Yesenia A. Mora, MS

About Yesenia:

I am interested in animal behavior, specifically how animals interact with other organisms and the physical environment. My academic trajectory started with an immense love for animals and a curiosity for why animals have certain behaviors. As I learned more about biology, I found that ecology was the path I could take to learn more about animals and their unique behaviors. I am currently studying the “wing-flashing” behavior of predatory songbirds, San Clemente Loggerhead Shrikes. My undergraduate research sought to understand whether this behavior enhances prey-capture success in shrikes; my current graduate work is aimed at understanding specifically how it works. I hope that my findings will help bring insight into the livelihood of this endangered species and that I will be able to work with the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance after I obtain a doctoral degree. Please see the Loggerhead Shrike research page for an overview and below for the details of my Master's thesis work.

Contact: morayesenia057@gmail.com

Yesenia's Master's Research

The San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus mearnsi) is known for their predatory hunting and prey impaling behaviors. However, one aspect of their hunting behavior that has received much less attention is wing-flashing. Wing-flashing consists of rapid (fluttering) movements of the wings that seem to accentuate the contrasting black and white coloration of their wings. For other species that perform wing-flashing during foraging, the consensus is that it helps to increase their prey capture efficiency, and the same seems to be true for shrikes (Mora et al., 2025). However, it is still unknown specifically how and why wing-flashing functions. My research explores the question of which aspect(s) of the wing-flashing behavior prey respond to that causes them to expose themselves to their predator. I tested three prey types of the San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike to analyze their escape behaviors in response to the various stimuli of wing-flashing. By observing and analyzing the prey reactions to the various stimuli of wing-flashing, it may be possible to identify whether wing-flashing represents a “one size fits all” adaptation for increasing prey capture performance, or if different components of the behavior integrating morphology (wing coloration) and movement (wing-flashing) actually target different sensory perceptions of various prey. The results from this research will reveal how wing-flashing is perceived by the recipients, which is critical for shaping the evolution of the behavior.