Research: Bobolinks

The University of New England

The University of New England, School of Marine and Environmental Programs, in Biddeford, Maine.
This project will simultaneously compare Bobolink movement patterns at the Farm Hub and Shelburne, VT.  We will explore if the same Bobolinks survive and return to breed at the Farm Hub between years and if the Bobolinks that hatch on the farm return in subsequent years to breed there.  The objectives of this project are to: O1) compare local movement patterns between the isolated population of Bobolinks at the Farm Hub with a large, open population in Vermont; O2) identify if, how and when there is migratory connectivity between the two populations; these data will begin to unravel the life-histories of the birds breeding on the Farm Hub to connect the farm community with the animals they steward and begin to identify connectivity of Bobolinks within the region.
About Noah Perlut:

Noah Perlut leads The Perlut Lab, which explores how human habitat management effects the ecology and evolution of diverse species and diverse habitats. We study mostly birds but some mammals too. The Lab uses state of the art technology: 1) tiny tracking devices that allow us to follow animals around the world, and 2) genetic techniques that allow us to understand their behavior. Noah Perlut is a ornithologist and professor in the School of Marine and Environment Programs at the University of New England. Noah has studied Bobolinks since 2002.

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