Caroline Cappello
Postdoctoral Fellow
Expertise
Quantitative Ecology • Population Ecology • Natural History • Conservation
I am a quantitative wildlife ecologist studying how global change and human activities impact wildlife behavior, performance, and population dynamics. By integrating data from field studies, remote sensing, and participatory science platforms, my research aims to inform the conservation of threatened species while advancing knowledge of avian ecology and natural history.
A seabirder by training, I earned my PhD from the University of Washington and continue to collaborate on projects focused on the ecology and conservation of Magellanic and Galápagos penguins. More recently, my research has brought me to dry land, where I am studying topics related to bird conversation in the Western United States.
At the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, I am using data from eBird and methods in interpretable machine learning to explore rapid population declines in the pinyon jay, a critical seed disperser in piñon-juniper ecosystems. This research aims to advance statistical approaches for analyzing participatory science data while generating actionable insights for conservation.
Education
Ph.D., University of Washington, Biology
B.A., Brandeis University, Environmental Studies
