Texas has the greatest diversity of sparrow species of any U.S. state. One species, the Bachman's Sparrow, is limited in the state to the Pineywoods ecoregion, and has experienced severe decline in the last 25 years due to changes in habitat. In this talk, Liam Wolff will summarize the ecology of the species in the state, the history of its distribution, and one graduate student's attempt to help direct the management of the species in Texas by informing state and federal agencies on the habitat characteristics associated with its occupancy in the state and assessing its singing phenology.
About Our Speaker: Liam Wolff is a Research Specialist working in the Conservation and Biodiversity Lab at HRI. Liam is also serving as the current President of the Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi.
Originally from Georgia, Liam received a B.S. in Ecology from Augusta University in 2018, pursuing an interest in birds and other wildlife. He moved to Texas in 2020 and received an M.S. in Forestry with an emphasis in Wildlife Management from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2022. His Master's thesis focused on the spatiotemporal factors that affect the occupancy and phenology of Bachman's Sparrow in Texas to inform private landowners and state agencies on optimal management practices for the species in the region.
Liam's research interests center on avian conservation and ecology as well as habitat management and restoration. In addition to his Master's work, he has previously worked with the Department of Defense, assisting with long-term monitoring of the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler in the Texas Hill Country. Later, he worked with the U.S. Geological Survey to identify important stopover habitat for migrating neotropical passerines on the Gulf Coast of Alabama.
Liam serves the birding and naturalist communities as a volunteer Regional Reviewer and Hotspot Editor for the citizen-science project eBird, as well as taking the role of Curator of Mosquito Taxonomy for iNaturalist. As the Research Specialist for the Conservation & Biodiversity Lab, Liam supports all aspects of research on the ecology, conservation, and management of waterbirds and their habitat in the Gulf of Mexico.