James Kennerley

Postdoctoral Fellow

Expertise

Brood Parasitism • Molt • Natural History

I’m a natural historian at heart, and my research focuses on two intriguing avian phenomena: brood parasitism and molt.

Brood parasites, such as cuckoos and cowbirds, lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, deceiving the unknowing foster parents into raising their young. I study how these deceptive tactics have evolved and persist, especially in systems where multiple species of brood parasites coexist and target cooperatively breeding birds.

Equally fascinating to me is the process of molt which, along with movement (i.e. migration) and breeding, is one of the three key life-history events in a bird’s annual cycle. My research explores how molt fits into the annual cycle, particularly in tropical birds where seasonal changes have less influence on behavior than in temperate species.

With much of my research focused on Australian birds, during the austral summer I’m often out in the Australian bush seeking out fairywrens and the cuckoos that parasitize them.

Education

Ph.D., University of Cambridge, Zoology
B.Sc., Durham University, Biological Sciences

Man with an orange jacket and binoculars stands outdoors.
Center Macaulay Library
Email jak564@cornell.edu

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Golden-cheeked Warbler by Bryan Calk/Macaulay Library