Colleen Handel, Ph.D.
Population ecology of passerines and shorebirds, behavioral ecology, population monitoring, and sampling design.
Professional Experience
1996 - Present Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
1993 - 1996 Research Wildlife Biologist, NBS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
1978 - 1993 Research Wildlife Biologist, USFWS, Alaska Fish and Wildlife Research Center, Anchorage, Alaska
1977 - 1978 Research/ Teaching Assistant, University of California Davis, Davis, California
1975 - 1978 Biological Science Technician, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Anchorage, Alaska
1975 - 1975 Biological Science Aide, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Kenai, Alaska
1974 - 1974 Botany and Ornithology Instructor, Murray Rhode School, Newton Public High Schools, Newton, Massachusetts
1972 - 1972 Assistant Curator, Farlow Herbarium, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
1972 - 1972 Research Assistant, Concord Field Station, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2002 University of California Davis, Davis, CA Ecology
M.S. 1982 University of California Davis, Davis, CA Ecology
B.A. 1974 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA Biological Sciences
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Ornithological Society (Fellow, Deputy Editor)
Association of Field Ornithologists
Colonial Waterbird Group
Ecological Society of America
Pacific Seabird Group
Society for Conservation Biology
Wader Study Group
Wildlife Society
Wilson Ornithological Society
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 20
Filter Total Items: 18
No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 92
When winners become losers: Predicted nonlinear responses of arctic birds to increasing woody vegetation When winners become losers: Predicted nonlinear responses of arctic birds to increasing woody vegetation
Climate change is facilitating rapid changes in the composition and distribution of vegetation at northern latitudes, raising questions about the responses of wildlife that rely on arctic ecosystems. One widely observed change occurring in arctic tundra ecosystems is an increasing dominance of deciduous shrub vegetation. Our goals were to examine the tolerance of arctic-nesting bird...
Authors
Sarah Thompson, Colleen Handel, Rachel Richardson, Lance McNew
Blood serum chemistry of wild Alaskan Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) with avian keratin disorder Blood serum chemistry of wild Alaskan Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) with avian keratin disorder
We measured serum chemistries in wild Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) from Alaska to test for potential differences associated with beak deformities characteristic of avian keratin disorder. Lower uric acid in affected birds was the only difference detected between groups, although sample sizes were small. This difference could be associated with fasting or malnutrition in...
Authors
Caroline Van Hemert, Colleen Handel
Biogeography of boreal passerine range dynamics in western North America: past, present, and future Biogeography of boreal passerine range dynamics in western North America: past, present, and future
Many of the Neotropical migrant bird species that breed throughout the Canadian boreal region are not found in the Alaskan boreal region, separated by the northwestern cordilleran mountains, despite the presence of climatically suitable habitat. We asked whether biological or climatic factors constrain certain species from crossing this geographic barrier. Analyzing a comprehensive...
Authors
Diana Stralberg, Steven Matsuoka, Colleen Handel, Fiona Schmiegelow, Andreas Hamann, Erin Bayne
Elements in whole blood of Northwestern Crows (Corvus caurinus) in Alaska: No evidence for an association with beak deformities Elements in whole blood of Northwestern Crows (Corvus caurinus) in Alaska: No evidence for an association with beak deformities
A recent outbreak of beak deformities among resident birds in Alaska has raised concern about environmental contamination as a possible underlying factor. We measured whole blood concentrations of 30 essential and nonessential elements to determine whether any were associated with beak deformities in Northwestern Crows (Corvus caurinus). We tested for differences between 1) adults with...
Authors
Caroline Van Hemert, Colleen Handel
Avian malaria in a boreal resident species: long-term temporal variability, and increased prevalence in birds with avian keratin disorder Avian malaria in a boreal resident species: long-term temporal variability, and increased prevalence in birds with avian keratin disorder
The prevalence of vector-borne parasitic diseases is widely influenced by biological and ecological factors. Environmental conditions such as temperature and precipitation can have a marked effect on haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium spp.) that cause malaria and those that cause other malaria-like diseases in birds. However, there have been few long-term studies monitoring...
Authors
Laura Wilkinson, Colleen Handel, Caroline Van Hemert, Claire Loiseau, Ravinder Sehgal
Novel picornavirus associated with avian keratin disorder in Alaskan birds Novel picornavirus associated with avian keratin disorder in Alaskan birds
Avian keratin disorder (AKD), characterized by debilitating overgrowth of the avian beak, was first documented in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in Alaska. Subsequently, similar deformities have appeared in numerous species across continents. Despite the widespread distribution of this emerging pathology, the cause of AKD remains elusive. As a result, it is unknown...
Authors
Maxine Zylberberg, Caroline Van Hemert, John Dumbacher, Colleen Handel, Tarik Tihan, Joseph DeRisi
Isolation of a complete circular virus genome sequence from an Alaskan black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) gastrointestinal tract sample. Isolation of a complete circular virus genome sequence from an Alaskan black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) gastrointestinal tract sample.
We report here the genome sequence of a circular virus isolated from samples of an Alaskan black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) gastrointestinal tract. The genome is 2,152 bp in length and is most similar (30 to 44.5% amino acid identity) to the genome sequences of other single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) circular viruses belonging to the gemycircularvirus group.
Authors
Zachary Hanna, Charles Runckel, Jerome Fuchs, Joseph DeRisi, David Mindell, Caroline Van Hemert, Colleen Handel, John Dumbacher
Evaluating species richness: biased ecological inference results from spatial heterogeneity in species detection probabilities Evaluating species richness: biased ecological inference results from spatial heterogeneity in species detection probabilities
Accurate estimates of species richness are necessary to test predictions of ecological theory and evaluate biodiversity for conservation purposes. However, species richness is difficult to measure in the field because some species will almost always be overlooked due to their cryptic nature or the observer's failure to perceive their cues. Common measures of species richness that assume...
Authors
Lance McNew, Colleen Handel
Projected changes in wildlife habitats in Arctic natural areas of northwest Alaska Projected changes in wildlife habitats in Arctic natural areas of northwest Alaska
We project the effects of transitional changes among 60 vegetation and other land cover types (“ecotypes”) in northwest Alaska over the 21st century on habitats of 162 bird and 39 mammal species known or expected to occur regularly in the region. This analysis, encompassing a broad suite of arctic and boreal wildlife species, entailed building wildlife-habitat matrices denoting levels of...
Authors
Bruce Marcot, M. Torre Jorgenson, James Lawler, Colleen Handel, Anthony DeGange
Environmental contaminants and chromosomal damage associated with beak deformities in a resident North American passerine Environmental contaminants and chromosomal damage associated with beak deformities in a resident North American passerine
A large cluster of beak abnormalities among black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in Alaska raised concern about underlying environmental factors in this region. Metals and trace elements, organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD-Fs) were analyzed in adults, nestlings, and eggs of the...
Authors
Colleen Handel, Caroline Van Hemert
Ways to be different: Foraging adaptations that facilitate higher intake rates in a northerly wintering shorebird compared with a low-latitude conspecific Ways to be different: Foraging adaptations that facilitate higher intake rates in a northerly wintering shorebird compared with a low-latitude conspecific
At what phenotypic level do closely related subspecies that live in different environments differ with respect to food detection, ingestion and processing? This question motivated an experimental study on rock sandpipers (Calidris ptilocnemis). The species' nonbreeding range spans 20 deg of latitude, the extremes of which are inhabited by two subspecies: C. p. ptilocnemis that winters...
Authors
Daniel Ruthrauff, Anne Dekinga, Robert E. Gill, Jan van Gils, Theunis Piersma
Melanin-based color of plumage: role of condition and of feathers' microstructure Melanin-based color of plumage: role of condition and of feathers' microstructure
Whether melanin-based colors honestly signal a bird's condition during the growth of feathers is controversial, and it is unclear if or how the physiological processes underlying melanogenesis or color-imparting structural feather microstructure may be adversely affected by condition. Here we report results from two experiments designed to measure the effect of condition on expression of...
Authors
Liliana D’Alba, Caroline Van Hemert, Karen Spencer, Britt Heidinger, Lisa Gill, Neil Evans, Pat Monaghan, Colleen Handel, Matthew Shawkey
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 20
Filter Total Items: 18
No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 92
When winners become losers: Predicted nonlinear responses of arctic birds to increasing woody vegetation When winners become losers: Predicted nonlinear responses of arctic birds to increasing woody vegetation
Climate change is facilitating rapid changes in the composition and distribution of vegetation at northern latitudes, raising questions about the responses of wildlife that rely on arctic ecosystems. One widely observed change occurring in arctic tundra ecosystems is an increasing dominance of deciduous shrub vegetation. Our goals were to examine the tolerance of arctic-nesting bird...
Authors
Sarah Thompson, Colleen Handel, Rachel Richardson, Lance McNew
Blood serum chemistry of wild Alaskan Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) with avian keratin disorder Blood serum chemistry of wild Alaskan Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) with avian keratin disorder
We measured serum chemistries in wild Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) from Alaska to test for potential differences associated with beak deformities characteristic of avian keratin disorder. Lower uric acid in affected birds was the only difference detected between groups, although sample sizes were small. This difference could be associated with fasting or malnutrition in...
Authors
Caroline Van Hemert, Colleen Handel
Biogeography of boreal passerine range dynamics in western North America: past, present, and future Biogeography of boreal passerine range dynamics in western North America: past, present, and future
Many of the Neotropical migrant bird species that breed throughout the Canadian boreal region are not found in the Alaskan boreal region, separated by the northwestern cordilleran mountains, despite the presence of climatically suitable habitat. We asked whether biological or climatic factors constrain certain species from crossing this geographic barrier. Analyzing a comprehensive...
Authors
Diana Stralberg, Steven Matsuoka, Colleen Handel, Fiona Schmiegelow, Andreas Hamann, Erin Bayne
Elements in whole blood of Northwestern Crows (Corvus caurinus) in Alaska: No evidence for an association with beak deformities Elements in whole blood of Northwestern Crows (Corvus caurinus) in Alaska: No evidence for an association with beak deformities
A recent outbreak of beak deformities among resident birds in Alaska has raised concern about environmental contamination as a possible underlying factor. We measured whole blood concentrations of 30 essential and nonessential elements to determine whether any were associated with beak deformities in Northwestern Crows (Corvus caurinus). We tested for differences between 1) adults with...
Authors
Caroline Van Hemert, Colleen Handel
Avian malaria in a boreal resident species: long-term temporal variability, and increased prevalence in birds with avian keratin disorder Avian malaria in a boreal resident species: long-term temporal variability, and increased prevalence in birds with avian keratin disorder
The prevalence of vector-borne parasitic diseases is widely influenced by biological and ecological factors. Environmental conditions such as temperature and precipitation can have a marked effect on haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium spp.) that cause malaria and those that cause other malaria-like diseases in birds. However, there have been few long-term studies monitoring...
Authors
Laura Wilkinson, Colleen Handel, Caroline Van Hemert, Claire Loiseau, Ravinder Sehgal
Novel picornavirus associated with avian keratin disorder in Alaskan birds Novel picornavirus associated with avian keratin disorder in Alaskan birds
Avian keratin disorder (AKD), characterized by debilitating overgrowth of the avian beak, was first documented in black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in Alaska. Subsequently, similar deformities have appeared in numerous species across continents. Despite the widespread distribution of this emerging pathology, the cause of AKD remains elusive. As a result, it is unknown...
Authors
Maxine Zylberberg, Caroline Van Hemert, John Dumbacher, Colleen Handel, Tarik Tihan, Joseph DeRisi
Isolation of a complete circular virus genome sequence from an Alaskan black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) gastrointestinal tract sample. Isolation of a complete circular virus genome sequence from an Alaskan black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) gastrointestinal tract sample.
We report here the genome sequence of a circular virus isolated from samples of an Alaskan black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) gastrointestinal tract. The genome is 2,152 bp in length and is most similar (30 to 44.5% amino acid identity) to the genome sequences of other single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) circular viruses belonging to the gemycircularvirus group.
Authors
Zachary Hanna, Charles Runckel, Jerome Fuchs, Joseph DeRisi, David Mindell, Caroline Van Hemert, Colleen Handel, John Dumbacher
Evaluating species richness: biased ecological inference results from spatial heterogeneity in species detection probabilities Evaluating species richness: biased ecological inference results from spatial heterogeneity in species detection probabilities
Accurate estimates of species richness are necessary to test predictions of ecological theory and evaluate biodiversity for conservation purposes. However, species richness is difficult to measure in the field because some species will almost always be overlooked due to their cryptic nature or the observer's failure to perceive their cues. Common measures of species richness that assume...
Authors
Lance McNew, Colleen Handel
Projected changes in wildlife habitats in Arctic natural areas of northwest Alaska Projected changes in wildlife habitats in Arctic natural areas of northwest Alaska
We project the effects of transitional changes among 60 vegetation and other land cover types (“ecotypes”) in northwest Alaska over the 21st century on habitats of 162 bird and 39 mammal species known or expected to occur regularly in the region. This analysis, encompassing a broad suite of arctic and boreal wildlife species, entailed building wildlife-habitat matrices denoting levels of...
Authors
Bruce Marcot, M. Torre Jorgenson, James Lawler, Colleen Handel, Anthony DeGange
Environmental contaminants and chromosomal damage associated with beak deformities in a resident North American passerine Environmental contaminants and chromosomal damage associated with beak deformities in a resident North American passerine
A large cluster of beak abnormalities among black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in Alaska raised concern about underlying environmental factors in this region. Metals and trace elements, organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD-Fs) were analyzed in adults, nestlings, and eggs of the...
Authors
Colleen Handel, Caroline Van Hemert
Ways to be different: Foraging adaptations that facilitate higher intake rates in a northerly wintering shorebird compared with a low-latitude conspecific Ways to be different: Foraging adaptations that facilitate higher intake rates in a northerly wintering shorebird compared with a low-latitude conspecific
At what phenotypic level do closely related subspecies that live in different environments differ with respect to food detection, ingestion and processing? This question motivated an experimental study on rock sandpipers (Calidris ptilocnemis). The species' nonbreeding range spans 20 deg of latitude, the extremes of which are inhabited by two subspecies: C. p. ptilocnemis that winters...
Authors
Daniel Ruthrauff, Anne Dekinga, Robert E. Gill, Jan van Gils, Theunis Piersma
Melanin-based color of plumage: role of condition and of feathers' microstructure Melanin-based color of plumage: role of condition and of feathers' microstructure
Whether melanin-based colors honestly signal a bird's condition during the growth of feathers is controversial, and it is unclear if or how the physiological processes underlying melanogenesis or color-imparting structural feather microstructure may be adversely affected by condition. Here we report results from two experiments designed to measure the effect of condition on expression of...
Authors
Liliana D’Alba, Caroline Van Hemert, Karen Spencer, Britt Heidinger, Lisa Gill, Neil Evans, Pat Monaghan, Colleen Handel, Matthew Shawkey
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government