Assistant Unit Leader - Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Research Interests
Clint directs research targeted at building upon our basic understanding of species and systems while meeting the more applied management information needs of natural resource managers. His primary research interest is the ecology and conservation of birds of prey, especially as high trophic level members of biotic communities. Second is a focus on ecology and conservation of wildlife in arid environments; this has become especially relevant in context of climate change. Third is the ecology of avian species in the tropics, including how both resident and migrant species cope with severe weather events, anthropogenic driven landscape changes, and climate changes.
Teaching Interests
Clint teaches courses in Raptor Ecology, Structured Decision Making in Natural Resources Management, and Advanced Nongame Ecology; he also co-teaches a course in Tropical Ecology and an undergraduate field course in Tropical Avian Ecology.
Professional Experience
Assistant Unit Leader, Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2000- current
Education and Certifications
Ph D University of Arizona 1997
MS University of Arizona 1993
BS University of Arizona 1991
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 69
Lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) use of man-made water sources
The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) occurs in the semiarid southern Great Plains, a region prone to periods of drought. Researchers generally believe that lesser prairie-chickens are able to satisfy their water requirements through preformed water and metabolic processes, but also know that they experience low survival and reproductive success during periods of drought. We used
Food habits of American Kestrels in the Southern High Plains of Texas
The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is in general decline across its North American distribution. In contrast to widespread patterns of decline, kestrel populations appear stable in the southern Great Plains region. Historically, this region had a very low occurrence of kestrels, and their current abundance is highly likely due to vegetation and structures associated with settlement by people
Nest site selection of White-tailed Hawks (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) on Texas barrier islands
The distribution of the White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) in the United States is restricted to the prairies and savannas of the Gulf Coastal Plain of Texas. Although listed as a state threatened species, it remains one of the least studied raptors in North America. It appears to reach high densities on some Texas barrier islands despite the island vegetation communities being structura
The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) genoscape: Implications for monitoring, management, and subspecies boundaries
Identifying population genetic structure is useful for inferring evolutionary process and comparing the resulting structure with subspecies boundaries can aid in species management. The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a widespread and highly diverse species with 17 total subspecies, only 2 of which are found north of U.S./Mexico border (F. s. paulus is restricted to southeastern United Stat
Detectability and abundance of snowy plovers at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma
In the past two decades, Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge has been increasingly recognized as important habitat for both breeding and migratory shorebirds. North American snowy plovers Charadrius nivosus in particular rely on the nearly 5,000-ha salt flat at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, which thousands use as breeding and stopover habitat. Elsewhere on the Southern Great Plains, decad
Golden Eagle perch site use in the U.S. southern plains: Understanding electrocution risk
Electrocution on overhead electric systems is a primary cause of anthropogenic mortality for Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in North America. Distribution poles supporting energized equipment are most often involved in electrocutions, but the frequency with which Golden Eagles perch on pole supporting equipment is unknown. To resolve questions of perch frequency, and by extension, electrocution
Resource allocation for coastal wetland management: Confronting uncertainty about sea level rise
Coastal wetlands are rich and diverse ecosystems with a wide variety of birdlife and other natural resources. Decision making for coastal wetland management is difficult given the complex nature of these ecological systems and the frequent need to meet multiple objectives for varied resources. Management challenges in the coastal zone are exacerbated by uncertainty about sea level rise and impac
“Good” and “bad”: Human perceptions of and interactions with urban wildlife
Urban environments offer habitat for many species of animals. Although some of those are ubiquitous and/or undesirable, others are native and in some cases, of conservation value. In many cases, urban wildlife populations are a source of enjoyment for human residents, who sometimes invest considerable amounts in attracting them to yards and public spaces. Their presence there can serve an importan
Distribution, density, and land cover associations of wintering Golden Eagles in the Southern Great Plains
In addition to its resident Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), the Southern Great Plains of North America receives an influx of migrant Golden Eagles each winter. However, little current or quantitative information is available regarding eagle presence or the species' land cover associations across the region. During the winters of 2014/2015 and 2015/2016, we surveyed Golden Eagles along 51 approx
Breeding and diet of White-tailed Kites (Elanus leucurus) in the Texas panhandle
White-tailed Kites (Elanus leucurus) are grassland raptors that typically breed along coastal regions, particularly in California, southeastern Texas, and southern Florida. This species is irregular in the Texas panhandle, with few confirmed breeding and sighting records. We describe the first breeding record in Lubbock County, Texas, in which a pair of adults successfully raised 2 young in 2017 a
Comparative breeding ecology of Mississippi Kites in urban and exurban areas of West Texas
Birds of prey are becoming increasingly common occupants of urbanized settings, but the comparative benefits or detriments they experience in urban environs compared to exurban areas are poorly understood. We examined the reproductive success and phenology of Mississippi Kites (Ictinia mississippiensis) nesting concurrently in urban and exurban areas in west Texas during the 2010–2012 and 2014 bre
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 69
Lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) use of man-made water sources
The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) occurs in the semiarid southern Great Plains, a region prone to periods of drought. Researchers generally believe that lesser prairie-chickens are able to satisfy their water requirements through preformed water and metabolic processes, but also know that they experience low survival and reproductive success during periods of drought. We usedFood habits of American Kestrels in the Southern High Plains of Texas
The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is in general decline across its North American distribution. In contrast to widespread patterns of decline, kestrel populations appear stable in the southern Great Plains region. Historically, this region had a very low occurrence of kestrels, and their current abundance is highly likely due to vegetation and structures associated with settlement by peopleNest site selection of White-tailed Hawks (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) on Texas barrier islands
The distribution of the White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) in the United States is restricted to the prairies and savannas of the Gulf Coastal Plain of Texas. Although listed as a state threatened species, it remains one of the least studied raptors in North America. It appears to reach high densities on some Texas barrier islands despite the island vegetation communities being structuraThe American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) genoscape: Implications for monitoring, management, and subspecies boundaries
Identifying population genetic structure is useful for inferring evolutionary process and comparing the resulting structure with subspecies boundaries can aid in species management. The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a widespread and highly diverse species with 17 total subspecies, only 2 of which are found north of U.S./Mexico border (F. s. paulus is restricted to southeastern United StatDetectability and abundance of snowy plovers at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma
In the past two decades, Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge has been increasingly recognized as important habitat for both breeding and migratory shorebirds. North American snowy plovers Charadrius nivosus in particular rely on the nearly 5,000-ha salt flat at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, which thousands use as breeding and stopover habitat. Elsewhere on the Southern Great Plains, decadGolden Eagle perch site use in the U.S. southern plains: Understanding electrocution risk
Electrocution on overhead electric systems is a primary cause of anthropogenic mortality for Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in North America. Distribution poles supporting energized equipment are most often involved in electrocutions, but the frequency with which Golden Eagles perch on pole supporting equipment is unknown. To resolve questions of perch frequency, and by extension, electrocutionResource allocation for coastal wetland management: Confronting uncertainty about sea level rise
Coastal wetlands are rich and diverse ecosystems with a wide variety of birdlife and other natural resources. Decision making for coastal wetland management is difficult given the complex nature of these ecological systems and the frequent need to meet multiple objectives for varied resources. Management challenges in the coastal zone are exacerbated by uncertainty about sea level rise and impac“Good” and “bad”: Human perceptions of and interactions with urban wildlife
Urban environments offer habitat for many species of animals. Although some of those are ubiquitous and/or undesirable, others are native and in some cases, of conservation value. In many cases, urban wildlife populations are a source of enjoyment for human residents, who sometimes invest considerable amounts in attracting them to yards and public spaces. Their presence there can serve an importanDistribution, density, and land cover associations of wintering Golden Eagles in the Southern Great Plains
In addition to its resident Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), the Southern Great Plains of North America receives an influx of migrant Golden Eagles each winter. However, little current or quantitative information is available regarding eagle presence or the species' land cover associations across the region. During the winters of 2014/2015 and 2015/2016, we surveyed Golden Eagles along 51 approxBreeding and diet of White-tailed Kites (Elanus leucurus) in the Texas panhandle
White-tailed Kites (Elanus leucurus) are grassland raptors that typically breed along coastal regions, particularly in California, southeastern Texas, and southern Florida. This species is irregular in the Texas panhandle, with few confirmed breeding and sighting records. We describe the first breeding record in Lubbock County, Texas, in which a pair of adults successfully raised 2 young in 2017 aComparative breeding ecology of Mississippi Kites in urban and exurban areas of West Texas
Birds of prey are becoming increasingly common occupants of urbanized settings, but the comparative benefits or detriments they experience in urban environs compared to exurban areas are poorly understood. We examined the reproductive success and phenology of Mississippi Kites (Ictinia mississippiensis) nesting concurrently in urban and exurban areas in west Texas during the 2010–2012 and 2014 bre