My research addresses both theoretical and applied questions in animal behavior. Students work with me on campus and at the Bernard Field Station during the school year.
Avian ecology
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Bird populations have declined by an estimated 30% since the 1970s (Rosenberg et al. 2019). Migratory birds spend almost half the year on their wintering grounds, yet we know relatively little about their behavior during this time. My lab studies a common migratory bird, Gambel's white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii), to understand its social behavior and migratory patterns. We are also interested in questions about disease ecology of migratory birds, in collaboration with Dr. Sarah Budischak.
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We also studied a local population of black phoebes (Sayornis nigricans) from 2012-2018 and continue to work with these data. Our research has focused on foraging ontogeny, conflict with house finches, and the function of a unique call male phoebes make at the nest.
White-crowned sparrow in Claremont, CA. Photo: Julie Brekke
Black phoebe nest at Pomona College
Anna's hummingbird at Bernard Field Station
Photo credit: Si Cave
Behavioral ecology of golden orb web spiders
Social behavior in spiders is exceedingly rare, with over 99.99% of spiders being solitary. The golden-orb web spider (Nephila clavipes) is one of few species that shows colonial behavior. Our lab is investigating how the trade-offs of web clustering vary as spiders in our population grow and how yearly variation in environmental factors influences clustering behavior.
California towhee at Bernard Field Station
