A screen shot of a silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) call captured by an acoustic detector, a specialized microphone that can capture species-specific high frequency sounds.
Rebecca McCaffery
I am a Research Biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey. My research focuses on wildlife population ecology, community ecology, and restoration ecology of a diverse suite of wildlife species found in the mountains and forests of the northwestern United States.
I lead FRESC's Olympic Field Station, which is nestled within Olympic National Park in Washington. I engage in cooperator-driven research with National Park Service and Tribal partners on the Olympic peninsula and throughout western Washington, as well as larger initiatives. My work focuses the ecology of wildlife populations as related to climate change, habitat characteristics, disease, restoration practices, and other natural and anthropogenic effects. My work spans taxonomic groups and has recently included amphibians, bats, marmots, fishers, small mammals, and ungulates. In addition to taxonomic diversity, my projects range in scope from questions related to individual populations to those examining community interactions and landscape-level processes.
Science and Products
Fisher Restoration on the Olympic Peninsula
Researchers at the Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Olympic Field Station, have been involved in fisher restoration to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula since 2008, when fishers were reintroduced to the peninsula following decades of extirpation.
Elwha River ScienceScape: Understanding Ecosystem Recovery Following Large-Scale Dam Removal
The Elwha River – located on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington - is home to an iconic dam removal and ecosystem restoration project. The Elwha offers a unique setting to explore the ecosystem level effects of dam removal and river restoration because of its prominence, such as large sediment volume, several salmon populations, and pristine wilderness.
Bat Ecology in Western Washington's National Parks
The expansion of the bat fungal disease White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) to the Pacific Northwest is centered in western Washington. However, not much is known about bat distribution and activity in and around Washington’s National Parks.
From Water to Wildlife: Linking Water Timing and Availability to Meadows and Wildlife in a Changing Climate
Mountain meadows in the western United States provide key habitats for many plant and wildlife species, many of which rely exclusively on these areas. Mountain meadows are also treasured by the public and provide beautiful areas to view wildflowers and wildlife on public lands such as national parks. However, mountain ecosystems are expected to be disproportionately affected by climate change. The
Bat call from silver-haired bat
A screen shot of a silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) call captured by an acoustic detector, a specialized microphone that can capture species-specific high frequency sounds.
Bat call from a silver-haired bat
A screen shot of a Yuma myotis bat (Myotis yumanensis) call captured by an acoustic detector, a specialized microphone that can capture species-specific high frequency sounds.
A screen shot of a Yuma myotis bat (Myotis yumanensis) call captured by an acoustic detector, a specialized microphone that can capture species-specific high frequency sounds.
Installing a bat acoustic detector on the Washington Coast
Rebecca McCaffery installing a bat acoustic detector on the outer coast of Washington state. Acoustic detectors are specialized microphones that capture the high frequency calls of bat species at night. They can be used to study bat distribution and occupancy patterns.
Rebecca McCaffery installing a bat acoustic detector on the outer coast of Washington state. Acoustic detectors are specialized microphones that capture the high frequency calls of bat species at night. They can be used to study bat distribution and occupancy patterns.
Science and Products
Fisher Restoration on the Olympic Peninsula
Researchers at the Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Olympic Field Station, have been involved in fisher restoration to Washington’s Olympic Peninsula since 2008, when fishers were reintroduced to the peninsula following decades of extirpation.
Elwha River ScienceScape: Understanding Ecosystem Recovery Following Large-Scale Dam Removal
The Elwha River – located on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington - is home to an iconic dam removal and ecosystem restoration project. The Elwha offers a unique setting to explore the ecosystem level effects of dam removal and river restoration because of its prominence, such as large sediment volume, several salmon populations, and pristine wilderness.
Bat Ecology in Western Washington's National Parks
The expansion of the bat fungal disease White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) to the Pacific Northwest is centered in western Washington. However, not much is known about bat distribution and activity in and around Washington’s National Parks.
From Water to Wildlife: Linking Water Timing and Availability to Meadows and Wildlife in a Changing Climate
Mountain meadows in the western United States provide key habitats for many plant and wildlife species, many of which rely exclusively on these areas. Mountain meadows are also treasured by the public and provide beautiful areas to view wildflowers and wildlife on public lands such as national parks. However, mountain ecosystems are expected to be disproportionately affected by climate change. The
Bat call from silver-haired bat
A screen shot of a silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) call captured by an acoustic detector, a specialized microphone that can capture species-specific high frequency sounds.
A screen shot of a silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) call captured by an acoustic detector, a specialized microphone that can capture species-specific high frequency sounds.
Bat call from a silver-haired bat
A screen shot of a Yuma myotis bat (Myotis yumanensis) call captured by an acoustic detector, a specialized microphone that can capture species-specific high frequency sounds.
A screen shot of a Yuma myotis bat (Myotis yumanensis) call captured by an acoustic detector, a specialized microphone that can capture species-specific high frequency sounds.
Installing a bat acoustic detector on the Washington Coast
Rebecca McCaffery installing a bat acoustic detector on the outer coast of Washington state. Acoustic detectors are specialized microphones that capture the high frequency calls of bat species at night. They can be used to study bat distribution and occupancy patterns.
Rebecca McCaffery installing a bat acoustic detector on the outer coast of Washington state. Acoustic detectors are specialized microphones that capture the high frequency calls of bat species at night. They can be used to study bat distribution and occupancy patterns.
*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