Susannah B. Lerman

BA, American History, University of Delaware

Past field experiences:

Monitored bird migration in Israel and Nova Scotia; lead birdwatching tours in Israel, Europe, and North America; studied how urbanization alters bird community structure in Arizona

Thesis Research:

Factors affecting the winter distribution of Striated Scops Owl, Otus brucei, in southern Israel.

Striated Scops Owl is a small migrant owl, distributed throughout the Middle East and central Asia. For my research, I determined the fine and coarse scaled habitat variables that correlate with the winter distribution of the species in southern Israel. I then created a model, utilizing this baseline data, to predict Striated Scops Owl presence in other parts of the species' range. Ecological information for Striated Scops Owl is lacking due to the difficulty of studying owls and the limitations of conducting research within the region. The predictive model will aid conservation biologists and wildlife managers by focusing future studies and conservation initiatives in areas of critical habitat.