Step 1: Set up a research site

To study backyard birds, we need nest boxes! This spring, my lab will set up and start monitoring nest boxes to see who moves in. Then we can start studying the new residents!

How do early-life experiences get under the skin?

The primary focus of my research lab is studying early-life effects: effects of early-life environment on offspring behavior, growth, physiology and fitness. My lab will focus on early-life effects in Eastern bluebirds and house sparrows. Our first experiment will be testing how food availability and clutch size affect offspring behavior, growth, physiology, and survival to fledge. I suspect that house sparrows will show an increased benefit of food supplementation relative to bluebirds, indicative of house sparrows’ success as an invasive species.

How to outside environments get under the skin in adults?

In addition to studying eggs and nestlings, my lab will also run experiments to test how outside environmental factors - such as perceived predator density or human disturbance - affect adult behavior, physiology, and fitness. Experiments TBD!