David W. Winkler

 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

B.S. 1977 (University of California, Davis)
Ph.D. 1983 (University of California, Berkeley)

dww4@cornell.edu

I am an ornithologist with strong interests in physiological, evolutionary and behavioral ecology. In my present work, I am exploring the evolution and implications of patterns of dispersal in birds, the genesis and significance of variation in individual quality, and the causes of temporal and spatial variation in the life histories of birds. The work on dispersal advances on several fronts. One consists of a large-scale network of cooperators that grew out of the Cornell Nest Box Network (a project with André Dhondt and John Fitzpatrick at the Laboratory of Ornithology). Large numbers of banders are being trained across New York and surrounding states and provinces to band and recapture large numbers of Tree Swallows and Bluebirds. This large-scale research is being combined with detailed fine-scale studies of Tree Swallows within Tompkins County, in the immediate vicinity of Cornell. This empirical work serves as a foundation for experimental studies of dispersal, as will research on new methods of radio-telemetry (with K. Fristrup at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology), statistical methods for analyzing dispersal (with C. McCulloch and D. Hiebeler in Biometry) and optimization studies of the evolution of dispersal (with D. Hiebeler).

The other front of our Ithaca studies is an extension of earlier work, in which we discovered that laying date is one of the most important determinants of reproductive success in Tree Swallows and that it is not affected by the sizes of somatic stores of resources. My research in this vein is directed toward understanding the role that flight performance, metabolic physiology and immune system differences play in determining what makes a better swallow, and how these differences in individual quality interact with variations in weather and aerial insect availability to effect variation in Tree Swallow fitness.

The longer I continue my work on the life histories of birds, the more convinced I become that a comparative approach is a necessary complement to microevolutionary studies conducted within populations. My long-standing collaboration with Fred Sheldon (now at Louisiana State University) on the phylogenetic relationships of swallows has begun to yield interesting fruits. It has brought me new insights into the relationships among life history traits in Tree Swallows, and it has served as the foundation for continued research on the phylogeny and evolution of life histories in swallows world-wide.

With the phylogenetic framework that the collaboration with Sheldon provides, I have recently embarked on a study of the influence of ecology and phylogeny on the life histories of Tachycineta swallows from Alaska to Argentina.  This project, which is called "Golondrinas de las Americas," has pilot studies in progress in Alaska, Newfoundland, Oregon, California, Tennessee, Maryland, Nebraska, Belize, Panama, Venezuela and Argentina.  Rather than organize the entire project from Cornell, we envision an international research collective in which each site is funded by the local researcher who will gather information on insects and bird breeding biology with standardized methods.  This research collective is working together in the articulation of specific common research goals for each season and the analysis and dissemination of results from previous seasons' research. For further information, please visit our website http://golondrinas.cornell.edu.

Research Associate:

Starting in January 2000, I am very pleased to have Peter H. Wrege working with me as a Senior Research Associate in my lab.  Peter did his Ph.D. with Tom Cade in our department, and he has been working for the past 20 years as Steve Emlen's right-hand man.  When Steve decided he could no longer support Peter, I was more than happy to try, as I have relished the opportunity to work more closely with Peter ever since I came to Cornell.  Peter brings to my lab a history of excellence both in the field and in the analysis and interpretation of data.

Students currently in my lab:

I encourage my Ph.D. students to pursue independently conceived and funded research, and I take a stronger hand in guiding the research of M.S. and B.S. students in my lab. Birds are the most natural foundation for our common work. No matter what my students study, I try to encourage a cohesive and highly interactive lab group, with weekly lab meetings virtually year-round. (More on the current situation in my lab and grad study at Cornell.) In recent years, I have been working closely with engineers in the Bioacoustics Research Program at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology on new technologies for radio-tracking birds. As a spin off of that work, I have many ideas for research projects that could profitably be undertaken by engineering students working in my lab. (More on these opportunities in the nexus between engineering and ornithology.)

Tabatha A. Bruce (M.S. expected 2005, co-advised with Harry W. Greene) completed her B.S. at Cornell in 1998, and during two summers of her time here she worked on the Ithaca Tree Swallow study, serving as the field crew leader in 1998. Tabatha's interests after graduating grew more and more toward herps, and when one of her preferred prospective advisers for grad work, Harry Greene, moved from Berkeley to Ithaca, Harry and I opted to co-advise Tabatha in a study of the foraging ecology of Laughing Falcons and morphological adaptations that suit them for preying on venomous snakes.

Valentina Ferretti (Ph.D. expected 2007, co-advised with Irby Lovette) comes to Cornell from the University of Buenos Aires and is pursuing research on the organismal and ecological influences on extra-pair mating frequency and its latitudinal variation in Tachycineta swallows.

Gernot Huber (Ph.D. expected 2009) comes to Cornell from Stanford University and an extended period working in Silicon Valley. Gernot is interested in the ecological and evolutionary flexibility in animal movement patterns, provisionally concentrating on the movement patterns and population history of a population of Barn Swallows that has begun breeding in Buenos Aires province in the past 2 decades.

Paulo Llambías (Ph.D. expected 2007, co-advised with John Fitzpatrick) comes to Cornell from the University of Buenos Aires and is pursuing research on the causes of differences in the mating systems and parental care of Northern and Southern House Wrens in Ithaca and Buenos Aires.

James Mandel (Ph. D. expected 2008) comes to Cornell from Princeton University and is interested in the physiological ecology of animal migration, concentrating on a fine-scaled meteorological and physiological understanding of the costs and benefits of the flexible latitudinal migrations of the Turkey Vulture.

Former graduate students from my lab:

Daniel R. Ardia (Ph.D. 2004, co-advised with André Dhondt) Darwin Postdoctoral Fellow at University of Massachussetts
William Benner (M.S., 1991) Veterinarian
Curtis W. Burney (M.S., 2002 ) Biology Instructor, USAir Force Academy
Corey R. Freeman-Gallant (Ph.D., 1997) Associate Professor and Chair, Skidmore College
David G. Haskell (Ph.D., 1996) Associate Professor and Chair, University of the South
David Hiebeler (Ph.D., 2001, co-advised with Richard Durrett) Assistant Professor, University of Maine
Gary M. Langham (Ph.D., 2003, co-advised with John Fitzpatrick) Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Berkeley
John P. McCarty (Ph.D., 1995) Associate Professor, University of Nebraska
Rebecca J. Safran (Ph.D., 2004) Postdoctoral Fellow, Princeton University
Sarah Sargent (Ph.D., 1994, co-advised with Richard Root) Lecturer, Allegheny College
Justin G. Schuetz (Ph.D., 2004) Independent Researcher
Laura M. Stenzler (M.S., 2001, co-advised with John Fitzpatrick) Lab Manager, Evolutionary Biology Laboratory, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Matthew F. Wasson (Ph.D., 2002) Director of Research, Appalachian Voices

Bio Sketch:

I am a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. After obtaining my Ph.D. in Zoology at Berkeley (working with Frank Pitelka), I was a Thord-Gray and Fulbright Fellow at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden (with Malte Andersson), until 1984, and then a NATO Postdoctoral Fellow at Oxford University, England (with John Krebs) until 1985. In 1985 I came to Cornell as a Lecturer in the Section of Ecology and Systematics. From 1986 through 1988 I was a NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in Environmental Biology (with Paul Sherman), and in the fall of 1988 I joined the faculty in Ecology and Systematics (now renamed Ecology and Evolutionary Biology). I am a Fellow of the American Ornithologists' Union, a member of the Administrative Board of the Laboratory of Ornithology and of the Advisory Board of Cornell Plantations.

Courses Taught:

Bio G 109, Biological Principles
BioEE 475, Ornithology

Papers and Publications since 1990:

2006	Ardia, D. R., M. F. Wasson, and D. W. Winkler. Individual quality and food availability determine yolk and egg mass and egg composition in tree swallows Tachycineta bicolor. Journal of Avian Biology 37:252-259.
2005	Haussmann, M. F., D. W. Winkler, C. E. Huntington, D. Vleck, C. E. Sanneman, D. Hanley, and C. M. Vleck.  Cell-mediated immunosenescence in birds.  Oecologia 145:270-275.
	Haussman, M. F., D. W. Winkler, and C. M. Vleck.  Longer telomeres associated with higher survival in birds.  Biology Letters 1:212-214.
	Lotem, A., and D. W. Winkler. 2005. Defining the concept of public information. Science 308:354.
	Sheldon, F. H., L. A. Whittingham, R. G. Moyle, B. Slikas, and D. W. Winkler.  Phylogeny of swallows (Aves: Hirundinidae) estimated from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences.  Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 35:254-270.
	Winkler, D. W. How do migration and dispersal interact? pp. 401-413 In (R. Greenberg and P. Marra, eds.) Birds of Two Worlds: The ecology and evolution of migratory birds. Johns Hopkins University Press.
	Winkler, D. W., P. H. Wrege, P. E. Allen, T. L. Kast, P. Senesac, M. F. Wasson, and P. J. Sullivan.  The natal dispersal of Tree Swallows in a continuous mainland environment.  Journal of Animal Ecology 74:1080-1090.
2004	Bowlin, M. S. and D. W. Winkler. Natural variation in flight performance is related to timing of breeding in the Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) in New York. Auk 121:345-353.
	Haussmann, M. F., D. W. Winkler, C. E. Huntington, I. C. T. Nisbet, and C. M. Vleck.  Telomerase Expression is Differentially Regulated in Birds of Differing Life Span.  Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1019:186-190.
	Winkler, D. W., P. H. Wrege, P. E. Allen, T. L. Kast, P. Senesac, M. F. Wasson, P. E. Llambias, V. Ferretti, and P. J. Sullivan. Breeding dispersal and philopatry in the Tree Swallow. Condor 106:768-776.
	Lotem, A. and D. W. Winkler. Can reinforcement learning explain variation in early infant crying? Behavioral and Brain Sciences 27:468. pdf
	Burch, E., J. Burch, J. Moore & D.W. Winkler. Lessons: From solar electric systems in Belize. Home Power 102:62-67
2003	Ardia, D. R., K. A. Schat, and D. W. Winkler. Reproductive effort reduces long-term immune function in tree swallows. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond B 270:1387-1392.
	Haussmann, M. F., D. W. Winkler, K. M. OReilly, C. E. Huntington, I. C. T. Nisbet, and C. M. Vleck. Telomeres shorten more slowly in long-lived birds and mammals than in short-lived ones. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond B 270:1387-1392.
2002	Whittingham, L. A., B. Slikas, D. W. Winkler, and F. H. Sheldon. Phylogeny of the Tree Swallow genus, Tachycineta (Aves: Hirundinidae) by Bayesian analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 22:430-441.
	Winkler, D. W., P. O. Dunn, and C. E. McCulloch. Predicting the effects of climate change on avian life-history traits. Proceedings, National Academy of Sciences, USA 99:13595-13599.
2001	Hasselquist, D., M. F. Wasson, and D. W. Winkler. Humoral immunocompetence correlates with date of egg-laying and reflects work load in female tree swallows. Behavioral Ecology 12:93-97.
	Winkler, D. W. Nests, eggs, and young: Breeding biology of birds. Pp. 1-152 In: Home Study Course in Bird Biology, Pt. 2, Ch. 8 (S. Podulka, R. Rohrbaugh, and R. Bonney, eds.) The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY.
2000	Dunn, P. O., K. J. Thusius, K. Kimber, and D. W. Winkler. Geographic and ecological variation in clutch size of tree swallows. The Auk 117:215-221.
	Kedar, H., M. Rodriguez-Girones, S. Yedvab, D. W. Winkler, and A. Lotem. Experimental evidence for offspring learning in parent-offspring communication. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond B 227:1723-1727.
	Walters, J. R., S. R. Beissinger, J. W. Fitzpatrick, R. Greenberg, J. D. Nichols, H. R. Pulliam, and D. W. Winkler. The AOU Conservation Committee review of the biology, status, and management of Cape Sable Seaside Sparrows: Final Report. The Auk 117:1093-1115.
	Winkler, D. W. The Phylogenetic approach to avian life histories: An important complement to within population studies. Condor 102:52-59.
1999	Dunn, P. O. and D. W. Winkler. Climate change has affected breeding date of tree swallows throughout North America. Proc. Royal Soc. Lond. B 266:2487-2490.
	McCarty, J. P. and D. W. Winkler. Relative importance of environmental variables in determining the growth of nestling Tree Swallows Tachycineta bicolor. Ibis 141:286-296.
	McCarty, J. P. and D. W. Winkler. Foraging ecology and diet selectivity of Tree Swallows feeding nestlings. Condor 101:246-254.
	Sheldon, F. H., L. A. Whittingham, and D. W. Winkler. A comparison of Cytochrome b and DNA Hybridization data bearing on the phylogeny of Swallows (Aves: Hirundinidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 11:320-331.
	Sheldon, F. H. and D. W. Winkler. Overviews: Nest architecture and avian systematics. The Auk 116:875-877.
1997	Pahl, R., D. W. Winkler, J. Graveland, and B. W. Batterman. Songbirds do not create long-term stores of calcium in their legs prior to laying: Results from high-resolution radiography. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B 264:239-244.
1996	Winkler, D. W. California Gull (Larus californicus). Account for The Birds of North America, No. 259, F. Gill and A. Poole, eds. The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia/National Audubon Society.
	Winkler, D. W. and F. R. Adler. Dynamic state variable models for parental care: I. A submodel for the growth of the chicks of passerine birds. Journal of Avian Biology 27:343-353.
	Winkler, D. W. and P. E. Allen. The seasonal decline in avian clutch size: Strategy or physiological constraints? Ecology 77:922-932.
1995	Winkler, D. W. and P. E. Allen. Effects of handicapping on female condition and reproduction in Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Auk 112:737-747.
1994	Winkler, D. W. Anti-predator defence by neighbours as a responsive amplifier of parental defence in Tree Swallows. Animal Behaviour 47:595-605.
	Winkler, D. W. and F. H. Sheldon. Phylogenetic hierarchy in character variability and its causes: Lessons from character-state distributions in swallows, Hirundinidae. Journal für Ornithologie 135:342.
1993	Sheldon, F. H. and D. W. Winkler. Intergeneric phylogenetic relationships of swallows estimated by DNA-DNA hybridization. Auk 110(4):798-824.
	Winkler, D. W. Testosterone in egg yolks: An ornithologist's perspective. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 90:11439-11441.
	Winkler, D. W. Use and importance of feathers as nest lining in Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Auk 110:29-36.
	Winkler, D. W. and F. H. Sheldon. Evolution of nest construction in swallows (Hirundinidae): A molecular phylogenetic perspective. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 90:5705-5707.
1992	Goutis, C. and D. W. Winkler. Hungry chicks and mortal parents: A state-variable approach to the breeding seasons of birds. Bulletin of Mathematical Biology 54:379-400.
	Winkler, D. W. Causes and consequences of variation in parental defense behavior by Tree Swallows. Condor 94:502-520.
1991	McCarty, J. P. and D. W. Winkler. Use of an artificial nestling for determining the diet of nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Journal of Field Ornithology 62:211-217.
	Winkler, D. W. Parental investment decision rules in Tree Swallows: Parental defense, abandonment and the so-called Concorde Fallacy. Behavioral Ecology 2:133-142.
	Wootton, J. T., B. E. Young, and D. W. Winkler. Ecological vs. evolutionary hypotheses: Demographic stasis and the Murray-Nolan clutch size equation. Evolution 45:1947-1950.
1990	Hughes, M. R. and D. W. Winkler. Osmoregulation in nestling California gulls at Mono Lake, California. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 95A(4):567-571.

Address:
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
E241 Corson Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
USA

Phone - Office: (607) 254-4216
Fax: (607) 255-8088
E-mail: dww4@cornell.edu

March 27, 2007