David J. Green, Associate Professor, EBERG

Current Research Program:

My research focusses on the role of individual behaviours in determining the structure and dynamics of avian populations. Currently, I am particularly interested in the causes and consequences of individual variation in dispersal and migration behaviour and understanding how recent changes to our landscape influence avian movement and the viability of bird populations. I attempt to tackle these questions using fieldwork to investigate the behaviour of individuals, molecular tools to determine levels of gene flow between populations, and statistical modelling to examine factors influencing the survival and productivity of avian populations.

Ongoing work includes research on the dispersal behaviour and demography of American dippers, a project examining dispersal and migration strategies of wood-warblers in BC and a study of fragmentation effects on gene flow in the logrunner in Queensland, Australia. Research on dippers involves using long-term demographic data and detailed information on the movement of radiotagged birds to investigate dispersal strategies of juveniles and evaluate the fitness consequences of being sedentary or migratory as an adult. Research on wood-warblers combines the use of stable isotope analysis, mark-recapture data obtained from migratory bird monitoring stations and demographic data to investigate patterns of migration and population declines of songbirds breeding in BC.