My research interests broadly lie where animal behavior and ecology intersect. I am particularly interested in the various sources of information animals gather to assess predation risk in their environment and the subsequent use of that information in making decisions about foraging, habitat use, and other daily activities. My doctoral research investigates how heterospecific alarm calls affect perceived predation risk in African antelope and furthermore, how habitat structure and time can influence perceived predation risk.
I conduct my research at the Lajuma Research Centre in South Africa, and focus on the interactions between grey duikers, leopards, and bushbuck. To date my work has shown that grey duiker respond to the alarm ‘bark’ of the bushbuck with increased perceived predation risk. The remainder of my dissertation focuses on how habitat structure and time effect perceived predation risk in the grey duiker.
I conduct my research at the Lajuma Research Centre in South Africa, and focus on the interactions between grey duikers, leopards, and bushbuck. To date my work has shown that grey duiker respond to the alarm ‘bark’ of the bushbuck with increased perceived predation risk. The remainder of my dissertation focuses on how habitat structure and time effect perceived predation risk in the grey duiker.
Quinn Emmering
Broadly speaking, I am interested the ecology, behavior, and conservation of animals. Over the years, the bulk of my work has centered on avian ecology and behavior, however, I would not consider myself a strict ornithologist. My doctoral research investigates how spatial heterogeneity in predator activity affects nest-site selection and reproductive success in forest songbirds and furthermore, what environmental cues breeding songbirds use to assess heterogeneity in predation risk.
I conduct my research in upstate New York on the property of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY. Two common nest predators of birds at our study site, and in temperate forests in general, are mice and chipmunks. Spatial heterogeneity in these predaceous rodents may strongly influence where birds choose to settle and build their nests, decisions that may ultimately affect their reproductive success. This work focuses on two neotropical migratory songbirds, the Veery (Catharus fuscescens) and Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus).
I conduct my research in upstate New York on the property of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY. Two common nest predators of birds at our study site, and in temperate forests in general, are mice and chipmunks. Spatial heterogeneity in these predaceous rodents may strongly influence where birds choose to settle and build their nests, decisions that may ultimately affect their reproductive success. This work focuses on two neotropical migratory songbirds, the Veery (Catharus fuscescens) and Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus).
Janice Kelly
My research interests broadly lie where animal behavior and ecology intersect. I am particularly interested in how ecological patterns and processes are influenced by decision-making in birds, in how choices made by individual birds influence population distribution across space, and which behavioral mechanisms aid individuals to locate suitable habitat (e.g., sampling environmental cues, such as vegetation and/or food abundance). Additionally, I am interested in how behaviors or other organisms provide information to birds on habitat suitability (e.g., the presence of same-species individuals, the absence of predators), and how birds use this information to select habitats. Now as a doctoral student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I want to focus my research on questions relevant to avian conservation and land management by taking up a more applied perspective on how behavior influences habitat selection and space use. My Master’s research, however, investigated how forest songbirds use social cues to collect information for habitat selection. More specifically, I conducted a playback experiment and broadcasted Veery fledgling calls to test three major hypotheses: (1) Veeries use performance-based social information sampled during the post-breeding season when selecting breeding territories in the following year, (2) Heterospecifics (namely Ovenbirds) also use information from Veery fledgling calls to select breeding territories, and (3) Songbirds integrate information collected from multiple social sources when selecting breeding territories. I conducted my research in Dutchess County, New York at the Cary Institute for Ecosystem studies during summers 2009-2011.
Beth Watson
My Master’s thesis was on the migration patterns of Northern Saw-whet owls. I analyzed a decade’s worth of captures at Hopkins Memorial Forest to see how the distribution of owls of different sexes and ages changes across a season and from year to year. I also analyzed how the lunar cycle might influence these patterns, and whether it’s a strong effect. I’m currently preparing manuscripts of parts of this work, and asking new questions of the data.
My research roots are in small mammal ecology. I’ve worked with the Texas kangaroo rat, and done field surveys as a tech for several other projects. I have a strong interest in information acquisition and use in the black-tailed prairie dog, a keystone species and community engineer found through much of the Great Plains. As social organisms with complex communication structures, information gathering and use is likely to be very different for prairie dogs than it is for more solitary species. I am interested in this difference in dynamics.
My research roots are in small mammal ecology. I’ve worked with the Texas kangaroo rat, and done field surveys as a tech for several other projects. I have a strong interest in information acquisition and use in the black-tailed prairie dog, a keystone species and community engineer found through much of the Great Plains. As social organisms with complex communication structures, information gathering and use is likely to be very different for prairie dogs than it is for more solitary species. I am interested in this difference in dynamics.
Joe Felts
Joe's MS thesis was on eavesdropping behavior between cotton rats (Sigmodon) and Blue jay alarm scolds. He examined both whether rat's perception of predation risk was increased with alarm calls and multi-tasking on patch assessment. This work was published in the journal Behavioral Ecology.
Felts, J. and K. A. Schmidt. 2010. Multitasking and eavesdropping in cotton rats foraging under predation risk. Behavioral Ecology 21:1080-1086.
Felts, J. and K. A. Schmidt. 2010. Multitasking and eavesdropping in cotton rats foraging under predation risk. Behavioral Ecology 21:1080-1086.