Emily Dobson, Queen's University B.Sc. 2012, Honours Thesis

Thesis topic - Effects of experimentally manipulated corticosterone on behaviour and fitness in Tree Swallows.

I am currently studying environmental biology, with particular interest in animal behaviour, physiology, and conservation. I am investigating the effects of experimentally manipulated corticosterone levels on behaviour, reproductive success, and survival in Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). For more information, feel free to email me.

Ainsley McGregor, Queen's University B.Sc. 2011, Honours Thesis

Title of thesis: Evaluating urbanization tolerance in related bird species using comparisons of corticosterone levels in related species.

My interests lie largely within the realm of ecological and environmental physiology, particularly disease ecology, with future goals of veterinary medicine and public health. My honours thesis investigated the relationships between baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels and response to urbanization in closely-related bird species. I hope to gain further understanding into how animals respond physiologically to changing environmental conditions and their implications on conservation biology.

Tristan Willis, Queen's University B.Sc. 2011, Honours Thesis

Title of thesis: Correlates of breeding adult survival in the box nesting population of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) at the Queen's University Biological Station

Ecology, natural history and conservation interest me. Over the summer of 2010, I had the privilege of working at the Queen's University Biology Station, monitoring the Tree Swallow population. It was a great experience and helped acquaint me with the Tree Swallow's ecology, habits, and idiosyncrasies. This experience was of great use during my thesis in which I examined factors influencing adult survival. It is my hope that the results of my thesis research may provide some insight into the decline that has been observed in the local population.

Dana Drumm, Queen's University B.Sc. 2010, Honours Thesis

Title of thesis: Local population decline in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolour) of the Queen's University Biological Station in southeastern Ontario: Implications for aerial insectivore decline.

I am broadly interested in animal behaviour and population dynamics, particularly in relation to conservation. In 2009, I had the wonderful opportunity to work at QUBS monitoring the local population of box-nesting Tree Swallows. My honours thesis focused on how this population has changed over the last 35 years, how this might inform us about widespread population decline in other aerial insectivores.

Laura Lockhart, Queen's University B.Sc. 2009, Honours Thesis

Title of thesis: Body condition matters: The effects of resource availability on resource allocation patterns in Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolour)

I have a passion for conservation biology, which led to my interest in field work at QUBS and drove the development of my thesis. I looked at the relationship between resource allocation toward immune function, reproduction, and body condition in adult tree swallows nesting at QUBS over the summer of 2008. My interest in veterinary medicine led me to incorporate components of immunology and parasitology into my thesis project, which required looking at blood smears under a microscope after collecting the samples in the field. I am now pursuing my DVM at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. For more information, you can email me.

Hannah Munro, Queen's University B.Sc. 2009, Honours Thesis

Title of thesis: Hormones and offspring sex ratio bias: do parental corticosteroid levels correlate with offspring sex ratio in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolour)?

Interests- My interests are broad, from the effects of climate change to host-parasite interactions. My honours thesis research focused on the relationship between offspring sex ratio and corticosteroid levels, which may be a factor underlying the mechanism of offspring sex ratio biasing. I am also interested in blood parasites and their prevalence in Neotropical birds. I am currently a graduate student at Memorial University in Newfoundland, working with Ian Jones on the ecology of Crested Auklets and their ectoparasites. For more information, you can email me.