Raptor Research Center

   Boise State Raptor Biology Grad Students Awarded   

Nationally Competitive Research Grants

Boise State University graduate students Erin Strasser and John O’Keeffe are recipients of nationally competitive research grants from The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB). One of the largest and most prestigious professional associations of its kind, the SICB is dedicated to promoting the pursuit and public dissemination of important information relating to biology.

In addition to receiving $1,000 research awards, Strasser and O’Keeffe have earned a distinction shared by doctoral students at top-tier research universities including Harvard and Yale.

“These are but two accomplishments among many for our graduate students in biology and raptor biology,” said Jim Belthoff, chair of Boise State’s Biology Department in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Our raptor biology graduate program recruits outstanding students from across the country and beyond. It has a long tradition of quality graduate education and productive research.”

Strasser will use her SICB grant in the study of stress responses in nesting American Kestrels exposed to chronic human disturbance, advised by Dr. Julie Heath. O’Keeffe will use his grant in the study of oxidative stress and migratory flight strategies in raptors, advised by Dr. Al Dufty.

Dufty has a connection to another 2009 SICB grant recipient — Michael Butler. Now working on his doctorate at Arizona State University, Butler is a product of Boise State’s unique raptor biology program and the namesake of a scholarship endowed by his parents. Citing Dufty’s good work with students, the Butlers continue to contribute to the endowment and the advancement of Boise State’s research mission.

“I like to think that biology is among the strengths of our college,” Belthoff said. “Our faculty are nationally and internationally known, and they do outstanding work with students.”

         

Butler Fund

Mike Butler is a recent graduate student in our Raptor Biology program, where he studied with  Al Dufty.  Mike is now a PhD candidate at Arizona State University where he works on the evolutionary significance of pigments in the plumage of birds in Kevin McGraw's laboratory.  

Mike truly enjoyed and benefitted from his time in our graduate program at Boise State.  Therefore, on behalf of Mike, his parents, Bill and Sue, have established an Endowed Ecological Research Fund in Mike's name at Boise State.   

The fund will help support the work of a graduate student each year.  The selected student shall be pursuing an MS in Biology, an MS in Raptor Biology, or a PhD in Biology at Boise State.  Preference will be given to selecting a student with the following characteristics:

   a.  Engaged in research in the area of plant or animal ecology

    b.  An active and helpful participant in department affairs

    c.  A regular attendee of departmental seminars

    d.  Making timely progress toward completion of their thesis/dissertation. 

We thank the Butlers for this gift and for the positive impact it will have on our graduate students within the Department of Biological Sciences. 

The Department of Biology and

Raptor Research Center 

The Effects of Investigator Disturbance of American Kestrels: 

A Study of Incubation Behavior and Nest Survival

Abstract. – Empirical evidence shows that avian incubation behavior and nesting success can be negatively affected by human disturbances such as noise and pollution from urbanization or tourism near breeding areas.  These effects may be mediated by changes in a bird’s physiology in response to stress.  I hypothesize that investigator disturbance negatively affects incubation behavior and concentrations of hormones that promote or interrupt parental care.  I predict that varied frequencies of investigator disturbance will have varied effects on American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) nest attendance and that these effects will be reflected by changes in corticosterone and progesterone levels and, finally, that investigator disturbance will affect nest survival rates.  Nest attendance will be monitored with Ibutton temperature data loggers, and blood samples will be taken prior to and following the completion of treatments to compare potential changes in hormone levels.  These results will provide insight into the effects of investigator disturbance on American Kestrel incubation behavior and nest survival and encourage appropriate study methods. 

and

 Occupancy and Habitat Associations of Forest Owls in the Boise National

 Forest:     The Roles of Vegetarian Class, Species Co-occurrence, and

 Anthropogenic Factors on the Distribution of Owls

The Peregrine Fund

Now available online: Proceedings from the May 2008 conference

 "Ingestion of Lead from Spent Ammunition:

Implications for Wildlife and Humans"

Review Summary

New Publication

Henny, Charles J.; Yates, Michael A.; Seegar, William S. 2009. Dramatic declines of DDE and other organochlorines in spring migrant Peregrine Falcons from Padre Island, Texas 1978-2004.  Journal of Raptor Research 43(1):37-42.

Abstract: Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) captured in the spring at Padre Island, Texas, nest across the arctic and subarctic from Alaska to Greenland and winter throughout Latin America.  Padre Island, located immediately north of the Mexican border, is the peregrines' first landfall in the U.S.A. after spending about 6 months in Latin America.  Blood plasma was collected from spring migrants at Padre Island between 1978 and 2004 to monitor trends in organochlorine (OC) pesticides and their metabolites.  Geometric mean concentrations of p,p'-DDE (ug/g, ww)decreased throughout the study: 1978-1979 (0.879), 1980 (0.617), 1984 (0.551), 1994 (0.406) and 2004 (0.013).  Most other OC pesticides, with detection limits used during the earlier portion of this study, were no longer detected during the last two sampling periods.  The reduced concentrations of OC pesticides suggest that other pesticides (including carbamates, organophosphates and pyrethroids) are likely being used as replacements.  These replacement compounds are not as persistent and cannot be readily evaluated at migration sites like Padre Island.  However, concentrations of flame retardants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers; PBDEs) have recently increased in bird eggs in many regions and have been reported in blood plasma.  Concentrations of PBDEs in peregrine plasma could be evaluated at Padre Island for assessment of trends in the Americas.

New Publication

Staley, AM; Blanco, JM; Dufty, AM; Wildt, DE; Monfort, SL. 2007. Fecal steroid monitoring for assessing gonadal and adrenal activity in the golden eagle and peregrine falcon.  Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 177 (6): 609-622

Abstract: We examined the efficacy of noninvasive monitoring of endocrine function via fecal steroid immunoassays in the golden eagle and peregrine falcon.  High-pressure liquid chromatography analyses of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM) revealed that minor percentages of immunoreactive fGCM co-eluted with [3H] corticosterone in both sexes of the eagle (2.5-2.7%) and falcon (7.5-11.9%).  In contrast, most fecal estrogen metabolites in eagle and falcon females co-eluted with radiolabeled estradiol-17B ([3H]; 57.6, 64.6%, respectively) or estrone ([3H]; 26.9, 4.1%, respectively).  Most fecal progestin metabolite immunoreactivity in the female eagle (24.8%) and falcon (21.7%) co-eluted with progesterone ([14C]).  Most fecal androgen metabolite immunoreactivity in eagle (55.8%) and falcon (63.7%) males co-eluted with testosterone ([14C]).  Exogenous adrenocorticotropin hormone induced increased fGCM excretion above pre-treatment in both species, but only significantly (P<0.05) in the eagle.  Both species showed increased fGCM after saline administration, suggesting the detection of  'handling stress.'  Both species exhibited enterohepatic and renal recirculation of administered steroids as demonstrated by biphasic and triphasic excretion patterns.  Thus, noninvasive fecal hormone monitoring is a valid and promising tool for assessing gonadal and adrenal status in rare and threatened birds-of-prey.  [Full Text]

New Publication

Sex identification in four owl species from Idaho:

DNA AND Morphometrics

LYNDA LEPPERT, TATIANA V. ZADOROZHNY, JAMES R. BELTHOFF,

AND ALFRED M. DUFTY, JR.

Raptor Research Center, Boise State University

1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725  U.S.A.

SARAH L. STOCK

Division of Resources Management and Science, Yosemite National Park

5083 Foresta Road, P.O. Box 700, El Portal, CA 95318  U.S.A.

GREG KALTENECKER

Idaho Bird Observatory, Biology Department, Boise State University

1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725  U.S.A.

JAMES F. SMITH

Department of Biology, Boise State University

1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725   U.S.A.

J.Raptor Res. 40(4):291—294