Kristin Brunk
Postdoctoral Fellow
I am interested in how species respond to anthropogenic threats, and I work to incorporate this interest into conservation and behavioral ecology using a broad range of field and analytical techniques. At the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, I use bioacoustics data collected from California’s Sierra Nevada to model several avian focal species in the Sierras in the context of habitat, forest restoration, and wildfire. The overarching goal of this work is to inform conservation decisions into the future, especially in the face of an uncertain climate.
I got my start in ecology through fieldwork, and I still love spending time in the field whenever I can! Prior to joining the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, I studied the effectiveness of conservation measures on private land for the Marbled Murrelet (a threatened seabird) and the effectiveness of nonlethal management strategies for an important murrelet nest predator, the Steller’s Jay. I also examined the potential of anthropogenic food subsidies to impact the ecology and social dynamics of the Steller’s Jay. Prior to completing my PhD, I worked on a variety of research projects and species including Common Loons, Black Rails, Wood Storks, Nazca Boobies, and more!
Education
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison
B.Sc., Northland College
