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Robert L. Curry |
 White-breasted Thrasher, St. Lucia |
ResearchMy research interests include behavior, ecology, and conservation, especially of birds.Study species
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Since 1997, my students and I have been studying the ecology and social behavior of chickadee species pairs in two different settings:
In Pennsylvania, Black-capped Chickadees and Carolina Chickadees come into parapatric contact along a long, narrow zone. In this zone, the species hybridize, and the presence of each influences the social development of the other. This project involves intensive field study of four populations:
Great Marsh (Chester Co.): Carolina Chickadees
Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center (Berks Co.): hybrid chickadees
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary (Berks & Schuylkill Cos.): Black-capped Chickadees (and, as of 2002, some hybrids)
Tuscarora State Park (Schuylkill Co.): Black-capped Chickadees
In Nova Scotia, Black-capped and Boreal Chickadees coexist over a much broader geographic area, within which they maintain overlapping territories without hybridizing (as far as we know). Fieldwork for this project takes place at Chebogue and Deerfield, Yarmouth Co. We began studying the mating system of the Boreal Chickadee in 2007.
Recent publications from our research:
Reudink, M. W., S. G. Mech, S. P. Mullen, and R. L. Curry. 2007. Structure and dynamics of the Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) and Carolina Chickadee (P. carolinensis) hybrid zone in southeastern Pennsylvania. Auk 124:463-478 (PDF reprint available on request)
Curry, R. L., L. M. Rossano, and M. W. Reudink. 2007. Behavioral aspects of chickadee hybridization. Pages 95-110 in Ecology and behavior of chickadees and titmice: an integrative approach (K. Otter, ed.), Oxford University press, Oxford, UK (PDF)
Reudink, M. W., S. G. Mech, and R. L. Curry. 2006. Extra-pair paternity and mate choice in hybridizing chickadees. Behavioral Ecology 17:56-62 (Advance Access, 26 Oct. 2005, PDF format)
Curry, R. L. 2005. Hybridization in chickadees: much to learn from familiar birds. Auk 122:747-758 (PDF reprint available on request)
Other projects that my students and I have undertaken combine the same methods, including GIS, to address ecological, evolutionary, and conservation questions. Organisms we are studying include the critically endangered Socorro Mockingbird (Mimus graysoni) on a Mexican island, and Galápagos mockingbirds on Isla Española, where I earlier conducted dissertation research. Plans for continuing research on this general topic include:
New field studies on the Cozumel Thrasher (Toxostoma guttatum), a critically endangered single-island endemic
Collaborative research on the evolution of cooperative breeding and song complexity in the Mimidae, a project spearheaded by Irby Lovette of Cornell University
Another field study is focusing on assessment of the effects of habitat loss on the demography and social ecology of the endangered White-breasted Thrasher (Ramphocinclus brachyurus) on St. Lucia.
Recent publications from our research:
Arbogast, B. S., S. V. Drovetski, R. L. Curry, P. T. Boag, G. Seutin, P. R. Grant, B. R. Grant, and D. J. Anderson. 2006. The origin and diversification of Galapagos mockingbirds. Evolution 60:370-382 (PDF)
Grant, P. R., R. L. Curry, and B. R. Grant. 2000. A remnant population of the Floreana mockingbird on Champion island, Galápagos. Biological Conservation 92:285-290. (PDF)
A primary goal of my work is to understand the ecological influences on social behavior in cooperatively breeding birds. Through ongoing collaborative research with staff at the Archbold Biological Station in Florida, I am investigating interrelationships among habitat structure, food supply, and wildfires. My goal is to use this information to address questions about ecological factors influencing dispersal, reproductive success, and territory dynamics in the Florida Scrub-Jay. This endemic species is officially listed as threatened; our work is contributing to understanding of the ecological requirements of the species.