Robb Diehl, Ph.D.
My research explores the behavior and ecology of migratory birds and seeks to inform on their conservation and management.
Research Interest
Migratory birds matter. They are a remarkable part of our cultural, historical, and natural heritage; they provide ecosystem services including pest control and pollination; they are a source of recreation for tens of millions of people who feed, watch, and landscape their yards for birds; and they help support a vigorous wildlife watching industry.
My work follows three broad themes: 1) understanding the behavior, ecology, and conservation of migrating birds, 2) determining how flying animals may be influenced by anthropogenic activity, especially in relation to energy development, and 3) advancing the remote sensing technologies biologists use to study birds and other wildlife.
Education and Certifications
PhD and MS, Ecology, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL
BS, Wildlife Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
Science and Products
Songbirds are resilient to hurricane disturbed habitats during spring migration
Extending the habitat concept to the airspace
Evaluating the effectiveness of wildlife detection and observation technologies at a solar power tower facility
Fat, weather, and date affect migratory songbirds’ departure decisions, routes, and time it takes to cross the Gulf of Mexico
Community for Data Integration 2014 annual report
Spring resource phenology and timing of songbird migration across the Gulf of Mexico
Migratory songbirds are advancing their arrival to breeding areas in response to climatic warming at temperate latitudes. Less is understood about the impacts of climate changes outside the breeding period. Every spring, millions of migrating songbirds that overwinter in the Caribbean and Central and South America stop to rest and refuel in the first available habitats after crossing the Gulf of M
Behavior of bats at wind turbines
Wind turbines are causing unprecedented numbers of bat fatalities. Many fatalities involve tree-roosting bats, but reasons for this higher susceptibility remain unknown. To better understand behaviors associated with risk, we monitored bats at three experimentally manipulated wind turbines in Indiana, United States, from July 29 to October 1, 2012, using thermal cameras and other methods. We obser
Bird mortality during nocturnal migration over Lake Michigan: A case study
Factors influencing the movement biology of migrant songbirds confronted with an ecological barrier
The airspace is habitat
Partly cloudy with a chance of migration: Weather, radars, and aeroecology
Potential use of weather radar to study movements of wintering waterfowl
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
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Filter Total Items: 30
Songbirds are resilient to hurricane disturbed habitats during spring migration
The Gulf of Mexico is a conspicuous feature of the Neotropical–Nearctic bird migration system. Traveling long distances across ecological barriers comes with considerable risks, and mortality associated with intercontinental migration may be substantial, including that caused by storms or other adverse weather events. However, little, if anything, is known about how migratory birds respond to distAuthorsEmily Lain, Theodore J. Zenzal, Frank R. Moore, Wylie C. Barrow, Robert H. DiehlExtending the habitat concept to the airspace
Habitat is one of the most familiar and fundamental concepts in the fields of ecology, animal behavior, and wildlife conservation and management. Humans interact with habitats through their senses and experiences and education to such a degree that their perceptions of habitat have become second nature. For this reason, it may be difficult at first to accept the airspace as habitat, an area that iAuthorsRobert H. Diehl, Anna C. Peterson, Rachel T. Bolus, Douglas H. JohnsonEvaluating the effectiveness of wildlife detection and observation technologies at a solar power tower facility
Solar power towers produce electrical energy from sunlight at an industrial scale. Little is known about the effects of this technology on flying animals and few methods exist for automatically detecting or observing wildlife at solar towers and other tall anthropogenic structures. Smoking objects are sometimes observed co-occurring with reflected, concentrated light (“solar flux”) in the airspaceAuthorsRobert H. Diehl, Ernest W. Valdez, Todd M. Preston, Mike J. Wellik, Paul M. CryanFat, weather, and date affect migratory songbirds’ departure decisions, routes, and time it takes to cross the Gulf of Mexico
Approximately two thirds of migratory songbirds in eastern North America negotiate the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), where inclement weather coupled with no refueling or resting opportunities can be lethal. However, decisions made when navigating such features and their consequences remain largely unknown due to technological limitations of tracking small animals over large areas. We used automated radioAuthorsJill L. Deppe, Michael P. Ward, Rachel T. Bolus, Robert H. Diehl, A. Celis-Murillo, Theodore J. Zenzal, Frank R. Moore, Thomas J. Benson, Jaclyn A. Smolinsky, Lynn N. Schofield, David A. Enstrom, Eben H. Paxton, Gil Bohrer, Tara A. Beveroth, Arlo Raim, Renee L. Obringer, David Delaney, William W. CochranCommunity for Data Integration 2014 annual report
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researches Earth science to help address complex issues affecting society and the environment. In 2006, the USGS held the first Scientific Information Management Workshop to bring together staff from across the organization to discuss the data and information management issues affecting the integration and delivery of Earth science research and investigate the useAuthorsMadison L. Langseth, Michelle Y. Chang, Jennifer Carlino, Daniella D. Birch, Joshua Bradley, R. Sky Bristol, Craig Conzelmann, Robert H. Diehl, Paul S. Earle, Laura E. Ellison, Anthony L. Everette, Pamela L. Fuller, Janice M. Gordon, David L. Govoni, Michelle R. Guy, Heather S. Henkel, Vivian B. Hutchison, Tim Kern, Frances L. Lightsom, Joseph W. Long, Ryan Longhenry, Todd M. Preston, Stan W. Smith, Roland J. Viger, Katherine Wesenberg, Eric C. WoodSpring resource phenology and timing of songbird migration across the Gulf of Mexico
Migratory songbirds are advancing their arrival to breeding areas in response to climatic warming at temperate latitudes. Less is understood about the impacts of climate changes outside the breeding period. Every spring, millions of migrating songbirds that overwinter in the Caribbean and Central and South America stop to rest and refuel in the first available habitats after crossing the Gulf of M
AuthorsEben H. Paxton, Emily B. Cohen, Zoltan Németh, Theodore J. Zenzal, Kristina L. Paxton, Robert H. Diehl, Frank R. MooreBehavior of bats at wind turbines
Wind turbines are causing unprecedented numbers of bat fatalities. Many fatalities involve tree-roosting bats, but reasons for this higher susceptibility remain unknown. To better understand behaviors associated with risk, we monitored bats at three experimentally manipulated wind turbines in Indiana, United States, from July 29 to October 1, 2012, using thermal cameras and other methods. We obser
AuthorsPaul M. Cryan, P. Marcos Gorresen, Cris D. Hine, Michael Schirmacher, Robert H. Diehl, Manuela M. Huso, David T.S. Hayman, Paul D. Fricker, Frank J. Bonaccorso, Douglas H. Johnson, Kevin W. Heist, David C. DaltonBird mortality during nocturnal migration over Lake Michigan: A case study
Millions of birds die each year during migration. Most of this mortality goes unobserved and conditions surrounding the actual events are often not thoroughly documented. We present a case study of substantial migrant casualties along the shores of southwestern Lake Michigan during May 1996 when we found 2,981 dead birds of 114 species, mostly migrant passerines. An unusual sequence of events alloAuthorsRobert H. Diehl, John M. Bates, David E. Willard, Thomas P. GnoskeFactors influencing the movement biology of migrant songbirds confronted with an ecological barrier
Whether or not a migratory songbird embarks on a long-distance flight across an ecological barrier is likely a response to a number of endogenous and exogenous factors. During autumn 2008 and 2009, we used automated radio tracking to investigate how energetic condition, age, and weather influenced the departure timing and direction of Swainson’s thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) during migratory stopoAuthorsJ. A. Smolinsky, Robert H. Diehl, T. A. Radzio, D. K. Delaney, F. R MooreThe airspace is habitat
A preconception concerning habitat persists and has gone unrecognized since use of the term first entered the lexicon of ecological and evolutionary biology many decades ago. Specifically, land and water are considered habitats, while the airspace is not. This might at first seem a reasonable, if unintended, demarcation, since years of education and personal experience as well as limits to perceptAuthorsRobert H. DiehlPartly cloudy with a chance of migration: Weather, radars, and aeroecology
Aeroecology is an emerging scientific discipline that integrates atmospheric science, Earth science, geography, ecology, computer science, computational biology, and engineering to further the understanding of biological patterns and processes. The unifying concept underlying this new transdisciplinary field of study is a focus on the planetary boundary layer and lower free atmosphere (i.e., the aAuthorsPhillip B. Chilson, Winifred F. Frick, Jeffrey F. Kelly, Kenneth W. Howard, Ronald P. Larkin, Robert H. Diehl, John K. Westbrook, T. Adam Kelly, Thomas H. KunzPotential use of weather radar to study movements of wintering waterfowl
To protect and restore wintering waterfowl habitat, managers require knowledge of routine wintering waterfowl movements and habitat use. During preliminary screening of Doppler weather radar data we observed biological movements consistent with routine foraging flights of wintering waterfowl known to occur near Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Louisiana. During the winters of 2004–2005 anAuthorsLori A. Randall, Robert H. Diehl, Barry C. Wilson, Wylie C. Barrow, Clinton W. JeskeNon-USGS Publications**
Larkin, R. P. and R. H. Diehl. 2012. Radar techniques for wildlife biology. Pp. 319–335 in N. Silvy, editor. Techniques for wildlife investigations and management, 7th edition. Wildlife Society, Bethesda, Maryland.Chilson, P. B., W. F. Frick, J. F. Kelly, K. W. Howard, R. P. Larkin, R. H. Diehl, J. K. Westbrook, T. A. Kelly, and T. H. Kunz. 2012. Partly cloudy with a chance of migration: weather, radars, and aeroecology. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 93:669-686.Bridge, E. S., K. Thorup, M. S. Bowlin, P. B. Chilson, R. H. Diehl, R. W. Fléron, P. Hartl, R. Kays, J. F. Kelly, W. D. Robinson, and M. Wikelski. 2011. Technology on the move: Recent and forthcoming innovations for tracking migratory birds. BioScience. 61:689-698.Randall, L. A., R. H. Diehl, B. C. Wilson, W. C. Barrow, and C. W. Jeske. 2011. Use of weather radar to study movement of wintering waterfowl. Journal of Wildlife Management. 75:1324-1329.Kirsch, E. M., R. S. Sojda, R. H. Diehl, and M. Suarez. 2010. A crane movement model parameterized using portable radar for evaluating response to wind energy development. Proceedings of iEMSS 5th Biennial meeting: International Congress on Environmental Modeling and Software Society, Ottawa, Canada, July 2010.Robinson, W., M. Bowlin, I. Bisson, J. Shamoun-Baranes, K. Thorup, R. Diehl, T. Kunz, S. Mabey, and D. Winkler. 2009. Integrating concepts and technologies at the frontiers of bird migration. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 8: 354–361.Cryan, P. and R. Diehl. 2009. Analyzing bat migration. in Ecological and Behavioral methods for the study of bats. (T.H. Kunz and S. Parsons, eds.). pp. 476-488. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland.Buler, J. J. and R. H. Diehl. 2009. Quantifying bird density during migratory stopover using weather surveillance radar. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. 47:2741-2751.Diehl, R. H., and R. P. Larkin. 2005. Introduction to the WSR-88D (NEXRAD) for ornithological research. in C. J. Ralph and T. D. Rich, editors. Bird Conservation Implementation and Integration in the Americas: Proceedings of the Third International Partners in Flight Conference 2002. Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Albany, CaliforniaDiehl, R. H., R. P. Larkin, and J. E. Black. 2003. Radar observations of bird migration over the Great Lakes. Auk. 120:278-290.Wikelski, M., E. Tarlow, A. Raim, R. H. Diehl, H. Visser, and R. P. Larkin. 2003. Migration behavior and energetics of songbird migration in the wild. Nature. 423:704.Larkin, R. P., W. R. Evans, and R. H. Diehl. 2002. Nocturnal flight calls of Dickcissels and Doppler radar echoes over south Texas in spring. Journal of Field Ornithology. 73:2-8.Diehl, R. H. and R. P. Larkin. 1998. Providing resources for researchers on the world wide web: some perspectives. BioScience. 48:313-315.Diehl, R. H. and R. P. Larkin. 1998. Wing beat frequency of thrushes during nocturnal migration, measured via radio telemetry. Auk. 115:591-601.Larkin, R. P., A. Raim, and R. H. Diehl. 1996. Performance of a non-rotating direction-finder for automatic radio tracking of wildlife. Journal of Field Ornithology. 67:59-71.
**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.
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