Publications

Van Hemert, C., C. M. Handel, and D. M. O’Brien. 2012. Stable isotopes identify dietary changes associated with beak deformities in Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus). The Auk 129:460-466. doi: 10.1525/auk.2012.12037

Van Hemert, C., C. M. Handel, T. M. O’Hara. 2012. Evidence of accelerated beak growth associated with avian keratin disorder in Black-capped Chickadees Poecile atricapillus. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 48(3):686-694.

Van Hemert, C., C. M. Handel, J. E. Blake, R. M. Swor, T. M. O'Hara. 2012. Microanatomy of passerine hard-cornified tissues: Beak and claw structure of the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus). Journal of Morphology 273(2): 226–240. (2.49 mb PDF)

D'Alba, L., C. Van Hemert, C. M. Handel and M. D. Shawkey. 2011. A natural experiment on the condition-dependence of achromatic plumage reflectance in Black-Capped Chickadees. PLOS One. 6(10):e25877. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025877

Handel, C. M., L. M. Pajot, S. M. Matsuoka, C. Van Hemert, J. Terenzi, S. L. Talbot, D. M. Mulcahy, C. U. Meteyer, and K. A. Trust. 2010. Epizootic of beak deformities among wild birds in Alaska: An emerging disease in North America? Auk 127(4):882-898. (11.9mb PDF high resolution) or (719kb PDF lower resolution)

Van Hemert, C., and C. M. Handel. 2010. Beak deformities in Northwestern Crows: Evidence of a multispecies epizootic. Auk 127(4):746-751. (976kb PDF) Online Supplement. (134kb PDF)

Van Hemert, C. 2007. Alaskan birds at Risk: Widespread beak deformities in resident species. American Birding. 39(5):48-55. (977kb PDF)

Handel, C. M., L. M. Pajot, S. M. Matsuoka, K. A. Trust, J. M. Stotts, J. Terenzi, and S. L. Talbot. 2006. Potential Role of Environmental Contaminants in the Pathology of Beak Deformities among Black-capped Chickadees in South-central Alaska. Unpublished final report. Project ID: 1130-7F22. U. S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska. [PDF - 15 MB]

Handel, C. M., L. M. Pajot, S. L. Talbot, and G. K. Sage. 2006. Use of buccal swabs for sampling DNA from nestling and adult birds. Wildlife Society Bulletin 34(4):1094-1100. [PDF - 701KB]

Download the free Adobe Reader

Black-capped Chickadee - photo by Joy Geiselman