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USDA - APHIS - Wildlife Damage

National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC)

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Blackwell

 

Dr. Bradley F. Blackwell,
Research Wildlife Biologist

Taxonomic Groups of Interest

Birds and mammals, but focusing primarily on species that pose hazards to aviation safety and those particularly susceptible to collisions with vehicles.

Expertise

  • Applied behavioral ecology
  • Wildlife population management

Current Research

Since 1997 I have served as Research Wildlife Biologist for the National Wildlife Research Center’s Ohio Field station.  My research focuses primarily on wildlife hazards associated with aviation. I collaborate with industry, colleagues in academia, and NWRC colleagues to understand and exploit avian visual configuration and antipredator behavior to develop means of reducing bird-aircraft collisions.  This work targets the design of aircraft lighting systems. We’ve also extended our work to exploit the visual capabilities and antipredator behavior in white-tailed deer as means to reduce deer-vehicle collisions and use of select habitats.  On a larger scale, I'm interested in how habitat modifications influence animal behavior, and how we might selectively manage airports or other habitats to maximize revenue from land covers, maximize conservation opportunities, and simultaneously reduce the risk associated with wildlife-aircraft collisions or other human-wildlife conflict.

My current studies include

  • Collaboration with Purdue University colleague to quantify the visual configuration of Canada geese and how these metrics influence response to object approach, such as aircraft.
  • Collaboration with Purdue University colleague to quantify response of birds to obstructive habitat, aircraft approach, and aircraft lighting treatments.
  • Collaboration with NWRC colleagues to quantify the looming response of birds to vehicle approach
  • Response of white-tailed deer to vehicle approach speed.
  • Collaboration with Oklahoma State University, Wildlife Services OK, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the USAF to quantify bird-strike Risk near Vance AFB.
  • Development of management guidelines to exploit antipredator behavior and foraging success in birds recognized as hazardous to aviation safety and that use airport grasslands

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Maine, Wildlife Ecology
  • M.S., North Carolina State University, Zoology
  • B.S., North Carolina State University, Animal Science

Certifications