Otter, Dr. Ken

Dr. Ken Otter
PhD, MSc (Queen's University), BSc (University of British Columbia) Professor Chair, Ecosystem Science and Management Co-Chair, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Email: Phone:
250-960-5019
Website: Fax:
250-960-5539
Office:
8-341
Campus:
  • Prince George

Research and Expertise

Avian signalling and reproduction, particularly how this is impacted by habitat quality and urban development

Research Fields:
  • Biodiversity/Ecology
  • Environment
  • Natural Resources
  • Wildlife
Areas of Expertise:

Animal communication, reproductive strategies, behavioural ecology, avian ecology, urban & disturbance ecology

Languages Spoken:
  • English
Not accepting graduate students
Supervises in:
  • PhD NRES
  • MSc NRES Biology
Available to be contacted by the media as a subject matter expert

Selected Publications

Booth, A.L. & Otter, K.A. 2022. The Law and the Pussycat: Public Perceptions of the Use of Municipal Bylaws to Control Free-Roaming Domestic Cats in Canada, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2022.2142059

Grabenstein, K.C., Otter, K.A., Burg, T.M. & Taylor, S.A. 2022. Hybridization between closely related songbirds is related to human habitat disturbance. Global Change Biology. In press: Accepted 19 Sept 2022.
 

Chartier, S., Ramsay, S.M., & Otter, K.A. 2022. Within-population song evolution in white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis). Behaviour DOI:10.1163/1568539X-bja10184

Grabenstein, K.C., Otter, K.A., Burg, T.M. & Taylor, S.A. 2022. Sympatry leads to reduced body condition in chickadees that occasionally hybridize. Ecology and Evolution 12:e8756, doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8756.
 

Wheelhouse, L.M., Hodder, D.P. & Otter, K.A. 2022. The retention of non-commercial hardwoods in mixed stands maintains higher avian biodiversity than clear-cutting. Forestry 95: 572–581, https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpac012.

Smith, B.L., Snell, C.L., Reudink, M.W. & Otter, K.A. 2021. Urban-nesting mountain chickadees have a reduced response to a simulated predator. Behaviour . DOI:10.1163/1568539X-bja10122

Reudink, M.W., Fisher, M., Mount, N., Buckler, N., Otter, K.A, & Briskie, J.V. 2021. Evolution of song and colour in island birds. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 133: 1–10. doi.org/10.1676/19-00084

Graham, B., Gazeley, I., Otter, K.A. & Burg, T. 2021. Do phylogeny and habitat influence admixture among four North American chickadees (family: Paridae) species? Journal of Avian Biology. e02695, doi.org/10.1111/jav.02695.

Stephens, C., McAmmond, B., Van Hamme, J.D., Otter, K.A., Reudink, M.W., Bottos, E.M. 2021. Analysis of Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli) associated bacterial communities across urban and rural habitats. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 68: 572-583. doi.org/10.1139/cjm-2020-0320.

Otter, K.A., Mckenna, A., LaZerte, S.E., & Ramsay, S.M. 2020. Continent-wide shifts in song dialects of white-throated sparrows. Current Biology 30(16): 3231-3235.e3 DOI:10.1016/jcub.2020.05.084
 

Hajdasz, A.C., Otter, K.A., Baldwin, L.K., & Reudink, M.W. 2019. Caterpillar phenology predicts differences in timing of mountain chickadee breeding in urban and rural habitats. Urban Ecosystems 22:1113-1122.

LaZerte, S.E., Slabbekoorn, H, & Otter, K.A. 2019. A field test of the audibility of urban versus rural songs in mountain chickadees. Ethology. 125:516–525. DOI: 10.1111/eth.12876

Bailey, J.M., Reudink, M.W. & Otter, K.A. 2019. Supplemental feeding may reduce responsiveness of black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) to avian mobbing calls during gap-crossing experiments. Canadian Journal of Zoology 97: 680–684 DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2018-0161

LaZerte, S.E., Marini, K.L.D, Slabbekoorn, H., Reudink, M.W., & Otter, K.A. 2019. More mountain chickadees sing atypical songs in urban than in rural areas. Canadian Field-Naturalist. 133(1): 28-33. DOI: 10.22621/cfn.v133i1.1994

Bonderud, E.S., Otter, K.A., Burg, T.M., Marini, K.L.D. & Reudink, M.W. 2018. Patterns of extra-pair paternity in the mountain chickadee. Ethology 124: 378-386.

Bailey, J.M., Reudink, M.W., LaZerte, S.E., Paetkau, M., Johnson, C., Hill, D. & Otter, K.A. 2018. Using radio frequency identification (RFID) to investigate the gap-crossing decisions of black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus). Auk: Ornithological Advances. 135:449-460.