Lauren M. Gillespie, PhD

Example Research Projects for students to explore:

 

1. Are territory establishment and nest building behaviors impacted by features of their environment?

   • Territorial aggression quantified through simulated territorial intrusion; behavioral observation of nest building behavior

 

 

1. Are parental care behaviors impacted by habitat differences?

   • Nestling provisioning quantified through observation (feeds/nestling/hour); nest vigilance and attendance observations.

 

 

1. Do adult or nestling plumages vary with between sites?

   • Plumage samples from breast, rump, and tail will be collected from adults upon initial capture and from nestlings upon initial processing.

 

 

1. Do relationships between ornamental plumages and behavior differ between sites? Between geographic regions?

   • Collaborative analysis using data from North Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, and Nebraska.

 

 

1. How do site-specific environmental features impact nestling growth and development?

   • Cross-fostering of nestlings between sites (e.g. golf course young raised on a farm and vice versa)

 

1. How does arthropod abundance impact productivity? Does this vary geographically?

   • Collection and quantification of arthropods; collaborative analysis

 

1. How does living in differentially managed habitats influence plumage production?

   • Collection of plumage samples during the fall after molt.