Nicholas Mason
Assistant Professor and Curator of Birds Louisiana State University
Areas of Expertise
Biography
Research Focus
Avian Speciation & Phenotypic Evolution
Dr. Mason’s research focuses on avian biodiversity, speciation, and the evolution of phenotypic diversity, as well as how birds respond to anthropogenic change. He uses museum collections, field expeditions in the Andes and beyond, genomics, bioacoustics, and morphometrics to trace diversification and guide conservation.
Answers
-
What time of day is best for seeing hummingbirds?
Hummingbirds are active all day, but the best time to see them is probably dawn and dusk. In hot climates, like Louisiana summers, you are less likely to see them during midday hours.
- What is the best recipe for making DIY hummingbird nectar?
The simplest recipe is 4 cups of water and 1 cup of white sugar, which are heated up to dissolve the sugar then cooled. You do not need to add red dye, in fact, that can sometimes be harmful for the hummingbirds. Same receipe as here: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/hummingbird-nectar-recipe
- How can people help protect hummingbirds as they migrate through Louisiana?
Keep cats indoors as they can kill hummingbirds and other native birds. Change your hummingbird nectar out on a regular basis (every three days or so), otherwise the feeder may grow mold or bacteria that could make the hummingbirds sick.
Education
Cornell University
Ph.D.
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
2017
San Diego State University
M.S.
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
2012
Vassar College
B.A.
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
2008
Accomplishments
American Ornithological Society Wesley Lanyon Award Finalist for Best Review Paper by Early Professional
2020
American Ornithological Society James G. Cooper Early Professional Award
2020
American Ornithological Society Marion Jenkinson Service Award
2018
Media Appearances
For the Birds: A look into the collection of the LSU Museum of Natural Science
InRegister online
2025-02-03
Here, and continued on the second floor, rows upon rows of filing cabinets hold roughly a quarter million bird specimens spanning continents and centuries. It is the third largest university-affiliated collection in the United States, surpassed only by the University of Michigan and Harvard University, says Dr. Nicholas Mason, bird curator for the museum and assistant professor of ornithology at LSU.
HEART OF LOUISIANA: LSU Museum of Natural Science
WAFB 9 tv
2024-08-12
Mason is the Curator of Birds at LSU. He takes me to a research area where scientists have collected nearly a quarter-million bird specimens.
“In terms of diversity, there’s about 11,500 or so species of birds on our planet, and we have representation for about 6,500 of those. So maybe a little bit over half,” said Mason.
LSU Museum of Natural Science
Heart of Lousiana online
2024-08-01
Dr. Nicholas Mason takes me behind the scenes to LSU’s bird research center, where nearly a quarter million bird specimens are housed. Mason is LSU’s curator of birds. “In terms of diversity,” Mason explains, “there’s about 11,500 species of birds on our planet, and we have representation for about 6,500 of those.” This means LSU’s collection includes more than half of the known bird species on Earth.
Articles
Toward a comparative framework for studies of altitudinal migration
Ecology and Evolution2024
The study and importance of altitudinal migration has attracted increasing interest among zoologists. Altitudinal migrants are taxonomically widespread and move across altitudinal gradients as partial or complete migrants, subjecting them to a wide array of environments and ecological interactions. Here, we present a brief synthesis of recent developments in the field and suggest future directions toward a more taxonomically inclusive comparative framework for the study of altitudinal migration. Our framework centers on a working definition of altitudinal migration that hinges on its biological relevance, which is scale‐dependent and related to fitness outcomes. We discuss linguistic nuances of altitudinal movements and provide concrete steps to compare altitudinal migration phenomena across traditionally disparate study systems.
Specimen collection is essential for modern science
PLoS biology2023
Natural history museums are vital repositories of specimens, samples and data that inform about the natural world; this Formal Comment revisits a Perspective that advocated for the adoption of compassionate collection practices, querying whether it will ever be possible to completely do away with whole animal specimen collection.
Plumage Balances Camouflage and Thermoregulation in Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris)
The American Naturalist2023
Animal coloration serves many biological functions and must therefore balance potentially competing selective pressures. For example, many animals have camouflage in which coloration matches the visual background that predators scan for prey. However, different colors reflect different amounts of solar radiation and may therefore have thermoregulatory implications as well. In this study, we examined geographic variation in dorsal patterning, coloration, and solar reflectance among horned larks (Eremophila alpestris) of the western United States. We found that plumage brightness was positively associated with soil granularity, aridity, and temperature. Plumage redness—both in terms of saturation (i.e., chroma) and hue—was positively associated with soil redness and temperature, while plumage patterning was positively associated with soil granularity.
Deep ecomorphological and genetic divergence in Steller's Jays (Cyanocitta stelleri, Aves: Corvidae)
Ecology and Evolution2022
The relationship between ecology and morphology is a cornerstone of evolutionary biology, and quantifying variation across environments can shed light on processes that give rise to biodiversity. Three morphotypes of the Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) occupy different ecoregions in western North America, which vary in climate and landcover. These morphotypes (Coastal, Interior, Rocky Mountain) differ in size, plumage coloration, and head pattern. We sampled 1080 Steller's Jays from 68 populations (plus 11 outgroups) to address three main questions using data on morphology, plumage, genetics (mtDNA, microsatellites), and ecological niches: (1) How do phenotypic and genetic traits vary within and among populations, morphotypes, and ecoregions? (2) How do population-level differences in Steller's Jays compare with other sister species pairs of North American birds? (3) What can we infer about the population history of Steller's Jays in relation to past climates, paleoecology, and niche evolution? We found substantial morphological, genetic, and ecological differentiation among morphotypes.
Dorsal Color Variation Among Subspecies of the Oregon Dark-Eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis [oreganus]) Group
The Wilson Journal of Ornithology2022
Initial descriptions of avian subspecies were based on expert opinions of geographic variation in phenotypes and were inherently subjective. Although best practices for subspecies delimitation continue to be debated, reassessing subspecies limits with current, quantitative methods is important toward refining and improving taxonomic treatments. Plumage coloration is the basis of many subspecies diagnoses, but is potentially problematic because of the historical lack of quantitative methods to measure color. Recently developed methods, such as colorimetry, provide repeatable measurements of color variation that can be used to reassess subspecies limits. In this study, we reassess color variation among subspecies of the Oregon Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis [oreganus]) group, in which differences in back and hood color were established as diagnostic characters.
Affiliations
- American Ornithological Society
- Society for the Study of Evolution
- Society of Systematic Biologists
- American Society of Naturalists
- Wilson Ornithological Society
- Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections
- Louisiana Ornithological Society
Research Grants
Ornithological Research Expedition to the Amboró National Park, Bolivia;
COYPU Foundation
2022
RaMP: The Louisiana Graduate Network in Applied Evolution (LAGNiAppE) to strengthen regional connections and broaden the STEM workforce
NSF RaMP
2022
Media
