Naturally then, I've followed a path in the Biological Sciences, for they presented me with the tools needed to better understand and appreciate the natural world around me. My interests in Biological Sciences are therefore strongly centered in the disciplines of Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, but I find all aspects of the Biological Sciences interesting. Even though I believe that all organisms are inherently fascinating, my research interests are centered on the ecology, behavior, evolution, and biology of birds, especially woodpeckers. I believe woodpeckers represent both a fascinating and unique group of birds. They are truly ecological engineers, constructing nesting and roosting cavities in trees that when vacated provide cavities for secondary cavity nesting birds, storage areas for birds and mammals, and hibernation areas for small mammals.
Woodpeckers are also interesting because they communicate differently then most other bird groups.
Besides producing vocal calls, woodpeckers are also able to produce sounds by systematically tapping on available substrates, such as a dead trees. In most woodpecker species, drumming is used for territorial proclamation, attraction of mates, and in some species is even used for communicating between mates. Depending on the species, vocal signals are often used in similar behavioral contexts as drumming, and in many species there is high degree of overlap in signal use. The vocal signal used most similarly to drumming is the rattle call or whinny, a series of notes given in rapid succession. This raises the question, why do woodpeckers possess two types of acoustic signals that are structurally quite different, yet are behaviorally quite similar.