Projects

Mixed-species flocks in the Neotropics

This is a fascinating subject to which I have been dedicating quite some time. These aggregation systems have overlapping species in the Atlantic and Amazonian forests, yet, their organization seems to differ. I am currently trying to understand some basic aspects of Atlantic forest flocks in order to make some comparisons. Extensive field data from both biomes has been kindly made accessible by Philip Stouffer from LSU and Marco Aurelio Pizo from Unesp. Along with that, I have done extensive field work in the Amazon, and have begun in some Atlantic forest sites.

Canopy birds

Canopy birds are surprisingly little understood. How they associate, how much space they use and basic information such as phenology or regional movements. I will begin co-advising a student in 2019 on Hemithraupis flocks at Floresta Estadua Edmundo Navarro de Andrade.

The E-move platform

Movement data is difficult to probe and work with, and sometimes, working with them requires a range of different software. In March 2016, along with the LEEC Lab, run by Milton Ribeiro and his amazing students, we developed a proposal to create a platform to enable movement data visualization and filtering easier, while at the same time providing a centralized platform for movement data storage. The proposal was not approved, but it is something that might be retaken in the near future.

Frogs at the Ducke Reserve

Reserva florestal Adolpho Ducke is a 10 x 10 km patch of forest located just north of the capital of Amazonas state, Manaus. Ther is a rich and interesting array of frog species which Albertina Lima and Bill Magnuson wanted to record as part of a frog guide for the reserve. I spent the years of 2004-2006 filming and recording their sounds. You can check some of the work here: https://ppbio.inpa.gov.br/guias

The savannas in Alter do Chão

My masters project was an attempt to understand the relation between fire frequency, soil quality on arboreal species in an Amazonian savanna located in Alter do Chão, Pará. In 2002 and 2003 I measured ~15.000 individuals ranging from seedlings to adult trees belonging to 25 species situated in 40 transects.

Columbia River Avian Predation Project

From March to August of 2007 I worked as a Caspian tern (Sterna caspia) colony monitor. I was responsible for collecting fish consumption, meal delivery data, and colony count. The project belonged to a larger effort coordineted by Dan Roby at Oregon State University.