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
Species Affected by Beak Deformities
Physical Description of Beak Deformities
Prevalence, Distribution and Timing of Beak Deformities in Birds
Beak Deformity's Effects on Birds
Possible Causes for Beak Deformities
Literature Cited for Beak Deformities
Links Related to Beak Deformity Research
Beak Deformities in Landbirds
Environmental Contaminants and Beak Deformities in Alaskan Chickadees
Avian Point Count, Habitat, and Covariate Data for Subarctic Bird Abundance, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2012-2014
Population trends of birds wintering in the Central Valley of California
Trends and traditions: Overview and synthesis
Shorebirds adjust spring arrival schedules with variable environmental conditions: Four decades of assessment on the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska
Avian keratin disorder of Alaska black-capped chickadees is associated with Poecivirus infection
Montane-breeding bird distribution and abundance across national parks of southwestern Alaska
Comparison of acoustic recorders and field observers for monitoring tundra bird communities
Combined analysis of roadside and off-road breeding bird survey data to assess population change in Alaska
Autonomous acoustic recorders reveal complex patterns in avian detection probability
Model-based approaches to deal with detectability: a comment on Hutto (2016)
A global threats overview for Numeniini populations: synthesising expert knowledge for a group of declining migratory birds.
When winners become losers: Predicted nonlinear responses of arctic birds to increasing woody vegetation
Blood serum chemistry of wild Alaskan Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) with avian keratin disorder
Science and Products
Species Affected by Beak Deformities
Physical Description of Beak Deformities
Prevalence, Distribution and Timing of Beak Deformities in Birds
Beak Deformity's Effects on Birds
Possible Causes for Beak Deformities
Literature Cited for Beak Deformities
Links Related to Beak Deformity Research
Beak Deformities in Landbirds
Environmental Contaminants and Beak Deformities in Alaskan Chickadees
Avian Point Count, Habitat, and Covariate Data for Subarctic Bird Abundance, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2012-2014
Population trends of birds wintering in the Central Valley of California
Trends and traditions: Overview and synthesis
Shorebirds adjust spring arrival schedules with variable environmental conditions: Four decades of assessment on the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska
Avian keratin disorder of Alaska black-capped chickadees is associated with Poecivirus infection
Montane-breeding bird distribution and abundance across national parks of southwestern Alaska
Comparison of acoustic recorders and field observers for monitoring tundra bird communities
Combined analysis of roadside and off-road breeding bird survey data to assess population change in Alaska
Autonomous acoustic recorders reveal complex patterns in avian detection probability
Model-based approaches to deal with detectability: a comment on Hutto (2016)
A global threats overview for Numeniini populations: synthesising expert knowledge for a group of declining migratory birds.
When winners become losers: Predicted nonlinear responses of arctic birds to increasing woody vegetation
Blood serum chemistry of wild Alaskan Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) with avian keratin disorder
*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