Western Field Ornithologists is in the sixth year of its Research Grant program. In past years, the program has supported 3 to 6 students depending on available funding. We have always had more applicants than we can support, but in 2025 the number of applicants rose sharply.
WFO members are no doubt aware that the status of fellowships and research grants dependent on federal funding has been uncertain and, in some cases, significantly reduced. The WFO Board felt that given the strong financial position of our Scholarship Fund that an increase in the number of grants to 10 for 2025 would be an important way that we could support students at this time. Even at this level, we are only able to support a fraction of the many excellent proposals that were submitted. This is only possible because of the generosity of our donors in funding programs for students, and we thank them for their strong support.
Look for more about these students and their projects in future newsletters and conferences.
Cristina Barros, University of Northern Colorado. Song function in female Red-winged Blackbirds and its link to reproductive success.
Ava Ciaccia, University of Nevada, Reno. Lipid availability and clutch size in an urban songbird.
Juliette Dalicano, University of California, Davis. Nestling physiology and reproductive success of Tree Swallows and Western Bluebirds across urbanization gradient.
Matthew Dunning, University of Idaho. Adaptive evolution of Burrowing Owls across heterogenous landscapes.
Jessica Karr, Oregon State University. Thermogenic capacity of Mountain White-crowned Sparrows in relation to facultative migration and seasonality.
Josiah Lavender, University of New Mexico. Audubon’s Warbler reproductive phenology; genetic basis and cold adaptation.
Sage Madden and Monica Sandri, University of California, Davis. Black Phoebe responses to urban/rural heat gradient.
Sarah Scott, Boise State University. Haemosporidian infections in resident and migratory American Kestrels.
Samantha Webb, Cal Poly Humboldt. Effects of oak woodland restoration on four focal bird species.
Lauren Whitenack, University of Nevada, Reno. Arthropod prey and reproductive phenology matching in Mountain Chickadees.
May 2025 | John Harris, Past President