Ryan Wimberly Major advisor - Dr. Linz Office: Stevens 112 Phone: (701) 231-8055 Email: Ryan.Wimberly@ndsu.nodak.edu B.S. Northwest Missouri State University 1996 Major: Wildlife Ecology and Management Minor: Biology

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Since 1996, research scientists from the USDA-National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) have conducted breeding blackbird surveys and sunflower damage assessments across the Prairie Pothole region (PPR) of North Dakota and South Dakota. Current estimation of blackbird related damage to sunflower totals $3 to $5 million annually in North and South Dakota. Current research will focus on addressing the effects of landscape changes on breeding blackbird abundance and sunflower damage in the PPR of North and South Dakota. These data will be used to better estimate changes in breeding blackbird populations as it relates to changes in habitat avalability and climatic conditions.

Objectives of this research will determine habitat use by breeding blackbirds in the PPR of North Dakota and South Dakota, including assessing the relationship between sunflower damage, sunflower acreage, and changes in habitat variables ( e.g. crop, wetlands). Through these findings, a predictive model will be developed to describe the statistical relationships between nubers of breeding red-winged blackbirds, yellow-headed blackbirds, habitat types, and climatic variables.

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USDA | APHIS | NWRC