Raptor Biology Alumni Research

Each Master of Science in Raptor Biology graduate’s listing in the Alumni by Name with Theses Titles section includes a link to their thesis in Boise State University’s ScholarWorks. Some also have links to other scholarly works, professional websites, or media featuring the graduate.

Raptor biologists monitoring Prairie Falcon territory by the Snake River — Raptor biologists monitoring Prairie Falcon territory by the Snake River (photo credit: Steve Alsup)

Search MS Raptor Biology graduates below by raptor species, habitat type, environmental influences, fields of study (e.g., genetics, phenology, ecology), and more!

Alumni by Name with Theses Titles

A-D

Alsup, Steve E., '12

Productivity and Habitat Features of Swainson’s Hawks (Buteo swainsoni) Nesting in Suburban and Agricultural Areas of Southwest Idaho

Anderson, Alexandra, '14

Population Response to Climate Change: Wintering Strategy has Carryover Effects on the Timing of Nest Initiation and Mate Choice in a Partial Migrant, the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)

Anderson, David L., '98

Avian Diversity in the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras: The Influence of Indigenous Agricultural Practices

Arnold, Erin (Pikcilingis), '16

Spatial, Roadway, and Biotic Factors Associated with Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Mortality and Characteristics of Mortality Hotspots Along Interstates 84 and 86 in Idaho

Atkinson, Eric C., '91

Winter Ecology of Northern Shrikes (Lanius excubitor) in Idaho: Foraging, Territories, and Niche Overlap with American Kestrels (Falco sparverius)

Autilio, Anna, '16

Gang Behavior at Carcasses in Wintering Striated Caracaras (Phalcoboenus australis) in the Falkland Islands

Barnes, Keith P., '07

Ecology, Habitat Use, and Probability of Detection of Flammulated Owls in the Boise National Forest

Batbayar, Nyambayar, '04

Nesting Ecology and Breeding Success of Cinereous Vultures (Aegypius monachus) in Central Mongolia

Beck-Haas, Alison L., '90

Raptor Rehabilitation: Banding Data and Idaho Manual

Berg, Melanie D. (Narish), '09

Yolk Androgens and Development in American Kestrel Nestlings

Berkelman, James D., '93

Ecology of the Madagascar Buzzard, Buteo brachypterus, in the Rain Forest of the Masoala Peninsula

Bishop, Rebecca, '23

A Novel Approach to the Nest Site Characterization of Two Species of Critically Endangered Vulture in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique (not yet published)

Booms, Travis L., '02

Gyrfalcon Food Habits in Central West Greenland During the Nestling Period

Boves, Than J., '07

The Effects of Roadway Mortality on Barn Owls in Southern Idaho and a Study of Ornamentation in North American Barn Owls

Brady, Ryan S., '04

Nest Lining Behavior, Nest Microclimate, and Nest Defense Behavior of Burrowing Owls

Brinkmeyer, Michaela S., '18

Patterns of Genetic Structure in the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius): Influence of Distance and Migration and Implications for Monitoring and Management

Busby, Brian, '22

The Effects of Roads on Movement, Flight Dynamics, Occupancy, and Productivity in Barn Owls (Tyto alba)

Butler, Michael W., '06

Neonatal Stress and Avian Development: Effects on Growth, Immune Function, and Plumage

Callery, Kathleen "Katie," '20

Phenological Mismatch is Correlated with Fitness Outcomes and Adaptive Behavior in a Generalist Avian Predator Distributed Across North America

Carpenter, George P., '95

Studies of Breeding American Kestrels in Southwestern Idaho: I. Offspring Sex Ratios of American Kestrels in Southwestern Idaho; II. Effects of Disturbance and Food Availability on American Kestrel Reproduction in Southwestern Idaho; III. Use of Mist Nets and a Live Great Horned Owl to Capture Breeding American Kestrels

Carter, Jo Ellen, '92

Home Range, Habitat Utilization, and Prey Delivery Patterns of the Mauritius Kestrel (Falco punctatus)

Cinto Mejia, Elizeth, '17

Landscape-Scale Manipulation of the Acoustic Environment Alters the Distribution of Breeding Birds and Arthropods

Danilson, Christopher D., '98

Post-Fledging Ecology of Great Horned Owls in South Central Saskatchewan

Davis, Caitlin, '19

Recreation, Fire and Disease Create a Mosaic of Threats for Golden Eagles in Southwestern Idaho

See Davis’s Photos on Flickr

DeHart, Karl M., '03

Great Horned Owl Distribution and Habitat Use Relative to Post-Release Survival of Endangered Attwater’s Prairie Chickens

Dickson, Ariana, '20

Prevalence of Anticoagulant Rodenticides in Ferruginous Hawk Nestlings and Evaluation of a Novel Method to Rapidly Assess Exposure

Donohue, Kara C., '09

Exploring Red-tailed Hawk Migration Using Stable Isotope Analysis and DNA Sexing Techniques

Draheim, Greg S., '95

Breeding Biology and Habitat Requirements of the White Hawk (Leucopternis albicollis) in Guatemala

Dudek, Ben, '17

Breeding Biology and Habitat Requirements of the White Hawk (Leucopternis albicollis) in Guatemala

Visit Dudek’s Professional Website

Dumandan, Patricia K. (Pat), '20

Patterns and Drivers in Counts of Migratory Raptors at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, USA

E-J

Ellsworth, Ethan A., '97

Postfledging Behavior and Dispersal of Juvenile Western Screech-Owls: Patterns of Movement and the Effects of Gender and Social Dominance

Fairhurst, Graham D., '04

Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) Population Analysis and Food Habits Study in the Independence and Bull Run Mountains, Nevada

Visit Research Gate for More Fairhurst Information and Publications

Finn, Sean P., '01

Multi-Scale Habitat Influences on Northern Goshawk Occupancy and Reproduction on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula

Foss, John, '94

Occurrence and Habitat Associations of Diurnal Raptors Along the Bio-Bio River, Chile

Fuller, Kirsten, '22

The Influence of Visitors, Habitat, and Methodology on Mexican Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) Occupancy and Detection in a Remote Canyon Environment

Garwood, Robin R. (Spahr), '90

Factors Affecting the Distribution of Bald Eagles and Effects of Human Activity on Bald Eagles Wintering Along the Boise River

Gerhardt, Richard P., '91

Mottled Owls (Ciccaba virgata): Response to Calls, Breeding Biology, Home Range, and Food Habits

Gilson, Lauren N., '96

Behavioral Flexibility in Juvenile Ospreys

Gossett, Daniel N., '93

Studies of Ferruginous Hawk Biology: I. Recoveries of Banded Ferruginous Hawks from Presumed Eastern and Western Subpopulations, II. Morphological and Genetic Differences of Presumed Subpopulations of Ferruginous Hawks, III. Sex Determination of Nestling Ferruginous Hawks

Graham, Scott, '12

Diet Composition, Niche and Geographic Characteristics, and Prey Size Preference of Barred Owls (Strix varia) in the Pacific Northwest

Groves, Jamie L. (Wade), '14

Behavioral Responses of Burrowing Owls to Experimental Clutch Manipulations: An Investigation of Conspecific Brood Parasitism and Laying Determinacy

Haines, Karen F., '95

Northern Goshawk Breeding Habitat in Conifer Stands with Natural Tree Mortality in Eastern Oregon

Hallingstad, Eric C., '08

Seasonal Variation in Immunocompetence and Other Physiological Parameters of the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)

Hanauska-Brown, Lauri A., '00

Evaluation of Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) Productivity, Nestling Growth, and Adult Health in Relation to a Central Idaho Habitat Potential Model

Hasselblad, Kristin W., '04

Northern Goshawk Home Ranges and Habitat Selection in the Great Basin of Southern Idaho

Hayes, Christine, '19

Old Enemies with New Problems?: Investigating the Ecological Relationship Between Ridgway’s Hawk and the Parasitic Nest Fly Philornis pici

Heath, Julie A., '96

Effects of Body Condition on the Adrenal Stress Response, and the Role of Corticosterone in American Kestrel Nest Departure and Post-Fledging Dispersal

See More Publications, Datasets, and Student-mentored Work in Heath’s BePress

Visit the Heath Lab (Global Change Ecology of Birds) Website

Henderson, Michael, '19

Effects of Protective Nesting Site Properties on Gyrfalcon Breeding Success and Parental Investment in Western Alaska

Visit Henderson’s Researcher Profile

Herting, Brian L., '01

Seasonal Effects of Testosterone on Aggression and Vocalizations in Western Screech-owls

This thesis was not published in ScholarWorks. Contact Boise State University’s Albertsons Library for a copy of this thesis.

K-O

Kaltenecker, Gregory S., '95

Winter Ecology of Bald Eagles in the Upper Boise River Drainage, Idaho

Visit the Intermountain Bird Observatory (Kaltenecker is Director)

Keeley, William H., '09

Diet and Behavior of Ferruginous Hawks Nesting in Two Grasslands in New Mexico with Differing Anthropogenic Alteration

Kim, Hanna M. (McCaslin), '19

Dispersal and Distributions in the Era of Global Change: Patterns and Mechanisms of Individual Dispersal and Distributional Shifts in North American Birds

Kimball, Scott A., '09

Behavioral Interactions of Breeding Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus luecocephalus) at Lake Cascade, Idaho

King, R. Andrew (Andy), '96

Post-Fledging Dispersal and Behavioral Ecology of Burrowing Owls in Southwestern Idaho

Kolar, Patrick Shea, '13

Impacts of Wind Energy Development on Breeding Buteo Hawks in the Columbia Plateau Ecoregion

Leal (Tadehara), Yozora, '18

Home Range Characteristics of Breeding Saker Falcons (Falco cherrug) at Artificial Nest Sites in Central Mongolia

Leary, Alan W. (Al), '96

Home Ranges, Core Use Areas, and Dietary Habits of Ferruginous Hawks in Southcentral Washington

Leary, Kathryn "Kate" D. (Whitmore), '96

Developing Hand-Rearing Techniques for the Conservation of Altricial Passerines

Lehman, Robert N., '96

Effects of Military Training and Wildfires on Shrubsteppe Raptors in Southwestern Idaho

Leppert, Lynda L., '02

Heterophil to Lymphocyte Ratios and DNA Sexing in Fall Migrating Northern Saw-Whet Owls and Flammulated Owls in Idaho

Levine, Edward W., '95

Productivity of Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) in the Greater Yellowstone Area, 1988-1990

Lewis, Stephen B., '01

Breeding Season Diet of Northern Goshawks in Southeast Alaska with a Comparison of Techniques Used to Examine Raptor Diet

Mason, J. Tate, '15

The Impact of Anthropogenic Noise on Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadius) Hunting Behavior

McAnnis-Gerhardt, Dawn M., '91

Home Range, Activity Budgets, and Habitat Use of Ferruginous Hawks (Buteo regalis) Breeding in Southwest Idaho

McVey, Kathlyn J., '11

Trophic Ecology of Burrowing Owls in Natural and Agricultural Habitats and an Analysis of Predator Communities using Stable Isotopes of Carbon and Nitrogen

Miller, Robert, '13

Breeding Ecology of The Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) within a Unique Prey and Forest Landscape of the Western United States

Visit Research Gate for More Miller Information and Publications

Moulton, Colleen E., '03

Ecology of Burrowing Owls in Southwestern Idaho: Association with Agriculture, Food Habits and Territorial Behavior

Nadeau, Andrew Joseph, '12

A Genetic Analysis of Bald Eagles in the Pacific Northwest: Retained Genetic Diversity Following a Large-Scale Population Bottleneck

Nolte, Eric, '12

Raptors Present but Unobserved: Detectability at a Western Migration Watch-Site and Its Effect on Trend Analysis

O'Keeffe, John L., '13

Species Size Predicts Oxidative Stress in Five Migratory North American Raptors

Oleyar, M. David, '00

Flammulated Owl (Otus flammeolus) Breeding Ecology in Aspen Forests of Northern Utah: Including Responses to Ski Area Development

P-S

Panasci, Theresa, '95

Comparative Breeding Ecology and Success of Roadside Hawks in Human-Modified and Forest Habitats of Péten, Guatemala

Paprocki, Neil, '13

Warming Winters and Changing Habitats: Interactive Effects on Raptor Populations and Implications for Conservation

See Paprocki’s Many Bird Photos on Flickr

Parker, Margaret N. (Megan), '97

Ecology of Nesting Laughing Falcons and Bat Falcons in Tikal National Park, Guatemala: Foraging and Niche Breadth

Perkins, Dusty N., '06

Population Genetics and Food Habits of Raptors in Southern Idaho

Visit ScholarWorks for Other Publications Authored or Co-authored by Perkins

Phelps III, James M. (Tad), '93

Factors Affecting Foraging and Productivity of Ospreys (Pandion halieatus) at Cascade Reservoir, Idaho

Pope, Aimee L., '99

Juvenile Ferruginous Hawk Movements and Flight Skill Development During the Post-Fledging Dependency Period in South-Central Washington

Porterfield, Christopher, '16

Pheomelanin Pigment Is Not an Indicator of Feather Corticosterone Content in Diurnal Migratory Raptors in Idaho

Rains, Charlotte R., '98

Niche Overlap, and Nearest-Neighbor Distances of Northern Saw-Whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus) and Western Screech-Owls (Otus kennicottii) in Southwestern Idaho

Ravecca, Eden, '23

Unraveling the Complexities of Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) Foraging in a Changing Landscape: A Movement Ecology Approach (not yet published)

Regan, Tempe, '16

Barn Owls (Tyto alba) Crossing the Road – Examining the Interplay Among Occupancy, Behavior, Habitat Selection, and Roadway Mortality in Southern Idaho

Riding, Corey S., '10

Effects of Old Nest Material on Occupancy and Reuse of Artificial Burrows, and Breeding Dispersal by Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) in Southwestern Idaho

Robinson, Bryce, '16

Gyrfalcon Diet During the Brood Rearing Period on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, in the Context of a Changing World

See Robinson’s CV on Ornithologi

Rogers, Heather M., '03

Modulation of the Adrenocortical Stress Response in North American Accipiters During Fall Migration and the Effect of Flight Strategies and Energy Expenditure on Their Baseline Corticosterone Secretion

Sanchez, Gonzalo "Gon" H., '93

The Ecology of Wintering Gyrfalcons (Falco rusticolus) in Central South Dakota

Scholer, Micah N.

Land Cover and Topographic Effects on Cavity-Nesting Owl Occurrence and the Role of Species Interactions in Structuring Cavity-Nesting Owl Communities

Scott, Teague, '20

Movements of White-Headed and White-Backed Vultures

Sherburne, Jessica "Jessie," '13

Bioavailability of Anthropogenic Organic Contaminants (AOCs) in the Eggs of Two Species of Wild Birds Exposed to Municipal Biosolids

Shook, John E., '02

Breeding Biology, Nesting Habitat, Dietary Analysis and Breeding Behaviors of Northern Hawk Owls (Surnia ulula) in Interior Alaska

Smith, Adam D., '06

Breeding Biology, Nesting Habitat, Dietary Analysis and Breeding Behaviors of Northern Hawk Owls (Surnia ulula) in Interior Alaska

Smith, Brian W., '99

Nest-Site Selection, Ectoparasites, and Mitigation Techniques: Studies of Burrowing Owls and Artificial Burrow Systems in Southwestern Idaho

Smith, Jennifer M., '89

A Computer-Assisted System of Toe-Scale Pattern Analysis for Identification of Peregrine Falcons

Smith, Rhonda F., '09

Investigating Raptor Migration Behavior Using Orientation Cages and Wing Measurements: A Comparison of the Flammulated Owl and Northern Saw-whet Owl in Southwestern Idaho

Smith, Shawn H., '16

Earlier Nesting by a Predatory Bird Is Associated with Human Adaptations to Climate Change

Spaul, Rob, '15

Recreation Disturbance to a Shrub-Steppe Raptor: Biological Consequences, Behavioral Mechanisms, and Management Implications

Boise State University Video About Rob Spaul’s Research

Staley, Airica M., '03

Noninvasive Fecal Steroid Measures for Assessing Gonadal and Adrenal Function in the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Strasser, Erin H., '10

Reproductive Failure and the Stress Response in American Kestrels Nesting Along a Human Disturbance Gradient

Stuber, Matt, '15

Ecotoxicological Risk and Exposure: A Comparison of Western Burrowing Owls Nesting in Agricultural and Non-Agricultural Areas in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area

Sutter, Jason A., '00

Breeding Ecology of the Crane Hawk in Tikal National Park, Guatemala

Swem, Theodor "Ted" R., '96

Aspects of the Breeding Biology of Rough-Legged Hawks Along the Colville River, Alaska

T-Z

Taylor, Nicole "Niki" A., '05

Burrowing Owl Offspring Sex Ratios: Long-Term Trends and a Test of the Triver and Willard Hypothesis

Telford, Elizabeth A., '96

Peregrine Falcons in the Northeastern United States: Sonagraphic Analysis of the Defense Call, Population Turnover, and Dispersal

Thomason, Eve, '23

Assessing Illegal Shooting of Birds along Power Lines (not yet published)

Thorstrom, Russell K., '93

Breeding Ecology of Two Species of Forest-Falcons (Micrastur) in Northeastern Guatemala

Tripp, Bradley B., '91

Respiratory Gas Concentrations and Thermal Gradients in Nestboxes Occupied by American Kestrels, Falco sparverius

Ulmschneider, Helen, '90

Post-Nesting Ecology of the Long-Eared Owl (Asio otus) in Southwestern Idaho

Utz, Jamie, '12

Understanding the Tradeoff Between Safety and Food Quality in a Mammalian Herbivore Specialist, the Pygmy Rabbit

Valutis, Laura L., '97

Reintroduction of Captive-Reared Birds the Influence of Hand-Rearing and Release Techniques on Behavior and Survival in Three Species of Corvidae

Vargas, Hernán, '95

Food Habits, Breeding Biology, and Status of the Gray-Backed Hawk (Leucopternis occidentalis) in Western Ecuador

Welty, Justin L., '10

Costs and Benefits of Variable Nest Density in Burrowing Owls: Effects on Predation, Ectoparasites, Egg Yolk Hormones, and Productivity

Whitlock, Peter L., '97

Spatial Visual Acuity in American Kestrels: The Influences of Bird-Stimulus Distance and Stimulus Rotation

Whitman, Buddy A., '06

The Effects of Neonatal Handling on Adrenocortical Responsiveness, Morphological Development, and Corticosterone Binding Globulin in American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) and European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

Wightman, Catherine S., '01

Patterns Associated with Habitat Selection by Peregrine Falcons in Central West Greenland

Wonder, Erin, '13

A Test of Whether Human Handling Causes Developmental or Habituation Effects on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Stress Response of Young American Kestrels (Falco sparverius)

Woods, Christopher P., '94

The Loggerhead Shrike in Southwest Idaho

Younk, James V., '96

Breeding Ecology of the Northern Goshawk in Relation to Surface Gold Mining in Naturally Fragmented Aspen Forests of Northern Nevada