Greg Forcey, PhD
Ecologist
email Greg

Dr. Greg Forcey is an ecologist with 6 years of research experience in avian ecology and survey techniques, ecological risk assessment, GIS modeling, statistical analysis, and wildlife management planning. Greg’s interest in science combined with his appreciation for the outdoors and wildlife led him to pursue a career in wildlife science.

Greg holds a BS in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Penn State University (2000), earned an MS in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources from West Virginia University (2002), and recently completed his PhD in Zoology from North Dakota State University (2006).

Greg is currently preparing portions of an Avian Protection Plan aimed at reducing nesting mortality of Black-necked Stilts and Burrowing Owls in stormwater treatment areas in south Florida. He is also monitoring Bald Eagle behavior during the nesting season to determine if human disturbance is adversely affecting the eagles, as well as developing Osprey nesting deterrents for communication towers.

Greg recently performed acoustical monitoring of bats on prospective wind resource areas in Texas, where he assessed bat use and rate of passage to determine the vulnerability of local bat populations to the presence of wind turbines. Other recent projects include preparing the avian portion of an Environmental Assessment for a wind energy demonstration project in Florida, and monitoring the effects of construction noise on nesting wood storks in a 50-acre wetland colony for compliance with a Wood Stork Colony Protection Plan.

Prior to joining Pandion, Greg researched the influence of large-scale climatic and land use patterns on wetland bird population dynamics using hierarchical spatial models. He served as co-principle investigator on a research grant funded by USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services, which evaluated avian use of sunflower fields during spring migration, bird use of roadside habitat, and blackbird and non-blackbird use of commercial and lure plot sunflower fields. He also studied avian habitat use on the Camp Dawson Army Training Site in northern West Virginia and wrote the avian portion of a wildlife management plan for the installation.

Greg’s other interests include birding, hiking, website and graphic design, and nature photography (birds and mammals being his favorite subjects). He finds wildlife photography extremely challenging because it requires a thorough understanding of your subjects and extreme patience in order to get good results. View Greg’s photography on his website.