Our research team is fully committed to creating
an equitable and inclusive environment
where all members have equal opportunities to
grow, develop, and succeed.
Our research team addresses Federal priorities to conserving landbirds and their ecosystems. Our research is designed to provide insights into the underlying processes of landbird ecology in forests and urban areas mainly in Western Canada. We study population dynamics, movement ecology, habitat use, reproduction, foraging ecology, migration, over-wintering population dynamics, behaviour, and other ecological patterns and processes.
Lab's Research SubjectsAnimal Migration
Movement Ecology Forest Ecology Urban Ecology Ornithology Habitat use Parental care Full annual cycle ecology Conservation Life History Trade-offs Forest Ecology 
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About:Our research team celebrates our diversity, interests, and personal experiences and backgrounds by focusing on not only growing as scientists but also as people by broadening our cultural competencies and deliberately working to enrich our work through support for each other.
We study why and how many animal populations are declining, and how we can stop their declines. We conduct interdisciplinary research that uses the field, laboratory, quantitative modelling, and innovative tracking technologies to get a better understanding of how we can help animals survive in the face of global change. We firmly believe that for conservation to succeed scientists need to listen to stakeholder goals and engage them in research of mutual benefit. We use these approach to help solve complex problems using transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary frameworks. Our work is thus highly collaborative, interdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary: linking academia, various departments and levels of government, industry, non-profit organizations, and Indigenous organizations. Past and current research spans three broad research areas: 1. Birds Movement and Migration 2. Effects of domestic cats on Canada's environment 3. Effects of forest stewardship on birds in Western Canada Please check out the projects section to learn more. I am always open for potential collaborations, please contact me if you are interested. OpportunitiesWe do not have any openings at this time.
In the News
Congrats to Triana Hohn on receiving an Honourable mention at the Society of Canadian Ornithologist meeting in Saskatoon (Aug 2025).
Congrats to Jonathan Chu for winning the Best Student Presentation Award, and Vanessa Hum for winning the Best Speed Talk at the North American Congress for Conservation Biology. Elizabeth and her research featured in Animal Logic Episode "Cats Kill Billions of Birds Every Year. It's Time for That to Stop." Our cat research and former technician Jaylen Bastos featured in CBC GEM "My Pet Assassin" PhD Candidate, Elora Grahame's, side project on Sea Turtles was featured in the Boston Globe Check out our work on domestic cats featured in the documentary, "Running Wild: The Cats of Cornwall" Trailer: m.facebook.com/watch/?v=820577685413384&_rdr Online version of documentary As part of promotion for this documentary Dr. Gow also took part in a panel discussion on The Agenda with Steve Paikin. Check out recent media coverage of our Vancouver Cat Count, in partnership with the Stewardship Centre for British Columbia and Environment and Climate Change Canada. CBC British Columbia CBC Vancouver News Global News Radio CTV news |
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Announcements:
Recently published papers:
Chu J^., Norris DR, Bourque J, Roy C, Wilson O, Gow EA. An updated estimate of the number of birds killed by outdoor cats in Canada. Avian Conservation Ecology. 20(2):12. https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-02926-200212 Infographic Hohn, T., G. Karimpanal, EA Gow. 2025. Variation of iris colour in Spotted Towhees (Pipilo maculatus) in urban areas in the lower-mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Journal of Field Ornithology 96:2. https://doi.org/10.5751/JFO-00666-960302 Pyott^, ML, DR Norris, GW Mitchell, L Custode, EA Gow. 2024 Home range size and habitat selection of owned outdoor domestic cats (Felus catus) in urban southwestern Ontario. PeerJ 12:e17159. 10.7717/peerj.17159 Graphical Abstract Gow EA, Aubrey B, Cossar L,, Mazerolle C, Cheskey E. 2024. Conducting community led research using trail cameras to develop baseline wandering domestic cat local abundance estimates. FACETS 9:1–4 https://doi.org. 10.1139/facets-2023-0033 ^ Student papers |