Scott R. McWilliams
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View article: Under the umbrella: Does management for American woodcock increase reproductive success of a declining songbird?
Under the umbrella: Does management for American woodcock increase reproductive success of a declining songbird? Open
The umbrella species concept is a popular management approach that assumes conservation efforts for one species confer benefits to others, although most assessments of such benefits to non‐target species only measure presence and abundance…
View article: Plant constituent predictors in the winter diet selection of the imperiled New England Cottontail (<i>Sylvilagus transitionalis</i>)
Plant constituent predictors in the winter diet selection of the imperiled New England Cottontail (<i>Sylvilagus transitionalis</i>) Open
Herbivores are challenged when selecting a diet because many plants have limited nutritional value and some use defenses to avoid being eaten. Understanding diet selection of herbivores in most landscapes also involves choices between nati…
View article: From declines to recovery: 52 years of changes in autumn migratory songbird abundance at an island stopover site in southern New England
From declines to recovery: 52 years of changes in autumn migratory songbird abundance at an island stopover site in southern New England Open
Migratory birds are declining across North America, and many studies have used long-term datasets to estimate trends in abundance for migratory birds. To prioritize at-risk populations most efficiently, it is critical to know the current t…
View article: Seasonal waterbird distribution patterns vary in response to current shellfish aquaculture and areas suitable for future development in Rhode Island USA
Seasonal waterbird distribution patterns vary in response to current shellfish aquaculture and areas suitable for future development in Rhode Island USA Open
View article: Nine years of tracking data reveal high post‐breeding survival of radiomarked male woodcock in Rhode Island
Nine years of tracking data reveal high post‐breeding survival of radiomarked male woodcock in Rhode Island Open
To stabilize or increase populations of declining wildlife, it is essential to identify drivers of variation in survival. We evaluated male American woodcock ( Scolopax minor ) post‐breeding survival and assessed the extent to which age, o…
View article: Flying stimulates the antioxidant system and protects against oxidative damage in a migratory songbird, yet diet quality has little effect
Flying stimulates the antioxidant system and protects against oxidative damage in a migratory songbird, yet diet quality has little effect Open
Ecologically relevant factors such as exercise and diet quality can directly influence how multifaceted physiological systems work; however, little is known about how such factors directly and interactively affect key components of the ant…
View article: A new approach for increasing graduate students’ science communication capacity and confidence
A new approach for increasing graduate students’ science communication capacity and confidence Open
There is an increasing demand for emerging scientists to improve their ability to communicate with public audiences, yet little research investigates the effectiveness of science communication training for graduate students. We responded t…
View article: Commentary on Thoral et al. (2024) ‘The relationship between mitochondrial respiration, resting metabolic rate and blood cell count in great tits’
Commentary on Thoral et al. (2024) ‘The relationship between mitochondrial respiration, resting metabolic rate and blood cell count in great tits’ Open
View article: Unconventional life history in a migratory shorebird: desegregating reproduction and migration
Unconventional life history in a migratory shorebird: desegregating reproduction and migration Open
Conventional life-history theory predicts that energy-demanding events such as reproduction and migration must be temporally segregated to avoid resource limitation. Here, we provide, to our knowledge, the first direct evidence of ‘itinera…
View article: American woodcock migration phenology in eastern North America: implications for hunting season timing
American woodcock migration phenology in eastern North America: implications for hunting season timing Open
Understanding the phenology of migration is fundamental to management of migratory gamebirds, in part because of the role migratory timing plays in setting harvest regulations. Migratory timing is particularly important for determining app…
View article: Dietary fatty acids and flight-training influence the expression of the eicosanoid hormone prostacyclin in songbirds
Dietary fatty acids and flight-training influence the expression of the eicosanoid hormone prostacyclin in songbirds Open
View article: Mitochondrial metabolism in blood more reliably predicts whole-animal energy needs compared to other tissues
Mitochondrial metabolism in blood more reliably predicts whole-animal energy needs compared to other tissues Open
View article: Evaluation of breeding distribution and chronology of North American scoters
Evaluation of breeding distribution and chronology of North American scoters Open
North America's scoter species are poorly monitored relative to other waterfowl. Black Melanitta americana , surf M. perspicillata , and white‐winged M. deglandi scoter abundance and trend estimates are thus uncertain in many parts of thes…
View article: Concerted phenotypic flexibility of avian erythrocyte size and number in response to dietary anthocyanin supplementation
Concerted phenotypic flexibility of avian erythrocyte size and number in response to dietary anthocyanin supplementation Open
View article: Blood Mitochondrial Metabolism as a Proxy for Organismal Energy Metabolism
Blood Mitochondrial Metabolism as a Proxy for Organismal Energy Metabolism Open
View article: The effects of training, acute exercise and dietary fatty acid composition on muscle lipid oxidative capacity in European starlings
The effects of training, acute exercise and dietary fatty acid composition on muscle lipid oxidative capacity in European starlings Open
Migratory birds undergo seasonal changes to muscle biochemistry. Nonetheless, it is unclear to what extent these changes are attributable to the exercise of flight itself versus endogenous changes. Using starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) flying…
View article: Editorial: Helping scientists to communicate well for all considered: Strategic science communication in an age of environmental and health crises
Editorial: Helping scientists to communicate well for all considered: Strategic science communication in an age of environmental and health crises Open
EDITORIAL article Front. Commun., 03 August 2022Sec. Science and Environmental Communication https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2022.970331
View article: Defining a Flexible Notion of “Good” STEM Writing Across Contexts: Lessons Learned From a Cross-Institutional Conversation
Defining a Flexible Notion of “Good” STEM Writing Across Contexts: Lessons Learned From a Cross-Institutional Conversation Open
We respond to a surging interest in science communication training for graduate scientists by advocating for a focus on rhetorically informed approaches to STEM writing and its assessment. We argue that STEM communication initiatives would…
View article: Cross-seasonal effects in the American Woodcock: Conditions prior to fall migration relate to migration strategy and implications for conservation
Cross-seasonal effects in the American Woodcock: Conditions prior to fall migration relate to migration strategy and implications for conservation Open
How postbreeding habitat quality and body composition of migratory birds carry over to influence fall migration strategies and residency merits consideration when creating cross-seasonal conservation plans, especially in breeding populatio…
View article: Fat Stores and Antioxidant Capacity Affect Stopover Decisions in Three of Four Species of Migratory Passerines With Different Migration Strategies: An Experimental Approach
Fat Stores and Antioxidant Capacity Affect Stopover Decisions in Three of Four Species of Migratory Passerines With Different Migration Strategies: An Experimental Approach Open
During migratory stopovers, birds must make decisions about when and where to travel and these decisions are likely contingent on their fuel stores, food availability, and antioxidant capacity as well as seasonal changes in key environment…
View article: Flight and Dietary Antioxidants Influence Antioxidant Expression and Activity in a Migratory Bird
Flight and Dietary Antioxidants Influence Antioxidant Expression and Activity in a Migratory Bird Open
Synopsis Ecologically relevant factors such as exercise and diet quality can directly influence how physiological systems work including those involved in maintaining oxidative balance; however, to our knowledge, no studies to date have fo…
View article: Training Graduate Students in Multiple Genres of Public and Academic Science Writing: An Assessment Using an Adaptable, Interdisciplinary Rubric
Training Graduate Students in Multiple Genres of Public and Academic Science Writing: An Assessment Using an Adaptable, Interdisciplinary Rubric Open
There is an urgent need for scientists to improve their communication skills with the public, especially for those involved in applying science to solve conservation or human health problems. However, little research has assessed the effec…
View article: A <scp>low‐investment</scp> , <scp>high‐impact</scp> approach for training stronger and more confident graduate student science writers
A <span>low‐investment</span> , <span>high‐impact</span> approach for training stronger and more confident graduate student science writers Open
Scientists in applied fields, including conservation biology, face increasing expectations to communicate their research across multiple audiences. As environmental issues become more complex, the need for scientists to clearly communicate…
View article: Measuring circulating triglycerides in free-living birds: evaluation of a field-usable point-of-care analyzer for American woodcock
Measuring circulating triglycerides in free-living birds: evaluation of a field-usable point-of-care analyzer for American woodcock Open
View article: Physiological challenges of migration
Physiological challenges of migration Open
View article: How Birds During Migration Maintain (Oxidative) Balance
How Birds During Migration Maintain (Oxidative) Balance Open
Animals dynamically adjust their physiology and behavior to survive in changing environments, and seasonal migration is one life stage that demonstrates these dynamic adjustments. As birds migrate between breeding and wintering areas, they…
View article: Flight training and dietary antioxidants have mixed effects on the oxidative status of multiple tissues in a female migratory songbird
Flight training and dietary antioxidants have mixed effects on the oxidative status of multiple tissues in a female migratory songbird Open
Birds, like other vertebrates, rely on a robust antioxidant system to protect themselves against oxidative imbalance caused by energy-intensive activities such as flying. Such oxidative challenges may be especially acute for females during…
View article: Body composition of American Woodcock during fall staging: a validation of the non-invasive deuterium dilution method
Body composition of American Woodcock during fall staging: a validation of the non-invasive deuterium dilution method Open
View article: Annual‐Cycle Movements and Phenology of Black Scoters in Eastern North America
Annual‐Cycle Movements and Phenology of Black Scoters in Eastern North America Open
Sea ducks exhibit complex movement patterns throughout their annual cycle; most species use distinct molting and staging sites during migration and disjunct breeding and wintering sites. Although research on black scoters ( Melanitta ameri…
View article: Novel Use of Species Distribution Modeling to Identify High Priority Sites for American Woodcock Habitat Management
Novel Use of Species Distribution Modeling to Identify High Priority Sites for American Woodcock Habitat Management Open
Most species distribution models (SDMs) predict the probability of presence (POP) of a species at any location based on an analysis of known occurrences and environmental variables; however, such SDMs cannot predict how much the POP of a s…