Avian Conservation Ecology

Team Members

• Principal Scientists
  • Kevin P. Kenow (waterbird ecology and disturbance)
  • Eileen M. Kirsch (habitat conservation and management)
  • Wayne E. Thogmartin (landscape and habitat ecology)
• All Team Members

The team's long term goal is:

• Provide scientific information that supports the conservation and management of avian species, and furthers the stewardship missions of our federal and state partner agencies.

The team's short term goals are:

• Work with partners to:
  • Identify pressing issues
  • Define high priority research needs for avian conservation
  • Conduct effective research
  • Deliver timely results and technical assistance for natural resource management and decision making

Current Projects

• Population Demographic Models for the Conservation of Endangered Indiana Bats at Risk to White-Nose Syndrome
  
  
• Decision Support Partnership for Assessing Bird Movements and Habitat Use in Interior Landscapes and the Upper Great Lakes
  
  
  • Evaluating the Possible Effects of Wind Power Development on Refuging Waterbirds in the Great Plains, Upper Midwest and East Front of Northern Rocky Mountains
  • Evaluating Habitat Use by Pelagic Birds on the Western Great Lakes, and Airspace Use of Migrant Songbirds Near and Over the Western Great Lakes
    
    
• Assessing the Potential for Climate Change Impacts on the Suitability of Inland Glacial Lakes for Lake-Dependent Biota in the Great Lakes Region
  
  
• Modeling the Distribution and Relative Abundance of Mammalian Predators in the Prairie Pothole Region of Minnesota
  

• Species Distributional Modeling and Spatial Patterns in Genetic Introgression: the Case of Golden-winged Warblers and Blue-winged Warblers

• Boater Compliance with Established Voluntary Waterfowl Avoidance Areas on the Upper Mississippi River

• Waterbird Distribution and Foraging Patterns on the Great Lakes with Respect to Avian Botulism

Past projects

• Using Habitat to Predict Grassland Bird Abundances Across a Changing Landscape in Southwestern Wisconsin

• Predicting the Fate of Abandoned Agricultural Lands Along the Lower Missouri River

• Exploring Patterns of Bird Diversity in a Floodplain River System
  

• Investigations of Ruffed Grouse Habitat Use at Low Population Densities
  
  
• Abundance and Distribution of Plant Foods used by Migratory Waterfowl on Selected Pools of the Upper Mississippi River
  
  
• Using Implanted Satellite Transmitters to Identify Common Loon Migration Routes, Staging Areas, and Wintering Range
  
  
• Methods Development for Determining Causes, Timing, and Magnitude of Mortality of Common Loon Chicks in Northern Wisconsin
  
  
• Factors Affecting Common Loon (Gavia immer) Productivity
  
  
• Community Characteristics of Breeding Passerine Birds in Relation to Riverine Habitats on Selected Reaches of the Upper Mississippi River
  
  
• Bird Use of and Productivity in Reed Canary Grass Dominating Wet Meadows
  
  
• Abundance, Diversity, and Productivity of Songbirds Nesting in Upland and Floodplain Forests of the Upper Mississippi River Basin
  

Maps, Models, and Tools for Bird Conservation Planning

Adult Sandhill Crane, Grus canadensis

Common Loon Migration Study