Jenna Cava presents research on songbird breeding practices at ornithology meeting

Jenna Cava, a recently graduate with a Master of Science in biology, gave a talk at the American Ornithologist Union and Cooper Ornithology Society Annual Meeting, which was held July 28-August 1, 2015, in Norman, Oklahoma. Cava presented research that she co-authored with graduate student Steve Travis and Noah Perlut, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Environmental Studies.

The talk, titled “Why come back home? Investigating the factors that influence natal philopatry in migratory passerines,” explored the mechanisms underlying why migratory songbirds return to breed near the location in which they were born.

Cava used a long-term dataset for two migratory species – the bobolink and Savannah sparrow – in Vermont.