Summary
I study how animals, especially birds, interact with their environment and make mate choice decisions. My Ph.D. research focused on the Red-backed Fairywren, a small songbird native to Australia that is known for its multiple male plumage types. My postdoc work is investigating mate choice and breeding behavior in the Mountain Chickadee, a montane songbird known for it’s prolific caching behavior and excellent memory.
Supervisor: Vladimir Pravosudov
Education
- Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, 2020
- B.S. in Biology, Indiana University, 2012
Selected publications
- Welklin, J. F., Branch, C. L., Pitera, A. M., Sonnenberg, B. R., Benedict, L. M., Heinen, V. K., ... & Pravosudov, V. V. (2023). Females pair with males larger than themselves in a socially monogamous songbird. Animal Behaviour, 199, 35-49.
- Welklin, J. F., Lantz, S. M., Khalil, S., Moody, N. M., Karubian, J., & Webster, M. S. (2023). Photoperiod and rainfall are associated with seasonal shifts in social structure in a songbird. Behavioral Ecology, 34(1), 136-149.
- Welklin, J. F., Lantz, S. M., Khalil, S., Moody, N. M., Karubian, J., & Webster, M. S. (2021). Social and abiotic factors differentially affect plumage ornamentation of young and old males in an Australian songbird. Animal Behaviour, 182, 173-188.