Jadzia Rodriguez,

Thesis:

Effects of vegetation on the behavior of hunting barn owls (Tyto furcata) and their prey

Jadzia is studying how changes in habitat and vegetation affect the behavior of hunting barn owls and their prey. She is interested in how these altered behaviors could affect the outcome of a predator-prey interaction. In the spring and summer of 2024, Jadzia deployed GPS tags fitted with accelerometers on adult barn owls to reveal the precise location of where they kill their prey. This work was conducted in winegrape vineyards in Napa Valley, California, which have predictable changes in vegetation due to management such as cover crop mowing and grapevine growth. This research may help guide vineyard management practices by determining which habitat variables are associated with a predator’s successful hunting behavior.