Rate My Professor Brian Linkhart

Brian D. Linkhart is a Professor in the Department of Organismal Biology and Ecology at Colorado College. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2001, an M.S. from Colorado State University in 1984, and a B.S. from the same institution in 1981. Since joining Colorado College in 2001, Linkhart has focused his research on avian ecology and conservation, particularly the Flammulated Owl (Psiloscops flammeolus). He leads the Colorado College Flammulated Owl Project, a long-term study examining demographic performance, habitat quality, climate effects on phenology and productivity, life history characteristics, and mating strategies. His investigations cover migration timing and routes, wintering areas in Mexico, post-breeding prospecting, diel variation in space use, nest-provisioning rates influenced by year-round weather, and habitat selection in post-fire landscapes.

Linkhart has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, many involving undergraduate student collaborators. Key works include Yanco et al. (2021) "Niche dynamics suggest ecological factors influencing migration in an insectivorous owl" in Ecology; Ciaglo et al. (2021) "Evidence of post-breeding prospecting in a long-distance migrant" in Ecology and Evolution; Linkhart and McCallum (2020) "Flammulated Owl" in The Birds of the World; Linkhart et al. (2016) "Migration timing and routes, and wintering areas of Flammulated Owls" in Journal of Field Ornithology; Linkhart and Reynolds (2007) "Rate of return, fidelity, and dispersal in a breeding population of Flammulated Owls" in The Auk; Linkhart et al. (2008) "Polygyny in the Flammulated Owl" in Wilson Journal of Ornithology; and Linkhart et al. (1998) "Home range and habitat of breeding Flammulated Owls in Colorado" in Wilson Bulletin. Additional contributions encompass longevity records, territory occupancy as a measure of habitat quality, and Flammulated Owl survey protocols. Linkhart collaborates with the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo on conservation research for Flammulated Owls, enhancing understanding of this species' responses to fire regimes and environmental changes in western North American conifer forests.