LRC Projects
1
Black Skimmer Population Connectivity
The Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) is a charismatic representative of coastal-nesting waterbird
communities in North America and freshwater riverine and coastal systems in South America. Skimmers are at
high risk of decline due to threats including habitat loss, human activity, and climate change throughout the
annual cycle. Microsatellite loci were used to reveal
genetic differentiation across the Americas to understand range-wide population connectivity of the Black Skimmer.
2
Gull-billed Tern Dietary Plasticity
Large scale oceanic processes like the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) can have profound consequences for marine and coastal food webs. ENSO-related impacts to marine foragers has been documented for decades, and current research suggests that dietary flexibility may be a key component by which seabirds can mitigate environmental variation. While information is available for some marine foragers, there are relatively few projects assessing coastal bird responses. Our motivation for this research was to better understand how a dietary generalist in the coastal environment may respond to changes in prey food availability caused by oceanic events such as ENSO and marine heat waves, as the intensity and frequency of these events are expected to increase due to climate change.
3
American Oystercatcher Tradeoffs
GPS telemetry and mixed-effects models revealed that American Oystercatcher foraging behavior is shaped by reproductive stage, habitat, tidal state, and lunar illumination. Foraging distance decreased progressively from non-breeding through incubation to chick-rearing, and barrier island birds foraged substantially farther than marsh or dredge island birds. Distance during chick-rearing — but not incubation — predicted brood success. Oystercatchers foraged nocturnally at rates not previously documented, with tidal height and moon phase both influencing trip timing and distance.