Henry M. Streby - Ph.D. Candidate
(Wildlife Ecology and Management)
 Henry with a fledgling Ovenbird fitted with a radio transmitter, June 2007 (photo by Jeanine Refsnider) |
About Me
I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology with a certificate in Environmental Studies from Ohio University in 2001. After graduation, I interned with the U.S. Geological Survey Biocomplexity Project, studying avian malaria on the Big Island of Hawai’i. I returned to Ohio University and earned a Master’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in 2005. For my thesis research, I investigated the effects of fire and shelterwood harvest on density, nest success, and hemoparasite load of migrant songbirds in southeast Ohio. During my Master’s, I took part in the Organization for Tropical Studies Tropical Ecology field course in Costa Rica. I started working with my current advisor, David E. Andersen, in the spring of 2006, and started Ph.D. coursework at the University of Minnesota in January 2007.
Current Research
 Female Ovenbird on a nest in the Chippewa National Forest, June 2008 (photo by Henry) |
I am studying reproductive ecology, including nest success, fledgling survival, and post-fledging habitat use by forest-nesting songbirds (Ovenbird, Hermit Thrush, and Wood Thrush) in managed forests. I have 3 study sites in the Chippewa National Forest in the northern hardwood-coniferous transition zone of north-central Minnesota. My purpose for investigating the entire breeding season is to provide more complete information about the effects of forest harvest on songbird productivity. I am also using mist nets to sample early- to mid-successional (clearcut) habitat use by forest-nesting songbirds during the post-fledging period. With the help of many field technicians, I have monitored >250 nests, radio-tracked fledglings from >100 successful nests, and banded >3000 birds in 3 field seasons. Stay tuned for results coming soon to a peer-reviewed journal near you.
Research Interests
 Henry’s 2008 field crew: (counterclockwise from front left) Sean Peterson, Adrian Monroe, Henry, Eric Michel, Dianne Dessecker, and Alison Edmund |
I am generally interested in reproductive ecology (mostly birds) and how anthropogenic disturbances affect breeding success and adult and juvenile survival. Specifically, I am interested in using recent technological advances in radio telemetry to fill in the blanks that limit the efficacy of songbird population modeling. If population models are to be useful for making management and conservation decisions, rough guesses of parameters such as fledging survival must be replaced with meaningful estimates. In future research, I hope to conduct long-term studies to monitor changes in songbird populations, including timing of migration and breeding activities, and changes in habitat use in response to global climate change.
Peer Reviewed Publications from Current Research
Streby, H.M, J.M. Refsnider, S.M. Peterson, and D.E. Andersen. 2008. Barred owl predation on hermit thrush and ovenbird fledglings. Journal of Raptor Research 42(4):296-298.
Contact Me
 A mist net and some of the birds banded during Henry’s research (photos by Henry, Sean Peterson, Jeanine Refsnider, Tara Eisenhauer, and Adrian Monroe) |
Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
University of Minnesota
Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology
1980 Folwell Avenue, 138 Hodson Hall
St. Paul, MN 55108
phone: 612-624-3421
fax: 612-625-5299
coopunit@tc.umn.edu