Jeffery Sullivan
Science and Products
Deriving Spatial Waterfowl Inputs for Disease Risk Modeling
This project is an effort to create spatially and temporally explicit models for waterfowl distribution across the United States for use in avian influenza transmission risk modeling.
Spatio-temporal distribution models for dabbling duck species across the continental United States
These data describe the spatio-temporal distribution of dabbling duck species across the continental United States during four biologically relevant seasons. This dataset contains two types of distribution models: (1) probability of presence, and (2) abundance. The model type, species, and season depicted in a raster are defined in the file name. File names begin with either ab
[Data Release] Using Thermal Infrared Cameras to Detect Avian Chicks at Various Distances and Vegetative Coverages
These data represent the ability of two thermal infrared cameras to detect a chicken chick under a variety of vegetation coverage's.
Preliminary evaluation of behavioral response of nesting waterbirds to small unmanned aircraft flight
This dataset is comprised of 3 .csv files related to the use of unmanned aerial systems over waterbird colonies. Specifically, data detail the disturbance observed in birds during flights, the time required for traditional ground surveys to be conducted, and the distance at which birds flush during traditional ground surveys.
Assessing nest attentiveness of Common Terns via video cameras and temperature loggers
While nest attentiveness plays a critical role in the reproductive success of avian species, little nest attentiveness data with high temporal resolution is available for many species. However, improvements in both video monitoring and temperature logging devices present an opportunity to improve our understanding of this aspect of avian behavior...
Sullivan, Jeffery D.; Marban, Paul R.; Mullinax, Jennifer M.; Brinker, David F.; McGowan, Petter C.; Callahan, Carl C.; Prosser, Diann Using thermal infrared cameras to detect avian chicks at various distances and vegetative coverages
Population monitoring of nesting waterbirds often involves frequent entries into the colony, but alternative methods such as local remotely sensed thermal imaging may help reduce disturbance while providing a cost-effective way to survey breeding populations. Such an approach can have high initial costs, however, which may have reduced the number...
Prosser, Diann; Collier, Tom; Sullivan, Jeffery D.; Dale, Katherine Emily; Callahan, Carl R.; McGowan, Peter C.; Gaylord, Edward; Geschke, Julia M.; Howell, Lucas; Marban, Paul R.; Raman, Saba Eviction notice: Observation of a Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) usurping an active Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) Nest
Although nest usurpation is common in some species and orders of birds, usurpation has rarely been reported for Sterninae. We observed a Sterna hirundo (Common Tern) egg in an active Sternula antillarum(Least Tern) nest with a complete clutch in a mixed-species Sterninae colony in Chesapeake Bay, MD, in May 2018. Based on...
Riggs, Georgia J.; Sullivan, Jeffery D.; Harvey, Kayla M.; Pappas, Dimitri A.; Wall, Jennifer L.; McGowan, Peter C.; Callahan, Carl R.; Koppie, Craig A.; Prosser, Diann Promoting change in common tern (Sterna hirundo) nest site selection to minimize construction related disturbance
With dramatic declines in waterbird populations around the globe, wildlife managers have taken great care to minimize disturbance to breeding waterbird colonies. However, sometimes disturbance cannot be avoided and other actions must be considered. During the 2017 breeding season, a colony of Sterna hirundo (Common terns) were deterred from a...
McGowan, Peter C.; Sullivan, Jeffery D.; Callahan, Carl C.; Schultz, William; Wall, Jennifer L.; Prosser, Diann Seasonal occurrence and abundance of dabbling ducks across the continental United States: Joint spatio-temporal modelling for the Genus Anas
Estimating the distribution and abundance of wildlife is an essential task in species conservation, wildlife management and habitat prioritization. Although a host of methods and tools have been proposed to accomplish this undertaking, several challenges remain in accurately forecasting occurrence and abundance for highly mobile species....
Humphreys, John M.; Murrow, Jennifer L.; Sullivan, Jeffery D.; Prosser, Diann Waterfowl spring migratory behavior and avian influenza transmission risk in the changing landscape of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway
Avian influenza has advanced from a regional concern to a global health issue with significant economic, trade, and public health implications. Wild birds, particularly waterfowl (Anseriformes), are known reservoirs for low-pathogenic avian influenza viruses (AIV) and recent studies have shown their potential in the spread of highly pathogenic...
Sullivan, Jeffery D.; Takekawa, John Y.; Spragens, Kyle A.; Newman, Scott H.; Xiao, Xiangming; Leader, Paul J.; Smith, Bena; Prosser, Diann J. A video surveillance system to monitor breeding colonies of common terns (Sterna Hirundo)
Many waterbird populations have faced declines over the last century, including the common tern (Sterna hirundo), a waterbird species with a widespread breeding distribution, that has been recently listed as endangered in some habitats of its range. Waterbird monitoring programs exist to track populations through time; however, some of the more...
Wall, J.L.; Marban, Paul; Brinker, D.F.; Sullivan, J.D.; Zimnik, M.; Murrow, J.L.; McGowan, P. C.; Callahan, Carl R.; Prosser, Diann J. Investigating home range, movement pattern, and habitat selection of Bar-headed Geese during breeding season at Qinghai Lake, China
The Bar-headed Goose is an important species in Asia, both culturally and ecologically. While prior studies have shown Qinghai Lake supports one of the largest breeding areas for Bar-headed Geese, little is known regarding the species movement ecology during the breeding season. In this study, we examined Bar-headed Goose home range size within...
Zheng, Ruobing; Smith, Lacy M.; Prosser, Diann J.; Takekawa, John Y.; Newman, Scott H.; Sullivan, Jeffery D.; Luo, Ze; Yan, Baoping Preliminary evaluation of behavioral response of nesting waterbirds to small unmanned aircraft flight
Small unmanned aircraft systems present an emerging technology with the potential to survey colonial waterbird populations while reducing disturbance in comparison to traditional ground counts. Recent research with these systems has been performed on some colonially nesting avian species; however, none have focused on wading bird species. During...
Reintsma, Kaitlyn; McGowan, Peter C.; Callahan, Carl R.; Collier, Tom; Gray, David; Sullivan, Jeffery D.; Prosser, Diann J. Use of Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia) burrows as shelter by Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) chicks
The availability of shelter to avoid predation and ameliorate physiologically stressful conditions is often important to the survival of avian hatchlings. However, as changes in habitat availability force birds to nest in nontraditional locations, young must quickly adapt to using novel sources of shelter. Two Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) colonies...
McGowan, Peter C.; Reintsma, Kaitlyn; Sullivan, Jeffery D.; DeVoss, Katie P.; Wall, Jennifer L.; Zimnik, Mia D.; Callahan, Carl R.; Schultz, Bill; Prosser, Diann J. Species distribution modeling in regions of high need and limited data: waterfowl of China
BackgroundA number of conservation and societal issues require understanding how species are distributed on the landscape, yet ecologists are often faced with a lack of data to develop models at the resolution and extent desired, resulting in inefficient use of conservation resources. Such a situation presented itself in our attempt to develop...
Prosser, Diann J.; Ding, Changqing; Erwin, R. Michael; Mundkur, Taej; Sullivan, Jeffery D.; Ellis, Erle C.