Kamal Islam
Professor of Biology
Education
Oregon State University, Ph.D. 1992
Oregon State University, M.Sc. 1985
Colorado State University, B.Sc. 1980
State University of New York at Cobleskill, A.A.S. 1978
Research Interests
My research interests are in Ornithology, Wildlife Biology and Management, Conservation Biology.
Specific Research:
Since 2000, my research focus is on investigating possible factors contributing to the rapid decline of Cerulean Warbler breeding populations in southern Indiana. This migratory songbird is of conservation concern throughout its distribution and it is a state endangered species in Indiana. It breeds in mature deciduous forests of the eastern and midwestern United States and Canada, and winters in northern South America. My graduate students and I have conducted baseline studies to determine its distribution, relative abundance, and characteristics of territories, including spacing, song perch selection, and vocalization behavior.
In 2007, I joined a long-term (100 year) collaborative study called the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment (HEE) established in Morgan-Monroe and Yellowwood state forests in southern Indiana. Our primary objective in the context of the HEE is to determine how Cerulean Warbler populations respond to different forest treatments by 1) measuring estimates of relative abundance and, 2) quantifying reproductive output. Additional research questions pertain to foraging ecology, and nestling diet. Recently, we have expanded our research on fledgling dispersal using radio-transmitters, and attachment of geolocators to determine where our populations winter in northern South America, including their migratory route. Results from our studies have potential management implications for the conservation of this declining species.
In our research, we:
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Monitor Cerulean Warbler breeding populations in southern Indiana through annual surveys
- Demarcate Cerulean Warbler territories to collect vegetative data and to locate and monitor nests
- Characterize Cerulean Warbler territories at the nest, territory, and landscape levels
- Determine annual reproduction of Cerulean Warblers by monitoring nests throughout the breeding season
- Band Cerulean Warbler adults with color band combinations to identify individuals and to monitor site fidelity of banded birds returning to the same general location the following year
Publications
Connare, B. M. and K. Islam. 2022. Failure to advance migratory phenology in response to climate change may pose a significant threat to a declining Nearctic-Neotropical songbird. International Journal of Biometeorology doi:10.1007/s00484-022-02239-9
Sharp, A. R., Connare, B. M., and K. Islam. 2021. Novel nest tree selection by a deciduous forest New World warbler. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 133(4):640-645. doi.org/10.1676/20-0016
Sharp, A. R. and K. Islam. 2021. Does the intrusion of an avian nest predator elicit a change in the behavior of a canopy-nesting passerine? Behaviour DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/1568539X-bja10078
Fischer, S. E. and K. Islam. 2020. Identifying bird-window collisions on a university campus during spring and fall migration. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 129:47-55.
Delancey, C. D., K. Islam, G. R. Kramer, G. J. MacDonald, A. R. Sharp, and B. M. Connare. 2020. Geolocators reveal migration routes, stopover sites, and nonbreeding dispersion in a population of Cerulean Warblers. Animal Migration 7:19-26.
Islam, K. and E. Velarde. 2020. Heermann's Gull (Larus heermanni), version 2.0. In Birds of the World (P. G. Rodewald and B. K. Keeney, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.heegul.02
Islam, K. 2020. The Birds of Indiana. The Condor:Ornithological Applications 122:1-2. DOI: 10.1093/condor/duaa001
MacDonald, G. J. and K. Islam. 2019. Do social factors explain seasonal variation in dawn song characteristics of paired Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea)? Bioacoustics, DOI: 10.1080/09524622.2019.1682671
Delancey, C.D. and K. Islam. 2019. Post-fledging habitat use in a declining songbird. PeerJ 7:e7358 http://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7358
MacDonald, G.J., C.D. Delancey, and K. Islam. 2019. Novel vocalizations, including song, from 2 female Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea). The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 131(2):366-373.
Delancey, C.D., G.J. MacDonald, and K. Islam. 2019. First confirmed hybrid pairing between a Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) and a Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens). The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 131(1):161-165.
Ruch, D.G., B. Banks, R. Brodman, T. Carter, L. Cole, M. Dittmann, B.E. Fisher, J.D. Holland, K. Islam, R.P. Jean, M. McCarty, P.D. McMurray. Jr., M. Milne, W.L. Murphy, K. Roth, S. Russell, C. Strang, John Whitaker, K, Jr., and A. Chamberlain. 2018. Results of the 2017 Red-tail Land Conservancy Biodiversity Survey, Delaware and Randolph counties, Indiana. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 127(1):37-54.
Islam, K. 2018. Conserving the rare Cerulean Warbler in Indiana Forests. The Woodland Steward 27(2):6-7, 12.
Delancey, C.D., G.J. MacDonald, and K. Islam. 2018. American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla) usurp Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) nest in Southern Indiana. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 130(2):554-558.
Nemes, C.E. and K. Islam. 2017. Breeding season microhabitat use by Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) in an experimentally-managed forest. Forest Ecology and Management 387:52-63.
Auer, S.A., K. Islam, J.R. Wagner, K.S. Summerville, and K.W. Barnes. 2016. The Diet of Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) Nestlings and Adult Nest Provisioning Behaviors in Southern Indiana. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 128(3):573-583.
Barnes, K.W., K. Islam, and S.A. Auer. 2016. Integrating LIDAR-derived canopy structure into Cerulean Warbler habitat models. The Journal of Wildlife Management 80(1):1-4-116.
Wagner, J.R., K. Islam, and, K.S. Summerville. 2015. Cerulean Warbler Territory Size is influenced by Prey-Rich Tree Abundance. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 124(2):70-79.
Nemes, C.E. , K. Islam, and D.M. Pirtle. 2015. First documentation of a “double-decker” Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) nest. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 127(3):534-538.
Wagner, J. R. and K. Islam. 2014. Nest-site Selection and Breeding Ecology of the Cerulean Warbler in Southern Indiana. Northeastern Naturalist 21(4):515-528.
Owen, D.A.S., E.T. Carter, M.L. Holding, K. Islam, and I.T. Moore. 2014. Roads are associated with a blunted stress response in a North American pit viper. General and Comparative Endocrinology 202:87-92.
Auer, S.A., K. Islam, K.W. Barnes, and J.A. Brown. 2013. Documentation of predation of a nestling Cerulean Warbler by a Red-bellied Woodpecker. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 125(3):642-646.
Kaminski, K. J. and K. Islam. 2013. Effects of Silviculture on Abundance and Spatial Characteristics of Cerulean Warbler Territories. American Midland Naturalist 170(1):111-120.
Islam, K., K. J. Kaminski, M. M. MacNeil, and L. P. Young. 2013. The Cerulean Warbler in Morgan-Monroe and Yellowwood State Forests, Indiana: Pre-treatment Data on Abundance and Spatial Characteristics of Territories. Pages 61-77 in Swihart, Robert K.; Saunders, Michael R.; Kalb, Rebecca A.; Haulton, G. Scott; Michler, Charles H., eds. The Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment: a framework for studying responses to forest management. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-108. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 350 p.
Islam, K., J. Wagner, R. Dibala, M. MacNeil, K. Kaminski, and L. (Prichard) Young. 2012. Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea) response to changes in forest structure in Indiana. Ornitologia Neotropical 23:335–341.
Islam, K. 2009. Birds of Pakistan. The Quarterly Review of Biology 84(4):425.
McKillip, S.R. and K. Islam. 2009. Vocalization attributes of Cerulean Warbler song and pairing status. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 121(2):273-282.
Register, S. and K. Islam. 2008. Effects of silvicultural treatments on Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea) abundance in southern Indiana. Forest Ecology and Management 255(8-9):3502-3505.
Buehler, D.A., J.J. Giocomo, J. Jones, P.B. Hamel, C.M. Rogers, T.A. Beachy, D.W. Varble, C.P. Nicholson, K.L. Roth., J. Barg, R.J. Robertson, J.R. Robb, and K. Islam. 2008. Cerulean Warbler Reproduction, Survival, and Models of Population Decline. The Journal of Wildlife Management 72(3):646-653.
Roth, K. L., and K. Islam. 2008. Habitat Selection and Reproductive Success of Cerulean Warblers in Indiana. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 120(1):105-110.
Jones, K.C., K.L. Roth, K. Islam, P.B. Hamel, and C.G. Smith, III. 2007. Incidence of nest material kleptoparasitism involving Cerulean Warblers. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 119(2):271-275.
Roth, K. L. and K. Islam. 2007. Do Cerulean Warblers (Dendroica cerulea) exhibit clustered territoriality? American Midland Naturalist 157(2):345-355.
Jones, K. and K. Islam. 2006. Selection of song perches by Cerulean Warblers. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 115(1):37-43.
K. Islam. 2006. Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. The Condor 108(1):247-248.
Allen, J., and K. Islam. 2004. Gender differences in parental feeding effort of Cerulean Warblers at Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge, Indiana. Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 113(2):162-165.
Islam, K. 2003. Gray Partridge. Pp. 173-174 in Birds of Oregon: A General Reference. D.B. Marshall, M.G. Hunter, and A.L. Contreras, Eds. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR
Islam, K. 2003. Ring-necked Pheasant. Pp. 174-176 in Birds of Oregon: A General Reference. D.B. Marshall, M.G. Hunter, and A.L. Contreras, Eds. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR.
Islam, K. 2003. Northern Bobwhite. Pp. 189-190 in Birds of Oregon: A General Reference. D.B. Marshall, M.G. Hunter, and A.L. Contreras, Eds. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR.
Islam, K. 2003. Wandering Tattler. Pp. 219-220 in Birds of Oregon: A General Reference. D.B. Marshall, M.G. Hunter, and A.L. Contreras, Eds. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR.
Islam, K. 2003. Surfbird. Pp. 231-232 in Birds of Oregon: A General Reference. D.B. Marshall, M.G. Hunter, and A.L. Contreras, Eds. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR.
Islam, K. 2003. Rock Sandpiper. Pp. 241-242 in Birds of Oregon: A General Reference. D.B. Marshall, M.G. Hunter, and A.L. Contreras, Eds. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR.
Islam, K. 2002. Second sight record of Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea) on Dominica. El Pitirre 15(2):77.
Islam, K. 2002. Heermann’s Gull (Larus heermanni). In The Birds of North America, No. 643 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
Islam, K., and R.N. Williams. 2000. Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) and Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus). In The Birds of North America, No. 520 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.