Guide to Graduate Studies in Ornithology in the United States and Canada

Compiled by the WOS Student & Early Professionals Committee. Last update: January 2024.

The purpose of this guide is to give undergraduate college students and their academic advisors information about those graduate degree programs where they can do advanced studies in support of their interests in the biology of birds. We present information abstracted from websites, brochures and catalogs furnished by the departments and faculty members of the institutions listed below. Prospective students are urged to contact potential graduate advisors directly.

Entries are listed alphabetically by state. Students outside the United States and Canada may want to consult the Association of Field Ornithologists’ “Guide for Neotropical Ornithologists and Conservationists Seeking Advanced Degrees at Universities in The United States” at http://afonet.org/students/guide-to-graduate-schools/.

Want a printable PDF flier with QR code link to this guide? Download one here!

Contact: Nick Russo, Student & Early Professionals Committee Chair, njrusso202@gmail.com

ALABAMA

Auburn University (Auburn, AL)

Description. The Department of Zoology and Wildlife Science at Auburn University trains students in its Program in Field Ornithology. The department offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees with specialties in Zoology and in Wildlife Science. Students in the Department investigate a wide range of topics in fields as diverse as behavioral ecology, physiological ecology, evolutionary ecology, community ecology, population ecology, landscape ecology, and wildlife ecology. Areas of faculty specialization include sexual selection and the evolution of avian plumage coloration; ecology of tropical bird communities; management of waterfowl, raptor, and game species; and reproductive ecology of waterfowl and songbirds. Additional topics are pursued by faculty and graduate students in the Department. Visit the Department’s web page (see below) for more information.

Facilities. Resources specifically supporting research on birds are a dove research laboratory with wet lab, computer facilities, library, incubation equipment, and outdoor holding and breeding facilities; an avian research center with 25 large outdoor aviaries, live bird room, wet lab, enclosures for mate choice experiments, and computers; the Alabama Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, which provides administrative support for student research, computer laboratory, and field equipment and vehicles; and the Southeastern Raptor Rehabilitation Center.

Faculty. Faculty members and research associates currently studying birds include:

  • James Armstrong, Professor: Wildlife damage management, especially bird predators at aquaculture ponds. (email: armstjb@.auburn.edu)
  • F. Stephen Dobson, Professor: seabird behavior and ecology. (email: dobsofs@auburn.edu)
  • Barry Grand, Professor; Leader, Alabama Cooperative Fisheries and Wildlife Research Unit: Productivity and management of arctic and subarctic breeding waterfowl; population dynamics; factors influencing productivity and survival; study of marked populations. (email: grandjb@auburn.edu)
  • Gary Hepp, Professor: Ecology and management of waterfowl populations; reproductive ecology of Wood Duck; winter ecology of waterfowl; effects of herbivory by waterfowl and other large herbivores on aquatic plant communities. (email: heppgar@auburn.edu)
  • Geoffrey Hill, Professor and Curator of Birds: Evolution of ornamental traits in birds and the co-evolution of hosts and pathogens. (email: hillgee@auburn.edu)
  • Conor McGowan, Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Conservation and management of endangered shorebirds. (email: cmcgowan@auburn.edu)
  • Haruka Wada, Assistant Professor: Studies how maternal cues and nutritional, social, and toxicological stress alter developmental trajectory, physiological and behavioral traits in birds. (email: haruka@auburn.edu)

For information. Department of Zoology and Wildlife Science, 331 Funchess Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849. Tel. (334) 844-4850, FAX (334) 844-9234. http://www.auburn.edu/academic/cosam/faculty/biology/ 

ALBERTA

University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta)

The University of Alberta is a public research university and a top-five university in Canada. U of A offers more than 500 graduate programs under 300 research areas and 250 specializations. 

Research in the Department of Biological Sciences spans a wide range of disciplines including ecology and evolution, genomics, model organisms, molecular and cellular genetics, paleontology, physiology and development. The Department of Biological Sciences offers research oriented, thesis-based MSc and PhD programs. More information on graduate studies can be found here: https://www.ualberta.ca/biological-sciences/graduate-studies/index.html

The following faculty members in the Department of Biological Sciences conduct research focused on birds:

  • Erin Bayne, Department of Biological Sciences, Director of Bioacoustic Unit: Research focuses on understanding cumulative ecological impacts of human activities (energy sector development, forestry, light pollution,industrial noise, etc.) on birds and other wildlife. He uses behavioral, population and and community ecological approaches and cutting edge techniques in wildlife monitoring, survey design, species conservation and habitat modeling. Erin is also working to develop and improve monitoring methods in an effort to increase efficiency and statistical precision. (email: bayne@ualberta.ca)
  • Kimberley Mathot, Department of Biological Sciences, Canada Research Chair in Integrative Ecology: Research focuses on understanding the causes and consequences of behavioral and phenotypic variation.(email: mathot@ualberta.ca)
  • Colleen St Clair, Department of Biological Sciences: Human-wildlife conflict, urban ecology, bird conservation at industrial sites, movement behavior. (email: cstclair@ualberta.ca)

Lethbridge University (Lethbridge, Alberta)

The University of Lethbridge is a public research university in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, offers graduate and undergraduate programs for 8,900 students. Following faculty members in the the department of Biological Sciences conduct bird-related research.

  • Theresa Burg: Molecular ecology (birds), protected areas, evolution and phylogenesis, biological behavior, bioinformatics, taxonomy and systematics. (email: theresa.burg@uleth.ca)

ALASKA

No information available

ARIZONA

Arizona State UniversitY (Tempe, AZ)

Description. The School of Life Sciences (SOLS) at Arizona State University (ASU) provides both M.Sc. and Ph.D. opportunities for ornithological training.  Our diverse state and local environment is home to a variety of habitats, including natural (desert, mountain, riparian) and human-impacted areas, for graduate studies in avian biology. SOLS guarantees teaching-assistantship (TA) funding for successful Ph.D. candidates for five years (including summers) and this funding is often available for M.Sc. students. SOLS and ASU also offers financial support for travel to conferences and workshops as well as for research (through our Research and Training Initiatives office and the Graduate and Professional Student Association).

Facilities. SOLS and ASU partner with several local institutions supporting avian research, including the Phoenix Zoo, Barrow’s Neurological Institute, as well as the NSF-funded Central Arizona Phoenix Long-term Ecological Research program. ASU’s Natural History Collection houses over 1400 skins from ca. 450 species and 75 families; these contain many Arizona specimens but also those from 26 U.S. states and Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Samoa, Kiribati, and Kazakhstan.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in avian research are:

  • Kevin McGraw, SOLS: control and function of bird colors; urban behavioral ecology of birds
  • Pierre Deviche, SOLS: ecophysiology of desert and urban adapted birds
  • Karen Sweazea, SOLS: nutritional and metabolic physiology of urban birds

For information. Contact Amanda Vigil, SOLS Assistant Director of Graduate Programs, Amanda.C.Vigil@asu.edu.

University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ)

Description. The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona emphasizes doctoral education, and the M.S. degree is also available. One of the goals of the Department of EEB is to develop studies in avian biology with members of the birding community in nearby areas, such as Ramsey and Madera Canyons, Portal, and Patagonia; such areas already provide extensive research opportunities for faculty and students. The Department of EEB normally guarantees financial support to successful Ph.D. candidates for five years; M.S. students are not guaranteed financial support. Financial support for doctoral research and attendance at professional meetings is available from the Department, the University, and through a Research Training Grant in Biological Diversification.

Facilities. The University of Arizona sponsors more than 60 cooperative Facilities and Services, including the Laboratory of Molecular Systematics and Evolution, Arizona Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit, Environmental Research Laboratory, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and Southwest Research Station. The Department of EEB has a bird collection of 14,000 catalogued study skins, 3,000 skeletons, and wings and tails from 800 specimens, and access to the Santa Rita Experimental Station, 50,000 acres of shrub-grassland and oak woodlands, approximately 30 miles south of Tucson.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Alexander Badyaev, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: Evolution of adaptations; Color displays, maternal effects, life histories.
  • Renee Duckworth, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: Dynamics of trait evolution in the context of range expansion and species coexistence in passerine birds.

For information. Contact Elizabeth Oxford, EEB Graduate Coordinator, oxforda@email.arizona.edu.

ARKANSAS

University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR)

Description. The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, located in the scenic Ozark Plateau region of northwestern Arkansas, has had an active graduate program in ornithology since the late 1950s involving 10 to 20 graduate students in a given year. Students may earn either M.S. or Ph.D. research degrees in the Department of Biological Sciences. The emphasis is on avian ecology and behavior, endangered species, and tropical ornithology.

Facilities. Extensive forests and a diversity of associated habitats exist near the University in the Ozark National Forest, Ouachita National forest, Buffalo National River and Pea Ridge National Military Park where research projects have been conducted. The fine facilities of the Ozark Natural Science Center are available in the Madison County Wildlife Management Area, as is the Lake Fayetteville Environmental Center close to town. There are several large reservoirs in the area for water bird studies. In addition, students have been doing research in Belize, Costa Rica and India. Laboratory facilities and equipment include controlled environmental chambers and telemetry apparatus for conducting laboratory and field studies requiring the measurement of metabolic rates, and movements. Cooperative relations exist with the Department of Poultry Science, College of Agriculture, provides expertise in avian physiology and access to the analytical avian nutrition facilities. The Center for Advanced Spacial Technologies provides Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and related technologies that are widely available to researchers. Opportunities exist with the Arkansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, U.S. Geological Survey, which is a functional entity within the department.

Faculty. Those involved in ornithological studies:

For information. Write to Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, and request materials and applications for graduate studies including the document that summarizes the research activities of the faculty. It is also important to make contact with and gain support from a specific faculty member. More information concerning the departmental program and faculty interests is available on the departmental web site: http://biology.uark.edu/bis.html.

Arkansas State University (Jonesboro, AR)

Description. Arkansas State University is located on the Mississippi Delta in the city of Jonesboro approximately 70 miles northwest of Memphis, TN. Recent emphasis of the graduate program in Biology includes studies in Conservation Biology, Avian Ecology, Ecotoxicology, Wildlife Management, and other environmental and applied ecological sciences. Students may earn an M.S. degree.

Facilities. The Department of Biological Sciences occupies approximately 60,000 square feet of offices and research laboratories within three buildings. A modern Remote Sensing and GIS facility (900 ft2) and an Ecotoxicology Research Laboratory (3500 ft2) are available for use by ornithology students and faculty. Most ornithology students have offices within or have access to the Population Ecology Laboratory (680 ft2). A variety of standard field equipment is available for ornithological studies (such as mist nets, tape recorders, radio telemetry instruments, spotting scopes, etc.). The faculty maintains active relationships with local federal and state land management agencies, and conducts field research at nearby national wildlife refuges, national forest and state wildlife management areas.

Faculty. Those currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Than Boves (email: tboves@astate.edu)
  • Thomas Risch, Department of Biological Sciences, Director of Environmental Science: Avian ecology

For information. Dr. Thomas Risch, Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, P. O. Box 599, State University, AR 72467.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, BC)

Description. SFU Biosciences offers MSc and PhD degrees in behavioral ecology, physiological ecology (reproduction and migration) and population biology, with emphasis on migratory waterfowl, seabirds, and shorebirds. Qualified students may obtain Graduate fellowships.

Facilities. Permanent research facilities are maintained on Triangle Island (BC’s largest seabird colony), at Riske Creek (wetland/grassland/forest ecosystem) and at Creston (interior wetland). Other research projects are based in Desolation Sound (Marbled Murrelets) and the Fraser Estuary. Laboratory facilities are available, including a range of physiological/endocrinological methods.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Dr. David J. Green, Role of individual behaviors in determining the structure and dynamics of avian populations.
  • Dr. David B. Lank: Behavioral ecology, alternative mating strategies, and behavioral genetics; Ecology of mating and parental care systems and migration in precocial birds.
  • Dr. Tony D. Williams: Physiological adaptations for breeding in birds.
  • Dr. Ron Ydenberg: Evolutionary ecology; foraging and social behavior, predator-prey interactions; breeding seabirds.

For information. Contact: Graduate Secretary, Biosciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada, or contact the individual faculty members listed above. 

University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC)

  • Kathy Martin, Department of Forestry and Conservation Sciences: Ecology, life history variation, behavior and conservation of birds in high elevation habitats, Metapopulation and connectivity processes of alpine bird populations, avian use of mountain habitats during migration, nest ecology. (email: kathy.martin@ubc.ca)
  • Darren Irwin, Department of Zoology: Evolutionary biology, speciation, molecular ecology, hybrid zones and their role in speciation, migratory behavior of birds, conservation genomics. (email: irwin@zoology.ubc.ca)
  • Peter Arcese, Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences: Conservation biology, evolutionary ecology, demography, systematic planning, genetics of vertebrates, biogeography, monitoring and conservation of rare species, conservation area design. (email: peter.arcese@ubc.ca)
  • Jill Jankowski, Department of Zoology: Patterns of species diversity and distribution in heterogeneous landscapes, tropical birds, bird community ecology, plant-pollinator speciation, bird diversity in mountains. (email: jankowsk@biodiversity.ubc.ca)

University of Northern British Columbia (Prince George, BC)

  • Ken Otter, Department of Ecosystem Science & Management: Avian signaling and reproduction, animal communication, reproductive strategies, avian ecology, urban and disturbance ecology. (email: ken.otter@unbc.ca)

CALIFORNIA

California State Polytechnic University (Pomona, CA)

Description: The Dept. of Biological Sciences at Cal Poly Pomona offers an M.S.

Occidental College (Los Angeles, CA)

Humboldt State University (Arcata, CA)

Description: HSU offers 4-8 semester courses (lectures and labs) in ornithology. These include: ornithology, ornithology II, waterfowl ecology and management, shorebird ecology and management, and birds and human society (for non-science majors). We offer three other courses on an irregular basis: ecology and management of upland game birds, ecology and management of raptors, ecology and management of seabirds. The department has seven full-time faculty, three of whom are ornithologists. Other faculty, however, direct graduate students on thesis related to ornithology. We have a 12,000 specimen teaching collection housed in the Wildlife museum, which includes live mount displays in hallways and rooms of the Wildlife and Fisheries Building. The collection is curated by a half-time staff member.

Facilities: A game pens facility houses live waterfowl, galliforms and columbiforms for use in teaching and research. The department runs a banding station at the Wright Urban Wildlife Refuge in Eureka. Lastly, the diverse habitats of the north coast of California provide valuable opportunities for students to perfect their field skills.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Jeffrey Black, Natural Resources Graduate Program: Mating systems, fidelity to mate and habitat, predator-prey interaction, population dynamics, other topics in behavioral ecology; Coastal waterfowl (including barnacle geese, brant, Aleutian and Canada geese), peregrine falcons, and Steller’s jays.
  • Mark Colwell, Natural Resources Graduate Program: Shorebird ecology, management of wetlands for shorebirds, refuge design.
  • Luke George, Natural Resources Graduate Program: Passerine ecology, forest management effects on wildlife, forest fragmentation, island bird populations.
  • Richard Golightly, Natural Resources Graduate Program: Animal energetics, forest carnivore ecology, nesting ecology of Marbled Murrelets.
  • Matt Johnson, Natural Resources Graduate Program: Wildlife habitat relationships, habitat selection, ecology and conservation of migratory songbirds, tropical wildlife ecology.

For information: Natural Resources Graduate Program, College of Natural Resources and Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521-8299, (707) 826-3256

University of California, Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)

University of California, Davis (Davis, CA)

Description. Davis is a residential community of about 60,000 in the Sacramento Valley, 15 miles west of Sacramento and 72 miles northeast of San Francisco. UCD is particularly strong in the biological sciences, with over 50 biological science departments, divisions, and graduate groups on campus, in addition to the veterinary and medical schools. Students interested in ornithological research can pursue M.S. or Ph.D. degrees through such Graduate Groups as Ecology, Population Biology, Avian Sciences, Physiology or numerous others. The Center for Avian Biology acts as a connecting point for faculty and researchers across the Davis Campus and throughout California. Financial aid is available in the form of fellowships and teaching and research assistantships.

Facilities. Research facilities include the University of California Natural Reserve System (NRS), which includes 27 reserves encompassing 68,000 acres and a wide range of habitats within the state. Many of these reserves have equipped field stations, with laboratory, cooking and dormitory facilities and an academic staff. The Bodega Marine Laboratory is located on Bodega Head, about 100 miles from Davis. The laboratory property fronts both the Pacific Ocean and Bodega Harbor, and it is part of the NRS.

Faculty. Members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Rachael Bay, Assistant Professor of Evolution and Ecology: Evolutionary response to human-induced environmental changes, migratory birds. (email: rachaelbay@gmail.com)
  • Dale Brooks, Director, California Raptor Center: Raptor medicine and rehabilitation.
  • Mary Delany, Animal Science: Embryonic development; avian telomere biology in chickens.
  • John Eadie, Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation Biology: Population biology and conservation genetics, especially in waterfowl.
  • Holly Ernest, School of Veterinary Medicine: Wildlife ecological genetics, population health, and ecology; raptors (birds of prey) and corvids (magpies, jays, crows, and relatives).
  • D. Michael Fry, Director, Center for Avian Biology, Animal Sciences: Wildlife toxicology and avian ecology; effects of pollutants on avian reproductive function; ecological studies of seabirds and raptors in agricultural and other man-altered habitats; reproductive system abnormalities caused by exposure to endocrine disruptive chemicals.
  • Thomsas Hahn, Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior: Environmental regulation of avian annual schedules of reproduction, plumage molt and migration; Tradeoffs between current reproduction and survival; Avian communication, especially use of heterospecific mimicry in song, and learned non-song vocalizations.
  • Joshua Hull, Animal Science: Conservation genetics, avian ecology and migration, and the conservation of rare and endangered species.
  • Daniel Karp, Assistant Professor of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology: Conservation and agriculture. (email: dkarp@ucdavis.edu)
  • Annie King, Animal Science: Prevention of lipid peroxidation; association of protein with by-products of lipid oxidation.
  • Kirk Klasing, Animal Science: Nutrition and immunity; comparative avian nutrition.
  • Jenella Loye, Department of Entomology: Ecology of avian parasitism, parasitism in the biology and conservation of bird species; habitat fragmentation and parasite infestation responses
  • Joy Mench, Animal Science: Social behavior; animal welfare; environmental enrichment.
  • James R. Millam, Animal Science: Physiological basis, particularly endocrine, of how environmental and social cues modulate progression of the avian sexual cycle; captive biology of parrots; Environmental estrogens and songbird reproduction.
  • Gabrielle Nevitt, Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior: Avian sensory ecology; foraging and navigation using biogeochemical regulators of climate change, bird olfaction, phenotypic plasticity and conservation.
  • Gail L. Patricelli, Evolution and Ecology: Animal communication and sexual selection; Directional sound radiation in songbirds; Sexual selection and acoustic communication in sage-grouse and other Galliformes.
  • Barry Wilson, Animal Science: Muscle growth and development; neurotoxicology; ecotoxicology.

For information. For more information on these or other faculty with avian interests, please contact: Center for Avian Biology, 3202 Meyer Hall, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616. Telephone: (530) 754-8560; fax: (530) 752-4508; email: ucdcab@ucdavis.edu.

University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)

  • Daniel Blumstein, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: Evolution of behavior and conservation biology and the integration of behavior into other disciplines (email: marmots@ucla.edu)
  • Thomas Smith, Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: How biodiversity is generated and maintained in tropical rainforests, ecology of animal and human diseases, the conservation of migratory birds (email: tbsmith@ucla.edu)
  • Morgan Tingley, Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: Community and quantitative ecology, conservation, effects of anthropogenic change on biodiversity (email: mtingley@g.ucla.edu)
  • Pamela Yeh, Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: Avian urban ecology and evolution (email: pamelayeh@ucla.edu)

University of California, Riverside (Riverside, CA)

COLORADO

Colorado State University (Fort Collins, CO)

University of Colorado at Boulder (Boulder, CO)

CONNECTICUT

The University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT)

Description. The University of Connecticut, Storrs, located about 20 miles east of Hartford, has offered courses in ornithology since 1900, when the institution was called the Connecticut Agricultural College. Students may earn both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Physiology and Neurobiology, and Psychology; and the M.S. degree in the Department of Natural Resource Management and Engineering.

Facilities. The University of Connecticut owns about 2300 acres, mostly undeveloped and available for field research. Besides this, many thousands of acres of nearby woodlands are readily available, and there is a marine field station at Noank, CT. The University of Connecticut Museum of Natural History contains more than 9000 study skins of birds, as well as skeletons, embalmed specimens, feathers, nests, eggs, and photographs.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Chris Elphick, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: Saltmarsh birds, birds in agricultural settings, studies of endangered and introduced waterbirds.
  • Margaret Rubega, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: Avian functional and evolutionary morphology, especially of feeding structures; feeding mechanics; functional aspects of behavior.
  • Sarah Knutie, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: how animals (human and non-human) defend themselves against parasites, especially in response to environmental change.
  • Sarah Hird, Molecular and Cell Biology: Evolution and the Microbiome, avian microbiome, bioinformatics, phylogeography.

For information. Write to Graduate Admissions, The University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3043, or write to the department of interest.

DELAWARE

No information available

FLORIDA

Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL)

Work in field ornithology is conducted in the Ecology and Evolution division of the department of Biological Sciences at FSU. See https://www.bio.fsu.edu/ee/.

  • Emily DuVal: Cooperation, mate choice, and sexual selection. Research includes work on birds of the Neotropics, Caribbean, and southeastern U.S.

University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)

  • Abby Powell: Avian ecology and conservation (Florida Coop Unit)
  • Scott Robinson: Ecology, behaviour, and conservation of birds; in Center for African Studies

GEORGIA

The University of Georgia (Athens, GA)

Description. The University of Georgia, chartered in 1785, enrolls approximately 25000 students, about 5000 of whom are graduate students. Athens is located in the Piedmont Region of northeastern Georgia, a few hours drive from the Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountains, and from the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains. The School of Forest Resources offers graduate studies in ornithology and a wide variety of other wildlife-related subjects, leading to the degrees of M.S. and Ph.D. The M. S. degree is designed for students who plan to specialize in a particular area of wildlife or plan to enter a Ph.D. program, and includes a thesis as part of the requirements. The Ph.D. degree program is for students with an interest in original research in specific areas of wildlife.

Facilities. The wide range of facilities for wildlife research available in the School of Forest Resources and other administrative units include general laboratories, computational services, and research libraries. Other support units include Biological Sciences, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, the Institute of Ecology, the Institute of Natural Resources, the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study of the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Southeast Field Station of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. There is also a close working relationship with the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory near Augusta. The Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service is an integral part of the wildlife program.

Faculty. Faculty members available to direct ornithological studies are the following:

  • John P. Carroll, Wildlife Ecology and Management: Ecology and management of gamebirds, impact of agricultural practices on wildlife, conservation of endangered Galliformes, and international issues in wildlife conservation.
  • Michael Chamberlain, Wildlife Ecology and Management: Wild turkey ecology.
  • Richard Chandler, School of Forestry and Natural Resources
  • J. Michael Meyers, Research Wildlife Biologist: Survival and habitat of neartic-neotropical migratory birds; forested wetlands; ecotones; wildlife management of vertebrate communities; endangered species; tropical avian ecology (parrots).
  • Michael J. Conroy, Senior Research Scientist in Wildlife Biometrics: Population dynamics, avian and mammalian population ecology, wildlife biometrics.

For information. Write to Graduate Program, Wildlife Ecology and Management, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602. 

Georgia Southern University (Statesboro, GA)

Description. Georgia Southern University is a comprehensive public university that enrolls approximately 16,000 students. Located on the coastal plain near Savannah, the campus provides easy access to some of the most biodiverse habitats in the southeast. The Department of Biology offers a strong MS program that provides the opportunity for graduate study in ornithology and many other fields of biology as well. A strong faculty of 28 scientists directs a program whose graduates have been highly successful. Recent ornithology graduates now study in top PhD programs, work in state and federal agencies, teach, and are employed in environmental consulting.

Facilities. The Department of Biology is housed in 2 buildings that offer laboratories, classrooms, animal rooms, and computer facilities. The department is also closely affiliated with the Institute for Arthropodology and Parasitology and the Applied Coastal Research Laboratory located at the Skidaway Institute for Oceanography. Faculty and graduate students also have close working relationships with the St. Catherines Island Species Survival Center, Fort Stewart, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Gray’s Reef Marine Sanctuary, Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve, Mountain Lake Biological Station, and the Caribbean Marine Research Center.

Faculty. Faculty members available to direct ornithological studies are the following:

  • C. Ray Chandler: Ecology, behavior, and conservation of birds and other terrestrial vertebrates with a focus on forest management on habitat selection, morphological and behavioral strategies associated with migration, impacts of hormones on behavior, and conservation of rare species. (email: chandler@georgiasouthern.edu)

For information. Contact the Graduate Program Director, Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460-8042. Phone: 912-681-5487, Fax: 912-681-0845.

HAWAII

University of Hawai’i at Hilo (Hilo, HI)

  • Patrick Hart, Dept. of Biology: behavioral ecology, community ecology, and conservation of Hawaiian forests and forest birds. (email: pjhart@hawaii.edu)

IDAHO

Boise State University (Boise, ID)

  • Julie Heath
  • Jay Carlisle, Department of Biology, Director of Intermountain Bird Observatory (takes graduate students)

Idaho State University (Pocatello, ID)

Description. Idaho State University is located at the edge of the Snake River plain in SE Idaho, along the Old Oregon Trail at the confluence of the Portneuf and Snake Rivers. ISU offers both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the Department of Biological Sciences, with a strong program in Ecology. Qualified students may receive graduate or research assistantships.

Facilities. The Idaho Museum of Natural History, located on the ISU campus, houses a large collection of vertebrates and one of the largest collections of vertebrate fossils in the country. ISU has a field research station at Harriman State Park, 30 miles south of Yellowstone National Park, and the Department of Biological Sciences has the O’Neal Ecological Reserve, 200 acres located about 25 miles south of Pocatello. The Center for Ecological Research and Education (CERE) was formed in 1989 to serve as a focus for the strong ecology program at ISU; CERE was formed to facilitate individual research in Ecology and to provide a framework for collaborative interdisciplinary teaching and research based on ecological principles and problems.

Faculty. The faculty member currently involved in ornithological studies is:

  • David Delehanty, Professor of Biology and Curator of Birds, Idaho Museum of Natural History: Reproductive biology of birds and their conservation and restoration within historic ranges, especially Sage Grouse, Mountain Quail, and Sharp-tailed Grouse.

For information. Noreen King, Department of Biological Sciences, Campus Box 8007, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 83209-8007. 

University of Idaho (Moscow, ID)

  • Courtney Conway

ILLINOIS

Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, IL)

Description. Ornithological studies in the Department of Zoology lead to Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Additionally, a Master of Science in the SIU Forestry Program with emphasis in wildlife habitat management can focus on ornithological studies related to species distributions and abundance, species-environment relationships, and habitat use/modification. A wide range of topics is supported by faculty expertise, including habitat use, foraging behavior, behavioral energetics, endangered species, predatory behavior, molecular evolution, toxicology, population dynamics, and various aspects of communication. Numerous parks and wildlife refuges are accessible in the southern Illinois region, which lies within the Mississippi Flyway.

Facilities. In addition to the varied habitats and wildlife refuges available for field research sites in the vicinity of the university campus, SIUC provides laboratory space, computer facilities, electron microscopy facilities, vivarium, extensive main library, a collection of bird specimens, and a variety of field and laboratory equipment.

Faculty. Those who supervise students working on avian research are:

  • Brent Pease, Department of Forestry: spatial ecology, species distributions, and population estimation.
  • Michael W. Eichholz: Waterfowl, Wetland Ecology.
  • Carey Krajewski: Molecular systematics, especially Gruoid birds (cranes, limpkins, and trumpeters).
  • James R. Lovvorn: Waterbird ecology and energetics; food webs of marine and fresh waters.

For information. Contact any of these individuals by writing to them at the Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901-6501. For forms for admission and financial aid, contact The Director of Graduate Studies, at the Department of Zoology, Telephone (618) 536-2314. Email: zoology@zoology.siu.edu. 

Illinois State University (Normal, IL)

Description. The Department of Biological Sciences offers opportunities to earn the M.S. (thesis), and Ph.D. (dissertation) degrees based on research in avian behavior, biogeography, conservation biology, ecology, and systematics in both neotropical and nearctic birds. Students working on birds are encouraged to take advantage of other opportunities, including the M.S. (thesis) in Conservation Biology Sequence, and faculty in related areas of behavior, conservation biology, ecology, and evolution.

Facilities. Facilities include molecular biology laboratories, research collection of skins and frozen tissues, and nearby field sites that include over 900 nestboxes for secondary cavity-nesting birds and hectares of on-going ecological restoration.

Faculty. Those who supervise students working on avian research are:

  • Angelo Caparella: Neotropical & Nearctic avian systematics, biogeography, and conservation. (email: apcappar@ilstu.edu)
  • Joseph Casto: Maternal effects, host-parasite interaction, neural and endocrine regulation of social behavior, avian endocrinology, ecoimmunology, and reproduction. (email: jmcasto@ilstu.edu)
  • Scott Sakaluk: Behavioral ecology of insects and birds. (email: sksakal@ilstu.edu)
  • Charles F. Thompson: Avian behavior, ecology, ecoimmunology, and field endocrinology

For information. Contact any of these individuals directly or write Graduate Programs, Department of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4120. Telephone (309) 438-3669

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Champaign & Urbana, IL)

Description. The University of Illinois is an R1, Land-Grant institution in Central Illinois, and houses diverse faculty focusing on all aspects of ornithology, from basic to applied. With researchers studying birds both within formal academic departments (Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Animal Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, and Evolution, Ecology & Behavior), and in associated research units (Illinois Natural History Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, etc.), there is no shortage of graduate programs as well as colleagues, fellow graduate students, potential advisers, mentors, role models, and committee members. The University is also home to the interdepartmental Neuroscience and PEEC (Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation) PhD programs, the Institute for Genomic Biology, the Beckman Institute for Advances Science and Technology.

Weekly “Bird Lab” meetings bring together 50+ faculty and graduate students researching ornithological questions. 

Masters and PhD students are supported through internal scholarships, grant-funded research assistantships, and TA-ships, as well as many endowed research and stipendiary grants and fellowships.  

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Thomas J. (T.J.) Benson, Illinois Natural History Survey, focusing on population and behavioral ecology of conservation-priority birds.
  • Jeffrey Brawn, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, focusing on tropical population biology and physiology.
  • Auriel Fournier, Illinois Natural History Survey, Forbes Biological Station, focusing on wetland birds, migration and decision science. (aurielfournier.github.io)
  • Mark E. Hauber, Department of Evolution, Ecology, & Behavior, focusing on avian host-brood parasite interactions and the neuroethology of social recognition systems. 
  • Jeffrey Hoover, Illinois Natural History Survey, focusing on population ecology and brood parasitism.
  • Kevin Johnson, Illinois Natural History Survey, focusing on systematics of birds and their ectoparasites using genome sequencing.
  • James Miller, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, focusing on conservation of avian diversity in human-dominated landscapes.
  • Wendy Schelsky, Illinois Natural History Survey, focusing on population ecology, physiology, and brood parasitism.
  • Jinelle Sperry, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, focusing on predation ecology and population dynamics.
  • Kirk Stodola, Illinois Natural History Survey
  • Benjamin Van Doren, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, migration, computational ecology.
  • Michael Ward, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences and Illinois Natural History Survey, focusing on avian ecology, behavior, and conservation.
  • Aimy Wissa, Department of Mechanical Engineering, fluid mechanics including as they relate to birds.

For information. To begin the application processes, contact the potential mentor and visit the Illinois Grad Admissions website.

INDIANA

Indiana University (Bloomington, IN)

Description. The Departments of Biology and Psychology and the Programs in Neural Science and Medicinal Sciences provide broad and intensive training for the Ph.D. degree in aspects of avian biology through the NSF-supported Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior.

Facilities. The wide range of faculty interests and departmental representation provide extensive facilities for studies in the topics of mate choice, sexual behavior, ecology of learning, neural plasticity, communication, orientation and migration, parental behavior, and development.

Faculty. Those who supervise students working on avian research are:

  • Ellen Ketterson: Behavioral, physiological, and evolutionary ecology; hormones and behavior; avian biology, mating systems and parental care; physiological basis of trade-offs in life histories; adaptation and constraint; avian migration.
  • Andrew King: Social competence and communication in birds.
  • Kimberly A. Rosvall: Evolutionary ecology and mechanistic underpinnings of behavior, with a special focus on same-sex aggressive behavior in birds, especially Tree Swallows.
  • Roderick A. Suthers: Motor control of bird song, the functional lateralization of both nervous system and motor anatomy and their association with vocal learning.
  • Meredith West: Development of communicative behavior in birds.

For information. Contact Roger Hangarter, Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Ellen D. Ketterson, Department of Biology, Jordan Hall, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, telephone (812) 855-7323, or Jason Gold, Department of Psychology, Psychology Building, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, telephone (812) 855-2012

IOWA

Iowa State University (Ames, IA)

Description. Iowa State University is a major research university located about 35 miles north of Des Moines. The M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are offered in the Department of Animal Ecology, the Department of Zoology and Genetics, and the interdepartmental Ecology and Evolutionary Biology program. The Department of Animal Ecology is also the home of two units with federal employees, the Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and the Wildlife Habitat Management Institute.

Facilities. The Department of Animal Ecology has a modern computer laboratory for graduate students, a Geographic Information Systems facility, a small ornithological teaching collection, laboratory facilities, and 14 aviaries. The Department of Zoology and Genetics has laboratory facilities for physiological and genetic studies.

Faculty. Faculty members with expertise in some aspect of avian biology include:

  • Stephen Dinsmore
  • Adam Janke, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management: Physiology of birds, wildlife conservation, wildlife-habitat relationships, game management, wetlands. (email: ajanke@iastate.edu) 
  • Robert Klaver, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management: Remote sensing, population biology. (email: bklaver@iastate.edu)
  • Haldre Rogers, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology: Population and community ecology, plant-animal interactions, tropical biology, ​ecosystem services, and conservation. (email: haldre@iastate.edu)

For information. Contact one of the following offices or the faculty member whose activities match your interests.

KANSAS

Fort Hays State University (Hays, KS)

Friends University (Wichita, KS)

Description. Friends University offers M.S. degrees in Environmental Studies. Students may choose a concentration area that exposes them to various areas of avian conservation and management.

Facilities. Students may work with the Curator of Birds at the Sedgwick County Zoo on a Practicum and research project. Students interested in other aspects of birds may work with a faculty member or with a bird biologist associated with a state agency.

Faculty. The faculty member currently involved in ornithological studies is:

  • Alan D. Maccarone, Biology Department and Director of Environmental Studies. Ecology of Egrets.

For information. Dr. Alan D. Maccarone, Biology Department, 2100 University, Wichita, KS 67213. 

Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS)

Description. Kansas State University was founded in 1863 as a land-grant research institution. The 269 ha campus is located 200 km west of Kansas City in the rolling Flint Hills of northeast Kansas. Current enrollment is about 20,000 students. The Division of Biology offers graduate programs leading to Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees. Kansas State has a particularly strong research program on the ecology of grassland ecosystems. Individual faculty have expertise in quantitative population statistics, demographic modeling, landscape and conservation ecology, and the ecology of tropical and grassland birds. Graduate students are supported with research and teaching assistantships. Financial support is guaranteed while progress is being made towards completion of a degree. Manhattan is a small college town with good services and a low cost of living.

Facilities. Kansas State University offers an excellent range of facilities to support graduate research on birds. Konza Prairie Biological Station is a 3,487 ha native tallgrass prairie preserve and is one of a network of 24 Long-Term Ecological Research Sites (LTER) funded by the National Science Foundation. Long-term research has addressed the effects of different grazing and fire treatments on population and community dynamics of the flora and fauna of tallgrass prairie. The station is a 20 min drive south of the university and supports a diverse avifauna. Research facilities at Konza Prairie include: lab space, a wood and metal shop, and project vehicles. Campus facilities of the Division of Biology include: computer labs (including GIS), greenhouses, good library holdings, a transmission electron microscope, and a stable isotope mass spectrometry laboratory. Museum holdings of avian specimens and facilities for animal-care are somewhat limited. The Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit has an office on campus and is a joint cooperative unit between USGS-BRD, the Kansas Dept. of Wildlife and Parks and the university.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies include:

  • Alice Boyle
  • C. Dusty Becker, Department of Horticulture, Forestry and Recreation Resources: Community ecology of tropical birds, effects of recreational use on riparian birds.
  • Ted Cable, Department of Horticulture, Forestry and Recreation Resources: Human dimensions of wildlife management; ecotourism; birds of the Cimarron National Grasslands.
  • David A. Haukos, Division of Biology, Unit Leader Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Habitat quality and quantity impacts on population dynamics of migratory waterbirds, prairie grouse, and grassland passerines.
  • Kimberly A. With, Division of Biology: Landscape and conservation ecology, effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on extinction risk.

For information. Write to the Graduate Selection Committee, Division of Biology, Kansas State University, 232 Ackert Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-4901. Phone: (785) 532-6615; fax: 785-532-6653; website: http://www.ksu.edu/biology/.

KENTUCKY

University of Louisville (Louisville, KY)

LOUISIANA

Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA)

Description. Louisiana State University is a land-grant and sea-grant research institution located on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the capital of Louisiana. Students may earn both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the Department of Biological Sciences (DBS) and in the School of Renewable Natural Resources (RNR). In DBS, students may receive full assistantships for either 12 or 9 months; duties involve either teaching laboratory sections for courses offered by the Department of Zoology and Physiology or curating in the bird or frozen tissue collection of the Museum of Natural Science. In RNR, graduate students are most often funded through 12-month research assistantships.

Facilities. LSU offers a strong program in both systematics and evolutionary biology (DBS) and applied conservation of avian species and their habitats (RNR). The LSU Museum of Natural Science (MNS) has an extensive collection of neotropical birds (170,000 specimens) and frozen tissues of birds (3,000 species represented) and a strong history of ornithological research since its founding in 1936. The LSU MNS program in ornithology has three distinct but interrelated areas of graduate training: fieldwork in the tropics, recently concentrating on Peru and Bolivia; specimen-based research using museum collections; and biochemical systematics. In RNR, graduate coursework focuses on conservation of natural systems. Opportunities for graduate research are diverse, and include neotropical community ecology, conservation genetics, and waterfowl/upland game bird ecology and management.

Faculty. Those currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Robb T. Brumfield, Department of Biological Sciences: Population genetics, speciation, and systematics, mostly in Neotropical birds.
  • Dominique Homberger, Department of Biological Sciences: Functional and evolutionary morphology of birds.
  • J.V. Remsen, Museum of Natural Science (MNS is affiliated with Department of Biological Sciences): Ecology, zoogeography, and geographic variation of tropical birds.
  • Fred H. Sheldon, Museum of Natural Science (MNS is affiliated with Department of Biological Sciences): Evolution and systematics of birds; natural history of the birds of the Malay archipelago.
  • E. William Wischusen, Department of Biological Sciences: Ecology of birds and science education; Habitat ecology; Foraging ecology of Mississippi Kites.
  • Bret Collier, School of Renewable Natural Resources: Upland game bird ecology and management, population dynamics, biostatistics.
  • Sammy King, School of Renewable Natural Resources: Waterbird ecology; wetland ecology and management.
  • Kevin M. Ringelman, School of Renewable Natural Resources: Waterfowl ecology and management, behavioral ecology, wetlands conservation.
  • Philip Stouffer, School of Renewable Natural Resources: Avian ecology, conservation biology, tropical ecology, community ecology.
  • Sabrina S. Taylor, School of Renewable Natural Resources; Conservation genetics, conservation biology, behavioral ecology.
  • Christine Lattin (email: christinelattin@lsu.edu)
  • Ashley Long, School of Renewable Natural Resources
  • Nicholas Mason (email: nicholas.albert.mason@gmail.com)
  • Michael Polito

For information. Department of Biological Sciences, phone: 225-578-1556; email: gradoff@lsu.edu. School of Renewable Natural Resources, phone: 225-578-4131.

Tulane University (New Orleans, LA)

Description. The Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology offers M.S. and Ph.D. degree programs.All graduate students are supported by either teaching assistantships or research assistantships or, in a few cases, four-year fellowships.

Facilities. Proximity to a number of wetland areas of Louisiana, including Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge and Jean LaFitte National Historical Park, where Tulane students work on a variety of projects. Institutional links to Dartmouth College and Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH, where Tulane students work on research projects, and University of West Indies, where Tulane students carry out ongoing research in Jamaica on wintering ecology of Neotropical migrant birds.

Faculty. Faculty member currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Elizabeth P. Derryberry: Animal communication, especially in White-crowned sparrows and Neotropical suboscines.
  • Bruce E. Fleury: Ecology of colonial wading birds.
  • Donata R. Henry: Ornithology and Ecology, especially Swainson’s Warblers.
  • Jordan Karubian: Sexual Selection, Seed Dispersal, Conservation Biology.
  • Thomas Sherry: Population ecology of Neotropical-Nearctic migratory landbirds; population and toxic waste monitoring in colonial wading birds; and feeding and dietary ecology in birds. (email: tsherry@tulane.edu)
  • Caz Taylor: Spatial dynamics of populations, communities and food webs; winter ecology of Tree Swallows in the Southern U.S.A.; Migratory shorebird ecology along coastal Gulf of Mexico.

For information. Graduate Director, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118.

MAINE

The University of Maine (Orono, ME)

Description. The University of Maine emphasizes biological sciences and natural resources conservation, covered by eight departments (Wildlife Ecology; Plant Biology and Pathology: Forest Ecosystems; Forest Management; Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Oceanography; Zoology; and Resource Economics and Policy) with about 30 faculty members who comprise a Conservation Biology Interest Group. The degree of Ph.D. may be earned in the fields of Biological Sciences, Ecology and Environmental Science, Plant Science, Wildlife Ecology, and Zoology. The Master of Science degree may be earned in Resource Economics; Botany and Plant pathology; Ecology and Environmental Science; Entomology; Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences; Resource Utilization; Wildlife Ecology; and Zoology.

Facilities. The forest, wetland, freshwater, and marine ecosystems of Maine offer a diverse biota near campus for conservation biology research.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Rebecca Holberton, School of Biology and Ecology: Ecology, behavior and physiology of bird migration.
  • Brian Olsen, School of Biology and Ecology: Avian ecology, behavior, demography, mating systems, and life history evolution.
  • Malcolm L. Hunter, Jr., Department of Wildlife Ecology: Conservation biology, forest wildlife management, landscape ecology, international conservation, including effects of forest conditions on bird populations.
  • Amber Roth, School of Forest Resources: Forests, wildlife, human activities, and their interactions

For information. Write to The Graduate School, Winslow Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469. To inquire about specific opportunities and the availability of graduate assistantships, write to any of the faculty members listed whose interests are close to yours. For general information about Conservation Biology, write to Malcolm Hunter, Department of Wildlife Ecology.

MANITOBA

The University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, MB)

Description. The University of Manitoba is the largest degree granting institution in Manitoba, and the oldest one in western Canada. Studies in ornithology may lead to the M. A. and Ph.D. degrees in Psychology and Zoology. The Psychology Department offers ornithological studies in the Avian Behavior Laboratory, specializing in basic and applied waterfowl research, waterfowl management techniques, and avian attachment behavior, or imprinting.

Facilities. The Avian Behavior Laboratory provides both indoor and outdoor facilities for waterfowl. Indoor facilities are on the campus of the university in the Psychology Department. These consist of an aviary with controlled light cycles, and separate sound-deadened, heat-controlled testing chamber. The outdoor facility, at the Field Station of the Avian Behavior Laboratory maintains a flock of 75 Giant Canada Geese and about 100 Mallards as well as a few domestic mallards. Separate holding pens, boats, an observation tower, predator-control fencing, and live-in blind round out the field research facilities. Other off-campus research resources include the Delta Waterfowl Research Station, located 60 miles northwest of Winnipeg, the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center at Jamestown, North Dakota some 350 miles southwest of Winnipeg, Oak Hammock Marsh, 14 miles north of Winnipeg, and the Assiniboine Park-Zoo within the city.

Faculty. Those currently involved with ornithological studies are:

  • Kevin Fraser, Department of Biological Sciences: Avian behavior and conservation, migratory connectivity, migration timing
  • Nikola Koper, Natural Resources Institute: Conservation and habitat management for songbirds in agroecosystems, effects of anthropogenic disturbances on birds, landscape ecology, behavioral ecology
  • Spencer G. Sealy, Department of Biological Sciences: Behavioral and evolutionary interactions between parasitic cowbirds and their passerine hosts. Cowbird selection of host nests; host quality; nest defense; host tolerance of parasitism; nest placement; consequences of parasitism.
  • L. James Shapiro, Department of Psychology: Director of Avian Behavior Laboratory, studies on waterfowl biology, particularly attachment behavior and its development in ducklings.

For information. Write to Dr. L. James Shapiro, Avian Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2, telephone (204) 474-7244 or 9338. You may email Dr. Shapiro at shapiro@cc.umanitoba.ca and fax to (204) 474-7599.

MARYLAND

Towson University (Towson, MD)

Description. Towson University is part of the University of Maryland System, and is located in a northern suburb of Baltimore. The Department of Biology has 26 full-time faculty members, and approximately 60 graduate students. Students may earn the degree of M.S.

Facilities. Abundant research space and an indoor aviary are available to graduate students. Research sites include several large wooded preserves in the surrounding area. Faculty conduct research at field stations in the mountains of western Maryland, and in north-central Wyoming.

Faculty. Those active in ornithological studies are:

  • Don C. Forester: Behavioral ecology of vertebrates, especially parental care, sexual selection, and communication.
  • L. Scott Johnson: Mating systems and other reproductive behavior in birds, function of bird song, effects of ectoparasites on breeding success, ecology and conservation of secondary cavity nesting birds.
  • Brian S. Masters: Molecular aspects of ecology, evolution and behavior, especially parental care, kin recognition, sex ratios.
  • Faculty emails listed here: https://www.towson.edu/fcsm/departments/biology/facultystaff/

For information. General information about the graduate program is available from Director of Graduate Admissions, The Graduate School, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252, telephone (410) 830-2500. For information of conducting ornithological research, contact Dr. L. Scott Johnson, Department of Biology, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252, telephone (410) 830-2587, email johnson@towson.edu.

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (Baltimore, MD)

  • Kevin Omland: Avian evolution, behavior, and conservation; focused on the endangered Bahama Oriole.
  • Bernie Lohr: Communication signals in birds.

University of Maryland (College Park, MD)

  • Mike Braun: Avian phylogenetics and biogeography, conservation

MASSACHUSETTS

University of Massachusetts (Amherst, MA)

  • Alex Gerson, Department of Biology: Avian Migration Physiology, Avian Heat Tolerance, Animal Energetics.
  • Jeff Podos, Department of Biology:  Animal behavior and evolutionary biology, with a particular focus on animal (bird) communication.
  • David King, Department of Environmental Conservation: Forest wildlife management.

Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)

  • Scott Edwards, Organismic and Evolutionary Biology: speciation, biogeography, evolution of the genome, and the process of adaptation.

MICHIGAN

Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI)

Michigan Technological University (Houghton, MI)

Description. The College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (CFRES) at Michigan Technological University trains students in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, often with a heavy focus on avian ecology and conservation, biodiversity, and predator-prey dynamics. CFRES actively manages several thousand acres of forest, including experimental forests as well as the Ford Center and Forest biological station, which operates a long-term bird banding station.  CFRES offers a comprehensive array of academic programs, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels, specializing in fields such as wildlife conservation and ecology, forest science, applied ecology, and environmental science. Michigan Tech is well known for its commitment to avian research and the study of birds in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and beyond. CFRES maintains active collaborations with numerous state, federal, private, and non-profit organizations. These partnerships encompass entities such as the National Park Service, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and many others. Such collaborations provide students with invaluable opportunities to engage in practical research and contribute to conservation efforts in avian ecology and related fields. CFRES is home to the longest-running predator-prey project on Earth (Isle Royale Wolfe and Moose Project), enriching our understanding of wildlife ecology.

Facilities. To facilitate cutting-edge research, CFRES offers access to a range of shared facilities, including High-Performance Computing resources, “SUPERIOR” supercomputing cluster, and the Microanalytical Facility for isotopic analyses. CFRES also manages state-of-the-art genomic facilities, with specialization in low-copy DNA sources for non-invasive studies, and environmental DNA (eDNA) focused research. Michigan Technological University owns and operates numerous aquatic research vessels, including R/V Agassiz, which is specially equipped for conducting research on the Great Lakes, including Lake Superior. It provides a platform for various scientific studies related to freshwater ecosystems. Additionally, Michigan Technological University hosts numerous institutes and research centers focused on ecological research, including the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), Institute for Leadership and Innovation, Sustainable Futures Institute, Michigan Tech Research Institute, Biotechnology Research Center, as well as the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Institute.

Faculty. Those currently involved with ornithological studies are:

  • David Flaspohler: Conservation biology, avian ecology and reproduction, cascading effects of deer overbrowse, island ecology.
  • Jared Wolfe: Wildlife conservation in working landscapes, temperate and tropical avian ecology, demographic modeling, avian molts and plumage.

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)

Description. The University of Michigan, a public university founded in 1817, enrolls approximately 35,000 students, of whom about 10,000 are graduate students. Ann Arbor, the cultural center of southern Michigan, is a small city 50 miles west of Detroit. Graduate studies of birds, leading to a degree of M.S. or Ph.D., are usually undertaken in the Museum of Zoology, Department of Biology or the School of Natural Resources and Environment. Ornithology has been a part of the university almost since its inception, especially in the Bird Division of the Museum of Zoology (see Payne, R. B. 2000. Ornithology at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: an historical account. In:Contributions to the History of North American Ornithology, vol. 2 (W. E. Davis and J. A. Jackson, eds). Nuttall Ornithological Society, Cambridge, MA).

Facilities. The Kraus Natural Science Building, Dana Building, and Ruthven Museums house student and faculty offices and laboratories. The Museum of Zoology contains an extensive ornithological library in addition to the other science libraries in the Museum and elsewhere in the University. The bird collection in the Museum is one of the largest in the world, with over 210,000 skins, skeletons, fluid-preserved specimens, eggs, and tissue samples, representing 66% of the world’s bird species and 87% of bird genera. The Museum also contains the Genomic Diversity Lab, a shared-use facility for molecular studies of evolution and systematics. Aviaries are available on the roof of the Museum and indoors in the Bird Division. Several properties of the University are suitable for field work on birds. The Nichols Arboretum and Matthaei Botanical Gardens are located in Ann Arbor. The 600-ha E. S. George Reserve is 25 miles from Ann Arbor and is administered by the Museum of Zoology. The University of Michigan Biological Station, located at the northern tip of the southern peninsula of Michigan, possesses a range of habitats and facilities for ornithological field research.

Faculty. Faculty members who study birds include:

  • Johannes Foufopoulos, Assistant Professor EEB: Conservation biology and the ecology and evolution of infectious diseases; Impact of diseases on wildlife populations and the environmental causes leading to disease emergence; Habitat fragmentation and global climate change impacts on species extinction. (email: jfoufop@umich.edu)
  • Bobbi Low, Professor of Natural Resources and Environment: Life history, sexual selection, and behavior, including: evolutionary and behavioral ecology of wildlife species; resource control, reproductive success, and parental strategies in vertebrates. (bobbilow@umich.edu)
  • Ben Winger

For information. Contact one of the following offices, or the faculty member whose activities match your interests.

  • Department of Biology: Graduate Coordinator, Department of Biology, Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1048. (734) 764-1443. e-mail: gradcoord@biology.lsa.umich.edu. Visit the departmental website at http://www.biology.lsa.umich.edu. For more information on resources and collections in the Museum of Zoology, visit the website at http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu.
  • School of Natural Resources and Environment: Office of Academic Programs, School of Natural Resources and Environment, Dana Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. (734) 764-6453. e-mail: snre.gradteam@umich.edu. Visit the school website at http://www.snre.umich.edu.

MINNESOTA

The University of Minnesota (St. Paul, MN)

Description. The Avian Research Center at the University of Minnesota promotes interdisciplinary research on birds. It involves nine graduate degree programs: Agricultural Engineering (M.S.Ag.E., M.Ag.E., and Ph.D.), Masters in Public Health (M.P.H.), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Animal Physiology, Animal Science, Conservation Biology, Ecology, Veterinary Microbiology, Veterinary Pathology, and Wildlife Conservation. The large faculty in so many departments provide numerous and diverse opportunities for ornithological research. In addition, students may earn the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Zoology in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior.

Facilities. Support facilities for avian studies at the University of Minnesota include these: Gabbert Raptor Center, specializing in the treatment and rehabilitation of birds of prey; Isolation Facilities in an experimental animal housing complex; James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History, housing extensive research collections of birds and other vertebrates; Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, promoting cooperative research among state natural resource agencies, the U. S. Biological Service, and the University; Natural Resources Research Institute, fostering economic development of Minnesota’s natural resources in an environmentally sound manner; Poultry Teaching and Research Unit; Rosemount Turkey Research Unit; Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory; and Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic.

Faculty. Those associated with avian studies are:

  • David E. Andersen, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology: Conservation and management of wild birds.
  • Todd W. Arnold, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology: Ecology and conservation of wetland- and prairie-dependent wildlife, particularly waterfowl.
  • F. Keith Barker, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior: Patterns and correlates of phenotypic (particularly behavioral) and taxic diversification in birds, with a particular emphasis on songbirds.
  • Robert B. Blair, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology: Ecology of human-dominated landscapes, birds as indicators of ecological integrity, conservation of native species, environmental education.
  • Francesca Cuthbert, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology: Conservation and biology of small avian populations with particular interest in colonial waterbirds and shorebirds.
  • Rocky J. Gutiérrez, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology: Game bird ecology and the evolution of galliforms; Endangered species, especially the spotted owl; Sustainable wildlife management strategies for forest dwelling species.
  • Mohammed El Halawani, Department of Animal Science: Neuroendocrinology of avian reproduction.
  • Scott M. Lanyon, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior: Behavioral and morphological evolution in birds; Evolution of coloniality, inter- and intra-specific brood parasitism, delayed plumage maturation, sexual size dimorphism, sexual dichromatism, and vocal mimicry in blackbirds.
  • Robert M. Zink, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior: Evolution, biogeography and molecular systematics of birds at the population and species level.

For information. Concerning the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, see http://fwcb.cfans.umn.edu/graduate/index.htm. Concerning the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, see http://www.cbs.umn.edu/eeb/graduate/about-program. 

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi State University (Starkville, MS)

MISSOURI

University of Missouri (Columbia, MO)

  • Lisa Webb, Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit

MONTANA

University of Montana (Missoula, MT)

NEBRASKA

University of Nebraska (Lincoln, NE)

Description. The University of Nebraska offers Ph.D. and M.S. degrees through two departments for students interested in ornithology: the School of Biological Sciences (BIOS) and the School of Natural Resources (SNR). The School of Biological Sciences has faculty members with interests in ecology and organismal biology, as well as cellular and molecular biology. The School of Natural Resources has faculty with interests in wildlife ecology and management who integrate with other faculty who specialize in climate science, water science, and geographic information technology. Ecologists from the two schools collaborate together through a Program of Excellence in Population Biology.

Facilities. Graduate students at UNL have access to at least 26 field sites through the state of Nebraska, including forest and grassland areas near the Platte River, the sandhills, and the Rainwater Basin. Cedar Point Biological Field Station is a unique facility with a major emphasis being the study of natural systems located in diverse and scenic habitats; the station is at the juncture of four major grassland systems: short grass prairie, sand/sage prairie, mixed grass prairie, and sand hills. The University of Nebraska State Museum’s zoological collection contains thousands of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes and invertebrates for research use by staff and graduate students. UNL is also the home of the Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies, specializing in remote sensing and Nebraska databases, and the Center for Great Plains Studies.

Faculty. Those supervising studies of avian biology:

  • John P. Carroll: Ecology and management of gamebirds, impact of agricultural practices on wildlife, conservation of endangered Galliformes, and international issues in wildlife conservation. (email: jcarroll2@unl.edu)
  • John DeLong, School of Biological Sciences, UNL: Predator-prey dynamics, ecology, raptors (email: jpdelong@unl.edu)
  • Larkin A. Powell, SNR: Ecology of songbirds and waterfowl, conservation biology, behavioral ecology, population biology. (email: lpowell3@unl.edu)
  • Daizaburo Shizuka, School of Biological Sciences, UNL: Behavioral ecology, evolution, social behavior, learning, social network analysis, bird songs (email: dshizuka2@unl.edu)
  • Jeff Stevens, Psychology, UNL: Adaptive decision making (email: jstevens4@unl.edu)
  • Andrew J. Tyre, SNR: Population biology, decision theory. (email: atyre2@unl.edu)

For information: Concerning the School of Biological Sciences: http://www.biosci.unl.edu/grad.html; Concerning the School of Natural Resources: http://snr.unl.edu/gradstudent/index.asp

NEVADA

University of Nevada Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV)

Description. The Department of Biology at the University of Nevada Las Vegas offers graduate programs leading to both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Both programs emphasize comprehensive training in biology, and both have substantial research components. The Biology Department generally offers two years of support for qualified M.S. students, and four years for qualified Ph.D. students.

Facilities. The primary facilities for ornithological research are contained in the Barrick Museum of Natural History. Barrick Museum facilities consist of a rapidly growing collection of 7,500 research skins and 3,000 tissues, as well as a self-contained DNA laboratory.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Shawn Gerstenberger, Chair, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health: Avian toxicology.
  • John Klicka, Curator of Birds, Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies, Adjunct in School of Life Sciences: Molecular systematics and evolution of birds; Distributions of Honduran birds. The evolution, biogeography, molecular systematics, and natural history of New World nine-primaried oscine songbirds at all taxonomic levels.

For information. School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Box 454004, Las Vegas, NV 89154-4004. Telephone: (702) 895-3390 

University of Nevada Reno (Reno, NV)

NEW BRUNSWICK

University of New Brunswick (Fredericton, NB)

  • Heather Major, Department of Biological Sciences: relationships between bird populations and environmental change, marine and island ecosystems. (email: hmajor@unb.ca)
  • Joe Nocera, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management: management and population ecology of wildlife.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Antioch University New England (Keene, NH)

Description. Antioch University offers MS and PhD degrees in Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies. MS students can take classes face to face in Keene NH, fully online (from anywhere), or a mixture of the two. All classes are just 1-2 days a week, making this a viable program for environmental professionals working part or full-time.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Mike Akresh, Department of Environmental Studies: forest management, wildlife-habitat relationships, seasonal interactions, conservation and ecology of Caribbean birds

For more information, visit the department webpage or contact Sarah Wilson, Admissions Counselor, at swilson@antioch.edu.

University of New Hampshire (Durham, NH)

  • Rebecca Rowe, Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Conservation Biology: interface of community ecology, historical ecology, and landscape ecology, and in promoting the use of natural history collections data in ecology and conservation.

Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH)

Description. Dartmouth College has an undergraduate student body numbering about 4300, and a graduate student body of about 850. Hanover is a town in the heart of the New England winter skiing and summer lake resort areas, about a two-hour drive from Boston. The degree of Ph.D. may be earned in the Department of Biology in the fields of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Molecular Biology.

Facilities. The Charles Gilman Life Sciences Laboratory provides 62500 square feet of research and teaching facilities. This includes three cold rooms, one sub-zero room, eight constant environment rooms, a greenhouse, and quarters for maintenance of cold-blooded animals. Animal care facilities for warm-blooded animals are available in the adjoining medical school research building. There are tissue culture rooms, extensive light microscopy facilities, and a facility for both transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Various other standard kinds of research equipment are available. Biological field investigators have ready access to a variety of habitats and ecosystems, including many small, clear streams, lakes, ponds, bogs, the Connecticut River (on campus), boreal forests, deciduous forests, and alpine tundra. Established research sites are maintained at numerous locations in New England, including a 26000 acre tract in northern New Hampshire with two rivers, and the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in the White Mountains. There are also research sites in Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Indonesia.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Douglas T. Bolger (Environmental Studies Program): Conservation biology, population ecology, and habitat requirements of birds, with emphasis on the effects of habitat fragmentation.

For information. Write the Chair, Graduate Admissions Committee, Department of Biological Sciences, 6044 Gilman, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755-3576, telephone (603) 646-3847, FAX: (603) 646-1347. Information also available at http://www.dartmouth.edu.

NEW JERSEY

Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)

Rutgers University (Camden, NJ)

NEW MEXICO

New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, NM)

Description. New Mexico State University is located in southern New Mexico. The Department of Biology offers Masters and PhD degrees in Ecology and Evolution. The Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology offers an M .S. degree with emphasis in ornithology. Emphasis is on the biology and management of natural systems, especially of arid lands of the Southwest U. S. and Mexico. There are twelve teaching/research faculty in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, including the U. S. Geological Survey Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and Wildlife Extension. There are approximately 170 undergraduate majors and 30 M. S. candidates in the department. The department has a Masters program, and students can train at the Ph.D. level through a variety of other graduate programs on campus. Research projects include big game and predator management, avian ecology, endangered species and conservation biology, fisheries modeling, aquatic toxicology and fish physiology, wetlands management, and habitat characterization using GIS.

Facilities. New Mexico State University is the site of the New Mexico Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Unit. Students have access to two university “ranches” and to extensive areas of public land in a wide variety of habitats.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Martha J. Desmond, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology: Ornithology.
  • Scott A. Carleton, Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit: Migration, Habitat Use and Demography, Nongame and Game Bird Ecology.
  • Peter Houde, Department of Biology: Ornithology, Molecular Systematics, Anatomy, Vertebrate Palaeontology.
  • Timothy F. Wright, Department of Biology: Function and evolution of vocal communication in parrots.

For information. Write to Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, 2980 South Espina, Knox Hall 132, P.O. Box 30003, MSC 4901, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8003, Phone: 575-646-1544, or visit aces.nmsu.edu/academics/fws/index.html.

University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM)

NEW YORK

Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)

Description. Although Cornell University does not offer a degree specifically in ornithology, it has long been known as a major center of ornithological research. Dr. Arthur A. Allen was appointed one of the nation’s first professors of ornithology in 1917. Since then, Cornell has become a famous center for study of avian biology. The degree of Ph.D. may be earned in several fields, and departments. Those that provide opportunities for study with birds include Anatomy; Ecology and Systematics; Natural Resources; Neurobiology and Behavior; Psychology; and Veterinary Medicine.

Facilities. The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology is a world-famous center for the study, appreciation, and conservation of birds. It houses the Library of Natural Sounds, holding one of the largest collections of bird sound recordings in the world. The Bioacoustics Research Program provides advanced facilities for bird sound analysis. General biological research facilities are extensive and varied. Laboratories house equipment and instrumentation for molecular, physiological, behavioral, and environmental studies. Four thousand acres of Cornell farmland and forest as well as 30000 acres of New York State lands are within easy reach of the campus. Field laboratories are maintained on Cayuga and Oneida Lakes, and in the Adirondack Mountains. The Section of Ecology and Systematics maintains a bird collection representing about half the known species of birds of the world, and nearly all avian families.

Faculty. Faculty members currently supporting ornithological studies are:

  • Elizabeth Adkins-Regan, Section of Neurobiology and Behavior and Department of Psychology: Reproductive behavior of birds, especially endocrine and neural mechanisms of sexual behavior.
  • Christopher W. Clark, Laboratory of Ornithology: Director of the Bioacoustics Research Program, investigating animal acoustic communication and developing acoustic technologies with applications in conservation and environmental monitoring. Studies acoustic networks within territorial songbird communities, evolutionary role and selective advantages of countersinging, and develops techniques to augment avian census efforts.
  • Timothy DeVoogt, Department of Psychology: Neural basis for song acquisition and expression in songbirds, including hormonal influences and brain changes responsible for song learning and other behaviors.
  • Andre Dhondt, Laboratory of Ornithology: Director of Bird Population Studies program, he combines various disciplines such as population dynamics, behavioral ecology, and quantitative genetics in long-term field studies of individually marked birds.
  • Stephen T. Emlen, Section of Neurobiology and Behavior: Studies the adaptive significance of the diverse social organizations of birds and mammals, including evolution of cooperative breeding and helping at the nest, polygynous and polyandrous mating systems, male-female conflicts of interest within various mating systems, and patterns of parental investment. He also maintains research interests in animal orientation and navigation, and avian acoustical communication.
  • George V. Kollias, College of Veterinary Medicine: Avian pathobiology, immunology/cell biology, and pharmacology.
  • Irby Lovette, Lab of Ornithology, Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program: Evolution, genomics and genetics, ecology, behavior, and conservation.
  • Kevin J. McGowan, Department of Natural Resources. Social and reproductive behavior in crows and jays.
  • Milo E. Richmond, Department of Natural Resources: Vertebrate ecology and reproduction, with studies of a wide range of avian types.
  • Amanda Rodewald, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Birds; conservation biology; population, community, and landscape ecology
  • Paul W. Sherman, Section of Neurobiology and Behavior: Behavioral ecology of many avian species, the causes and consequences of extra-pair copulations in passerines, and the costs and benefits of extreme brood parasitism (dump nesting) in hole-nesting ducks.
  • Charles R. Smith, Department of Natural Resources: Conservation of North American bird species at the population, community, and landscape levels.
  • David W. Winkler, Section of Ecology and Systematics: Evolutionary and behavioral ecology of birds, focusing on the phylogeny and physiological and ecological determinants of life history traits, especially in Tree Swallows.

For information: Contact the Department, Section, or faculty member whose activities match your interests. The Addresses of the departments and sections are:

  • Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology: Education and Information Services, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, (607) 254-2440.
  • Section of Ecology and Systematics: Cornell University, Section of Ecology and Systematics, E145 Corson Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-2701, (607) 255-4522.
  • Section of Neurobiology and Behavior: Cornell University, Section of Neurobiology and Behavior, W363 Seeley G. Mudd Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-2702, (607) 255-4517.
  • Department of Natural Resources: Cornell University, Department of Natural Resources, 118 Fernow Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-3001, (607) 255-2821.
  • Department of Psychology: Cornell University, Department of Psychology, 211 Uris Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-7601, (607) 255-3834.
  • College of Veterinary Medicine: Cornell University, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY 14853-6401, (607) 253-3000. 

State University of New York at Albany (Albany, NY)

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

Memorial University (St. John’s, NL)

  • Ian Jones, Department of Biology: Ecology and evolutionary biology of seabirds, with an emphasis on demography, conservation issues, mate choice and sexual selection, ecology of auks (Alcidae), behavioural ecology, demography and conservation of Aethia auklets. (email: iljones@mun.ca)
  • Ted Miller, Department of Biology: Acoustic communication of Shorebirds, Phylogeny and evolutionary trends in bird sounds, Vocal-tract anatomy of non-passerine birds. (email: tmiller@mun.ca)
  • W. A. Montevecchi, Department of Psychology, Biology and Ocean Sciences: Seabird behavioral and movement ecology, capelin and oceanography, fishing and hunting, seabirds and oil. (email: mont@mun.ca)

NORTH CAROLINA

Appalachian State University (Boone, NC)

Description. Appalachian State University is in the Blue Ridge of the Appalachian Mountains close to the borders of Virginia and Tennessee, less than two hours away from the region’s major airports and population centers. The University occupies a 75-acre main campus. The Biology Department offers the graduate degrees of M. S. in Biology, M. A. in Biology with Teacher Preparation. There are about 30 students currently enrolled in Master’s degree programs in Biology. The course offerings emphasize ecological and organismal approaches. Thesis research may be done in various aspects of ornithology.

Facilities. Located in the Appalachians, Appalachian State offers ready access to study areas along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Grandfather Mountain (an International Biosphere Reserve), and Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests. Mount Mitchell State Park, the highest point east of the Mississippi, is 45 minutes away, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park is 3 hrs away. Faculty maintain working relationships with the National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, and North Carolina’s nongame program. The University has its own 100-acre Environmental Studies Area, as well. There is a small teaching collection of bird skins, and an herbarium and extensive collection of amphibians and reptiles.

Faculty. There are 22 faculty in the Biology Department, but only one of them is engaged in ornithological research with graduate students:

  • Lynn Siefferman: Reproductive behaviors, the evolution of sexually selected traits, life history evolution & animal coloration, especially in Eastern Bluebird.

For information. For general information about the graduate program in Biology, contact the Department Chair, telephone (828) 262-3025, Department of Biology, P. O. Box 32027, Boone, NC 28608-2027. Those interested specifically in ornithological studies may telephone Dr. Rowe at (828) 262-2676 or email rowemp@appstate.edu.

Duke University (Durham, NC)

North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC)

  • Chris Moorman, College of Natural Resources: Studies avian species in North Carolina, including game birds like turkey and endangered species like Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. (email: chris_moorman@ncsu.edu)
  • Nathan Hostetter, Assistant Unit Leader, NC Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research: Movement, population, and landscape ecology. (email: njhostet@ncsu.edu)
  • Jaime Collazo, Assistant Unit Leader, NC Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research: Population dynamics of different taxonomic groups with emphasis on avian species, endangered species research and management, and Gap Analysis. (email: jcollazo@ncsu.edu)
  • Madhu Katti, College of Natural Resources: The evolutionary ecology of vertebrate responses to human modification of habitats and the dynamics of coupled natural and human systems. (email: mkatti@ncsu.edu)
  • Caren Cooper, Forestry and Environmental Resources: Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, urban ecology topics like light and noise pollution, and participatory sciences like citizen and community science. (email: cbcoope3@ncsu.edu)

NORTH DAKOTA

North Dakota State University (Fargo, ND)

Description. North Dakota State University is a student-focused, land-grant, research university located in Fargo, ND. Students may earn both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the Department of Biological Sciences and in the interdisciplinary Environmental and Conservation Sciences graduate program.

Facilities. Fargo, ND is located on the Red River along the central flyway. In addition, there are rich prairie pothole wetlands that support a diversity of grassland birds and waterbirds. There are state of the art molecular and endocrine facilities.

Faculty. Those currently involved in ornithological studies are:

For information. Contact the Department of Biological Sciences, phone number 701-231-7149.

University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND)

  • Susan Ellis Felege 

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

No information available

NOVA SCOTIA

Acadia University (Wolfville, NS)

Dalhousie University (Halifax, NS)

Description. The Biology Department at Dalhousie University offers MSc and PhD degree programs in a broad range of specialties, including regulatory genetics, gene probing in population ecology, cell & developmental biology, physiology of marine organisms, marine ecology, life history theory, behavioral ecology and applied ecology.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Marty Leonard, Department of Biology: evolution of communication, conservation of endangered species.
  • Glenn Crossin, Department of Biology: Behavioral ecology, evolutionary physiology, animal physiology, birds & freshwater fishes.

Saint Mary’s University (Halifax, NS)

Description. MSc. and Ph.D. in Applied Sciences is the main MSc/Ph.D. program for most Science fields at Saint Mary’s University. Students can conduct research under the supervision of faculty in Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Environmental Science, Forensic Anthropology, Geography, Geology, Management Science, Math and Computing Science, Cognitive and Neuropsychology, and Physics. This two-year research degree features interdisciplinary training and co-operative employment opportunities.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Colleen Barber, Department of Biology: Mate choice, sexual selection, parental investment in passerines.

NUNAVUT

No information available

OHIO

The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)

Description. The Department of Zoology offers the degree of Ph.D., and enrolls more than 60 graduate students, many of whom are engaged in studies of avian biology. Faculty members are involved in such areas of avian biology as behavior, conservation, ecology, evolution, genetics, physiology, social systems, and vocal communication.

Facilities. The Department of Zoology provides laboratories for genetics, electrophysiology, and general research. Libraries for Biology and Pharmacy, Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, as well as the Main Library offer access to many research resources. The Museum of Biodiversity houses the Museum of Zoology, containing avian skeletons, study skins, and eggs, plus the Trautman/Condit Collection, a small private library with many rare publications. Also in the Museum is the Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics, one of the major facilities for the study of avian vocalizations. The Ohio Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior, is located in the Department of Zoology. Its funding underwrites many student projects. The Department of Zoology also is closely associated with the Department of Natural Resources, which has several ongoing projects involving endangered and threatened bird species. The Veterinary School also offers opportunities with exotic species and avian surgical techniques.

Faculty. Those involved in research in avian biology are:

  • Jacqueline Augustine: Behavioral ecology, environmental and hormonal factors mediating reproductive success.
  • Douglas A. Nelson: Communication behavior and song development in birds.
  • Christopher Tonra, School of Environment and Natural Resources
  • Joseph B. Williams: Avian physiology with emphasis on field metabolic rates and water flux of free-living birds.
  • Bob Gates

For information. Department of Zoology, The Ohio State University, 1735 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210-1293. Telephone (614) 292-8088, FAX (614) 292-2030.

University of Toledo (Toledo, OH)

OKLAHOMA

Oklahoma State University (Stillwater, OK)

Description. The Oklahoma State University in Stillwater is located in the Osage Plains roughly midway between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Serious ornithological study in Oklahoma has its roots in Margaret Morse Nice’s Birds of Oklahoma (1924), and includes outstanding contributions from other notables such as Frederick and Marguerite Baumgartner and George Miksch Sutton. Graduate students have pursued ornithological study in OSU’s Department of Zoology since at least 1948, when the Department became the home base for Oklahoma’s Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. The Department currently offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Zoology and Wildlife and Fisheries Ecology with several faculty engaged in field ornithology. Additional faculty in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (especially Rangeland Ecology and Management and Forestry) are also involved in avian research. Topics of research tend to emphasize ecology, conservation, and management of native birds.

Facilities. The Department of Zoology occupies a six-floor building with offices, classrooms, laboratories, and animal rooms. A broad range of instrumentation is available for research as well as teaching. The Department of Zoology also houses the OSU Vertebrate Research Collections. Available for use in field studies is the University-owned Lake Carl Blackwell area, the Cross Timbers Experimental Range, and access to multiple public lands across the state managed by cooperators and partners.

Faculty. Those involved primarily in ornithological studies:

  • Craig A. Davis, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management: Avian ecology and management. (email: craid.a.davis@okstate.edu)
  • Jennifer Grindstaff, Department of Zoology: Animal behavior, ecological immunology, maternal effects, maternal antibody transmission, avian biology, behavioral ecology. (email: jen.grindstaff@okstate.edu)
  • Fred S. Guthery, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management: Ecology and management of upland birds, especially bobwhites. (email: fred.guthery@okstate.edu)
  • Scott Loss
  • Timothy J. O’Connell, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management: Landscape ecology and the conservation of native birds. (email: tim.oconnell@okstate.edu)

For information. For general inquiries regarding graduate study in ornithology at OSU, please contact Tim O’Connell.

Southeast Oklahoma State University (Durant, OK)

  • Douglas Wood, Department of Biology (email: dwood@se.edu)

University of Oklahoma (Norman, OK)

Faculty. Those involved primarily in ornithological studies:

ONTARIO

Trent University (Peterborough, ON)

Graduate programs available: thesis-based Master’s, course-based Master’s and PhD. Main campus in Peterborough, secondary campus in Durham GTA.

  • Gary Burness: Ecological, evolutionary, and conservation physiology. combination of field and laboratory studies to understand how environmental stressors influence Darwinian fitness in animals.
  • Erica Nol: Biology and conservation of shorebirds; Conservation of forest songbirds. “My research examines how climate variability impacts arctic shorebird populations. I am also interested in the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on the ecology and conservation of song birds.”

University of Western Ontario (London, ON)

University of Guelph (Guelph, ON)

  • Ryan Norris: Behavior, population dynamics, and conservation, 

University of Windsor (Windsor, ON)

Description. MSc. and Ph.D programs offered in the Department of Biological Sciences, the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research and Earth and Environmental Sciences.

  • Dan Mennill, Department of Biological Sciences: Bioacoustics, animal communication, behavioural ecology, evolutionary ecology.
  • Stephanie Doucet, Department of Biological Sciences: evolutionary, behavioural and tropical ecology with a focus on visual signals in sexual communication in birds.
  • Oliver Love, Department of Biological Sciences: Evolutionary physiology, behavioral ecology, conservation biology. 

University of Waterloo (Waterloo, ON)

  • Brad Fedy: Fitness of animal populations, including habitat selection, landscape genetics, population trends, and social behavior.

OREGON

Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)

Description: Oregon State University is a land grant institution established in 1848 in Corvallis, Oregon (population ~ 50,000). Located approximately 80 miles south of Portland, 50 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, and 60 miles from the Cascade mountains, OSU is perfectly situated for field and laboratory investigations in many ecosystems and on innumerable topics in ornithology. The departments listed below offer M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. In addition, graduate students in ornithology benefit from the numerous agency cooperators on campus. Thus, graduate faculty members can include employees of the U.S. Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, etc.

Facilities: Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center is a research and teaching facility located in Newport, Oregon on the Yaquina Bay estuary, about one mile from the open waters of the Pacific Ocean and 50 miles from Corvallis. HMSC plays an integral role in programs of marine and estuarine research and instruction and as a laboratory facility serving resident scientists as a base for far-ranging oceanographic studies.

The Center for Gene Research and Biotechnology serves the biosciences research community at Oregon State University with the ultimate goals of improving health, sustaining natural and agricultural resources, and preserving environmental quality. The Center offers leadership and services to faculty, staff and students through core facilities, seminars, and retreats. It also provides a focal point for researchers to make contacts, initiate collaborations, and establish new technologies in their own laboratories.

Nestled in the central Cascade Range of Oregon, the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest is a living laboratory that provides unparalleled opportunities for the study of forest and stream ecosystems. During the last 21 years as a part of the National Science Foundation Long Term Ecological Research (NSF-LTER) program, the Andrews Experimental Forest has become a leader in the analysis of forest and stream ecosystem dynamics. Long-term field experiments and measurement programs have focused on climate dynamics, streamflow, water quality, and vegetation succession. Currently researchers are working to develop concepts and tools needed to predict effects of natural disturbance, land use, and climate change on ecosystem structure, function, and species composition.

The USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center combines research scientists and support staff originating from the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The result is an integrated facility focused on providing biological information to land managers in the Department of the Interior and others with natural resource concerns in the western U.S. and adjacent states and Canadian provinces.

The USGS Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit trains graduate students and conducts wildlife research of interest to our state and federal cooperators as well as other natural resource management agencies/groups using students, faculty, research assistants, and facilities of Oregon State University. The Unit interprets and disseminates research results to the scientific community, natural resource agencies, and the public and provides technical assistance to natural resource managers. Current emphasis in the Unit focuses on Pacific Northwest forest-wildlife management issues and migratory waterbirds.

Faculty associated with ornithology:

  • Robert G. Anthony (Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Leader USGS Oregon Coop. Unit): Population biology/demography, particularly of raptors such as Spotted Owls; contaminants.
  • Matthew Betts (Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society): Avian landscape ecology.
  • Bruce G. Dugger (Department of Fisheries and Wildlife): Behavioral ecology, species-habitat relationships, avian demographics, and energetics; Ecology, conservation and management of waterbirds and their wetland habitats.
  • Katie M. Dugger (Department of Fisheries and Wildlife): Avian population ecology, particularly the estimation of survival rates and reproductive success as a key element in the conservation and management of species and their ecosystems; Population ecology of the Northern Spotted Owl in southern Oregon, Adelie Penguins in Antarctica, and tropical forest birds in Puerto Rico.
  • Susan M. Haig (Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, USGS FRESC): Conservation genetics, behavioral ecology including mating systems and dispersal patterns, shorebird/wetland landscape conservation.
  • Patricia L. Kennedy (Department of Fisheries and Wildlife): Ecology and management of forest and grassland avifauna; regulation of avian populations; raptor ecology and management; effects of livestock grazing on avian populations and communities.
  • Fred Ramsey (Department of Statistics): Wildlife survey methods, biometry, statistical ecology, author of Field Guide to Birds of Oregon.
  • W. Douglas Robinson (Department of Fisheries and Wildlife): Wildlife ecology, particularly relating to songbirds and their conservation; life histories; tropical ecology; aridlands ecology.
  • Daniel Roby (Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, USGS Oregon Coop. Unit): Reproductive energetics of birds, especially seabirds; Long-term impacts of oil spills, and impacts of anthropogenic disturbance.
  • Jeffrey W. Snyder (Department of Fisheries and Wildlife): Applied Avian Ecology Restoration and Conservation Biology.
  • Robert M. Suryan (Department of Fisheries and Wildlife): Studies how changes in the marine environment affect the foraging ecology, reproduction, and population dynamics of mid to upper trophic-level consumers, especially seabirds.

For Information:

  • Graduate Admissions: 541-737-4881
  • Fisheries and Wildlife Department: 541-737-4531
  • Forest Science Department: 541-737-2244
  • History Department: 541-737-3421
  • Statistics Department: 541-737-3366
  • Zoology Department: 541-737-3705

Portland State University (Portland, OR)

Description. The Biology Department has 22 faculty, about 1000 undergraduate majors, and over 70 graduate students and postdocs. Our faculty take an integrative approach to biology, encompassing all levels of biological organization from molecules to ecosystems.

Facilities. We share our offices and laboratories with Physics, Chemistry and Environmental Science Departments in the SRTC and Science Building 1. This close proximity with other disciplines helps foster interdisciplinary research at Portland State University. Teaching and research laboratories are further supported by the Herbarium, Invertebrate and Vertebrate Museums, extremophile DNA and microbial culture collections, an aquatic organism rearing facility, greenhouses and an electron microscope facility.

Faculty. The faculty member currently involved in ornithological studies is:

  • Michael T. Murphy, Department of Biology: Population biology and behavioral ecology; Population biology of forest birds in Portland parks; winter ecology of Neotropical migrant birds on San Salvador, The Bahamas.

For Information. Dr. Michael Murphy, Department of Organismal Biology, P.O. Box 751, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207-0751.

PENNSYLVANIA

The Pennsylvania State University (University Park, PA)

Description. Penn State University offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in both Wildlife and Fisheries Science, and Ecology. In both programs, students are involved in graduate research with birds. The Wildlife and Fisheries Science Program is in the School of Forest Resources. Graduate students in this program study a variety of topics including avian responses to altered ecosystems, human impacts on bird populations, and the ecology and habitat requirements of non-game birds. The Ecology Program is an intercollege graduate degree program designed to teach students both basic and applied aspects of ecology. Students conduct research on birds similar to that described for the Wildlife and Fisheries Science Program. Course work differs between the two programs, with a greater emphasis on basic ecology in the Ecology Program.

Facilities. A small museum collection and collaborative research with Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.

Faculty. Those currently active in studies on biology of birds are:

  • Paul A. Bartell, Department of Poultry Science: Regulation of biological clocks in birds at the systems level.
  • Margaret C. Brittingham, Wildlife Resources: Avian ecology, human impacts on bird populations, breeding ecology of neotropical migrants, urban birds.
  • Robert P. Brooks, Geography and Ecology: Wetland ecology, avian use of wetlands.
  • Tomas Carlo, Biology: Seed dispersal processes, bird behavior.

For information. About the Wildlife and Fisheries Science Program, contact: Emily Hill Administrative Support Assistant, Graduate Programs, evh2@psu.edu .About the Ecology Program, write to: David Eissenstat, Chair, IGDP in Ecology, 101 Life Sciences Building, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802. Phone: 814-863-3371

Villanova University (Villanova, PA)

Description. Villanova University is a Roman Catholic university sponsored by the religious order of St. Augustine. It is situated in Villanova, Pennsylvania, 12 miles west of Philadelphia. The Department of Biology offers a program of study leading to the Master of Science degree in biology (with thesis) or the Master of Arts degree in biology (without thesis) ), and a combined 5-year B.S./M.S. degree in Biology (with thesis). Ornithology is one of the areas in which thesis research may be undertaken.

Facilities. Laboratories are housed in a modern, air-conditioned building (completely renovated and expanded in 2000), equipped for graduate instruction and research in many areas of biology. There is a greenhouse, an animal-care facility, darkroom, electron microscopes (TEM, SEM), instruments for work with radioisotopes, X-ray facility, cell culture laboratory, three automated DNA sequencers, a Geographic Information System (GIS) running ArcGIS software, and various research instruments and computation facilities. Opportunities for ornithological field study include collaborative programs involving Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association (Kempton, PA) and Friday Harbor Marine Laboratory.

Faculty. Those currently involved in ornithological research are:

  • Robert L. Curry: Behavioral ecology, focusing on vertebrate social organization; ornithology, conservation biology. Hybridization in Black-capped and Carolina Chickadees; conservation ecology of island-endemic mockingbirds and allies.
  • John M. Olson: Metabolic and muscle physiology; ecological physiology, development and physiology of endothermy in birds.

For Information. Write Chairman, Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085. Tel. (610) 519-4830, FAX (610) 519-7863. Email: gradbio@villanova.edu; http://biology.villanova.edu.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

No information available

QUEBEC

McGill University, Macdonald Campus (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC)

Description. Graduate studies in Wildlife Biology have been conducted in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences at the Macdonald Campus since the late 1960s. From the beginning there has been an emphasis on ecological aspects conducted from often remote field locations. However, with the recent establishment of the Avian Science and Conservation Centre on campus, studies also now involve captive animals. The emphasis is on practical application and is aimed at conservation of natural resources.

Facilities. The campus holds the Avian Science and Conservation Centre, and the Ecomuseum of the St. Lawrence Valley Natural History Society, where excellent captive bird holding facilities are available.

Faculty. Those supervising studies of birds are:

  • Jean-Pierre Savard: Research scientist with the Canadian Wildlife Service, is an adjunct professor who studies urban wildlife ecology, impact of forest practices on birds, bird survey techniques, sea duck ecology and biodiversity concepts.

For information. Contact Graduate Program Secretary, Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Macdonald Campus, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, Canada. Tel. (514) 398-7941, FAX (514) 398-7990 .

Université de Québec à Rimouski (Rimouski, QC)

RHODE ISLAND

The University of Rhode Island (Kingston, RI)

Description. Ornithological research at the University of Rhode Island is taxonomically and geographically diverse and interdisciplinary, although most work involves the study of basic avian biology and ecology and their application to conservation-related problems. Students interested in ornithological research may earn a MSc and PhD degree in the interdisciplinary Biological & Environmental Sciences (BES) graduate program within the College of the Environment and Life Sciences (relevant specializations include Ecology & Ecosystem Sciences, and Integrative & Evolutionary Biology). The BES graduate program includes about 75 faculty members from multiple departments including Biological Sciences; Cell and Molecular Biology, Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences; Geosciences; Natural Resources Science; Nutrition and Food Sciences; Plant Sciences.

Facilities. The University of Rhode Island operates hundreds of acres of research farms as well as the W. Alton Jones Campus (a 2,300 acre reserve 20 miles from main campus), and the Bay Campus (home of one of the nine Graduate Schools of Oceanography in the USA). In addition, faculty in cooperation with Audubon Society of Rhode Island operate the Kingston Wildlife Research Station, an 85-acre woodland reserve just one mile from the main campus, at which birds have been banded during migration each year since 1956.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Scott McWilliams, Natural Resources Science: Ecology, behavior and physiology of migratory birds.
  • Pete August, Natural Resources Science: Conservation biology, landscape ecology, biological diversity including a variety of vertebrates.
  • Carolyn Gottschalk Druschke, Natural Resources Science: Human dimensions of natural resources management.

For information. Write to The Graduate School, Quinn Hall, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881. To inquire about specific opportunities and the availability of graduate assistantships, write to any of the faculty members listed whose interests are close to yours. For general information about the Biological & Environmental Sciences graduate program see http://web.uri.edu/nrs/avian-ecology/ or write to Scott McWilliams, Director of this program.

SASKATCHEWAN

University of Regina (Regina, SK)

University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, SK)

SOUTH CAROLINA

Clemson University (Clemson, SC)

  • Pat Jodice: Clemson Coop Unit, ecology and conservation of seabirds and shorebirds
  • Kyle Barrett: response of species to large-scale stressors including climate change, land use change, and invasive species

SOUTH DAKOTA

South Dakota State University (Brookings, SD)

  • KC Jensen: Ecology and habitat use of grassland birds including upland gamebirds and waterfowl.

University of South Dakota (Vermillion, SD)

Description. The Department of Biology offers the degrees of Ph.D., Master of Arts (M.A. with thesis (Plan A), and M.A. without thesis (Plan B, for teachers and other students requiring broad training in various aspects of biology). Teaching and Research Assistantships are available for graduate students. The Department of Biology has 13 faculty members with research programs that include the areas of conservation ecology and genetics, community ecology, ecological physiology, endocrinology and neuroendocrinology, developmental biology and molecular biology. A major research emphasis of the department is in the area of stress biology, investigating how animals and plants respond to stressful environments or stressful situations.

Facilities. The department has a modern computer laboratory for graduate students, aquarium and greenhouse facilities, and an herbarium. The W. H. Over Museum of Natural and Cultural History is also located on campus and houses a large collection of bird skins, specializing in birds of the northern Great Plains region..

Faculty. Those supervising studies of avian biology:

  • Hugh B. Britten: conservation genetics, conservation biology, endangered species.
  • Josh Stafford: Waterfowl and wetland ecology and management.
  • David L. Swanson: Cold tolerance of small birds; woodland and wetland habitat use by migrating and breeding birds in the Northern Prairie region.

For information. Write to Graduate Steering Committee, Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069-2390, (605) 677-6175.

TENNESSEE

Tennessee Tech University (Cookeville, TN)

  • Brad Cohen

TEXAS

Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches, TX)

Description. Stephen F. Austin State University is a state-funded university located in the “pineywoods” of eastern Texas; Nacogdoches has a population of about 30,000 and is located 165 miles north of Houston.The Department of Biology offers an M.S. degree with emphasis in ornithology. Students may receive teaching assistantships.

Accredited by the Society of American Foresters, the Arthur Temple College of Forestry is dedicated to meeting the teaching, research, and service needs of professional managers of land and related forest resources. Its primary purpose is to provide students with the education and field experience required for success beyond the campus. A secondary purpose is to provide the knowledge and expertise required when solving problems of resource management and use. This includes research and continuing education as well as graduate education and technology transfer. College faculty build on strong working relationships with resource managers for exemplary programs in teaching, research, and service.

Facilities. The Department of Biology works closely with biologists, including several ornithologists, at the U.S. Forest Service Research Station in Nacogdoches.

Faculty. Those involved primarily in ornithological studies:

  • Brent Burt, Department of Biology: Avian systematics, behavioral and evolutionary ecology; Ecology and evolution of cooperative breeding in birds; study species include Red-cockaded woodpeckers, Bachman’s sparrows, Brown-headed nuthatches, Scrub-jays, Brown-headed nuthatches, and Blue-tailed bee-eaters.

For information. Contact Chair, Department of Biology, Box 13003, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX 75962, (936) 468-3601. Director of Graduate Studies in Forestry, Stephen F. Austin State University, Arthur Temple College of Forestry, Box 6109, Nacogdoches, TX 75962, Telephone: (936) 468-3301

Texas State University (San Marcos, TX)

  • Clay Green: Marshbirds

Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX)

Description. The Department of Biological Sciences is large enough to meet the research and instructional needs of a diversity of students, including those interested in ornithological studies. The focus is on Environmental Sciences and Ecology.

Facilities. The Institute for Environmental Studies provides a broad spectrum of support for graduate students in ecology and environmental sciences, ranging from research fellowships to an array of 75 scientists in other departments and colleges with whom a student may interact. The Natural Sciences Research laboratory (The Museum), includes a collection of 4500 bird specimens, and a cryogenic tissue collection; the International Center for Arid and Semiarid Land Studies, Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Unit, and The Junction Center biological field station support graduate student research projects.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved with studies adaptable to ornithological problems are:

  • Warren C. Conway
  • Kenneth Schmidt: Behavioral ecology of birds and mammals; ecology of information.

For information. Chair, Ecology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-3131 

University of North Texas (Denton TX)

The University of Texas–Pan American (Edinburg, TX)

Description. The University of Texas-Pan American is located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and a variety of temperate and tropical habitats are available within a day’s drive. Several subtropical habitats are available in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, including Tamaulipan thorn forest, Rio Grande floodplain forests, grasslands, agricultural habitats, and coastal lagoons and mudflats. The Department of Biology offers an M.S. degree, in which it is possible to specialize in ornithology. Most graduate students are supported with teaching assistantships, and some graduate students receive research assistantships.

Facilities. The Coastal Studies Laboratory at South Padre Island provides facilities for research. Vehicles and boats for field research are available.

Faculty. A faculty member currently involved in ornithological studies is:

  • Tim Brush, Department of Biology: Habitat use and population ecology of subtropical birds, with special interest in conservation biology.

For information. Contact: Director of Graduate Studies in Biology, Department of Biology, The University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, TX 78539 Telephone: (956) 387-3537

UTAH

University of Utah (Salt Lake City, UT)

VERMONT

No information available

VIRGINIA

The College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, VI)

Description. The College of William & Mary is one of the two premier public universities in Virginia. It is also the second oldest university in North America and is regularly ranked as the best small public university in the United States. The Department of Biology offers a 2-year M.A. for those studying any aspect of ornithology. A joint Ph.D. is possible for students doing applied research (through the Program in Applied Science) or those doing marine ornithology (through the associated Virginia Institute of Marine Science).

Facilities. William and Mary’s location, near the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, opens up countless possibilities for field research on breeding colonial waterbirds or landbirds and raptors concentrated by this important migration bottleneck. The Biology Department’s field house on the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge allows convenient access to the lower bay. A field station run by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science allows access to the upper bay. The large and expanding aviary complex on campus is the cornerstone of the Biology Department’s avian biology facilities. The immediate proximity to Colonial Historical National Park and large areas of publicly-owned wildlands creates numerous convenient study sites, including many acres of second-growth woodland owned by the Biology Department right on campus. All standard modern molecular and cellular biology laboratory equipment and scanning and transmission electron microscopes are available in common departmental facilities. The Center for Conservation Biology on campus has carried out hundreds of studies on endangered and threatened birds and is rapidly becoming one of the foremost bird conservation institutes in the mid-Atlantic region.

Faculty. Those currently doing research with birds in the Biology Department are:

  • Daniel A. Cristol: Ecotoxicology of mercury in birds and food webs; Behavioral ecology of birds on golf courses.
  • Mark H. Forsyth: Feather-degrading bacteria.
  • Matthias Leu: Effects on biodiversity of spatial and temporal patterns of human stressors and landcover.
  • John P. Swaddle: Anthropogenic environmental disturbance and breeding performance and behavioral strategies in songbirds.
  • Bryan D. Watts, Director, Center for Conservation Biology: Conservation, landscape ecology, foraging ecology especially in waterbirds and coastal species.

For information contact Daniel A. Cristol, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 8795, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, phone: (757) 221-2405; FAX: (757) 221-6483; email: dacris@wm.edu

Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VI)

  • Eric L. Walters: Behavioral and community ecology, including cooperative breeding, seed dispersal, social networks, disease ecology, and migrant stopover ecology

Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VI)

Description. Virginia Tech offers MS and PhD degrees through the departments of Biological Sciences and Fish and Wildlife Conservation for students interested in studies of bird biology. In addition to the departmental programs, students can also study in the interdisciplinary graduate program entitled Interfaces of Global Change. Faculty advisors encourage students to develop their own unique research plans that span and use expertise from a variety of labs.

Facilities. Graduate students at Virginia Tech have opportunities to study birds locally, regionally, and internationally. There are numerous sites near campus to conduct studies of free-living birds. Additionally, there are aviary facilities in two buildings on campus as well as a new dedicated avian research facility. Studies are also being conducted on free-living birds at field sites around the world.

Faculty. Those supervising studies of avian biology:

WASHINGTON

University of Washington (Seattle, WA)

Description. The University of Washington is located within easy access to many different environments, including marine waters and estuaries, temperate rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula, the Cascade Mountains, and shrub-steppe of eastern Washington. The University is well-located for studies of avian ecology; during winter, there are large concentrations of waterfowl and raptors on or near campus. Students may earn M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the Department of Zoology and in the Wildlife Science program in the College of Forest Resources. All Ph.D. students in the Department of Zoology are guaranteed six years of support, either through teaching or research assistantships or through fellowships or traineeships; all students in the Wildlife Science program are supported by research assistantships.

Facilities. The Burke Museum contains a research collection of about 40,000 bird specimens and a new collection of frozen tissues, and supports student research done in the field or on preserved specimens. The Friday Harbor Laboratories maintain a close affiliation with the Department of Zoology. The Wildlife Science program has an avian ecology graduate program, in collaboration with the Washington Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Unit and the Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Michael Beecher, Department of Psychology & Biology: Mechanisms, development, and function of bird song in Song sparrows.
  • Dee Boersma, Department of Biology: Conservation of seabirds, particularly Magellanic Penguins.
  • Eliot Brenowitz, Department of Biology: Integration between mechanism and function in animal behavior, with emphasis on acoustic communication in birds; Song control system in the brains of songbirds.
  • Martha J. Groom, Department of Biology: Conservation Biology.
  • Julia K. Parrish, Department of Biology: Seabird biology and conservation, especially Common Murres.
  • David J. Perkel, Department of Biology: Neural mechanisms of learning; Vocal learning in songbirds.
  • Joshua Tewksbury, Department of Biology: Natural history, ecology and evolutionary biology and impacts of global change.
  • David Manuwal, Wildlife Science Group, College of Forest Resources: Avian ecology and conservation; Seabird ecology and conservation: Ecology of forest birds and their response to forest management.
  • John Marzluff, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences: Wildlife-habitat relationships; Avian social ecology and demography.
  • Christian Grue, Leader, Washington Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit: Wetland wildlife habitat restoration on the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge; Evaluation of the protection of biodiversity in Washington State (Gap Analysis).

For information. Graduate Program Manager, University of Washington, Department of Biology, Box 351800, Seattle, WA 98195-1800, or Interest group Coordinator: Dr. John Marzluff, Wildlife Interest group Coordinator, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, Box 352100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, Phone 206-616-6883.

WEST VIRGINIA

No information available

WISCONSIN

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (Green Bay, WI)

Description. The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay offers M.S. degrees in Environmental Science and Policy with an emphasis in Ecology and Biological Resources Management. This program includes an active program of ornithological research with studies of bird metapopulation dynamics, wetland birds, forest management and bird populations, GIS applications in ornithological research, and applied avian ecology. UWGB is a regional institution of approximately 5000 students, located on the shores of Green Bay. Its programs emphasize interdisciplinary, problem-focused studies, with emphasis on the environment.

Facilities. The Richter Museum of Natural History, part of the Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, holds one of North America’s largest collections of bird eggs.

Faculty. Those involved in ornithological studies:

  • Gregory J. Davis: mathematical modeling of metapopulations; landscape analysis of bird populations; smooth, discrete, and chaotic dynamical systems.
  • Robert W. Howe: Terrestrial ecology and conservation biology; bird population dynamics: habitat fragmentation and landscape ecology.
  • Amy Wolf: Conservation biology, plant-animal interactions,ornithology.
  • Thomas C. Erdman, Associate Curator, Richter Museum of Natural History (staff): Raptor biology; natural history of birds.

For information. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies, TH 335, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 

University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, WI)

Marquette University (Milkwaukee, WI)

  • Joseph LaManna, Department of Biological Sciences: Species interactions and community ecology.

WYOMING

University of Wyoming (Laramie, WY)

Description. The Department of Zoology and Physiology offers both Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. Our faculty also participate in Ph.D. programs offered through the Program in Ecology (PiE), and the Neuroscience Program. Our graduate students are supported by a variety of teaching or research assistantships.Facilities. Our research is supported by state-of-the-art microscopy, macromolecular, and nucleic acid sequencing facilities. Our university is the only one in a large state that has the world’s first National Park (Yellowstone) and a huge diversity of natural resources. We are one of the very few universities in the nation with a field station inside the boundaries of a National Park.

Faculty. Faculty members currently involved in ornithological studies are:

  • Craig W. Benkman, Department of Zoology and Physiology: Behavior, ecology, and evolution of crossbills.
  • Matthew Carling, Department of Zoology and Physiology: Adaptation and speciation in birds.
  • Anna D. Chalfoun, Assistant Leader, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit: Habitat choice, habitat fragmentation, broad-scale life history patterns, and avian parental care strategies.
  • Jacob R. Goheen, Departments of Zoology & Physiology and Botany: Community dynamics and structure, animal-plant interactions, and conservation biology.
  • Carlos Martínez del Rio, Department of Zoology and Physiology: Functional ecology; Interspecific interactions.
  • David B. McDonald, Dept. Zoology & Physiology: Behavioral and evolutionary ecology and social networks.
  • Jonathan Prather, Department of Zoology and Physiology, Program in Neuroscience: Neural basis of song learning.

For information. See the website or contact us at 307-766-4207 or zprequest@uwyo.edu.

YUKON

No information available