I am an avian ecologist who integrates the fields of behavior, physiology, and ecology.

As a lab, our primary research interests lie in examining the underlying mechanisms for how individuals interact with their environments. Revealing such mechanisms is critical to effective management and conservation. We employ a wide range of techniques when addressing these types of questions, including: observational field studies, wild and captive experiments, hormone analysis, and stable isotope ecology. Our goals are to: 1) provide detailed information on ecological and physiological mechanisms that can reveal processes shaping behavior, life history, and population dynamics throughout the annual cycle and, 2) determine how anthropogenic disturbances influence these processes.



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Christopher M. Tonra, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Avian Wildlife Ecology
School of Environment and Natural Resources
Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Lab
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH