Federal Advisory Councils Seek Nominations and Public Comments

August 18, 2015 by The Wildlife Society

Several advisory councils will be meeting over the next few months. Some are requesting written comments or questions from the public for the councils to consider during the meeting.

The Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council provides advice about wildlife and habitat conservation endeavors that benefit wildlife resources; encourage partnership among the pubic, the sporting conservation organizations, the States, Native American tribes, and the Federal Government; and benefit recreational hunting. They are meeting on September 1 and September 2. Submit comments by August 19.

The Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board provides advice concerning the management, protection, and control of wild free-roaming horses and burros on public lands. They are seeking public nominations for three positions on the board. Instructions on how to nominate and requirements to be nominated are on the Federal Register. Nominations must be submitted by September 28.

The Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking provides expertise and support to the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking. They are meeting on August 24. A summary of the minutes of the meeting will be available on their website.

Hawaii’s Invertebrates Dwindling Fast

August 18, 2015 by Dana Kobilinsky

Hawaii was once known for its diversity in colorful plants and assorted wildlife. However, in recent decades researchers have noted extreme losses and have even deemed the islands the “extinction capital of the world.”

Further, researchers had never considered the loss of biodiversity in wildlife that might not be as easy to detect with the naked eye — invertebrates, which include insects, snails and spiders. This was what drove scientists from the Pacific Biosciences Research Center (PBRC) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and other collaborators to study how these small, but important, creatures are faring in an ecosystem experiencing tremendous biodiversity loss. Their research was published in the journal Conservation Biology.

The research team narrowed in on the most diverse group of Hawaiian land snails in the family Amastridae, with 325 species recognized in Hawaii. They found only 15 of the 325 reported species and from that number estimated the extinction rate for the snails could have been as high as a 14 percent per decade.

In another study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, members of the same team looked at invertebrate extinction globally. They wanted to find the extent to which the “sixth mass extinction” theory is true — a theory that suggests the earth is in the middle of a massive biodiversity extinction crisis due to human activity.

While only 800 species of the 1.9 million of the world’s total species are listed as extinct on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) “Red List,” in this study, researchers found that there is a much larger loss than reported.

“We showed, based on extrapolation from a random sample of land snail species from all over the world, and via two independent approaches, that we may already have lost seven percent or 130,000 extinctions of all the animal species on Earth,” said Robert Cowie, research professor at PBRC and coauthor of the two studies in a press release.

The IUCN Red List numbers include only birds and mammals and don’t account for invertebrates although they make up about 99 percent of known biodiversity.

The researchers said that their findings show the biodiversity crisis is real. They also stressed the importance of including invertebrates in assessments of biodiversity in order to see the big picture when studying biodiversity.

Insecticides Alter Spiders’ Personalities and Behaviors

August 18, 2015 by Dana Kobilinsky

Consume the same amount of alcohol as your friend, and you may notice that you’re acting a little loopier than them, or vice versa.

This is the idea that urged Raphaël Royauté to study how insecticides affect a spider’s personality and behavior during his PhD at McGill University. While farmers use insecticides to kill pests such as moths and fruit flies, they are unintentionally interfering with the spiders’ ability to do their job, which ironically, is also to kill pests.

“We know that individual [spiders] have their own way of behaving, like a personality, just like pets have unique tendencies — whether they are shy, sociable or dominant,” said Royauté, who is the lead author of the study published in Functional Ecology. “This phenomenon is very common in wildlife including spiders. But researchers are only beginning to unveil the wider consequences of wildlife having personalities for various ecological processes.”

Royauté and his research team conducted experiments on bronze jumping spiders (Eris militaris), which play an important role in controlling pests in agricultural systems, to determine how their behaviors changed when they were exposed to Phosmet, a broad spectrum insecticide that controls multiple pests at the same time.

Researchers reared bronze jumping spiders in deli container cups as part of an effort to study the spiders’ personalities and determine how exposure to insecticides impacted their behavior. Image Credit: Raphael Royauté

Researchers reared bronze jumping spiders in deli container cups as part of an effort to study the spiders’ personalities and determine how exposure to insecticides impacted their behavior.
Image Credit: Raphael Royauté

The researchers focused on two behaviors that are critical for spiders’ ability to control pests: their ability to leap on prey and to explore new habitats. To measure those behaviors, they placed a fruit fly and a spider in a petri dish to determine how long it took for the spider to capture the prey and also placed the same spiders in an open field arena to determine how they explored their environment. This experiment allowed them to estimate a baseline of personality differences among the spiders in absence of insecticide exposure, Royauté said. Some spiders were much quicker when it came to attacking prey or exploring their environment.

The researchers conducted the same experiment on spiders exposed to the insecticide and found that the individuals were less likely to behave according to their personality type. Royauté and his team were surprised to find that male spiders exposed to the insecticide “lost” their personality types mostly for exploration behaviors, while the insecticide affected females more in their ability to capture prey. “Another cool thing was that we didn’t see the difference in average behavior,” Royauté said. “You would conclude that insecticide had no effect on spiders, but when looking at individual differences there were strong shifts between males and females on how insecticide caused them to function.” The researchers hope that these findings will lead to the reevaluation of procedures used to estimate the toxicity of insecticidal compounds by encouraging other researchers to pay more attention to effects occurring at the individual level.

While the research showed an effect on the behavior of spiders, the consequences of insecticide exposure are still something that needs to be studied, according to Royauté. For example, there is evidence that behavioral changes in predators can have a cascading effect on lower levels of the food chain. “We haven’t been able to test that yet, but that is the direction our research suggests we go in,” he said.

As for conservation implications, Royauté said it’s not as simple as stopping use of pesticides. Farmers are economically driven, making the decision to spray or not a hard one. Further, there have been studies in which other toxins such as antidepressants and endocrine disrupters are making their way into the environment and are also affecting wildlife.

“It’s not just spiders that are exposed; it’s also honey bees and earthworms,” he said. “These are beneficial organisms exposed on a regular basis. When you zoom out, it’s important to understand how changes in personalities on multiple species are altering their interactions and how these changes impact the balance of ecosystems.”

Increased Human-Bison Conflict in Yellowstone

August 17, 2015 by The Wildlife Society

A prosperous bison population at Yellowstone National Park is causing conflicts with tourists this year. Since mid-May, five individuals visiting the park were trampled, tossed in the air and otherwise injured by bison, leaving them with treatable injuries as well as interesting stories to tell their friends. In an attempt to manage the bison and stop these types of conflicts, park managers culled 500 bison — the highest number in years.

Read more at the Washington Post.

Research Assistantships Available for Native Americans

August 17, 2015 by The Wildlife Society

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Premier Partner of The Wildlife Society, is sponsoring a research assistantship program for Native American students. This is the second year for the program, which will facilitate mentoring opportunities for USFS Research & Development (R&D) scientists with the students and promote student advancement and training for careers in natural resource and conservation-related fields. The USFS uses an ecological science-based approach to make informed decisions on the multiple-use management of the National Forests and Grasslands.

A short-term assistantship is available for Native American students interested in wildlife and forest resources and excited to learn and work with an interdisciplinary team of researchers. Applicants must be a member of an American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, First Nations, or a Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or have some other indigenous identification, and be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program from an accredited academic institution. A bachelor’s or master’s degree in wildlife biology, ecology, forestry or other closely related natural resource discipline is preferred.  Students with Associates degrees from TCUs or other community colleges will be considered.

Potential project topics include:

  1. Interrupting the disease cycle of Psuedogymnoascus destructans (Pd): Leveraging knowledge of disease and treatment dynamics to design integrated disease management strategies

Project Objectives: Evaluate metabolic changes and disease progression (White-nose syndrome) from initial appearance of conidia on bats (swarming) through treatments; and assess post-hibernation survival, fitness and reproductive success.

Location, Estimated Duration, and Housing: Missouri, Michigan, or Tennessee. Assistantship will last for three consecutive months within the timeframe of January 2, 2016 to July 1, 2016. Known housing is currently uncertain and would need to be determined through information sharing between the student and a USFS representative. Many housing options are available in the area.

  1. Monitoring bat populations and sharp tail grouse habitat during a barrens ecosystem restoration project

Project Objectives: Assist ongoing research-management partnerships to: (1) Record and analyze acoustic activity of bat species across the forest and (2) collect baseline vegetation data prior to prescribed fire and brushing treatments in a large-scale barrens restoration effort.  Vegetation will include important cultural plants, and measuring structure of existing habitat as it relates to sharp tail grouse habitat management.

Location, Estimated Duration, and Housing: Wisconsin. Assistantship will start no sooner than May 15, 2016 and finish no later than August 31, 2016. Housing is uncertain. Attempts will be made to find federal housing near study areas; however, this housing is extremely limited and given to USFS employees first.  If available, the student would have to pay bunk rates.  If housing is not available, the PIs will work with the student to find affordable housing in the area.

  1. Assessment of wildfire risk in treated and untreated Mexican spotted owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) territories on tribal lands

Project Objectives: High severity, stand-replacing wildfire is currently the primary threat to Mexican spotted owl (MSO) nesting and roosting habitat in southwestern forested landscapes. The primary objectives of this project are as follows: (1) Identify the composition of fuel loading in treated and untreated MSO breeding territories, (2) identify the degree to which wildfire risk is reduced in MSO territories that have experienced moderate to low intensity silvicultural treatments, (3) identify general trends regarding the spatial arrangement of wildfire risk around MSO nest sites, and (4) correlate MSO occupancy and reproduction rates to fuel loading and wildfire potential within breeding territories.

Location, Estimated Duration, and Housing: New Mexico. This internship is on a flexible schedule and we can work with the student on developing exact dates for work. However, we would like to plan for three consecutive months within this timeframe: starting no sooner than May 1, 2016 and ending no later than Sept 30, 2016. Local USFS housing is available in Ruidoso and possible tribal housing could be available. Details need to be determined.

  1. Examining long-term changes in stream habitats on Dzil Ligai Sian (Mt. Baldy)

Project Objectives: The immediate objective is to evaluate changes in aquatic wildlife habitat in streams on Dzil Ligai Sian (Mt. Baldy), the ecologically and culturally preeminent peak of White Mountain Apache tribal lands. These streams are the ancestral habitat of the Apache trout and other plants and animals of cultural significance and rarity. This information will help to understand current conditions and potential impacts of fires and climate change. Such information can guide restoration and conservation efforts by determining which reaches are vulnerable and which are resilient. A mid-term objective is to build tribal capacity to evaluate changes in these critical habitats owing to climate change, wildfires, and other stressors.

Location, Estimated Duration, and Housing: Arizona. Assistantship will start in April or May 2016 and last for approximately 18-22 weeks. Housing is uncertain and depends on the assistant.

  1. Climate change impacts on recruitment/ dispersal of native Hawaiian stream fauna

Project Objectives: Use a naturally occurring rainfall gradient on Hawaii Island to see how a future warmer and drier Hawaii will impact recruitment and dispersal of native goby (Lentipes concolor, Awaous stamineus, Sicyopterus stimpsoni, Stenogobius hawaiiensis, Eleotris sandwicensis) and shrimp (Atyoida bisulcata) larvae.

Location, Estimated Duration, and Housing: Hawaii. Assistantship will start during Summer 2016. The student must identify, secure and pay for his or her own housing.

  1. Combining Cutting-Edge Genetic Technology and Traditional Ecological Knowledge to Assess and Monitor Wolverine Distribution on the Flathead Indian Reservation

Project Objectives: (1) Aide in the STEM education of Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal students and (2) help delineate the distribution and assess gene flow changes of wolverine throughout the entire U.S. Rocky Mountains.  The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are participating in the field component of this effort.

Location, Estimated Duration, and Housing: Montana. Assistantship will start during Summer 2016. The student must identify, secure and pay for his or her own housing.

The appointment is for 3 to 5 months within the 2016 calendar year, depending on the project. Starting dates are negotiable within the context of the seasonality of the research topics.  For more information and instructions on how to apply, please download an application form. The deadline for applications is October 26, 2015.

The USFS is a Premier Partner of TWS.

TWS Conference: Wolf Capital of the World

August 17, 2015 by Dana Kobilinsky

A little more than 10 years ago, if someone had told Volker Beckmann that the new 10-story high mural of a wolf’s face he helped choose to be painted in Thompson, Manitoba would be the start of important wolf-related research and wolf appreciation in the city, he probably would have looked at them with a puzzled expression.

But now, that’s the exciting reality for Beckmann, project coordinator for Spirit Way, Inc. and the rest of the Sprit Way team, a community-based organization made up of volunteers that are working to develop Thompson as the “Wolf Capital of the World.” As Gold Sponsors of this year’s TWS Annual Conference, Spirit Way and Travel Manitoba are offering a number of events to engage with TWS Annual Conference attendees who are interested in wolf research to educate them on the unique opportunities in Thompson and to get their input on current and future initiatives.

Beckmann said artists came from across the United States and Canada to have their work considered for the mural, but he and his team wanted a painting replicated from famous wildlife painter, Robert Bateman. When they asked Bateman which painting he preferred, (lynx, moose, eagle or wolf) Bateman chose the wolf. Soon after it was painted, the wolf mural drew many visitors and media who could see the mural from about a mile away.

“If we had chosen the lynx or the moose, it would’ve been a beautiful mural, but we wouldn’t have had the history and controversy of the wolf, and all of this stuff wouldn’t have happened,” Beckmann said. “It’s almost an accident that this all came about.”

This is the trigger that caused Spirit Way to begin an initiative to make Thompson, Manitoba the Wolf Capital of the World. At The Wildlife Society’s 22nd Annual Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Spirit Way will offer special presentations, a poster display, an exhibit booth and dedicated sessions to inform people about Spirit Way’s initiative to study, conserve and manage the wolves in Thompson and to develop ideas for a global Wolf Centre of Excellence — something that is now just a concept, but Beckmann hopes to make a reality with help from conference attendees.

Painted 7.5 feet concrete statues of wolves are one of the attractions in Thompson, Manitoba. Tourists are encouraged to participate in a GPS Wolf Hunt, where their mission is to find all of the statues across Winnipeg, Thompson and Churchill by their GPS coordinates. Image Credit: © Volker Beckmann

Painted 7.5 feet concrete statues of wolves are one of the attractions in Thompson, Manitoba. Tourists are encouraged to participate in a GPS Wolf Hunt, where their mission is to find all of the statues across Winnipeg, Thompson and Churchill by their GPS coordinates.
Image Credit: © Volker Beckmann 

Alistair Bath, an associate professor in the department of geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland who has conducted numerous research projects focused on human dimensions in wolf management issues, has also engaged with Spirit Way to explore the creation of a Wolf Centre of Excellence in Thompson. He’ll facilitate a discussion about that topic Wednesday, October 21 for all interested conference attendees. Bath is currently working with master’s student, Bonnie Bishop, to collect statistics on Thompson citizens’ attitudes on wolves, their beliefs about how wolves should be managed, and whether or not people are in support of this initiative to make Thompson the “Wolf Capital.”

“So far, they seem to support the initiative,” Bath said. “They also have positive attitudes toward wolves and very little fear of wolves, and willingness to coexist with the animal. This is important given that based on other research around the world, this is rare.”

Bath acknowledges this may be because conflicts between wolves and people are minimal in Manitoba. It also may be because when individuals have a history of living with wolves in a city, they tend to be more positive toward the animals than if the animals were reintroduced after some time.

Learn more about Spirit Way, Inc. and the Wolf Capital of the World initiative at this year’s Annual Conference:

Spirit Way, Inc. & Travel Manitoba: Introduction to the Wolf Capital of the World
Tuesday, October 20, 12:30 – 1:30 pm
Millennium Suite

Spirit Way, Inc. & Travel Manitoba: Opportunities in the Wolf Capital of the World Region
Tuesday, October 20, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
VIP Salon

Spirit Way, Inc. & Travel Manitoba: Developing a Canadian Wolf Centre of Excellence
Wednesday, October 21, 7:30 – 9:30 am
Pan Am

View our full conference schedule here. 

Visit Thompson

Thompson, Manitoba, is about 1,000 miles north of Minneapolis and is surrounded by boreal forest and trees. It’s filled with wolves, but you might only be able to tell from listening to their howls or spotting their footprints. Beckmann, who was lucky enough to catch a quick glimpse of a wolf that he had initially mistaken for a dog, likes to say, “You might not see them, but they’re probably watching you!”

One of Spirit Way’s goals is to make the city more of an ecotourism attraction since the city’s economy was once based on mining which is now not doing well. While Thompson may be more discreet as a wolf capital when compared to the polar bear capital, Churchill, Manitoba since polar bears are easy to spot, the history and nature in Thompson is an experience conference attendees shouldn’t pass up.

If you can make the trip to Thompson, which is just a train ride away from Churchill, there are 16 points of interest along a 2.5 kilometer walkway including the famous wolf mural as well as concrete painted wolf statues that stand 7.5 feet tall. You’ll also be able to participate in a GPS wolf hunt, where you receive a book filled with GPS coordinates of 49 wolf statues in Winnipeg, Thompson and Churchill, covering 1,000 miles. If you’re able to locate all of the statues, you’ll receive a certificate naming you a Master Wolf Tracker.

At this year’s annual conference, you can get involved in the wolf initiative whether you visit Thompson, attend Spirit Away Inc. discussions or their booth, or consider becoming involved in research projects and creating a global Wolf Centre of Excellence.

Learn more here about the mission to make Thompson, Manitoba the wolf capital of the world.

Request for 2015 – 2016 TWS Committees Volunteers

August 17, 2015 by The Wildlife Society

One of the primary responsibilities of the TWS President is to appoint all of our committee volunteers that help make important decisions for TWS, such as selecting our award recipients. This October, our incoming president for 2015-2016, Gary Potts, will begin appointing members to various committees.

Specific committees that currently need to be filled are the following:

Aldo Leopold Award Committee
Caesar Kleberg Award Committee
Chapter of the Year Award
Conservation Education Award
Diversity Award
Donald H. Rusch Memorial Game Bird Research Scholarship
Excellence in Wildlife Education Award
Honorary Membership and Special Recognition Service Awards
Investment Review Committee
Jim McDonough Award
Retired Wildlife Professionals Committee
Student Chapter Advisor of the Year Award
Student Chapter of the Year Award
Wildlife Publication Awards

If you are interested in serving on any of the above committees, we want to hear from you! Send us an email indicating your interest, along with the preferred committee(s) you would like to assist. We thank you in advance for your willingness to volunteer and to help your professional society!

Please email your interest to Gary Potts and Lilly Matheson (TWS headquarters) at TWSCommittees@wildlife.org.

Due to the overwhelming support we get from our members, we often receive more volunteer requests than we can accommodate. If we are unable to include you in this year’s appointments, please stay tuned for future committee opportunities.

Video: Drones Quicken the Heart Rates of Bears

August 17, 2015 by Joshua Rapp Learn

Humans and bears might not be all that different when it comes to responding to drones flying overhead.

A new study shows that when researchers flew these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) over bears in the wild, the animals displayed quickened heart rates, even if they didn’t necessarily flinch.

“One of the important things is understanding how different species respond differently to UAV flights,” said Mark Ditmer, a conservation biologist with the University of Minnesota and lead author of a new study released in Current Biology. “There are other sorts of responses going on that we just can’t visualize.”


Researchers flew drones over bears fitted with cardio loggers in order to see how the bears reacted to unfamiliar objects flying overheard. This video shows a drone flying over two black bears in a field. Video courtesy of Ditmer et al./Current Biology 2015

He and other researchers captured American black bears (Ursus americanus) in the northwest corner of Minnesota and implanted them with cardiac biologgers that tracked the bears’ pulses and fitted them with GPS collars. Using the bear’s location from the GPS signal, they then sent drones outfitted with cameras over the bears to see whether the devices had any effect on the bears’ heart rates.

“We knew where the drone was at all times, we knew where the bear was every two minutes, and we knew the bear’s heart rates every two minutes,” Ditmer said.

On a completely autonomous mission, the UAV flies toward the location of a collared bear in northwestern Minnesota. Image credit: Jessie Tanner

On a completely autonomous mission, the UAV flies toward the location of a collared bear in northwestern Minnesota. Image credit: Jessie Tanner

Surprisingly the bears only showed a behavioral response to the buzzing drones two of the 18 times they were flown over the animals.

But in every single case the bears showed an increased pulse. In the most extreme case a bear’s heart rate went from 41 beats per minute before the drone approached to 162.

And in general, “the closer the drone got, the bigger the spikes.”

The research shows that wind also played into the bears’ shock factor. There were larger spikes in the bears’ heart rates when the wind was high, and Ditmer thinks this has to do with the surprise factor: Bears may not be able to hear the drone coming until it was right overhead.

He said that while drones can be helpful for research and conservation purposes, these studies help show how close the flying devices can get to animals without causing them any trouble.

“It’s sort of a cautionary tale that there might be more going on there.”

Effective New Model for Predicting Shorebird Habitat

August 14, 2015 by Nick Wesdock

Seashore managers have a new tool to help them protect future habitat for the federally endangered piping plover.

“A lot of the national parks and especially the national seashores along the East Coast are currently revising their general management plans,” said Katherina Gieder, a graduate student at Virginia Tech and lead author of a new study published recently in Ecological Modelling. “It’s a hugely important tool that managers can use.”

Gieder and partners from the U.S. Geological Survey set out to develop and implement the model using geomorphological and piping plover (Charadrius melodus) nesting data from Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland collected in 1999, 2002 and 2008. For those three years of data, she examined the physical features of plover breeding habitat that influence nesting suitability. Twelve variables, such as beach width, site fidelity, elevation and proximity to feeding grounds, were incorporated into the model, which proved to be extremely effective for predicting piping plover habitat on barrier islands. Researchers experienced model error of only about 5 percent overall, and occasionally as low as 2-3 percent.

The model is based on a Bayesian network framework which, in this case, calculated the probability of suitable nesting habitat based on the connection of all 12 geomorphological variables.

“The beauty of Bayesian networks is that their framework is flexible, so you can update them with new information and modify them to apply to other areas,” Gieder said, noting that there does come a point, however, when predictions cannot be improved any further because natural events will always have some degree of uncertainty. “If you apply the model to a different area and it doesn’t work as well you can input more data from that area to improve its performance.”

Much of the geomorphological data that was required for this model to work came from light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and aerial photography. Because these methods of data collection are so expensive, finding coastal areas with this information is one of the model’s biggest constraints. However, the future looks bright for the model because in the wake of “Superstorm” Sandy, many areas along the Eastern Seaboard have begun LIDAR sensing at much more frequent intervals.

Testing the model was just the first step in a larger, collaborative effort by other researchers at Virginia Tech and the USGS to look at coastal hazards of rising sea-levels all along the East Coast and portions of the Gulf Coast. Now that Gieder and her colleagues have proven their tool to be accurate, they are working to publish a second paper with predictions of suitable piping plover habitat in the future. So far, the results look encouraging.

“In 50 to 100 years it looks like, under modest sea-level-rise scenarios, the amount of suitable habitat increases,” Gieder said, adding that moderate sea-level rise encompasses rates we are currently experiencing and a little bit higher. These conditions are likely to lead to less vegetation growth and therefore more suitable habitat, since plovers tend to nest in open sandy areas away from thick vegetation. For these projections, any habitat more than 50 percent likely to host a nest was considered suitable.

It is possible that if the model were refined, it could make predictions closer to 25 years from now rather than 50 or 100. There is also a possibility that the model could be adjusted and applied to habitat other than barrier islands, such as coastal beaches. In fact, another Virginia Tech post-doctoral researcher, Sara Zeigler, is already working on applying the model to other locations.

In addition to helping managers and planners protect valuable plover habitat, they can also use the model to see what will happen to the landscape in general. For instance, it also predicts vegetation density, dune height and elevation statistics that can help managers plan for public recreation, sand replenishment, beach infrastructure and other needs.

Isotopes and Telemetry Reveal Golden Eagle Migratory Patterns

August 14, 2015 by Joshua Rapp Learn

New research on hydrogen isotopes on golden eagles shows that at least some birds of a feather may fly together.

While researchers have long known more or less where eastern golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) come from and where they end up during their migrations, they haven’t known about many of the specifics including whether some subpopulations always group together, and how much connectivity there is between the birds.

“Establishing these patterns of connectivity is really important to conservation,” said Todd Katzner, a research wildlife biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center and a coauthor of a new study published this week in The Condor: Ornithological Applications.

To get a better idea of population dynamics, the research team took hydrogen isotopes from feathers they gathered in winter and summer areas. The water that eagles ingest in different areas contains consistent isotope patterns that can indicate where the birds spent their time. The researchers combined this with telemetry for control, though the gathering of feathers is much cheaper and gives a broader picture of the population makeup.

Based on the data, researchers determined that eagles that spend their winters in Pennsylvania generally spend summers in the mid-latitudes of Quebec, for example. The eagles in general also exhibit what Katzner calls an intermediate level of connectivity between eagle populations — something he said is good due to the fact that it may allow the birds to be more resilient in the face of habitat destruction. For example, if something happens to a population of birds in the summer grounds due to resource development in their area, it won’t necessarily affect an entire wintering population down south, and vice versa.

He also said that connecting different birds’ summering and wintering grounds will allow conservationists to better understand factors affecting different populations. “It underpins a huge amount of conservation action.”