A brief description of the research tools that we use to study the ecology and evolution of avian migration:

STABLE ISOTOPES

“You are what you eat”. Organisms are made of the food resources they consume and different stable isotope signatures of common elements such as carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen are progressively incorporated in growing tissues – providing information on different environments and diets. We use stable isotopes (H, C, N) to track animal movements and to reconstruct foraging preferences. See representative publications.

DNA MARKERS

Genetic markers (DNA) can provide an effective tool for the quantitative analysis of migratory connectivity and population genetic structure. We use microsatellites and SNPs for genetic analyses of migratory birds. For example, we conducted a genome-wide association analysis to detected signals of selection in several genes of interest in relation to the molt-migratory phenotype of the Painted Bunting. See representative publications.

GEOLOCATORS

It is not easy to track movements in small (≤ 15 grams) migrant songbirds! Although satellite tracking systems and GPS devices are now much smaller, they are still too big and heavy for many songbirds. We use miniaturized solar powered geolocator tags that are less precise than GPS technology but can be fitted on small songbirds. We analyze geolocator data in conjunction with stable isotopes and genetic data to study species evolution and population responses to environmental change. See representative publications.

BIOINFORMATICS

After data collection and analysis… we still need to organize our new knowledge under an integrated ecological framework. Our goal is to methodically integrate ecology and evolutionary biology through modern bioinformatics and R coding language. See representative publications.