Jay A VonBank, PhD
Jay VonBank is a Research Ecologist at the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, North Dakota.
Dr. Jay VonBank’s research at NPWRC uses the movement ecology framework to understand impacts of environmental and land-use change on migratory bird population performance, particularly in waterfowl. His work explores intra- and inter-annual regional movements, behavioral influences on habitat use, spatiotemporal energy expenditure, and the influences of decision-making during migration on breeding performance on waterfowl and wetland bird species throughout midcontinental North America.
Professional Experience
Research Ecologist, USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Jamestown, North Dakota
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Wildlife Science, Texas A&M University, Kingsville, 2020
M.S. Biological Sciences, Western Illinois University, 2015
B.S. Aquatic Biology, Bemidji State University, 2013
Science and Products
Evidence of longitudinal differences in spring migration strategies of an Arctic-nesting goose
During spring, migratory birds are required to optimally balance energetic costs of migration across heterogeneous landscapes and weather conditions to survive and reproduce successfully. Therefore, an individual's migratory performance may influence reproductive outcomes. Given large-scale changes in land use, climate, and potential carry-over effects, understanding how individuals migrate in rel
Authors
Jay Alan VonBank, Kevin J. Kraai, Daniel P. Collins, Paul T. Link, Mitch D. Weegman, Lei Cao, Bart M. Ballard
Human-induced range expansions result in a recent hybrid zone between sister species of ducks
Landscapes are consistently under pressure from human-induced ecological change, often resulting in shifting species distributions. For some species, changing the geographical breadth of their niche space results in matching range shifts to regions other than those in which they are formally found. In this study, we employ a population genomics approach to assess potential conservation issues aris
Authors
Philip Lavretsky, Kevin J. Kraai, David Butler, James Morel, Jay Alan VonBank, Joseph Marty, Vergie Musni, Daniel P. Collins
Developing a photography-based harvest survey to estimate age and subspecies composition of midcontinent sandhill cranes
Midcontinent sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) are managed as a single population, but hunting regulations are structured so harvest is targeted towards the more numerous lesser sandhill cranes (A. c. canadensis). However, research indicates that greater sandhill cranes (A. c. tabida) have been disproportionally exposed to harvest at a rate exceeding their proportion within the midcontinent po
Authors
Andrew J. Dinges, Jay Alan VonBank, Aaron T. Pearse, David A. Brandt
Movement dynamics influence population monitoring and adaptive harvest management strategies in migratory birds
Informed population monitoring efforts are essential for sound management of harvested species, and adaptive strategies that provide detailed information to monitoring efforts often require data inputs from complimentary sources. Movement ecology information is seldom directly incorporated into population monitoring or adaptive harvest management strategies, yet can provide valuable information on
Authors
Jay Alan VonBank, Daniel P. Collins, Kristen S. Ellis, J. Patrick Donnelly, Jeffrey M. Knetter
Using morphological measurements to predict subspecies of Midcontinent sandhill cranes
The Midcontinent population of sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) has historically been classified into 3 putative subspecies, but genetic analyses have identified only 2 genetically distinct subspecies. Previous studies have successfully used morphometrics in combination with an individual's sex to differentiate subspecies of sandhill cranes that had been inferred based on breeding area, but n
Authors
Jay A VonBank, David A. Brandt, Aaron T. Pearse, David B. Wester, Bart M Ballard
Non-USGS Publications**
VonBank, Jay A., and Matthew J. Garrick. “Foraging by Mottled Ducks (<em>Anas Fulvigula</Em>) in a Dry Agriculture Field during Winter: A Novel Observation.” The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, vol. 130, no. 4, Wilson Ornithological Society, 2018, pp. 1028–32, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26984224.
VONBANK, JAY A., et al. “Energetic Carrying Capacity of Riverine and Connected Wetlands of the Upper Illinois River for Fall-Migrating Waterfowl.” The American Midland Naturalist, vol. 176, no. 2, The University of Notre Dame, 2016, pp. 210–21, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44840285.
**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
Evidence of longitudinal differences in spring migration strategies of an Arctic-nesting goose
During spring, migratory birds are required to optimally balance energetic costs of migration across heterogeneous landscapes and weather conditions to survive and reproduce successfully. Therefore, an individual's migratory performance may influence reproductive outcomes. Given large-scale changes in land use, climate, and potential carry-over effects, understanding how individuals migrate in rel
Authors
Jay Alan VonBank, Kevin J. Kraai, Daniel P. Collins, Paul T. Link, Mitch D. Weegman, Lei Cao, Bart M. Ballard
Human-induced range expansions result in a recent hybrid zone between sister species of ducks
Landscapes are consistently under pressure from human-induced ecological change, often resulting in shifting species distributions. For some species, changing the geographical breadth of their niche space results in matching range shifts to regions other than those in which they are formally found. In this study, we employ a population genomics approach to assess potential conservation issues aris
Authors
Philip Lavretsky, Kevin J. Kraai, David Butler, James Morel, Jay Alan VonBank, Joseph Marty, Vergie Musni, Daniel P. Collins
Developing a photography-based harvest survey to estimate age and subspecies composition of midcontinent sandhill cranes
Midcontinent sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) are managed as a single population, but hunting regulations are structured so harvest is targeted towards the more numerous lesser sandhill cranes (A. c. canadensis). However, research indicates that greater sandhill cranes (A. c. tabida) have been disproportionally exposed to harvest at a rate exceeding their proportion within the midcontinent po
Authors
Andrew J. Dinges, Jay Alan VonBank, Aaron T. Pearse, David A. Brandt
Movement dynamics influence population monitoring and adaptive harvest management strategies in migratory birds
Informed population monitoring efforts are essential for sound management of harvested species, and adaptive strategies that provide detailed information to monitoring efforts often require data inputs from complimentary sources. Movement ecology information is seldom directly incorporated into population monitoring or adaptive harvest management strategies, yet can provide valuable information on
Authors
Jay Alan VonBank, Daniel P. Collins, Kristen S. Ellis, J. Patrick Donnelly, Jeffrey M. Knetter
Using morphological measurements to predict subspecies of Midcontinent sandhill cranes
The Midcontinent population of sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) has historically been classified into 3 putative subspecies, but genetic analyses have identified only 2 genetically distinct subspecies. Previous studies have successfully used morphometrics in combination with an individual's sex to differentiate subspecies of sandhill cranes that had been inferred based on breeding area, but n
Authors
Jay A VonBank, David A. Brandt, Aaron T. Pearse, David B. Wester, Bart M Ballard
Non-USGS Publications**
VonBank, Jay A., and Matthew J. Garrick. “Foraging by Mottled Ducks (<em>Anas Fulvigula</Em>) in a Dry Agriculture Field during Winter: A Novel Observation.” The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, vol. 130, no. 4, Wilson Ornithological Society, 2018, pp. 1028–32, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26984224.
VONBANK, JAY A., et al. “Energetic Carrying Capacity of Riverine and Connected Wetlands of the Upper Illinois River for Fall-Migrating Waterfowl.” The American Midland Naturalist, vol. 176, no. 2, The University of Notre Dame, 2016, pp. 210–21, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44840285.
**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.