Chris Tonra, 2006

Thesis:

Hatching Synchrony in Brown-Headed Cowbirds: The influence of host density, chick gender, and habitat.

After Humboldt, Chris went on for a PhD at University of Maine and then on to be a professor at The Ohio State University.

For his Humboldt thesis, Chris’ project examined the influence of habitat, chick gender, and host density on the hatching synchrony of an obligate brood parasite, the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater), in the riparian corridors of four tributaries of Mono Lake, CA. Hatching synchrony refers to the relative order of hatching of young cowbirds and host species’ eggs. Successful female cowbirds should optimize the laying of their eggs in hosts’ nests so that their young can successfully (out)compete their host nestmates. Several ecological variables, may affect a cowbirds ability to find and monitor nests to ensure optimal timing such as habitat features, host nest density, and the sex egg since development times may be different for the sexes. Chris monitored bests of the two primary cowbird hosts in this region, Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) and Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia), measured habitat features, and used genetic techniques to sex the young cowbirds in order to test these hypotheses.

Jared Wolfe, 2009

Thesis:

Habitat use of Nearctic-Neotropic migrant birds in northeastern Costa Rica

After Humboldt, Jared went on to earn a PhD at Louisiana State University and then become a faculty member at Michigan Technological University.

For his Humboldt thesis, Jared studied migrant stopover ecology in Northeastern Costa Rica. More specifically, his work utilized banding data, dietary analyses, climatic metrics and habitat attributes in order to elucidate the effects of a stochastic climate on migrant habitat use, condition, distribution and survivorship. Jared is also interested in Neotropical resident bird ecology, especially molt patterns.

Brent Campos, 2012

Thesis:

Habitat selection, habitat use, and home ranges of black-throated blue warblers on Jamaican coffee farms: implications for an ecosystem service

After Humboldt, Brent when on to work for point Blue Conservation Science.

For his thesis, Brent studied the movements and habitat associations of black-throated blue warblers (Dendroica caerulescens) in and around Jamaican coffee farms. His research elucidated how the provisioning of a known ecosystem service, control and reduction of the coffee berry borer, provided by winter resident warblers, related to the physiognomic attributes of coffee farms and adjacent habitats. Brent earned his B.S. in Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology at UC Davis.

Marlene Wagner, 2011

Thesis:

Habitat selection by red-breasted sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber) in southeast Alaska old-growth forest

After Humboldt, Marlene went on to earn a PhD at Simon Fraser University.

For her Humboldt thesis, Marlene’s study provided information on how Red-breasted Sapsuckers, a keystone species and ecological engineer, are distributed in wilderness forests and what habitat covariates are important for foraging and nesting sites. As most studies of landbirds in Southeast Alaska have been conducted in disturbed forests, information provided by this research contributed a baseline reference for the effects of management activities.

Ryan Kalinowski, 2012

Thesis:

Habitat relationships of great gray owl prey in meadows of the Sierra Nevada Mountains 

After Humboldt, Ryan went on to work as a Wildlife Biologist for the US Forest Service in the Sierra Nevada.

For his thesis, Ryan quantified the habitat relationships of Great Gray Owl prey in California montane meadows. More specifically, he investigated the influence of vegetative characteristics and cattle grazing on the density of voles and gophers. The Great Gray Owl has been listed as a California endangered species since 1980, yet information on the factors affecting owl prey is lacking. Ryan’s thesis helped fill this void and provided land managers with information needed to properly manage habitat for Great Gray Owl prey. The study was located in Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park, California.

Deven Kammerichs-Berke, 2020

Thesis:

Foraging selectivity of insectivorous birds in Kenyan shade coffee systems

After Humboldt, Deven went on to work as a wildlife biologist in southern California. For his thesis, Deven studied the effects of shade tree species in Kenyan coffee farms on insectivorous bird foraging behavior. Specifically, his research looked at whether Cordia africana (a tree indigenous to central Kenya) or Grevillea robusta (an introduced species from Australia) attracted higher prey abundances for insectivorous birds, and the capacity for different tree species to help deliver pest control services on the farms. Identifying differences in prey abundance and preferences in bird foraging behavior not only fills basic gaps in our understanding of the ecology of East African coffee farms, it also aids in developing region-specific information to optimize functional diversity, ecosystem services, and the conservation of birds in agricultural landscapes.

Dawn Blake, 2018

Thesis:

Foraging habitat of pileated woodpeckers in relation to a managed landscape on the Hoopa Valley reservation, Northwestern California

After Humboldt, Dawn worked as a wildlife biologist for the Hoopa Valley Tribe.

For her thesis, Dawn used radio telemetry to track the movements and document habitat selection of Pileated Woodpeckers on the Hoopa Valley Reservation. This work is significant because the species is generally associated with old trees and thus may be responsive to timber management practices, the species is very important culturally for the Hupa, and because almost no research has been conducted on pileateds in California. She hopes to be able to identify forest stands and tree or snag structures important for this species, to inform future forest management and ensure the persistence of this vital species on the landscape.

Brooks Estes, 2019

Thesis:

Farmer perceptions of barn owls as part of integrated pest management in vineyard ecosystems.

A student of the Environment & Community MA program, Brooks’s research focused on the knowledge and attitudes of Napa Valley wine producers regarding integrated pest management techniques, and their views on conservation issues in general. She completed a mixed-methods project, sending surveys to wine producers and conducting follow-up semi-structured interviews with a subset of respondents. Her research addressed a gap in understanding farmer knowledge and motivations related to sustainable practices, and it is rooted in cognitive hierarchy literature to investigate how vineyard producers in Napa Valley view the use of barn owl nest boxes as a tool for integrated pest management.

Eleanor MacDonald, 2025

Thesis:

Examining the effects of songbird nest boxes on ecosystem services and avian community composition in Napa Valley vineyards

Eleanor is investigating how the addition of nest boxes affects bird communities and whether this has any top-down effect on insects in Napa Valley winegrape vineyards. Her project focuses on winegrape vineyards that lie along gradients of local habitat and landscape complexity and will also address how local habitat and landscape composition influence bird communities. She will examine avian point counts and insect sampling conducted for two seasons on 20 vineyards, 10 with existing nest boxes and 10 with nest boxes added between field seasons. Eleanor is interested in how land use influences biological communities and how promoting native species in agricultural landscapes could benefit both biodiversity and farm productivity alike. This research has the potential to offer deeper insights for management decisions concerning pest control by investigating the potential benefits of attracting more insect-eating birds to agricultural landscapes.

Shannon Mendia, 2016

Thesis:

Examining ecosystem services and disservices of bear damage on Hoopa Valley Reservation

After Humboldt, Shannon continued to work as a wildlife biologist for Hoopa Valley Tribal Forestry, and then on to the US Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station.

For her thesis, Shannon examined the relationship between bear damage to trees and bird community composition and structure (especially cavity-nesters, such as woodpeckers) on the Hoopa Valley reservation. She surveyed stands historically clear-cut by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and determined whether bears function as ecosystem engineers by killing trees and creating structural complexity in otherwise homogenous environments. Shannon's research helped reveal the cost of bear damage, in terms of lost timber value, and the benefit of bear damage in terms of enhanced habitat for species culturally significant to the Hupa.