I’m an ecologist interested in the behaviour, population dynamics, and conservation of animals in seasonal environments, with a particular emphasis on migratory birds and butterflies. I obtained an MSc from the Department of Biology, York University in 2000, a PhD from the Deparment of Biology, Queen’s University in 2005 and was an NSERC/Killam Memorial Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Forest Sciences at the University of British Columbia from 2005-2006. I was appointed a faculty position in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph in 2006.
Research in my lab focuses on the ecology & conservation of migratory animals and resident animals living in seasonal environments. In the field, I lead two of the longest-running avian field studies on marked individuals in Canada: Savannah sparrows on Kent Island, Bay of Fundy, NS, which began in 1987, and Canada Jays in Algonquin Park, ON, which began in 1965. I also collaborate with Dan Strickland on an individually marked population of Canada Jays on Mount Washington, Vancouver Island that began in 2017. In addition to these studies, I also collaborate with a number of people and organizations on the migratory ecology and behaviour of Blackpoll warblers, the effects of domestic cats on wildlife, and the conservation and migration of monarch butterflies. Finally, since 2019, I have been the lead scientist on a collaborative initiative to reintroduce the endangered Mottled duskywing butterfly into formerly occupied and newly created habitats in southern Ontario. See the “current study species” and “research themes” pages for details on these topics and more.
In the past, I have worked on other species of warblers (Hooded warbler, American redstart, Cerulean warbler) and sparrows (Song sparrow), as well as swallows, thrushes, seabirds, shorebirds, manakins, doves, shrikes, dragonflies, salamanders, wolves, and even fruit flies!
For a full list of papers and citations, see my Google Scholar profile
Guelph Appointments
Associate Professor, Department of Integrative Biology, 2011-present
University Research Chair, 2012-2017
Assistant Professor, Department of Integrative Biology, 2006-2010
Editorial Appointments
Editor (2014 – present): Ecology Letters
Editorial Board (2019 – present): Journal of Ornithology
Associate Editor (2014 – 2021): Canadian Journal of Zoology
Editor-in-Chief (2012 – 2019): Avian Conservation and Ecology
Associate Editor (2008 – 2014): Journal of Animal Ecology
Associate Editor (2007 – 2014): Ibis
Awards
Elected Member, College of New Scholars, Artists & Scientists, Royal Society of Canada, 2014-2021
Robert G. Boutilier New Investigator Award, Can. Society Zoologists, 2011
Early Researcher Award, ON Ministry of Research & Innovation, 2008
AOU Young Investigator Award, American Ornithologists Union, 2006
Grants
Our lab has received support from a wide variety of organizations, including provincial and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private foundations. Since 2006, we have been extremely fortunate to be funded through a series of Discovery Grants (including two Accelerator Supplements) from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), as well as grants from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and other funding programs within NSERC (see list below).
Selected Grants
CFI, Infrastructure Fund (2024-2029)
NSERC, Discovery Grant (2022-2027)
NSERC, Alliance Grant (2021-2026)
NSERC, Alliance Grant (2020-2025)
NSERC, Discovery Accelerator Supplement (2016-2019)
NSERC, Discovery Grant (2016-2021)
CFI, Leading Edge Fund (2014)
NSERC, Discovery Accelerator Supplement (2011-2013)
NSERC, Discovery Grant (2011-2015)
CFI, Leaders Opportunity Fund (2009)
NSERC, Strategic Grant (2008)
NSERC, RTI Grants (2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013)
NSERC, Discovery Grant (2006-2011)
Courses
I primarily teach a 4th year Animal Behaviour course and upper year field-based courses, whether they be on- or off-campus (see full list below). In my courses, I tend to focus on evaluating higher levels of thinking (evaluation, synthesis, analysis) and put a strong emphasis on theory, including, where applicable, the mathematical basis of theory. In my field-based courses, I also strongly promote the development of natural history skills (species identification and basic knowledge about species in their environment), which seem to be increasingly rare in our ever-expanding digital world.
ZOO*4070 Animal Behaviour (fall term: 2007-2011, 2014-2018, 2024)
ZOO*4410 Field Ecology in Algonquin Park (summer term: 2007, 2023-2025)
BIOL*3010 Lab & Field Work in Ecology (fall term: 2014-2016, 2021-2023, 2025)
BIOL*2060 Ecology (winter term: 2018, co-taught with A. McAdam)
ZOO*4070 Ornithology (fall term: 2009-2011)
IBIO*6000 (Grad): Measuring Effectiveness of Protected Areas (fall term: 2023)
photo: Brett Forsyth