I am a post doctoral researcher in Erin Bayne’s lab in the Biological Sciences department at the University of Alberta.
My current research aims to use sound localization to examine the movements of birds around anthropogenic disturbances. Sound localization is a technology used to pinpoint the location of a singing bird with ~1m accuracy. The ability to track singing birds with this level of accuracy has many potential applications in the fields of animal behaviour and ecology – my goal is to apply this technology to gain insights about bird movements and habitat use, with relevance to conservation.
My PhD research investigated the complexity of bird songs, and sought to understand the role of this complexity in communication. My primary study species was Cassin’s Vireo, a songbird found throughout western North America. I primarily worked in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, though I recorded the species throughout the state and in Mexico.
Lastly, I have a side project aimed at investigating the migratory movements of Cassin’s Vireos. I attached light-level geolocators to Cassin’s Vireos in California in 2016, and retrieved 4 devices in 2017. This side-project has now wrapped up and will appear shortly in the Journal of Field Ornithology.
