NWRC Research Scientists: Dr. Spencer Hudson
Dr. Spencer Hudson (PhD) is a Wildlife Biologist for the USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) Florida Field Station in Gainesville, FL.
Spencer is broadly interested in human-wildlife conflicts, spanning from damages caused by wildlife to anthropogenic impacts on wildlife health. These interests have led to integrative research projects on birds and reptiles in the fields of population demography, physiology, genetics, and most recently, movement ecology and wildlife management. His current research focuses on approaches to 1) improve demographic estimates of survival for vulture species, and 2) mitigate damages associated with black vultures.
Research Project
The goals of this project are to develop information and methods for managing vulture populations, evaluate potential impacts of climate change on invasive species, devise control techniques to reduce or eliminate invasive species, investigate genetic and other approaches to detect and monitor invasive species, and develop methods to quantify resources impacted by invasive and over-abundant species.
Current Research
- Improving demographic estimates of vulture survival
- Developing movement models for vultures and vulture responses to field management actions
- Assessing the economic impacts of vulture damage to private and public property
Education
- Ph.D., Ecology, ‘Population Physiology, Demography, and Genetics of Side-blotched Lizards Residing in Urban and Natural Environments’, Utah State University, Utah
- B.S., Biology/Chemistry, ‘Condition-Dependence of Blue Plumage Coverage in Indigo Buntings’, Millikin University, Illinois
Affiliations
- Herpetologists League
- American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
- Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
Spencer Hudson
Wildlife Biologist
Email: spencer.hudson@usda.gov
Phone: 217-859-2902
Florida Field Station
2820 East University Avenue
Gainesville, Florida 32641