Boulder Chickadee Study

What we study:

Black-capped and mountain chickadees are closely-related species that co-occur in Boulder County but occupy different habitats based on elevation. The Boulder Chickadee Study leverages an extensive network of nest boxes from Boulder up to the Mountain Research Station to examine how cities are changing interactions between these two species from both genomic and field-based perspectives. We pair field studies with cutting-edge genomic tools to understand interactions between these inquisitive & industrious birds.

We are broadly interested in understanding how human-modified spaces are impacting the interactions between these two species. We currently have the following on-going projects:

Assessing the degree of hybridization between the two species
Quantifying nest parasites along mountain slopes
Characterizing the feather patterning of the two species.

Publications

Theodosopoulos AN, Grabenstein KC, Larrieu M, Arnold V, Taylor SA. Accepted. Similar parasite communities but dissimilar infection patterns in two closely related chickadee species. Ornithology.

Grabenstein KC, Burg T, Otter K, Taylor SA. Hybridization between closely related songbirds is related to human habitat disturbance. Global Change Biology. 29:955-968.

Grabenstein KC, Burg T, Otter K, Taylor SA. Sympatry leads to reduced body condition in chickadees that occasionally hybridize. Ecology and Evolution. Accepted.

Grabenstein KC, Taylor SA. 2018. Breaking Barriers: Causes, Consequences, and Experimental Utility of Human-Mediated Hybridization. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 33(3), 198–212.

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