Research Interests


I am generally interested in habitat and population research that assists resource agencies and conservation organizations to understand factors that limit wildlife populations. 

Current Projects

Camera and Autonomous Recording Unit Monitoring Protocols for Pennsylvania

• Funding: Pennsylvania Game Commission
• Collaborators: Dr. Justin Kitzes (University of Pittsburgh), Dr. Jeffery  Larkin (Indiana University of Pennsylvania)
• Personnel: Colton Moyer (PhD Student)

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Monitoring Birds of Conservation Concern at Fort Drum Army Base

• Funding: U.S. Army Fort Drum
• Collaborators: New York Natural Heritage Program, Dr. Jeffery  Larkin (Indiana University of Pennsylvania)
• Personnel: Alison Schroeder (M.S. Student)

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Restoration of Piping Plovers to Lake Ontario

1. • Funding: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NY Department of Environmental Conservation
2. • Collaborators: Audubon New York, Onondaga Audubon Society, U.S. Fish and Wildlife • Service, NY Department of Environmental Conservation, New York Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation
3. • Personnel: Alison Kocek (PhD 2022); Michelle Stantial (PhD 2020)

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Avian demographic response to salt marsh restoration, with emphasis on salt marsh breeding sparrows in coastal New York state, and experimental habitat restoration for tidal marsh birds

• Funding: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NY Department of Environmental Conservation, Gateway National Recreation Area
• Collaborators: NYC Parks, NYC Audubon, Salt Marsh Habitat and Avian Research Program, Biodiversity Research Institute
• Personnel: Alison Kocek, PhD Candidate; Alex Cook, MS student

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Photo Credit: Steve Maslowski

Monitoring responses of avian communities and focal bird species to forest management in Pennsylvania

• Funding: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
• Collaborators: Dr. Jeffery  Larkin (Indiana University of Pennsylvania)
• Personnel: Cameron Fiss (PhD 2023), Natia Javakhishvili (PhD 2022) (MS 2023)

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Factors limiting imperiled New England Cottontail Rabbit populations in New York State, and Scientific Management of New England cottontails

• Funding: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, US Department of Agriculture
• Collaborators: Whipps Lab at SUNY ESF, Ryan Lab at University of Florida, New York Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, Wildlife Conservation Society, Kovach Lab at University of New Hampshire
• Personnel: Molly Picillo (PhD Student), Amanda Cheeseman; Drew Eline

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Past Projects

• Impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on snowy plover behavior, reproductive success, and habitat selection in the Florida Panhandle (Conservian Inc., USFWS)
• Piping plover movements, flight heights, and avoidance of obstructions during the breeding season: implications for risk of collision with turbines and other human structures (USFWS, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection) 
• Methods for estimating ring-necked pheasant populations in western New York (NY DEC)
• Mercury contamination in songbirds on Onondaga Lake, Syracuse, NY (USFWS)
• Influence of protected lands on changes in forest breeding bird distributions in NY and PA
• ​Effect of human disturbance on roseate tern behavior and habitat use on Cape Cod, MA (NPS)