Gary Ritchison

Department of Biological Sciences
Eastern Kentucky University

My Background | Teaching Interests | Research Interests | Graduate Students | Favorite Links

Welcome to the home page of EKU's resident ornithologist!

My Background I grew up in a small town in southern Minnesota (Elysian) and graduated from Waterville-Elysian High School. I received my Bachelor's degree (with a major in Biology and minor in Chemistry) from Mankato State University (in Mankato, MN) and, during my undergraduate years, developed an interest in birds. I also received my Master's degree in biology from Mankato State and my thesis focused on the vocal behavior of White-breasted Nuthatches. I went west (to Utah State University in Logan, UT) for my Ph.D. My dissertation topic was the singing behavior of Black-headed Grosbeaks (with an emphasis on the singing behavior of females). After completing my Ph.D., I obtained a faculty position at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY, and, of course, am still at EKU. I'm married to Tameria Dawn (a native of Richmond and a terrific gardener, cook, wife, and mother) and we have two great (most of the time) kids: Brandon Tyler (who is 17 and loves reading, playing video games, music, magic cards (whatever those are), and theatre) and Brianna Carol (who is 9 and loves going to school, all animals, drawing & painting, playing with her pets [two dogs named Raina & Annie], & reading).

My Teaching Interests

Ornithology
(BIO 554/754)
Behavioral Ecology 
(BIO 555/755)
Scientific Literature and 
Writing in Biology (BIO 801)
Environmental Science
(BIO 599/799
)
Comparative Vertebrate 
Anatomy (BIO 342)
Human Physiology
(BIO 301)
Conservation of Wildlife
Resources (BIO 317)
Human Physiology
Lab (BIO 378)

Research Interests One of my long-term interests has been avian mating strategies, specifically examining factors that influence mate choice (and choice of extra-pair partners) by female songbirds (specifically female Indigo Buntings, Eastern Bluebirds, Yellow-breasted Chats, and Northern Cardinals). I'm also very interested in avian vocal behavior (particularly the functions of song), the ecology and behavior of grassland birds (like Henslow's and Grasshopper sparrows),  raptor behavior and ecology (especially the behavior and ecology of Eastern Screech-Owls) and, recently, the impact of West Nile Virus on Eastern Bluebirds and Grasshopper Sparrows. These are some of my personal research interests, but I enjoy working with students on just about any aspect of avian biology. To get an idea of what I and my students have been & are working on, take a look at the titles of some recent publications, theses completed by previous advisees, & the titles of projects currently underway (listed below).

Current Graduate Students and their Research Topics:

Jen Adler - Provisioning behavior of male and female Grasshopper Sparrows

Nicole Beaver - The post-fledging behavior of Loggerhead Shrikes

Matt Beckett - Singing behavior of male Indigo Buntings

Jackie Bennett - Individual quality and the provisioning behavior of male and female Barn Swallows

Michael Bennett - Effect of clutch size and individual quality on the characteristics of Chimney Swift nests

Michelle Carder - The function(s) of tail-wagging by Eastern Phoebes: an experimental approach

Brian Davidson - Henslow's Sparrows and Grasshopper Sparrows in Kentucky: effects of habitat-area and vegetation structure on abundance and reproductive success

Ward Henline - The vocal behavior of White-faced Sakis

R. Ian Horn - Individual quality and the provisioning behavior of male and female Eastern Phoebes

Danny Hwang - Vocal behavior of female Eastern Bluebirds, with emphasis on singing behavior

John Karnegis - Possible effects of habitat area and vegetation structure on the condition and reproductive success of Henslow's Sparrows

Barbara Kieffer - Effect of nestling sex ratio on the provisioning behavior of adult Eastern Bluebirds

Christine Lattin - Intra- and intersexual functions of singing by male Blue Grosbeaks: the role of within-song variation

Kimberly Little - The mating strategies of Chimney Swifts: where do helpers fit in?

Sarah Martin - The possible effects of breeding density on the mating strategies of Eastern Bluebirds

Jennifer Morse - Vocal behavior of male and female American Kestrels

Doug Mott - Swainson’s Warblers in the Red River Gorge: distribution, abundance, habitat use, and reproductive success (tentative)

Erin O'Brien - Winter habitat use and hunting behavior of Loggerhead Shrikes

Nicole Ranalli - Shorebird Migration in western Kentucky: Phenology, Habitat Use, and Possible Effects of Prey Availability

Kayde Thompson - Effects of West Nile Virus on the behavior and reproductive success of Eastern Bluebirds
 

     If you would like more information about Eastern Kentucky University, our graduate program, my research, working on a Master's degree in my lab, courses I teach, or anything else, please feel free to contact me at
859-622-1541 
or
Gary.Ritchison@eku.edu

Some Favorite Links:

Interested in Politics and the Environment? Check out these sites:

Bartcop
Bush Watch
Buzzflash
Common Dreams
HuffingtonPost
Working For Change

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