Research | cornell

Research Interests

The Cornell lab is broadly interested in how an animal’s behavior, physiology, and environment interrelate. We study these relationships in nest box-breeding wild birds at the Penn State Arboretum, Student Farm, and surrounding campus lands. Our focal species are Eastern bluebirds, house wrens, and tree swallows. We use a combination of field and laboratory techniques including bird banding, collection of nest parasites, video analysis of behavior, physiological assays, measurements of chick and adult morphology, blood and fecal sample collection.

Current topics of study include:

How do parents to allocate resources to offspring vs. self-maintenance?
- Is this determined by environmental context?
- What are the consequences of resource allocation on chick development and/or parent return rate (survival)?
Do parents allocate different food resources to their sons compared to daughters?
How do bacteria in the GI tract of nestlings relate to chick development?
What predicts parent abandonment of the nest?
- Parent factors: body mass, skeletal size, wing length, gut microbiome, success of previous nest attempts
- Environmental factors: time of year, weather, inter-annual variation

American kestrel Wikimedia Commons

Spotted Lanternfly PA Dept of Agriculture

Active Collaborations

Dr. JF Therrien, Senior Research Scientist, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: American kestrel studies

Dr. Melinda Fowler, Associate Professor, Springfield College: Ecological physiology studies

Dr. Marcella Baiz, Assistant Professor, University of Buffalo: Songbird microbiome studies

Dr. Jenn Houtz, Assistant Professor, Allegheny College: American kestrel microbiome studies

Anne Johnson, PhD Candidate, Penn State Entomology (Dr. Kelli Hoover's Lab): Songbirds as a potential predators of invasive spotted lanternfly

Penn State Student Farm: Field site for songbird work

Penn State Arboretum: Field site for songbird work

Publications

*denotes undergraduate author

Johnson, A. E., Cornell, A., Hermann, S., Zhu, F., & Hoover, K. (2023). Using community science to identify predators of spotted lanternfly, Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), in North America. Bulletin of Entomological Research, 1-8.

Houtz JL, Melo M*, Therrien JF, Cornell A (2023). Disentangling relationships between physiology, morphology, diet, and gut microbial diversity in American Kestrel nestlings. Journal of Avian Biology, e03019

Cornell A, Fowler MA, Zimmerman C*, Khaku Z*, Therrien JF (2023). The role of food quantity and prey type in nestling development of American Kestrels.Journal of Raptor Research, 57(2), 210-219.

Cornell A, Melo M*, Zimmerman C*, Therrien JF. 2021. Nestling physiology is independent of somatic development in a common raptor, the American kestrel (Falco sparverius). Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 94 (2).

Murman K, Setliff GP, Pugh CV, Toolan MJ, Canlas I, Cannon S, Abreu L*, Fetchen M*, Zhang L, Wallace M, Wickham J, Spichiger SE, Swackhamer E, Carrillo D, Cornell A, Derstine N, Barringer L, Cooperband MF. 2020. Distribution, survival, and development of spotted lanternfly on host plants found in North America. Environmental Entomology, nvaa126.

Criscuolo F, Cornell A, Zahn S, Williams TD. 2019. Oxidative status and telomere length are related to somatic and physiological maturation in chicks of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Journal of Experimental Biology, 222(20), jeb204719.

Williams TD, Cornell A, Gillespie C*, Hura A*, Serota M. (2018). Effects of an introduced, novel prey on diet and reproduction in the diet-specialist European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 97(3), 225-231.

Cornell A, Williams TD. (2017). Variation in developmental trajectories of physiological and somatic traits in a common songbird approaching fledging. Journal of Experimental Biology, 220(21): 4060-4067.

Cornell A, Hou JJ*, Williams TD. (2017). Experimentally-increased male social behaviour has no effect on female breeding phenology and performance. Animal Behaviour, 126, 243-251.

Cornell A, Gibson KF*, Williams TD (2017). Physiological maturity at a critical life history transition and post-fledging takeoff flight ability. Functional Ecology, 31(3): 662-670.

Cornell A, Williams TD. (2016). Double-brooding and individual quality in a highly synchronous songbird population. The Auk: Ornithological Advances, 133(2): 251-260.

Williams TD, Bourgeon S, Cornell A, Ferguson L, Fowler M, Fronstin RB, Love OP. (2015). Mid-winter temperatures, not spring temperatures predict breeding phenology in the European starling, Sturnus vulgaris. Royal Society of Open Science, 2: 140301.

Teaching publication: Sharp J, Barley E, Lam K, Aulakh S, Cornell A, Fitzpatrick K. (2018). Speciation and the threespine stickleback. National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science.

Oral Presentations

Cornell A, Zimmerman C*, Khaku Z*, Therrien JF. 2021. The role of food quantity and quality in nestling development of American kestrels (Falco sparverius). Raptor Research Foundation Annual Conference, Invited Presentation, Remote via Zoom

Cornell A. 2020. Getting the timing right: Reproductive phenology in wild birds. Invited Seminar, Penn State Altoona Biology Department, Altoona, Pennsylvania

Cornell A. 2019. Ecological Physiology in Avian Systems. Invited Seminar, Penn State Animal Science Department, State College, Pennsylvania

Matson J*, Therrien JF, Cornell A. 2019. Variation in paternal care and its possible consequences on offspring development in a farmland raptor. Pennsylvania Academy of Science Annual Meeting

Robbins T*, Therrien JF, Cornell A. 2019. Differences in biparental behavior in Falco sparverius depending on sex. Pennsylvania Academy of Science Annual Meeting

Fetchen M*, Cooperband M, Cornell A. 2019. Dietary habits of the spotted lanternfly Lycorma delicatula. Pennsylvania Academy of Science Annual Meeting

Culichia F*, Karnas KJ, Cornell A. 2019. Clearing up the Confusion: Best Practices for Science Communication. National Conference on Undergraduate Research, Kennesaw, Georgia

Cornell A. 2018. Eco-physiology: A framework for raptor development. Invited Seminar, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Acopian Center for Conservation, Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania

Cornell A, Gillespie C*, Serota M, Williams TD. 2017. Introduction of new prey to a specialist predator: Diet preferences and reproductive consequences. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana

Cornell A. 2016. Prepare to fledge: Physiology and survival of juvenile birds. Invited Seminar, Cedar Crest College, Allentown, Pennsylvania

Cornell A, Gibson KF*, Williams TD. 2016. Individual variation in chick development at fledging: Physiology, morphology, and flight ability. North American Ornithological Conference, Washington DC

Cornell A, Gibson KF*, Williams TD. 2016. Flight ability, and physiology at a critical life history transition. Les Ecologistes Seminar, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC

Cornell A, Hou JJ*, Williams TD. 2016. Song and male social behavior as a supplemental cue for female breeding phenology: An experimental field study. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology’s Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon

Williams TD, Cornell A, Serota M. 2015. Why study an invasive pest species? Climate change, land-use and reproduction in an agricultural specialist. Pacific Wildlife Research Center, Environment Canada, Vancouver, BC

Cornell A, Williams TD. 2014. Individual quality and multiple brooding. Annual Meeting of the American Ornithologists’ Union, Estes Park, Colorado

Cornell A, Gene A*, Williams TD. 2014. Physiological components of chick quality at a critical life history transition. Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting, Austin, Texas.