Ph.D. Candidate in Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior

In the cowbird lab at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I am using avian brood parasites and their hosts to study social behavior, information use, recognition, and more.

Recognition

Some hosts accept brood parasitic eggs and offspring. But do they know it's a parasite, and accept for other reasons?

I study recognition of these parasites experimentally through hormones and behavior of the host.

Information use

What kinds of information can birds gather from each other's nesting attempts, and how do they use it?

I am investigating these questions using RFID technology and a population of PIT-tagged prothonotary warblers.

Parasite-host interactions

How do parasites affect the hosts they are raised with? Do the hosts incur costs specific to the parasite?

Looking into this, I am experimentally manipulating nests and collecting data from hatching to fledging.

In the Media

Recent research featured in the U of I News Bureau:

Left eye? Right eye? American robins have preference when looking at decoy eggs

Prothonotary Warbler

Banded female bringing food to her nest

Brood Parasitism

A prothonotary warbler nest parasitized by the brown-headed cowbird

Nestling Cowbird

Nestling brown-headed cowbird

Prothonotary Warbler

Banded female bringing food to her nest

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