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Fitzpatrick, John Weaver
Cornell Faculty Member
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Positions
- Professor, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (CLO)
- Director, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (CLO)
- Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
I am a professional ornithologist with expertise in avian behavior, ecology, and conservation biology. For 17 years I have been Director of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, a world renowned institute for research, education, and conservation of birds around the world. The Lab is a global pioneer in creating and delivering "citizen science" projects that engage tens of thousands of public citizens in research on bird distribution, movements, and population trends.
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Affiliations
member of graduate field
other Cornell affiliations
member of
- David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future (ACSF) Faculty Fellow
Extension
has primary specialization area
Research
research overview
- Recently, my main area of research has been on conservation and management of endangered species. I use detailed field studies of population biology, together with spatially explicit modelling, to project survival probabilities of the endangered Florida Scrub-Jay under alternative management scenarios. These studies are used to develop long-term conservation plans for the species, which is under severe threat from rapid human population growth and development throughout Florida.
co-principal investigator on
keywords
- avian behavior
- avian ecology
- avian systematics
- citizen science
- conservation
- conservation biology
- endangered species
- ornithology
- population biology
submitted impact statement
Publications
individual publications
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academic article
- Mind the gap: genetic distance increases with habitat gap size in Florida Scrub Jays.. Biology Letters. 8:582-585. 2012
- Research Priorities for Wind Energy and Migratory Wildlife.. Journal of Wildlife Management. 76:451-456. 2012
- Genetic monogamy across variable demographic landscapes in cooperatively breeding Florida scrub-jays. . Behavioral Ecology. 22:464-470. 2011
- Proactive Conservation Management of an Island-endemic Bird Species in the Face of Global Change . BioScience. 61:1013-1021. 2011
- Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on Effective Dispersal of Florida Scrub-Jays . Conservation Biology. 24:1080-1088. 2010
- Role of human-modified habitat in protecting specialist species: A case study in the threatened Florida Scrub-Jay. . Biological Conservation. 143:2815-2822. 2010
- Congruent population structure inferred from dispersal behaviour and intensive genetic surveys of the threatened Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens). Molecular Ecology. 17:1685-1701. 2008
- Clarifications about current research on the status of Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) in Arkansas. The Auk. 123:587-593. 2006
- Consequences of heterogeneity in survival probability in a population of Florida Scrub-Jays. Journal of Animal Ecology. 75:921-927. 2006
- Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) persists in continental North America. Science. 308:1460-1462. 2005
- Notes and double knocks from Arkansas. Science. 309:1489. 2005
- Arboviral infection in two species of wild jays (Aves: Corvidae): evidence for population impacts. Journal of Medical Entomology. 41:215-225. 2004
- Isolation of microsatellite loci in the Florida Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma coerulescens. Molecular Ecology Notes. 2:547-550. 2002
- Cadmium toxicity among wildlife in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Nature. 406:181-183. 2000
- Life and Death in the Fast Lane: Demographic Consequences of Road Mortality in the Florida Scrub-Jay. Conservation Biology. 14:501-512. 2000
- The AOU Conservation Committee Review of the Biology, Status, and Management of Cape Sable Seaside Sparrows: Final Report. Auk. 117:1093-1115. 2000
- Microsatellites reveal complex genetic structure among Florida Scrub-jays. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B. 266:1117-1125. 1999
- Multi-locus DNA fingerprinting supports genetic monogamy in Florida Scrub-Jays. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 45:1-10. 1999
- Contrasting patterns of elevational zonation for birds and mammals in the Andes of southeastern Peru. Journal of Biogeography. 25:593-607. 1998
- Factors affecting nutritional condition of fledgling Florida Scrub-Jays: a ptilochronology approach. Condor. 100:753-756. 1998
- A new species of tyrannulet (Phylloscartes) from the Andean foothills of Peru and Bolivia. Ornithological Monographs. 48:37-44. 1997
- An avifaunal survey of two tropical forest localities on the middle Rio Jiparana, Rondonia, Brazil. Ornithological Monographs. 48:763-781. 1997
- Notes on avian bamboo specialists in southwestern Amazonian Brazil. Ornithological Monographs. 48:543-547. 1997
- Actuarial senescence and demographic heterogeneity in the Florida Scrub Jay. Ecology. 77:2373-2381. 1996
- Florida Scrub Jay forages on back of white-tailed deer. Condor. 98:422-423. 1996
- Western Wood-Pewee recorded in Highlands County, Florida. Florida Field Naturalist. 24:61-67. 1996
- Distribution and abundance of Neotropical migrant land birds in the Amazon basin and Andes. Bird Conservation International. 5:305-323. 1995
- First winter record of an Eastern Kingbird in Florida. Florida Field Nat.. 23:62-64. 1995
- Fire and conservation biology of Florida scrub jays. Journal of Ornithology. 135:493-494. 1994
- Vanishing Florida scrub. Florida Naturalist. 65:8-9. 1992
- Cercomacra manu, a new species of antbird from southwestern Amazonia. Auk. 107:239-245. 1990
- The evolution of clutch size. II. A test of the Murray-Nolan equation. Evolution. 43:1706-1711. 1990
- Acorn harvesting by Florida Scrub Jays. Ecology. 70:348-356. 1989
- Why so many passerine birds? A response to Raikow. Svst. Zool.. 37:71-76. 1988
- Otus petersoni, a new screech-owl from the eastern Andes, with systematic notes on 0. columbianus and 0. ingens. Wilson Bulletin. 98:1-14. 1986
- Behavior, morphology, and systematic position of Sirvstes sibilator (Tyrannidae). Auk. 100:98-104. 1983
- Specific status and behavior of Cymbilaimus sanctaemariae, the Bamboo Antshrike, from southwestern Amazonia. Auk. 100:645-652. 1983
- A survey of the tyrant flycatchers. Living Bird. 19:7-50. 1982
- Twenty-one bird species new or little known from the Republic of Colombia. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. 102:153-158. 1982
- Demography is a cornerstone of sociobiology. Auk. 98:406-407. 1981
- Search strategies of Tyrant flycatchers. Animal Behaviour. 29:810-821. 1981
- A new race of Atlapetes leucopterus, with comments on widespread albinism in A. 1. dresseri (Taczanowski). Auk. 97:833-887. 1980
- Foraging behavior of Neotropical tyrant flycatchers. Condor. 82:43-57. 1980
- Sage Thrasher. [first Wisconsin state record] . Passenger Pigeon. 42:44-45. 1980
- A new species of hummingbird from Peru. Wilson Bulletin. 91:171-186. 1979
- A new species of pygmy-tyrant from the Peruvian mountains. Auk. 96:443-447. 1979
- Red-tailed Hawk preys on juvenile gopher tortoise. Florida Field Naturalist. 6:49. 1978
- The inheritance of territory in group-breeding birds. BioScience. 28:104-108. 1978
- A new species of wood-wren from Peru. Auk. 94:195-201. 1977
- Dominance in the Florida Scrub Jay. Condor. 79:1-12. 1977
- Systematics and biogeography of the tyrannid genus Todirostrum and related genera. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 147:435-463. 1976
- A record of allopreening in the Barred Owl. Auk. 92:598-599. 1975
- Response by a Long-eared Owl to Barred Owl calls. Wilson Bulletin. 85:443-444. 1973
- Speciation in the genus Ochthoeca (Aves: Tyrannidae). Breviora. 403:1-13. 1973
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article
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book
- Neotropical Birds: Ecology and Conservation 1996
- Florida Scrub Jay ecology and conservation 1991
- Form, foraging behavior, and adaptive radiation in the Tyrannidae. Vol. 36. 1985
- Geographic variation in some Amazonian forest birds. Vol. 36. 1985
- The Florida Scrub Jay: Demography of a Cooperative-breeding Bird. Vol. 20. 1984
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booksection
- Afterword 2012
- Foreword 2007
- Preface 2007
- Birds of the Manu Biosphere Preserve 2006
- Description of a new tribe of fluvicoline tyrant-flycatchers 2004
- Family Tyrannidae (tyrant flycatchers): Species Accounts 2004
- Family Tyrannidae (tyrant-flycatchers) 2004
- The adaptable bird 2003
- Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus) 2002
- Great Kiskadee (Pitangus sulphuratus) 2002
- Breeding partnerships of two New World jays 1996
- Classification and conservation of metapopulations: a case study of the Florida Scrub Jay 1996
- Florida Scrub Jay. Vol. 5, Birds. 1996
- Islands in the jungle 1995
- A warbler in trouble: Dendroica cerulea 1992
- FOREWORD. Vol. 4. 1991
- Florida Scrub Jays: A synopsis after 18 years of study 1990
- Components of lifetime reproductive success in the Florida Scrub Jay 1988
- Demographic routes to cooperative breeding in some New World jays 1986
- Flycatcher (2). [synopsis of the tyrant flycatchers] 1985
- The role of scientific collections in ecological morphology. Vol. 25. 1985
- Conioptilon mcilhennyi -- The Black-faced Cotinga 1982
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chapter
- Citizen science: new exercises for an ancient gift. Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research. 2012
- BirdSource: Using birds, citizen science, and the Internet as tools for global monitoring. Conservation in the Internet Age. 2002
- Chapter 10, Bird Conservation. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Home Study Course in Bird Biology. Second Edition. 2002
- Florida Scrub Jay. Lifetime Reproduction in Birds. 1989
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conference paper
- Dispersal distance and its demographic consequences in the Florida Scrub-jay. Proc. XXII Internat. Orn. Congress, Durban, South Africa. 1999
- Survival rates of understory forest birds in Peru. Proc. XXII Internat. Orn. Congress, Durban, South Africa. 1999
- The ecology of food-animal production: research needs for the twenty-second century. FAIR '95: Symposium on food animal research priorities. 81-87. 1993
- Habitat selection and relative abundance of migrants in southeastern Peru. Proc. 19th Internat Orn. Congr.. 1988
- Sources of variance in lifetime fitness of Florida Scrub Jays. Acta XIX Congr. Internat Ornithol.. 1986
- Some aspects of speciation in South American flycatchers. Proc. XVII Int. Orn. Congr.. 1980
- The selfish behavior of avian altruists. Proc. XVII Int. Orn. Congr.. 1980
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report
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review
- In Memoriam: Glen Woolfenden, 1930-2007 2009
- Ivory-billed or pileated woodpecker? 2007
- Response to comment on “Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) persists in continental North America.” 2006
- Check-list of North American Birds 1998
- Forty-first supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Checklist of North American Birds 1997
- Fortieth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Checklist of North American Birds 1995
- Thirty-ninth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Checklist of North American Birds 1993
- Florida's vanishing scrubland 1991
- Thirty-eighth supplement to the American ornithologists' Union Checklist of North American Birds 1991
- Thirty-seventh supplement to the American Ornitholoqists' Union Checklist of North American Birds 1989
- Thirty-sixth supplement to the American ornithologists' Union Checklist of North American Birds 1987
- Thirty-fifth supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Checklist of North American Birds 1985
- Annotated checklist of bird and mammal species of Cocha Cashu Biological Station, Manu National Park, Peru 1984
- Staying around the nest 1984
- Tropical Kingbird, Tyrannus melancholicus 1983
- Wintering of North American tyrant flycatchers in the Neotropics 1980
- Authors' reply 1978
featured in archived article
- Bird watchers set a new record: Great Backyard Bird Count participants tally millions of birds
- Cornell helps set research agenda for how to protect birds, bats from wind turbines
- Cornell researchers say double knocks may be 'soundprints' of ivory-bills
- Cornell researchers to present audio recordings of ivory-billed woodpecker at Aug. 24 ornithology meeting
- Elusive bird is everywhere and nowhere
- Lab of Ornithology helps Maya Lin realize her dream in creating arts series on species loss
- Linda Macaulay receives Arthur Allen Award from Lab of Ornithology
- Long thought extinct, ivory-billed woodpecker rediscovered in Big Woods of Arkansas
Teaching
teaching overview
- I teach Cornell University`s introductory undergraduate course in Conservation Biology, offered alternate fall semesters.
teaching activities
- BIOEE-9990: Ph.D. Dissertation Research - Spring 2013
- BIOEE-9990: Ph.D. Dissertation Research - Fall 2012
- BIOEE-9990: Ph.D. Dissertation Research - Spring 2012
- BIOEE-1250: Biology Seminar - Fall 2011
- BIOEE-2670: Introduction to Conservation Biology - Fall 2011
- BIOEE-9990: Ph.D. Dissertation Research - Fall 2011
- NTRES-2670: Introduction to Conservation Biology - Fall 2011
Service
outreach overview
- As Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology I oversee an extensive range of public educational activities, including comprehensive websites on bird biology and conservation; award-winning magazine (Living Bird) and newsletter (BirdScope); regular press releases on issues of importance to bird conservation; engagement in public school education through the Ithaca Public Education Initiative; public lectures in a variety of forums around the U.S.; and other activities.
service to the profession
- International Ornithological Committee Committee Member 1990 -
- American Ornithologists' Union
- Science Advisory Council, The Nature Conservancy
- What is Missing? Foundation Board of Directors 2010 - 2013
- American Ornithologists Union Officer, President/Elect/Past 2000 - 2002
Background
education and training
- Ph.D. in Biology, Princeton University 1978
- B.A. in Biology, Harvard University 1974
awards and honors
- Eugene Eisenmann Award, 2006
- Cruikshank Award, 1995
- Oak Leaf Award, 1994
- Fellow, 1986
- Wm. Brewster Award, 1985
- Harry R. Painton Award, 1981
- Sigma Xi, 1973
Other
college
- CALS
research keyword
- avian behavior
- avian ecology
- avian systematics
- citizen science
- conservation
- conservation biology
- endangered species
- ornithology
- population biology
name prefix
- Dr.