Publications

Blake, M.R., M.A. Fylling, D. Leick, T.M Rodriguez, and K. Stone. 2023. Evaluating two avian monitoring tools for detecting relative abundance of species during autumn migration. Journal of Field Ornithology 94(3):4. 

DeSimone, J.G., Blake, M.R., Blake, W.A., Fylling, M.A., and CW Breuner. In review. Stopover physiology and movement across multiple spatial scales in two passerines during fall migration.

DeSimone, J.G., Domschot, B.S., Fylling, M.A., Blake, W.M. and Breuner, C.W., 2022. Body mass and triglycerides predict departure of free‐living nomadic pine siskins. Functional Ecology, 00, pp1-11.

Mancuso, K.A., Fylling, M.A., Bishop, C.A., Hodges, K.E., Lancaster, M.B. and Stone, K.R., 2021. Migration ecology of western gray catbirds. Movement Ecology, 9(1), pp.1-16.

Fylling, M.A., Rodriguez, T.M. and Krzywicki, M.T., 2018. Using Upper Mandible Lining Color to Age Black-capped Chickadees: Is it reliable? North American Bird Bander, 43(2 & 3), pp.58-61.

Hutto, R.L., Flesch, A.D. and Fylling, M.A., 2014. A bird’s-eye view of forest restoration: Do changes reflect success? Forest Ecology and Management, 327, pp.1-9. 

Recent Reports

2023 Breeding Season Songbird Banding at MPG Ranch

In summer of 2023, we monitored breeding birds on the northern floodplain for our thirteenth consecutive year to learn about songbird trends, survival, and productivity. We also banded songbird nestlings for two different nesting studies. Between 2021-2023, we found 118 nests on the northern floodplain that will provide reference for a contaminant study on the Clark Fork River Superfund area. In early August, we installed Tree Swallow nest boxes for a project focused on nesting success and ecotoxicology. Click here to read the full report.

2023 Motus Tagging Project: Grassland Songbirds at MPG Ranch

This summer, the University of Montana Bird Ecology Lab (UMBEL) continued to deploy Motus tags on grassland birds to complement our research into the breeding ecology of songbirds in the grasslands of the Bitterroot Valley. We tagged three bird species and we increased our field effort from 20 tags deployed in 2022 to 50 tags deployed in 2023. Learn more about our results here. 

2022 Fall Migration Songbird Banding at MPG Ranch

We have been monitoring songbird migration in the Bitterroot Valley for 12 consecutive years. In 2022, we captured over 950 birds, deployed 15 nanotags on Swainson's Thrushes, and documented a unique genetic mutation in a Black-capped Chickadee. To read more about these stories and other highlights, you can download the full report here. 

2022 Grassland Songbird Nesting Study at MPG Ranch

The University of Montana Bird Ecology Lab (UMBEL) is studying songbird reproductive success in managed grasslands on MPG Ranch to evaluate how restoration actions influence breeding birds. We are monitoring nests of Grasshopper Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, and Western Meadowlark. Read the full report here.

2022 Report: Mapping Localized Bird Movements using an array of Nodes

The cooperative network of Motus towers combined with radio-transmitting tags are transforming our understanding of long-distance bird movements, but do not provide accurate locations for mapping localized bird activity. The University of Montana Bird Ecology Lab (UMBEL) is testing whether supplementing Motus with an array of receiving nodes can locate tagged birds precisely enough to shed light on breeding season movements in the steep woody draws of the Bitterroot Valley. You can read more about the MPG Motus Node study here.