1. What do you study related to biodiversity (what are your research questions, what organisms do you work on)?
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I work with birds, and my major focus is to try to understand bird biogeography---where birds are found and what, if any, patterns can we find to help explain their distributions. As collection manager of the Field Museum bird collection, I also assist researchers from around the world in their use of our collections for their own studies of bird diversity.
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2. How do you study biodiversity (for example, what technological tools and methodologies do you use in your research)?
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The information for these studies comes from surveys where the most important tools are still a pair of binoculars, a notebook and a pencil. Using the most appropriate means (from hiking to dugout canoe to helicopter), we try to find areas where human impact has been minimal, and once there, to efficiently determine what birds occur. We use fine-meshed mist nets to census understory birds and our binoculars to determine what is in the canopy. We tape-record singing birds to add to our overall knowledge of their natural history. We also collect small numbers of specimens to facilitate additional studies back in the museum.
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3. Where do you study biodiversity?
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My career started with studies in South America, particularly in Peru and Venezuela. Over the last 10 years, the focus has shifted to the Old World, and currently I participate in projects in Uganda, the Central African Republic, Madagascar and Bhutan.
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4. How might your research have implications for biological conservation?
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 Without basic knowledge of the flora and fauna, conservation biologists are working in the dark. The studies we do help identify areas that are particularly worthy of preservation, species of birds that are in trouble, and sometimes birds that were thought to be rare but turn out to be very common. The specimens we collect and bring back to the museum help us determine just what the limits of a species are, and sometimes lead to the discovery of new species. Working with local scientists and students, we help to encourage interest in conservation within the whole country.
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5. How did you become interested in science? What made you want to be a scientist, and how did you get to The Field Museum?
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My interest in science goes back to childhood when I spent summers on my grandparents' farm. My first love was butterflies, but an experience watching grosbeaks, tanagers and waxwings getting tipsy at a pile of fermenting apples hooked me on birds for good. After graduate school, I came to The Field Museum for a three-year job reorganizing the bird collection…25 years later, I'm still here.
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6. Describe important collaborations for your scientific endeavors (describe your work with other researchers, organizations, or scientific groups, local or indigenous peoples, etc.)
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Everywhere we travel, we develop collaborations with people who live there. In Uganda, we have a close association with Makerere University where we are currently helping a number of students work on their doctoral degrees with support from the MacArthur foundation. In Bhutan, we work with the Nature Conservation Division of the government as well as World Wildlife Fund.
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