This Professor Is for the Birds — Literally

How did a scientist whose early work was the study of lakes become the most frequently published researcher on little birds — golden-winged and blue-winged warblers, to be precise?

For 25 years associate professor of biology John Confer (left) has been concerned with the ecology and management of these neotropical migrant birds. In the last three years Confer's research has attracted grants totaling $170,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology, the U.S. National Forest System, and various power utilities.

But he started as a limnologist. Why the switch in research interest? "Birds are a lot more fun to watch than a preserved sample of zooplankton," Confer explains. "Bird populations are indicators of environmental conditions. In my research the assistance of thousands of amateurs-and not a few IC students-helps provide an immense amount of helpful data for scientific analyses that is unequaled for other taxonomic groups."

The major focus of Confer's work has been testing ecological theories by observing golden-winged and blue-winged warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera and V. pinus) and their hybrids. His research has shown that expansion by the blue-winged warbler into the range of the golden-winged warbler is generally followed by hybridization, competition, and localized extinction of the golden-winged. Hybridization-that is, interbreeding-is frequent between the species, and golden-wings tend to hybridize with hybrids more often than do blue-wings. Thus, golden-wings lose out by hybridizing more frequently.

Shrubland habitat is decreasing as housing tracts and malls replace farmland. Because of this, golden-wings and blue-wings, as well as most other shrubland birds, are declining rapidly in the eastern United States. Confer has compiled information on the extensive loss of shrubland habitat, coauthored two review articles about the decline of shrubland plants and animals, and evaluated management options for these species. This concern bridges his theoretical interest in the impact of people on the North American landscape and his practical views on management for species that are declining due to loss of habitat. He has presented studies of shrubland birds in several national forums and contributed to the formation of national policies on land management. He has compiled extensive literature on the golden-winged warbler in a monograph and coauthored a monograph on blue-winged warblers.

His expertise recently prompted a request that could have far-ranging implications indeed. The US Fish and Wildlife Service asked him to prepare the "status assessment" for each of these two warbler species as part of the Endangered Species Act. This federal law-often described as the strongest conservation law in the world-requires that "the best scientific evidence" be assembled as the first step in a series of actions that may lead to listing a species as "threatened" or "endangered." Listing a species as endangered obligates federal agencies to institute a management plan, as outlined in the status assessment, for the species.

Much of Confer's work is now being conducted in power utilities' rights-of-way. In the eastern part of the United States, utilities manage 20 times as much shrubland as all other agencies together. "My interactions with utility managers," says Confer, "provide an opportunity to direct management of hundreds of thousands of acres of valuable wildlife habitat." Among other data he compiles are comparisons of different methods of shrubland management, such as selective use of herbicide, mechanical cutting, and burning. He recently submitted a manual for power utility companies that provides management guidelines to enhance the avian community within rights-of-way.

Confer's research activities also benefit his teaching and his students. This summer he worked with four Ithaca College undergraduates. Environmental studies major Aaron Drucker '01 and biology majors Sarah Pascoe '02, Shelagh Tupper '01, and Alison Wright '01 studied shrubland birds on utility rights-of-way. They worked for eight weeks in the field, six days a week, often 15 hours a day, living in the wilderness and monitoring the nesting success of shrubland birds in southern New York, Maine, and Massachusetts. "Seeing a couple of bears on our study sites was fun," says Confer. "Observing a nest for several weeks and then seeing the young fledge is really satisfying." Their fieldwork was followed by two weeks of data analysis in the lab.

"I could read about areas related to biology," Pascoe says, "but to have hands-on opportunities to observe and collect data gave me a more applied perspective." Confer was always teaching the students about birds, she says, and his enthusiasm for the subject is what created an interest for her.

"Transcribing field observations into accurate data while putting in long hours in the field is a real challenge," says Confer. "All four of the students contributed immensely to this study. Shelagh and Ali were back for a second summer. This year they worked alone at a field site in Massachusetts for several days and obtained essential data on their own."

Confer frequently involves students in research projects. Thirty-three of his students have received credit as coauthors-five as first author. Fifteen of them have given oral presentations at regional and national meetings of professional organizations, and four of his previous student assistants are now doing doctoral research in ecology or ornithology. "The biology department wants to train students to do research," Confer says. "We want to show them that biology is not static and train them how to use the scientific process to gain new knowledge."

Photos by Rich Feger — Courtesy Orange and Rockland Utilities