On Friday, October 23rd Ken Schmidt, a Professor of Biology and Texas Tech University came to the Log to share about his research on “The Ecology of Eavesdropping: Listening in on your Neighbors May Save your Life.” Professor Schmidt is no stranger to Williams College. In the early 2000s he worked as a visiting Professor of Ecology and now makes annual trips back to campus in the fall to continue his research with owls in Hopkins Forest.
During his talk, Prof. Schmidt discussed three of his studies that focused on interceptive eavesdropping: how individuals detect communications, displays or outcomes of behavior and interactions of other individuals and use that information to their advantage. Schmidt’s first study examined how the African Bushbuck bark influenced antelope feeding behavior. Through his results, Schmidt found that the “giving up” density, the amount of food an antelope left behind, was higher when they heard Bushbuck bark simulations. A similar study involved using chipmunk predation sounds on ground nesting birds resulting in similar patterns of interception. By creating a “triangle of death”, which simulated sounds from chipmunks as well as controls or non-predator sounds, Schmidt found that there was a significant effect on the distance that the birds built their nests based on intercepting sounds of predators. Lastly, Prof. Schmidt briefly discussed his studies with veery songs at dusk. These songs are essential for the reproductive success of veeries but bring great predation risk from owls at these times of the day. Prof. Schmidt’s research is not unique, interesting and important for understanding ecological systems, including predation and reproductive success of species. He frequently works with students to help conduct research, which is great news for any students interested in the field.
For more information about his research feel free to visit Professor Ken Schmidt’s website: http://schmidtlab.weebly.com/
-MaryKate O’Brien, ’16