Vitek Jirinec, PhD

Vitek Jirinec is an ecologist who studies birds—where they go, why they go there, and how they respond to a changing world. A Humboldt alumnus, Vitek earned his BS in Wildlife at (then) Humboldt State University—where HOC director Matt Johnson was among his mentors—before completing an MS in Biology at the College of William & Mary and a PhD at Louisiana State University. His research centers on avian habitat ecology and space use, and on how birds cope with human pressures such as pollution and climate change. He often pursues these questions using biologgers—miniature tracking and sensor devices that reveal the hidden movements, physiology, and behavior of wild birds. Vitek has maintained active research in the Amazon rainforest for over a decade. Since 2021, as a Research Scientist at the Integral Ecology Research Center, he has worked across the ecosystems of the western U.S., including ongoing research on Barred Owls and their effects on the forests and wildlife of the Pacific coast. 

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(Photo caption: Vitek holding two barred owls in Northern California)