Undergraduate Students

CURRENT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Sydney Miller (Honours), TRU, Flycatcher evolution: 2021 – present

Jacqueline Schoen (Honours), TRU, Flycatcher evolution: 2021 – present

Mathieu Lizee (Honours), TRU, Evolution of bat migration: 2021 – present

Ashley Toor (Directed Studies), TRU, Chickadee urbanization and contaminates: 2021 – present

Emma Thibault (Directed Studies), TRU, Plumage evolution and paternity: 2021 – present

Jeeva Gill (Directed Studies), TRU, Bluebird feather contaminates: 2021 – present

Lindsay Veale (Directed Studies), TRU, Online educational resources with Tsay Keh Dene: 2021 – present

PAST UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Madison Oud (Directed Studies, Honours), TRU, Evolution of colour in island birds, 2017 – present
*Awarded NSERC USRA

Jared Sonnheimer (Directed Studies), TRU, Evolution of moult migration, 2019 – present

Aaron Veale (Directed Studies), TRU, Evolution of body size on islands, 2019 – present

Charlotte Hutchinson (Directed Studies), TRU, Evolution of bird body size on islands, 2020 – present

Morgan Rigelof (Directed Studies), TRU, Evolution of bat body size on islands, 2020 – present

Raven Moller (Honours), TRU, Tree Swallow reproductive interference, 2020 – present

Xinran (Faustina) Cai (Volunteer), TRU, Evolution of bird body size on islands, 2020 – present

Jack Dunne-Mucklow (Honours), U. Waterloo, Biological predictors of bat declines, 2020 – present

Genevieve Ward (Directed Studies, Honours), TRU, Longitudinal colour change in bluebirds, 2019 – present*Awarded NSERC USRA

Aneka Battell, Directed Studies, Honours - Aneka took a community-level approach to understanding the impacts of urbanization on mountain chickadees. Her Honours research examines pollinator dynamics in urban ecosystems (co-supervisor: Dr. Lyn Baldwin)

Colton Stephens, USRA, Honours - Colton is using next-gen sequencing to examine microbial communities and feather pathogens across an urban/rural gradient (co-supervisors: Dr. Jon Van Hamme, Dr. Eric Bottos)

Natasha Buckler (Directed Studies), TRU, Colour evolution on islands, 2018 – present
*Manuscript in review at Wilson Journal of Ornithology

Micheal Rouault (Directed Studies), TRU, Tetrahedral colour space, 2019 – present

Sabina Pierera (Directed Studies), TRU, Vaux’s swift eBird analysis, 2017 – present

Nathan Mount and Marissa Fisher - Nathan and Marissa worked together to gather data used in a large-scale analysis on the evolution of plumage colouration and song complexity in island populations.

Adrianne Hadjasz, B.Sc. Honours - Adrianne asked how vegetation and lepitdopteran larvae availability during the breeding season influence chickadee breeding in urban and rural habitats. (co-supervisor Dr. Lyn Baldwin)

Ellis Smith, B.Sc. Honours - Ellis used stable isotope analysis to examine patterns of migratory connectivity in Vaux's Swifts and is also examining long-term trends in migration across the range.

Paige Gallant, Directed Studies - Paige examined pathogen transmission on bird feeders (co-supervisor: Dr. Jon Van Hamme).

Cara Snell, Honours - Cara is examining whether mountain chickadees alter their song to avoid aggression from dominant black-capped chickadees (co-supervised by Dr. Ken Otter, UNBC)

Jackson Kusack, Honours - Jackson is working on understanding the evolution of moult strategies in migratory passerines and for his honours will be looking at movement patterns of house finches in relation to plumage colouration.

Katie Sparrow, Honours - In collaboration with Dr. Kingsley Donkor, Katie is optimizing CE for high-throughput carotenoid identification and quantification. (Awarded NSERC USRA)

Erin Slade, Directed Studies - both Erin and Leanne will be working with Adrienne on burrowing owl behaviour and personality

Claudia Schlueter, Research Apprentice - Claudia is assisting in literature-based research on Bullock’s Orioles and hopefully we can keep her around for more research.

Dana Eye, Directed Studies - Dana worked on urbanization in chickadees

Isabel Sarmiento, Directed Studies - Isabel came to us from Spain and has been working on chickadees and any other birds she can get her hands on.

Paige Wildeman, Independent Researcher - Paige is also working with Dr. Donkor on carotenoid identification and quantification.

Jacob Bailey, B.Sc. Honours - Jacob examined long-term population drivers of mountain bluebirds and the influence of nest placement and environmental factors influencing natural mortality.

Publication:

Evans, D.R.**, S.L. McArthur*, J.M. Bailey**, J.S. Church, and M.W. Reudink. 2015. A high-accuracy, time-saving method for extracting nest watch data from video recordings. Journal of Ornithology 156: 1125-1129. - link

Erica Bonderud, B.Sc. Honours - Erica examined drivers of offspring sex ratio in mountain bluebirds.

Paper resulting:

Bonderud, E.S.**, N.J. Flood, J.D. VanHamme, C.A.W. Boyda, and M.W. Reudink. In press. Female mountain bluebirds (Sialia currucoides) paired to more colourful males produce male-biased broods.Behaviour 153: 367-386 - link

Jessica Eustache, Independent Researcher - Jessica was awarded an NSERC USRA to work on the effects of urbanization on mountain chickadees.

Dean Evans, Directed Studies - Use of Ethovision software to automate processing of behavioural videos of nestling provisioning in wild bluebirds. Paper resulting:

Orri Greaves, B.Sc. Honours 2014 - Orri was awarded an NSERC USRA scholarship to study Bullock’s Oriole social behaviour and public information. She was also awarded a CUEF U-REAP award to study the influence of plumage colouration on information exchange. (awarded NSERC USRA, awarded CUEF U-REAP)

Lauren Steele, Directed Studies 2013-2014 - Roost structure, composition, and connectivity in Vaux’s Swifts. Paper resulting:

Reudink, M.W., S.L. Van Wilgenburg, L. Steele**, A.G. Pillar*, P.P. Marra, and A.E. McKellar. 2015. Patterns of migratory connectivity in Vaux’s Swifts at a northern migratory roost: a multi-isotope approach. The Condor: Ornithological Applications 117: 670-682. - link

Jerin Roberts, Independent Research 2013-2014 - Development of RFID technology to study mountain bluebird provisioning (awarded CUEF U-REAP)

Juliane Gaviraghi Mussoi, Field Technician 2013 - Juliane joined the lab from Brazil as part of the Scientists without Borders program and studied mountain bluebirds as a field technician.

Tiago Rodrigues, Lab Technician 2013 - Tiago also came from Brazil on the same program, but focussed on DNA extraction and molecular sexing of mountain bluebirds.

Kristen Marini, B.Sc. Honours, Directed Studies 2011-2013 - Kristen examined whether individual condition influences feather growth rate and colouration by measuring differences in feather growth and feather colour in feathers re-grown in high- and low-quality habitat in Jamaica. For her honours, Kristen examined longitudinal trends in American redstart plumage colour to see how individuals change over time. (awarded CUEF U-REAP)

Resulting papers:

Tonra, C.M., K.L.D. Marini**, P.P. Marra, R.R. Germain, R.L. Holberton, and M.W. Reudink. Accepted. Ecology and Evolution 4: 1222-1232.

Marini, K.L.D.**, A.E. McKellar, L.M. Ratcliffe, P.P. Marra, and M.W. Reudink. 2015. Age-related change in carotenoid-based plumage of the American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla). Journal of Ornithology 156: 783-793. - link

Reudink, M.W., A.E. McKellar, K.L.D. Marini**, S.L. McArthur*, P.P. Marra, and L.M. Ratcliffe. 2015. Inter-annual variation in American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) plumage colour is associated with rainfall and temperature during moult: an 11-year study. Oecologia 178: 161-173. - link

Kurtis Munro, B.Sc. Honours 2012-2013 - Kurtis asked whether environmental conditions influence female mate preference in cities across Canada. (awarded CUEF U-REAP).

Resulting paper:

Munro, K.R.**, N.J. Flood, A.E. McKellar, and M.W. Reudink. 2014. Female mate preference varies with age and environmental conditions. Behaviour 141: 2059-2081.

Jennine Crawford, Independent Researcher 2013 - Jennine studied the relationship between Bullock’s oriole plumage colouration and patterns of aggression and behavioural dominance. (Awarded CUEF U-REAP)

Ashley Morrison, B.Sc. Honours 2011-2012 - Ashley’s honours thesis was aimed at understanding the evolution of elaborate, structural plumage in female mountain bluebirds. In addition, Ashley conducted an independent research project examining whether plumage acts as an signal of parental care in male mountain bluebirds. (Awarded an Undergraduate Ecological Support Grant through the British Ecological Society, CUEF U-REAP, Sigma Xi GIAR, Runner up for SCO Taverner Award)

Resulting paper:

Morrison*, A., N.J. Flood and M.W. Reudink. 2014. Reproductive correlates of plumage coloration of female Mountain Bluebirds. Journal of Field Ornithology 85: 168-179.

James Pomfret, B.Sc. Honours 2011-2012 - James examined the relationship between diet quality and population abundance in Vaux’s swifts in the West. To do so, James found guano piles conserved in chimney roosts used by Vaux’s swifts and took core samples to generate a chronosequence of samples dating back 25 years. (Awarded CUEF U-REAP)

Resulting paper:

Pomfret, J.K.**, J.J. Nocera, T.K. Kyser, and M.W. Reudink. 2014. Linking population declines with diet quality in Vaux’s swifts. Northwest Science 88: 305-313. - link

Rebekah Oomen, B.Sc. Honours, Trent University, 2009-2010 - Rebekah's honours thesis research examined the mitochondrial genetic structure of American white pelicans across North America using mtDNA sequencing. Her objective was to determine whether numerous perceived historic or contemporary obstacles to gene flow, such as the Pleistocene glaciations, the North American Continental Divide, and differences in migratory behaviour, were acting to cause genetic differentiation between different groups of pelicans.

Resulting paper:

Oomen, R.A., M.W. Reudink, J.J. Nocera, C.M. Somers, M.C. Green, and C.J. Kyle. 2011. Mitochondrial evidence for panmixia despite perceived barriers to gene flow in a widely distributed waterbird. Journal of Heredity. 102: 584-592.

Matthew Osmond, B.Sc. Honours, Queen’s University, 2007-2008 - Matt's honours thesis examined the role of female plumage colouration in the highly sexually dichromatic songbird, the American redstart. While much research has focussed on the role of the generally showier male plumage, Matt's research suggested that female plumage may also act as an indicator of individual quality in female American redstarts.

Resulting paper:

Osmond, M.M.*, M.W. Reudink, R.R. Germain**, P.P. Marra, J.J. Nocera, P.T. Boag, and L.M. Ratcliffe. 2013. Carotenoid-based female plumage is correlated with age, reproductive behavior and mate color in the American redstart. Canadian Journal of Zoology 91: 589-595.

Ryan Germain, B.Sc. Honours, Queen’s University, 2005-2006 - Ryan's Honours thesis examined whether the bright orange plumage patches exhibited by male American redstarts signal the amount of care a male may provide to offspring. Ryan found that indeed, redstart plumage does predict parental investment and suggests that females may be using these plumage cues to assess the levels of parental care males may provide to offspring.

Resulting paper:

Germain, R. R*., M. W. Reudink, P. P. Marra and L. M. Ratcliffe. 2010. Carotenoid-based male plumage predicts parental investment in the American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla).Wilson Journal of Ornithology 122: 318-325.

Other co-authored papers:

Germain, R.R.*, M.W. Reudink, P.P. Marra, P.T. Boag, and L.M. Ratcliffe. 2012. Delayed maturation of multiple signals in a migratory songbird. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 66: 419-431.

CURRENT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

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