UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Conservation of Darwin's finches
One of my most rewarding projects involves applied conservation of Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos. The recent introduction of a parasitic nest fly Philornis downsi to the Galapagos Islands has had devastating effects on nestling survival of Darwin’s finches. Thus, controlling the fly is currently a top priority for the Galapagos National Park. I have been testing novel method of controlling P. downsi that allows birds to self-fumigate their own nests. This work potentially has major implication for the conservation of highly endangered finches that are parasitized by P. downsi.
One of my most rewarding projects involves applied conservation of Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos. The recent introduction of a parasitic nest fly Philornis downsi to the Galapagos Islands has had devastating effects on nestling survival of Darwin’s finches. Thus, controlling the fly is currently a top priority for the Galapagos National Park. I have been testing novel method of controlling P. downsi that allows birds to self-fumigate their own nests. This work potentially has major implication for the conservation of highly endangered finches that are parasitized by P. downsi.