Katherine (Kit) M. Straley

Paige S. Warren

B.A., Ithaca College, 2011

I am interested in how animals adjust behaviorally to rapid changes in habitats, hypothesizing that individual behavior can be a driver in species persistence in urbanizing landscapes. I currently focus on the behavioral flexibility of nesting Wood Thrushes and Gray Catbirds as they cope with forest fragmentation and changes in resource availability in suburban western Massachusetts. My dissertation research utilizes field techniques from both ornithology and entomology; and lab­-based chemical analyses of consumer and resource tissues. I enjoy collaborating with undergraduates as they develop new skills, either in the field or the lab.