, Allison J. Salas, Patricia L. Cutler, Mara E. Weisenberger, Kerry Mower, Abigail J. Lawon, Timothy F. Wright, Jeanne M. Fair, Martha J. Desmond

Fish, Wildlife, & Conservation Ecology: Datasets

No abstract provided.

The Impacts Of Wing-Flashing By Northern Mockingbirds On Foraging, Parental Care, And Reproductive Success, Anna R. Starman

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Foraging efficiency may be enhanced by flashing patches of white wing and tail feathers and has been documented in several avian species. Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos, NOMO) exhibit this “wing-flashing” (WF) behavior while foraging, during displays, and in response to predators. In NOMOs, WF has been hypothesized to increase foraging success, but previous findings are inconclusive. To further investigate the biological role(s) of WF behavior in NOMOs, the ventral surface of white primary feathers of male NOMOs were artificially darkened, and the foraging and provisioning rates of undarkened (control) males and their mates were compared. While foraging, undarkened …

The Impacts Of Wing-Flashing By Northern Mockingbirds On Foraging, Parental Care, And Reproductive Success, Anna Reece Starman

Undergraduate Research Awards

Foraging efficiency may be enhanced by flashing patches of white wing and tail feathers and has been documented in several avian species. Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos, NOMO) exhibit this “wing-flashing” (WF) behavior while foraging, during displays, and in response to predators. In NOMOs, WF has been hypothesized to increase foraging success, but previous findings are inconclusive. To further investigate the biological role(s) of WF behavior in NOMOs, the ventral surface of white primary feathers of male NOMOs were artificially darkened and the foraging and provisioning rates of undarkened (control) males and their mates were compared. While foraging, undarkened males performed …