Research

The Cooper Lab is broadly interested in avian ecology and conservation. We integrate natural history observations with new tracking technology, quantitative tools, and large-scale field experiments to increase our understanding of birds throughout the annual cycle. Documenting the interplay between behaviors such as movement and the environment improves our understanding of the natural world and allows us to predict how individual behaviors scale up to affect populations – something that has become critical as avian populations across the globe experience alarming declines. We also work closely with wildlife agencies to develop and evaluate methods to manage wildlife, with a specific emphasis on threatened and endangered birds in the Great Lakes Region. Through these efforts, we aim to both advance our fundamental understanding of ecology and provide resource managers with the information needed to effectively conserve wildlife.