Eric Jepsen
Graduate Student Researcher
Education
MS Avian Sciences, in progress, University of California, Davis CA
BS Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
Laboratory Phone:(530) 752-5727
Contact
Current Projects
Ecology and Conservation of Great Gray Owls (Strix nebulosa) in the central Sierra Nevada.
My work is part of an ongoing assessment of the Central Sierra population
of Great Gray Owls. I am interested in finding breeding territories,
monitoring reproductive success, and understanding the factors that
contribute to maintaining a healthy population. I am also involved in an
effort to capture individuals and obtain blood samples. These samples are
used for genetic work, which will give us a much clearer idea of the
relationship between the California population of Great Gray Owls and those
in Oregon and northward. Blood samples are also used to analyse the
impact of West Nile Virus on Great Grays as well as categorizing and
understanding blood parasites in raptors.
The other part of my research involves understanding the winter
distribution and habitat requirements for the Great Gray Owls of the
Central Sierra. This includes using historic data on Great Gray Owls to
develop predictive distribution models.