Education

B.S., 2002, Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences (Vertebrate Zoology), Texas A&M University.
Ph.D., 2009 (expected), Biology, University of Missouri.

Research

I am attempting to document elevational movements of birds in the Andes of southeastern Peru. I am looking for seasonal changes in abundance as evidenced by mist-net capture rates and distance-based audio-visual surveys. I hope to use stable isotope analysis of feathers to help identify individual migrants. In addition, I have been studying mixed-species flocks of birds along an elevation gradient, and have color-banded a large proportion of one flock. My work is being conducted in collaboration with Jill Jankowski from the University of Florida, Miles Silman from Wake Forest University, and numerous other researchers and NGO's in the area.

Read more about how my research fits into the Kosñipata Ecosystem Project.

Publications

Faaborg, J, R. T. Holmes, A. Anders, K. Bildstein, K. Dugger, S. A. Gauthreaux, P. Heglund, K. A. Hobson, A. E. Jahn, D. H. Johnson, S. C. Latta, D. Levey, P. Marra, C. L. Merkord, E. Nol, S. I. Rothstein, T. W. Sherry, T. S. Sillett, F. R. Thompson III, and N. Warnock. 2009. Recent advances in understanding migration systems of New World landbirds. Ecological Monographs. In press.

Faaborg, J, R. T. Holmes, A. Anders, K. Bildstein, K. Dugger, S. A. Gauthreaux, P. Heglund, K. A. Hobson, A. E. Jahn, D. H. Johnson, S. C. Latta, D. Levey, P. Marra, C. L. Merkord, E. Nol, S. I. Rothstein, T. W. Sherry, T. S. Sillett, F. R. Thompson III, and N. Warnock. 2009. Managing migratory landbirds in the New World: do we know enough? Ecological Applications. In press.

Merkord, C. L., T. Mark, D. Susanibar, A. Johnson, and C. C. Witt. 2009. Avifaunal survey of the Río Chipaota Valley in the Cordillera Azul region, San Martín, Peru. Ornitologia Neotropical 20:535-552.

Merkord, C. L., R. Rodriquez, and J. Faaborg. 2006. Second and third records of Western Marsh-Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) for the Western Hemisphere in Puerto Rico. Journal of Caribbean Ornithology 19:42-44.

Jankowski, J. L., C. L. Merkord, W. Farfan Rios, K. Garcia Cabrera, N. Salinas Revilla, and M. R. Silman. Links between Andean bird and tree communities: Using current associations to anticipate effects of climate change. Global Change Biology. In Review.

Recent Awards

TransWorld Airlines Scholarship, University of Missouri, 2007
Conservation Biology Fellowship, Conservation Biology Program, University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007
The Exploration Fund of The Explorer's Club, 2007
Louis Fuertes Agassiz Award, Wilson Society of Ornithology, 2006
Ethyl Sue Lumb Scholarship, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006
Life Sciences Fellow, University of Missouri, 2003-2007