Kurt Ongman, Ph.D., Ecology and Environmental Sciences

Advisor: Amber Roth – Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology and School of Forest Resources
Start Date: Fall 2021
B.S. 2014, Wildlife Management and Conservation, Cal Poly Humboldt Arcata, CA
kurt.ongman@maine.edu; 207.581.2921

Brief Biography: Having spent nearly a decade working with at-risk bird species across the western United States, I returned to academia to refine my professional and research skills, aiming to more effectively address avian declines amidst rapid environmental change.

Current Research: The Golden-winged Warbler, a small and charismatic Nearctic-neotropical songbird, has been progressively replaced by the Blue-winged Warbler across much of the eastern United States and parts of Canada over the past century. However, the mechanisms behind this replacement remain poorly understood. My research focuses on breeding dynamics within a major hybrid zone at Fort Drum, New York. By integrating nest monitoring, radio telemetry, diet metabarcoding, and high-resolution habitat assessments using aerial LiDAR and multispectral imagery, I aim to provide new insights into the complexities of this hybrid system.