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Research in the Mennill Sound Analysis Lab focuses on the ecology and evolution of communication, mating systems, and migration in wild animals. My students and I study the interaction between animal communication and animal ecology, and the influence of natural selection and sexual selection on vocal behaviour,  breeding activities, and migratory movements, including attention to animal conservation and the impacts of climate change and anthropogenic disturbance. We focus heavily on the behavioural ecology of birds but we also study frogs and whales as well as other mammals. I am a field biologist; my students and I combine our laboratory-based research with an intensive field-based approach to study the behavioural ecology and conservation of animals in their natural environment. Together with a variety of collaborators, I maintain ongoing studies of temperate birds and whales in Canada, and tropical birds and toads in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Colombia.

Field-based and Lab-based Research

In the field, my students and I use a variety of innovative techniques to study mating systems, communication systems, and animal migration. We use interactive playback and multi-channel playback to investigate animal communication strategies and the evolution of animal signals. We use long-term remote recordings as a passive strategy for monitoring the behaviour and ecology of rare and endangered birds. We have helped pioneer the development of an Acoustic Location System (ALS) capable of triangulating the position of free-living animals based on the sounds they produce. Presently, we are using ALS technology to study the ecology of vocal duetting behaviour in tropical birds in Costa Rica, the evolution of communication networks in temperate birds in Canada, and studies of migratory birds that pass between temperate breeding grounds and tropical overwintering grounds.



On campus at the University of Windsor, I run one of Canada's largest and most comprehensive laboratories devoted to the study of animal sounds. My laboratory includes a digital library of over 250 terrabytes of recordings of animal sounds from North, Central, and South America. I have six sound analysis stations running state-of-the-art sound analysis software that my students and I use to analyze our field recordings. I collaborate with other professors in the Department of Biological Sciences to conduct studies of plumage colour and genetic mating systems.

Research sites

In Canada I study the communication and mating behaviour of territorial songbirds. Although the ecology of many North America birds is generally well understood, my research demonstrates that alternative frameworks may be more suitable for modeling animal communication behaviour and reproductive choices. In particular, I have shown that songbird populations may be thought of as networks of communicating individuals and that females make reproductive decisions based on males’ network-based behaviour.

In Santa Rosa National Park, within the Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Costa Rica, I study the mating system and communication system of resident tropical animals. The ecology of tropical animals is poorly understood, especially with respect to their vocal behaviour and mating systems. In 2002, I began research on the Thryothorus wrens in the Guanacaste Conservation Area in northwest Costa Rica. To date, the project has involved colour banding individuals, monitoring territoriality and reproductive behaviour, and describing the vocalizations of species that have never been studied previously. My research has revealed new insight into the similarities and differences of vocal behaviour in temperate versus tropical birds, and the ecology and evolution of female song and vocal duetting.


Inclusivity statement

In our lab, I am committed to creating an academic environment that prioritizes equity, diversity, and inclusivity. Everyone is welcome in our lab, regardless of gender, gender-identity, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, culture, and national origins. I think we are better scientists when we recognize and respect diverse perspectives, and when everyone on our team knows that their involvement is welcome and valuable.