I am interested in raptor biology, particularly assessing individual variation in hunting behavior, mate fidelity, site fidelity diet and home range. The current PhD study (by John Quinn, University of Oxford, UK) focuses on the mutualistic relationship in breeding Red-breasted Geese and Peregrine Falcons on the Taymyr Peninsula, Russia. This study considers several aspects of the relationship between the geese and falcons; including foraging behaviour, prey availability/phenology, vigilance behavior directed at Arctic Foxes and other potential predators and population dynamics. The study was funded by the National Avian Research Centre (U.A.E.), European Union's INTAS fund, and The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust's PSTERIC fund.

Raptors abound in the varied habitats around Humboldt Bay. Students are likely to encounter turkey vultures, bald eagles, black-shouldered kites, northern harriers, sharp-shinned hawks, cooper's hawks, northern goshawks, red-shouldered hawks, red-tailed hawks, osprey, American kestrels, merlins, and peregrine falcons. Several species of owls also occur in the area. The HSU Department of Wildlife's Prof. R.J. Gutiérrez is particularly well known for his long-term study of spotted owls.