E-mail: afudickar AT gmail DOT com
Evolution, ecology, and physiology of animal migration
I work on a broad array of annual movement types in a comparative context to better understand the causes, consequences, and patterns of animal migration. Ongoing rapid changes to global weather patterns and human induced alterations to the environment have resulted in 1) changes in the breeding and wintering ranges of migrants, 2) changes in the optimal timing of migration and 3) in some cases, the occurrence of migration.
Annual movements by animals range on a continuum from year-round residency to long-distance migration. Between these extremes we find a broad range of variation. By probing the physiological, behavioral, morphological, and genetic differences along this continuum, I aim to understand the processes by which migratory populations become sedentary and vice versa. Further, by comparing survival, fecundity, and demography of individuals and populations with different annual movement strategies, I aim to understand ultimate selective pressures that lead to migration and residency.