Jamaica, W.I. 2012-2014.

I conducted my PhD at Louisiana State University in the laboratory of Dr. Robb Brumfield. I was co-advised by Dr. Gary Graves at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. My doctoral dissertation focused on a hummingbird complex known only to Jamaica, the red- and black-billed streamertails (Trochilus polytmus and scitulus). The red-billed streamertail is Jamaica’s national bird. The bulk of my field work took place in the beautiful and rugged John Crow Mountains and surrounding lowlands. These mountains served as a refuge for indigenous Tainos, and later, escaping African slaves known as “Maroons”. Many people I worked with in this region are direct descendants of Maroons and are invested in preserving their rich history as well as the native forests. My work describing the geographic, morphological, and genetic uniqueness of streamertail hummingbirds has important implications for systematics, conservation, and ecotourism. My publications (to date) are listed below.