T.J. Zenzal, Ph.D.
TJ Zenzal is a Research Ecologist at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center.
My research interests include the movement and behavioral ecology of wildlife, particularly birds, with an emphasis on conservation. My research integrates traditional field methods (e.g., bird banding, surveys) with technological advancements (e.g., radio telemetry, weather surveillance radar, isotopes, RFID) to better understand the ecology of avian species as they face severe weather events, habitat/land use change, climate change, and the migratory journey. My dissertation work focused on the stopover ecology of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird in coastal Alabama. My post-doctoral work focused on 1) the integration of weather surveillance radar and traditional field methods to determine how landbirds use stopover habitat as well as react to hurricanes along the Northern Gulf Coast during migration, and 2) the use of wetland habitat created via drainage water management by shorebirds in the mid-West.
Education
Ph.D., Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi
B.S., Environmental Science, University of Scranton
Background
2019-Present: Research Ecologist, US Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center (formerly National Wetland Research Center), Lafayette, LA, USA
2017-2019: Research Scientist, School of Biological, Environmental, and Earth Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA
2017: Postdoctoral Research Associate in Avian Ecology, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
2016: Visiting Scholar, Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
2016-2017: Postdoctoral Research Associate in Radar Ornithology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA
2009-2016: Ph.D. Biological Sciences; NSF GK-12 Teaching Fellow/Graduate Teaching Assistant/Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA
2008-2009: Various avian field technician positions
2005-2008: B.S. Environmental Science, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, USA
Science and Products
A Multiscale Approach to Understanding Migratory Landbird Habitat Use of Functional Stopover Habitat Types and Management Efforts
Adapting to Climate Change: Trends and Severe Storm Responses by Migratory Landbirds and Their Habitats
Understanding Avian Habitat Availability and Use After Barrier Island Restoration in Coastal Louisiana
Seasonal Surveys of Shorebird and Coastal Waterbird Utilization of Dredged Material Islands in the Baptiste Collette Bayou, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New Orleans District, Louisiana
Restoration Impacts to Avian Populations along the Louisiana Outer Coast
Non-breeding Habitat Use of Flooded Agricultural Fields by Shorebirds within the Mississippi Delta
Science and Products
A Multiscale Approach to Understanding Migratory Landbird Habitat Use of Functional Stopover Habitat Types and Management Efforts
Adapting to Climate Change: Trends and Severe Storm Responses by Migratory Landbirds and Their Habitats
Understanding Avian Habitat Availability and Use After Barrier Island Restoration in Coastal Louisiana
Seasonal Surveys of Shorebird and Coastal Waterbird Utilization of Dredged Material Islands in the Baptiste Collette Bayou, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New Orleans District, Louisiana
Restoration Impacts to Avian Populations along the Louisiana Outer Coast