Ornithology

I study the evolution and biogeography of birds. My current research focus is the population genetics of bird species that breed in isolated “islands” of evergreen forest in New York’s Adirondack and Catskills Mountains. I analyze DNA sequence data to measure the extent to which these disjunct populations are genetically distinct and evolving independently. New York’s populations of Bicknell’s Thrush, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, American Three-toed Woodpecker, and other boreal forest specialists may be imperiled as Earth’s climate continues to warm.