Garth Herring
I am an Avian Ecologist at the U.S. Geological Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center in Corvallis, Oregon. My research focuses on identifying and understanding environmental threats primarily to avian populations and providing sound scientific research to implement conservation solutions.
My work focuses on understanding the physiological responses of wildlife to environmental contaminants and landscape-scale stressors. I specialize in field-based ecological studies to assess the impacts of stressors (lead, mercury, prey availability, rodenticides) on the behavior and reproduction of avian species. Additionally, my laboratory-based studies examine the physiological responses of a variety of wildlife (birds, amphibians, and fishes) to a wide array of environmental contaminants.
Professional Experience
2012 – Present: Ecologist, USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR
2008–2012: Post-doctoral Research Scholar, University of California, Davis & USGS Western Ecological Research Center, Davis, CA
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Integrative Biology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL (2008)
M.S., Fisheries & Wildlife Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC (2003)
B.S., Environmental Science, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada (1999)
Affiliations and Memberships*
2019-2022: Associate Editor, Avian Research
2014-2016: Associate Editor, Journal of Wildlife Management
2012-2015: Associate Editor, Wetlands
Science and Products
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Landscape factors and hydrology influence mercury concentrations in wading birds breeding in the Florida Everglades, USA
Marsh wrens as bioindicators of mercury in wetlands of Great Salt Lake: do blood and feathers reflect site-specific exposure risk to bird reproduction?
Mercury exposure may suppress baseline corticosterone levels in juvenile birds
Migration strategy affects avian influenza dynamics in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos).
California gull chicks raised near colony edges have elevated stress levels
Identifying nest predators of American avocets (Recurvirostra americana) and black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) in San Francisco Bay, California
Food availability is expressed through physiological stress indicators in nestling white ibis: A food supplementation experiment
Dynamic habitat selection by two wading bird species with divergent foraging strategies in a seasonally fluctuating wetland
Organochlorine and PBDE concentrations in relation to cytochrome P450 activity in livers of Forster’s Terns (Sterna forsteri) and Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia), in San Francisco Bay, California
Embryo malposition as a potential mechanism for mercury-induced hatching failure in bird eggs
Sexing California gulls using morphometrics and discriminant function analysis
Site characteristics and prey abundance at foraging sites used by Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) wintering in Florida
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
If you are unable to access or download a product, email fresc_outreach@usgs.gov a request, including the full citation, or call (541) 750-1030.
Landscape factors and hydrology influence mercury concentrations in wading birds breeding in the Florida Everglades, USA
Marsh wrens as bioindicators of mercury in wetlands of Great Salt Lake: do blood and feathers reflect site-specific exposure risk to bird reproduction?
Mercury exposure may suppress baseline corticosterone levels in juvenile birds
Migration strategy affects avian influenza dynamics in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos).
California gull chicks raised near colony edges have elevated stress levels
Identifying nest predators of American avocets (Recurvirostra americana) and black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) in San Francisco Bay, California
Food availability is expressed through physiological stress indicators in nestling white ibis: A food supplementation experiment
Dynamic habitat selection by two wading bird species with divergent foraging strategies in a seasonally fluctuating wetland
Organochlorine and PBDE concentrations in relation to cytochrome P450 activity in livers of Forster’s Terns (Sterna forsteri) and Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia), in San Francisco Bay, California
Embryo malposition as a potential mechanism for mercury-induced hatching failure in bird eggs
Sexing California gulls using morphometrics and discriminant function analysis
Site characteristics and prey abundance at foraging sites used by Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) wintering in Florida
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
*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