Wildlife Biology

Graduate student Troy Pretzlaw tracking mammals in the Yukon

Graduate studies in Wildlife Biology have been conducted from the Macdonald Campus since the late 1960s. From the beginning there has been an emphasis on ecological aspects conducted from remote field locations.

McGill Bird Observatory (MBO) is a member of the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network, filling a significant gap between the nearest other sites in Ottawa and Prince Edward County to the west, and Tadoussac to the northeast. Operations at MBO emphasize migration monitoring, research, and volunteer training.

With the establishment of the the Ecomuseum of the St. Lawrence Valley Natural History Society on Campus, recent studies have involved captive animals accommodated in excellent holding facilities.

Much of our research has had practical application and is ultimately aimed at conservation of natural resources. Research degrees focus heavily upon a thesis and course requirements are flexible depending on the student's background and interests.

For more information please visit some of the individual professor's web sites:

  • BASU, Niladri.  Environmental toxicology, epidemiology, fish and wildlife as sentinels of human and ecosystem health. 
  • CARDILLE, Jeffery. Landscape ecology, remote sensing, and data handling and visualization.
  • ELLIOT, Kyle. Evolutionary ecology of senescence, ecotoxicology, ecological energetics, behavioural ecology, evolutionary physiology and population ecology.
  • McKINNEY, Melissa.  How ecological changes may alter wildlife exposures to other key environmental stressors, including pollutants, pathogens, and parasites, and how these changes may together impact the health of individuals and populations.
  • HEAD, Jessica. Avian ecotoxicology.  Genetic and epigenetic factors underlying avian responses to environmental contaminants.
  • HUMPHRIES, Murray M. Mammal energetics, behaviour, and ecology, especially in relation to hibernation, food and fat storage, and life histories.
  • ROY, Denis. Development of genomic resources and bioinformatics tools toward better understanding the impact of rapid environmental changes on fish ecology and evolution.

or contact

Macdonald Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

 

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