The Ecology, Conservation & Evolution of Migratory Animals
Research in our lab focuses on the population dynamics, behaviour, conservation, and evolution of migratory animals. We address a variety of topics including effects of climate change and habitat loss throughout the annual cycle of seabirds and songbirds, the role of migration networks and seasonal interactions in predicting changes in population size, the development of optimal conservation plans for a range of migratory species, the costs and benefits of migration, and life-history trade-offs between different periods of the annual cycle. Our research integrates behavioural and demographic field research with landscape ecology, theoretical and empirical modeling, and biogeochemistry. We conduct field research in a number of locations including the BC Pacific coast, Costa Rica, Algonquin Park, the Bay of Fundy, the eastern Canadian Arctic, Long Point Provincial Park, and the University of Guelph campus.
Click here for the departmental webpage
Norris Lab
Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph
New papers from the lab:
Northern wheatears breeding in the North American Arctic migrate 14,500 km over land and 3,500 km over water to winter in sub-Sahara Africa.
Bairlein, F, Norris, DR, Nagel, R, Butle,
M., Voigt, CC, Fox, JW, Hussell, DJT &
Schmaljohann, H. 2012. Cross-
hemisphere migration of a 25-gram
songbird. In press: Biology Letters
-----------------------------
In Savannah sparrows, the date of departure for fall migration is influenced by the timing of breeding and then fined tuned by weather conditions.
Mitchell, GW, Newman, AEM,
Wikelski, M & Norris, DR. 2012. Timing
of breeding carries over to influence
migratory departure in a songbird: an
automated radiotracking study. In
press: J. Animal Ecology
Recent lab news:
March 2012: New Monarch research on
migration patterns featured in
Montreal Gazette, Vancouver Sun, and
March 2012: Ryan interviewed on new
northern wheatear study on CBC
Quirks & Quarks. This paper was also
covered by numerous media outlets
(see list on publications page)
We are deeply saddened by the
passing of Marvin Morales, who was an
extremely promising PhD student of
Doug Levy’s at the University of Florida
and a future leader of Latin American
Ornithology.
Jan 2012: Ryan & Keith Hobson are
now the Co-Editors of Avian
Oct 2011: Gray Jay research featured
Oct 2011: Norris Lab research
featured in the Kitchener-Waterloo
Record and Guelph Mercury.
Kent Island, Bay of Fundy
Algonquin Park, ON
Marbled murrelet, coastal BC
Gray jays, Algonquin Park, ON
Savannah sparrow, Kent Island, NB
For visitors:
The Norris Lab is located on the 2nd floor of the New Science Complex (Room 2403/2404) on the east side of
Gordon St., University of Guelph campus. It is about 45 minutes west of the Toronto airport.
Click here for campus map
Click here for visitor parking locations
Click here for the University of Guelph homepage
This website was created July 2010.
All content copyright Ryan Norris.