Braddock Bay Bird Observatory leverages the power of our migratory bird program to support up to a dozen supplemental projects annually. Some professors and students use BBBO as a primary or contributory field site as they capitalize on our ability to predictably capture species of interest, while others use our long-term dataset to answer outstanding questions in ornithology. Here is a list of our current projects and their lead investigators.

The scale and timing of fruit consumption by migrating songbirds, and its implications for body condition

Dr. Wales Carter, Great Hollow Nature Preserve and Ecological Research Center
Dr. Sue Pagano, Rochester Institute of Technology
Dr. Chad Seewagen, Great Hollow Nature Preserve and Ecological Research Center

This project’s primary question concerns the degree to which variation in antioxidant consumption by migrating songbirds influences variation in the success of migration, and in particular the successful preparation for migratory flight during stopovers. The study aims to address this question by producing the following data and analyses: (1) Quantify the degree of fruit consumption by songbirds on stopovers during fall migration, (2) Estimate the timing and duration of songbird use of antioxidant-rich resources, primarily fruit, during fall migration, (3) Relate antioxidant consumption to body condition and other indicators of physiological status and subsequent migratory success.

Migration patterns of Yellow Warbler

Dr. Kristen Covino, Loyola Marymount University
Dr. TJ Zenzal, USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

This project focuses on migration patterns in YEWA and uses hydrogen isotope data from feather samples. Specifically, Covino and Zenzal sampled YEWA at three migratory sites (one site in Maine and two sites along the Gulf of Mexico coast) during fall migration and are looking at passage details by date, population (isotopes), age, sex, and energetic condition. The formula used for energetic condition is derived from data from over 11,000 Yellow Warblers, 39% of which come from Braddock Bay Bird Observatory.

Development of migratory behavior in Blackpoll Warbler (Setophaga striata): a pilot study using Motus.

Dr. Mark Deutschlander, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Madison Sutton, PhD student, Marquette University
Andrea Patterson, Braddock Bay Bird Observatory

The overall goal of this research is to examine the migratory behavior and orientation of juvenile and adult Blackpoll Warblers (Setophaga striata) that migrate through and from the Braddock Bay region. The specific goals of this pilot project are (1) to determine if age differences exist in stopover length and duration of at BBBO, (2) to examine differences in the migratory and orientation strategies of juvenile and adult birds, (3) to determine the likelihood of detection of Blackpoll Warblers tagged at BBBO during fall migration at other Motus stations in the northeastern United States or Canada, (4) to test the feasibility of gaining accurate departure direction from nanotag detections collected from a single array of antennae on the BBBO Motus tower.

Inter- and intraspecific variation in the stoichiometry of nutrient release by birds

Ethan Duvall, PhD student, Cornell University

In this study, Duvall will examine interspecific and intraspecific variation in the stoichiometry of nutrient release by birds. This project will set the stage for answering more in-depth questions related to ecosystem functions provided by birds through nutrient movement and recycling. For instance, in tropical habitats where micronutrients such as sodium, calcium, and magnesium are limiting, highly mobile animals such as birds may play important roles in local nutrient distribution. Yet how concentrations of these different elements vary across species of diverse diets, sizes, and life histories, remains unknown. By sampling from a diversity of species at the Braddock Bay Bird Observatory, this project will begin to answer fundamental questions related to the drivers and variation in the stoichiometry of nutrient release by birds.

Regional variations in the preformative molt in residents and short-distance migrants

Dr. Erik Johnson, Audubon Delta
Lucas DeGroote, Powdermill Avian Research Center
Andrea Patterson, Braddock Bay Bird Observatory

The pre-formative molt, during which at least some juvenal feathers are replaced by more adult-like feathers, occurs in all passerines during the bird’s first annual cycle. The extent of this molt varies widely by species but can also vary within species as environmental or other conditions may exert pressure on different populations to replace more or less feathers. This project examines several species of resident birds and short-distance migrants, in order to quantify latitudinal gradients in the extent of the preformative molt.

The impact of Capillaria infection in Sharp-shinned Hawks

Dr. David Mathiason, Braddock Bay Raptor Research
Dr. Sara Childs-Sanford, Cornell University
Dr. Trish Miller, Conservation Science Global, Inc.
Dr. Susan Pagano, Rochester Institute of Technology

In 2016, raptor banders from Braddock Bay Raptor Research (BBRR) noticed that a large number of Sharp-shinned Hawks had deformities of the commissure and plaques on the inside of the mouth. Subsequent testing showed “large numbers of capillariid eggs and embedded worms.” The parasite is common in raptors, but doesn’t usually present in this unusual way. This project aims to look at a number of questions including (1) the incidence in different populations, (2) whether the parasite is acquired on the breeding or non-breeding grounds, (3) whether the infected birds are immunocompromised, (4) and whether there is an impact on survivorship or recruitment. Dr. Pagano will look at stress levels by counting leukocytes on blood smears, Dr. Childs-Sanford will analyze toxicology looking for organics and metals, and she will be putting Pinpoint Argos transmitters on a number of female birds, and Dr. Miller will use isotope analysis to compare the incidence on the breeding grounds. BBBO contributes to the project by providing data, blood samples, and feather samples to the collaboration.

58 Years of warbler migration in North America

Dr. Sara Morris, Canisius College
Dr. Kristen Covino, Loyola Marymount University
Dr. Kyle Horton, Colorado State University
Dr. Ben van Doren, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

This project examines the impact of climate change on warbler migration using long-term data from stations across North America. BBBO’s records account for approximately 6% of the individual records used in the study.

Departure decisions during autumn stopover by a boreal passerine of conservation concern

Dr. Susan Pagano, Rochester Institute of Technology
Andrea Patterson, Braddock Bay Bird Observatory

This project seeks to track the departure movement of migrating Canada Warblers (Cardellina canadensis) captured in the fall at BBBO in order to ascertain migration path information from a regional and landscape perspective, and to assess biological factors that influence how long individuals stay at BBBO before continuing their migration. The study will use plasma metabolite profiling to provide an index of the physiological and nutritional condition of each tagged bird, looking for correlations between condition and stopover decisions including length of stay, diel activity, departure timing, and departure direction. In addition, we are screening blood samples for parasites to determine if there is an effect on stopover duration.

Migration stopover duration and departure decisions in relation to physiological condition in Catharus thrushes

Dr. Susan Pagano, Rochester Institute of Technology
Andrea Patterson, Braddock Bay Bird Observatory

This project aims to track the stopover duration and departure movement of migrating Catharus thrushes. This project will investigate the impacts of changes to the understory and stopover habitat structure on the body condition, physiology/health, diet quality, and movement of these species. Key methods will combine tracking and physiological sampling of migrating individuals on stopover to profile blood lipids and other nutritional analytes and leukocyte profiles. Cloacal swabs will also be obtained to assess bacterial colonies and any associated phage present in the birds. We hope to evaluate migration movement patterns of individuals after departing the area by utilizing detection data of birds in the broader regional MOTUS tower network, including the new array just south of the study site. Such data can be linked back to individual body condition and stress, and perhaps also to resource use as indicated from stopover tracking data. The stopover habitats sampled in this study will include early successional and shrubland areas, and as such any resulting management recommendations may also benefit a variety of threatened and declining species that also utilize these habitats.

Bird genoscape project: Mapping the flyways of the Americas

Dr. Kristen Ruegg, Colorado State University

The Bird Genoscape Project is an effort to map the population-specific migratory routes of 100 species of migratory songbirds by harnessing the power of genomics. BBBO contributes blood and feather samples to this project, based on their stated species of interest.

The migratory microbiome: investigating how the gut microbiome facilitates long-distance avian migration

Dr. Brian Trevelline, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

This project is the first investigation of how the gut microbiome facilitates avian migration via changes in host physiology. Dr. Trevelline will merge bacterial inventories, metatranscriptomics, microbiome transplants, and migratory performance assays to improve our understanding of how migratory birds are capable of extreme physiological remodeling and endurance flights. Using fecal samples collected across the blackpoll’s range, Dr. Trevelline will characterize shifts in the gut microbial composition (16S rRNA sequencing) and function (metatranscriptomics) over four phases of their annual cycle. Next, he will investigate the physiological consequences of shifts in the blackpoll gut microbiome in the first-ever transplantations of wild bird microbiota. Finally, he will determine whether shifts in the gut microbiome enhance flight performance using an avian wind-tunnel. BBBO is serving as a primary field site for the collection of fecal samples.