REU-RR Potential Projects

Program Director, The Peregrine Fund’s Gyrfalcon and Tundra Conservation Project

Prey density and patterns of gyrfalcon occupancy and productivity on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska

Participating in a study of prey density and patterns of gyrfalcon occupancy and productivity on the Seward Peninsula in Alaska through a combination of site visits and Boise-based follow-up analyses to further our understanding of climate change effects on the biota.

Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Boise State University

Interim Director, Raptor Research Center, Boise State University

REU-Raptor Research Project Director

Pursuits: Dr. Belthoff’s recent publications

• Roadway mortality of barn owls along an interstate highway: Examining the efficacy of ‘pole barriers’ to alter the flight of barn owls near roads to reduce vehicle collisions in southern Idaho, which has the highest roadway mortality rates reported worldwide.

• Study of nest box population of barn owls: Pursuing projects focused on integrative pest management, ranging behavior, and ecology in urban and rural environments facilitated by the study of a nest box population of barn owls.

• Host-ectoparasite relationships in burrowing owls: Advancing ongoing research on host-ectoparasite relationships in burrowing owls by examining (1) how fleas alter the immune system of owls, (2) how fleas infesting burrowing owls differ from fleas on more typical carnivore hosts, (3) the genetic population structuring of fleas on burrowing owls to understand the effects of owl movements on ectoparasites, and (4) how the owls acquire fleas.

Research Director, Intermountain Bird Observatory (IBO)

Associate Research Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Boise State University

Pursuits: Idaho Bird Conservation Partnership and Dr. Carlisle’s recent publications

Focus on migration and stopover issues

Examining the stopover ecology, habitat needs, and conservation of migratory land birds in the American West and in Latin America.

Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Boise State University

Pursuits: Quantitative Conservation Lab and Dr. Cruz’s selected works

• Evaluating the potential for high visitor use to affect competitive interactions between Great Horned Owls and Mexican Spotted Owls in the Grand Canyon National Park.

• Evaluating potential benefits of plant community restoration on predators (i.e., Prairie Falcons) and their main prey (Piute ground squirrels) at the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA.

Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences and Raptor Research Center, Boise State University

Pursuits: Heath Lab, the Full Cycle Phenology Project, and Dr. Heath’s recent publications

• Testing mechanisms of Bergmann’s Rule in the American kestrel: Testing mechanisms of Bergmann’s Rule–the positive relationship between body size and latitude–by leveraging a unique morphometric dataset for the American kestrel to investigate how aspects of body size are influenced by latitude, climate, and other ecological factors.

• How does migration strategy affect telomeres and senescence of American kestrels? Investigating how migration strategies, specifically the relative stress and energetic demands of migration versus residency as wintering strategies, affect telomeres and senescence of American kestrels.

Executive Director, Intermountain Bird Observatory (IBO), Boise State University

Breeding ecology of northern goshawks in the northern Great Basin

• Studying the importance of annual variation in prey availability, genetic population structure, demography, impacts of endo- and ectoparasites, and effects of human disturbance on northern goshawks nestling health and survival in the northern Great Basin.

• Using long-term data sets to address novel questions on predator-prey dynamics, demography, and/or aspects of northern goshawk nesting ecology.

Affiliate Faculty, Raptor Research Center, Boise State University

U.S. Geological Survey Supervisory Research Wildlife Biologist – USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center

• Avian interactions with renewable energy development: Predicting birds’ risks from wind energy development by comparing the flight altitude response of golden and bald eagles to evaluate similarity in their behavior and to understand the extent to which either species can reasonably serve as a proxy for the other when mapping risk to birds.

• Interactions between wildlife and humans: Collecting data to study questions related to distribution, abundance, health, and behavior of wildlife on the landscape and how those patterns are influenced by human activity.

Affiliate Research Scientist, Boise State University

Assistant Professor, Dept. of Life Sciences, College of Western Idaho

Modeling osprey and ferruginous hawk habitat suitability in Idaho

• Evaluating factors that affect osprey habitat suitability in a managed reservoir system and human-dominated ecosystem in central Idaho using field techniques, geospatial analyses, and molecular biology.

• Studying ferruginous hawk behavior and ecology within the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area.

Affiliate, Raptor Research Center, Boise State University

• California condor behavior: Understanding flight patterns, foraging behavior, and distribution of the critically endangered California condor with the goal of promoting condor conservation.

• Studying movements, behavior, habitat use, and spatial ecology of wildlife.

Director, The Peregrine Fund‘s American Kestrel Partnership

Nest box management regimes and American kestrels

Testing the consequences on population trends across North America of various artificial nest box management regimes for American kestrels, specifically examining influences on both occupancy and local abundance of American kestrels. Project work may involve installing and monitoring nest boxes, conducting surveys, and empirically testing results.

Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Boise State University

• Studying northern goshawk genetic population structure using molecular laboratory approaches.

• Using DNA approaches to elucidate parentage in burrowing owls in a study of mating systems.

• Addressing questions relating to gene flow, population structure, species boundaries, source of migrants, and species identification using DNA barcoding, all of which can be applied to raptor biology.