Charles Van Riper, III, Ph.D.
Charles van Riper III grew up observing the wildlife and resulting in a lifelong love of nature. He earned obtaining a B.S. in Zoology and a M.Ed. in Science from Colorado State University where he became intensely interested in Hawaiian birds. He later moved to the island of Hawaii to teach biology at the Hawaii Preparatory Academy (HPA) and to study Hawaiian birds.
Charles’ doctoral research, under the guidance of Dr. Andrew J. Berger at the University of Hawaii (UH), was on two endangered species of Hawaiian native birds (honeycreepers). While working as a post-doctoral researcher with Dr. Clifford Smith in the UH Botany Department, Charles met his wife, Sandra Jean Guest, a fellow ornithology graduate student. Together, they elucidated the complex system of introduced diseases on native Hawaiian birds.
At the University of California, Davis, Charles started the first California Cooperative Parks Studies Unit and began his 20-year career with the National Park Service. In 1989, the National Park Service asked Charles to initiate another Cooperative Parks Studies Unit at Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Dr. van Riper built this unit from one individual to a team of 42 researchers, who solved natural resources problems throughout the Colorado Plateau and the southwestern United States. In 2003, Charles was again invited to assist with a university-based research station, this time with the Sonoran Desert Research Station at the University of Arizona (UA) in Tucson, Arizona. Today, he serves as a ST Research Ecologist, SDRS Station Leader, and Professor in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Resources in the UA School of Natural Resources.
Professional societies/affiliations/committees/editorial boards
- American Ornithologists' Union
- California Field Ornithologists
- Cooper Ornithological Society
- Ecological Society of America
- George Wright Society
- Hawaii Audubon Society
- Natural Areas Association
- Raptor Research Foundation
- Sigma Xi
- Society for Conservation Biology
- Western Bird-banding Association
- Wilson Ornithological Society
- Wildlife Disease Association
- Wildlife Society
Books:
- Colorado River Plateau: Cultural, Biological, and Physical Research - the book, published by UA Press
Articles on these subjects are available on Dr. Riper's personal website:
- Yellow-Billed Cuckoo
- Wildlife of Africa at Venetia Limpopo & Silkaatskop
- Status of Breeding and Wintering Birds
- Bald Eagle Abundance and Relationships to prey base and human activity along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
- West Nile Virus Presentation
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 1978, Zoology, University of Hawaii. Honolulu, HI
M. Ed. 1967, Science, Colorado State University. Fort Collins, CO
B.S. 1965, Zoology, Colorado State University. Fort Collins, CO
Science and Products
Avian pox
Home range characteristics of Mexican Spotted Owls in the canyonlands of Utah
Spatial and temporal migration patterns of Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla) in the southwest as revealed by stable isotopes
Willow Flycatcher nonbreeding territory defense behavior in Costa Rica
Spatial and Temporal Migration Patterns of Neotropical Migrants in the Southwest Revealed by Stable Isotopes
Territoriality, site fidelity, and survivorship of willow flycatchers wintering in Costa Rica
Home range characteristics of great gray owls in Yosemite National Park, California
Influence of Riparian Tree Phenology on Lower Colorado River Spring-Migrating Birds: Implications of Flower Cueing
The Colorado Plateau II: biophysical, socioeconomic, and cultural research
Geography of spring landbird migration through riparian habitats in southwestern North America
Control of Tamarix in the western United States: Implications for water salvage, wildlife use, and riparian restoration
The Colorado Plateau: cultural, biological, and physical research
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 129
Avian pox
This chapter contains section titled:IntroductionSynonymsHistoryDistributionHost RangeEtiologyEpizootiologyClinical SignsPathogenesisPathologyDiagnosisImmunityPublic Health ConcernsDomestic Animal Health ConcernsWildlife Population ImpactsTreatment and ControlManagement ImplicationsAcknowledgementsLiterature CitedAuthorsCharles van Riper, Donald J. ForresterHome range characteristics of Mexican Spotted Owls in the canyonlands of Utah
We studied home-range characteristics of adult Mexican Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis lucida) in southern Utah. Twenty-eight adult owls were radio-tracked using a ground-based telemetry system during 1991-95. Five males and eight females molted tail feathers and dropped transmitters within 4 wk. We estimated cumulative home ranges for 15 Spotted Owls (12 males, 3 females). The mean estimate of cAuthorsD.W. Willey, Charles van RiperSpatial and temporal migration patterns of Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla) in the southwest as revealed by stable isotopes
We used stable hydrogen isotopes (δD) to identify the breeding locations of Wilson’s Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla) migrating through five sites spanning a cross-section of the species’ southwestern migration route during the springs of 2003 and 2004. Determining the temporal and spatial patterns of migration and degree of population segregation during migration is critical to understanding long-termAuthorsK.L. Paxton, Charles van Riper, T.C. Theimer, E. H. PaxtonWillow Flycatcher nonbreeding territory defense behavior in Costa Rica
We studied the intraspecific territorial defense behavior of wintering Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii) in Costa Rica using a randomized playback experiment that exposed male and female birds to recordings of Willow Flycatcher songs and calls, Lesser Ground Cuckoo (Morococcyx erythropygius) vocalizations, and random noise. Flycatchers of both sexes responded most strongly to simulated conspAuthorsM. K. Sogge, T. J. Koronkiewicz, Charles van Riper, S.L. DurstSpatial and Temporal Migration Patterns of Neotropical Migrants in the Southwest Revealed by Stable Isotopes
Executive Summary We used stable hydrogen isotopes (?D) to investigate both temporal and spatial patterns during spring migration for three warbler species, Wilson's Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla), MacGillivray's Warbler (Oporornis tolmiei), and Nashville Warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla), across multiple migration routes in southwest North America. A strong correlation between stable hydrogen isotopAuthorsKristina L. Paxton, Charles van RiperTerritoriality, site fidelity, and survivorship of willow flycatchers wintering in Costa Rica
We studied wintering Willow Flycatchers (Empidonax traillii) in two seasonal freshwater wetland habitats in northwestern Costa Rica during five boreal winters, to determine habitat occupancy, overwinter and between-year site and territory fidelity, and the degree to which the sexes maintain and defend winter territories. Both males and females used agonistic displays, song, and other vocalizationsAuthorsT. J. Koronkiewicz, M. K. Sogge, Charles van Riper, E. H. PaxtonHome range characteristics of great gray owls in Yosemite National Park, California
We studied home range and habitat use of radio-tagged Great Gray Owls (Strix nebulosa) in Yosemite, California. From 1986–90 we made 5338 relocations on nine adult and three juvenile owls. Home-range size was not correlated with number of locations and was significantly different between breeding and nonbreeding periods. Breeding female summer home range averaged 61.47 ha and during the winter 245AuthorsCharles van Riper, Jan W. van WagtendonkInfluence of Riparian Tree Phenology on Lower Colorado River Spring-Migrating Birds: Implications of Flower Cueing
Executive Summary Neotropical migrant birds make choices about which habitats are most likely to provide successful foraging locations during migration, but little is known about how these birds recognize and process environmental clues that indicate the presence of prey species. Aspects of tree phenology, notably flowering of trees along the lower Colorado River corridor, coincide with the migAuthorsLaura J. McGrath, Charles van RiperThe Colorado Plateau II: biophysical, socioeconomic, and cultural research
The publication of The Colorado Plateau: Cultural, Biological, and Physical Research in 2004 marked a timely summation of current research in the Four Corners states. This new volume, derived from the seventh Biennial Conference on the Colorado Plateau in 2003, complements the previous book by focusing on the integration of science into resource management issues. The 32 chapters range in contentAuthorsDavid J. MattsonGeography of spring landbird migration through riparian habitats in southwestern North America
Migration stopover resources, particularly riparian habitats, are critically important to landbirds migrating across the arid southwestern region of North America. To explore the effects of species biogeography and habitat affinity on spring migration patterns, we synthesized existing bird abundance and capture data collected in riparian habitats of the borderlands region of the U.S. and Mexico. WAuthorsS. K. Skagen, J.F. Kelly, Charles van Riper, R.L. Hutto, D.M. Finch, D.J. Krueper, Cynthia MelcherControl of Tamarix in the western United States: Implications for water salvage, wildlife use, and riparian restoration
Non-native shrub species in the genus Tamarix (saltcedar, tamarisk) have colonized hundreds of thousands of hectares of floodplains, reservoir margins, and other wetlands in western North America. Many resource managers seek to reduce saltcedar abundance and control its spread to increase the flow of water in streams that might otherwise be lost to evapotranspiration, to restore native riparian (sAuthorsP.B. Shafroth, J.R. Cleverly, T.L. Dudley, J.P. Taylor, Charles van Riper, E.P. Weeks, J.N. StuartThe Colorado Plateau: cultural, biological, and physical research
Stretching from the four corners of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah, the Colorado Plateau is a natural laboratory for a wide range of studies. This volume presents 23 original articles drawn from more than 100 research projects presented at the Sixth Biennial Conference of Research on the Colorado Plateau. This scientific gathering revolved around research, inventory, and monitoring of lanAuthorsKenneth L. Cole