Both in and outside of agroecosystems, I have conducted research on the movement ecology of migratory and non-migratory bird species. As part of large collaboration, I co-authored the Atlas of Migratory Connectivity for the Bird of North America, soon to be published by Princeton University Press. My contributions included compiling banding and tracking data from over 500 species of migratory birds to map and model for individual species accounts. My master’s research at Cal Poly Humboldt involved barn owl nest box monitoring and GPS tracking to determine the resilience of their nesting and foraging behaviors to landscape changes from wildfires.
I have tagged various avian species for studies of habitat selection and migration. On the left, a long-tailed jaeger, photo by Kate Persons. Middle, a barn owl, photo by Nicole Jean Hill. Right, an eastern meadowlark, photo by Allison Huysman.
I published the results of these analyses in Ornithological Applications, Ecosphere, and Ecology and Evolution. In my doctoral research at the University of Maryland, I am combining diet analyses from DNA metabarcoding with GPS tracking data from cavity-nesting birds. My research will reveal how the movements of eastern bluebirds and tree swallows affect their diets and potential to provide pest control services.
Barn owl with a GPS tag, photo by Allison Huysman.
Atlas of Migratory Connectivity for the Birds of North America
P. P. Marra, A. L. Scarpignato, A.-L. Harrison, E. B. Cohen, A. E. Huysman, A. Roberts, T. Guida, R. Lanctot, C. Green, L. Goodrich, T. Will, Gomez C., J. Loghry, J.-F. Therrien, V. Herrmann, T. Auer, S. Mackenzie, K. Ruegg, M. Smith, and K. Rosenberg
@book{atlas,title={Atlas of Migratory Connectivity for the Birds of North America},author={Marra, P. P. and Scarpignato, A. L. and Harrison, A.-L. and Cohen, E. B. and Huysman, A. E. and Roberts, A. and Guida, T. and Lanctot, R. and Green, C. and Goodrich, L. and Will, T. and C., Gomez and Loghry, J. and Therrien, J.-F. and Herrmann, V. and Auer, T. and Mackenzie, S. and Ruegg, K. and Smith, M. and Rosenberg, K.},year={2025},publisher={Princeton University Press},}
2023
Biol Cons
Are tracking data available to inform North American migratory bird conservation?
A. L. Scarpignato, A. E. Huysman, M. F. Jimenez, C. J. Witko, A.-L. Harrison, N. E. Seavy, M. A. Smith, J. L. Deppe, C. B. Wilsey, and P. P. Marra
@article{10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110224,title={Are tracking data available to inform North American migratory bird conservation?},author={Scarpignato, A. L. and Huysman, A. E. and Jimenez, M. F. and Witko, C. J. and Harrison, A.-L. and Seavy, N. E. and Smith, M. A. and Deppe, J. L. and Wilsey, C. B. and Marra, P. P.},journal={Biological Conservation},volume={286},year={2023},doi={10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110224},url={https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110224},publisher={Elsevier},}
2022
Ornithol App
Strong migratory connectivity indicates Willets need subspecies-specific conservation strategies
A. E. Huysman, N. W. Cooper, J. A. Smith, S. M. Haig, S. A. Heath, L. Johnson, E. Olson, K. Regan, J. K. Wilson, and P. P. Marra
@article{10.1093/ornithapp/duac015,title={Strong migratory connectivity indicates Willets need subspecies-specific conservation strategies},author={Huysman, A. E. and Cooper, N. W. and Smith, J. A. and Haig, S. M. and Heath, S. A. and Johnson, L. and Olson, E. and Regan, K. and Wilson, J. K. and Marra, P. P.},journal={Ornithological Applications},volume={124},issue={3},year={2022},doi={10.1093/ornithapp/duac015},url={https://doi.org/10.1093/ornithapp/duac015},publisher={AOS},}
2021
Ornithol App
Hunting habitat use and selection of Barn Owls (Tyto alba) in the urban-agricultural setting of a winegrape growing region of California
@article{10.1093/ornithapp/duaa058,title={Hunting habitat use and selection of Barn Owls (Tyto alba) in the urban-agricultural setting of a winegrape growing region of California},author={Castaneda, X. A. and Huysman, A. E. and Johnson, M. D.},journal={Ornithological Applications},volume={122},issue={1},year={2021},doi={10.1093/ornithapp/duaa058},url={https://doi.org/10.1093/ornithapp/duaa058},publisher={AOS},}
