Popular Articles

Rogers, J. 2024. “Tracking Down the American Woodcock.” Cool Green Science: Stories of the Nature Conservancy, November 14, 2024.

Tomma, G. 2024. “Woodcocks Don’t Let Migration Mess With Their Sex Lives.” Audubon Magazine, April 24, 2024.

Kuffner, A. 2024. “Cutting Trees to Save Them: How an unconventional approach could protect forests from drought, heat, and pests.” Providence Sunday Journal, January 21, 2024.

Anthes, E. 2019. “Some Migratory Birds Sleep Better Than Others.” New York Times, August 20, 2019.

Journal Articles – New England

Slezak CR et al. 2024. Unconventional life history in a migratory shorebird: desegregating reproduction and migration. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 291: 20240021. DOI: doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.0021

Slezak CR, Masse RJ, McWilliams SR. 2024. Sex specific differences and trends in habitat selection of American woodcock. Journal of Wildlife Management 88(2). DOI: doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.22518

Riely C, Janowiak M, Mahaffey A, Worthley T. 2023. Increasing Oak Forest Resiliency in Southern New England. International Oaks 34, 187-196.

Buffum B, Masse RJ, McWilliams SR. 2021. Novel Use of Species Distribution Modeling to Identify High Priority Sites for Woodcock Habitat Mgt. Northeastern Naturalist 28(3), 233-247. DOI: doi.org/10.1656/045.028.0301

Brenner, S. J., DaRugna, O. A., & McWilliams, S. R. 2019. Observations of certain breeding behaviors in a bilateral gynandromorph Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus). The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 131(3), 625-628.

Brenner, S. J., & McWilliams, S. R. 2019. Independence day: Post-fledging movements and behavior of adult Eastern Towhees (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) in landscapes managed for American Woodcock (Scolopax minor). The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 131(4), 796-806.

Buffum B, Tefft BC, Masse RJ, McWilliams SR. 2019. Mobilizing Private Landowners to Create American Woodcock Habitat: Lessons Learned in Rhode Island, In D.G. Krementz, T.R. Cooper, and D.E. Andersen, eds. Proceedings of the Eleventh American Woodcock Symposium (pp 85-92), University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/AWS.0111).

Masse RJ, Tefft BC, Buffum B, McWilliams SR. 2019. Habitat Selection of American Woodcock and its Implications for Habitat Management Where Young Forests are Rare. In D.G. Krementz, T.R. Cooper, and D.E. Andersen, eds. Proceedings of the Eleventh American Woodcock Symposium (pp 167-177), University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/AWS.0123).

Brenner, SJ, Buffum, B, Tefft, BC, McWilliams, SR. 2019. Landscape context matters when American Woodcock select singing grounds: Results from a reciprocal transplant experiment. The Condor: Ornithological Applications 121: 1-11(DOI: 10.1093/condor/duy005).

Gottfried Mayer AE, McGreevy TJ, Sullivan ME, Buffum B, Husband 2018. Fine-Scale Habitat Comparison of Two Sympatric Cottontail Species in Eastern Connecticut. Current Trends in Forest Research 2018 (02). DOI: 10.29011/ 2638-0013. 100019.

Buchanan, S, Buffum, B, Karraker, N. 2017. Responses of a Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) population to creation of early-successional habitat.  Herpetological Conservation and Biology 12(3):688–700.

Buffum, B and McWilliams, SR. 2017.  Assessing the density of vegetation for wildlife cover in regen­erating clearcuts via analysis of digital imagery. Current Trends in Forest Research. DOI: 10.29011/ CTFR-102. 100002.

Buffum, B, McGreevy, TJ Jr, Gottfried, AE, Sullivan, ME, Husband, TP. 2015. An analysis of overstory tree canopy cover in sites occupied by native and introduced cottontails in the northeastern United States with recommendations for habitat management for New England Cottontail. PLoS ONE 10(8): e0135067. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0135067

Masse, RJ, Tefft, BC, McWilliams, SR. 2015. Higher bird abundance and diversity where American woodcock sing: fringe benefits of managing forests for woodcock. The Journal of Wildlife Management. DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.945

Masse, RJ, Tefft, BC, McWilliams, SM. 2014.  Multiscale habitat selection by a forest-dwelling shorebird, the American woodcock: implications for forest management in southern New England, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 325: 37-48.

Buffum, B, Modisette, C, McWilliams, SM. 2014. Encouraging family forest owners to create early successional wildlife habitat in Southern New England. PLOS One. 9(2): e89972. (DOI.1371/journal.pone.0089972).

Buffum, B and McKinney, R. 2014. Does proximity to wetland shrubland increase habitat value for shrubland birds? International Journal of Forestry Research, vol. 2014, Article ID 329836, 9 pages, 2014. (DOI:10.1155/2014/329836).

Masse, RJ, Tefft, BC, Amador, JA, McWilliams, SR. 2013. Why woodcock commute: testing the foraging-benefit and predation-risk hypotheses.  Behavioral Ecology 24(6), 1348–1355. (DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art073).

Buffum, B, McWilliams, SM, August PV. 2011. A spatial analysis of forest management and its contribution to maintaining shrubland habitat in southern New England. Forest Ecology and Management 262: 775–1785 (DOI:10.1016/j.foreco.2011.07.024).

Blomberg, EJ, Tefft, BC, Reed, JM, McWilliams, SR. 2011. Evaluating spatially explicit viability of a declining ruffed grouse population. Journal of Wildlife Management 9999:1-11 (DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.278).

Blomberg, EJ, Tefft, BC, Endrulat, EG, McWilliams, SR. 2009. Predicting landscape-scale habitat distribution for ruffed grouse Bonasa umbellus using presence-only data. Wildlife Biology 15: 380-394 (DOI: 10.2981/08-012).

Endrulat, EG, McWilliams, SR, Tefft, BC. 2005. Habitat Selection and Home Range Size of Ruffed Grouse in Rhode Island. Northeastern Naturalist 12 (4): 411-424.

Reports – New England

McWilliams, S.R. 2020.  URI & RIDEM Early-successional Forest Research Collaboration – Fact Sheet.  Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Buffum B. 2020. Species Distribution Modeling for American Woodcock in Rhode Island based on 2018 Environmental Variables. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Buffum, B. 2020. Research Brief: Loss of forest in large unfragmented blocks of forest in Rhode Island. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

McWilliams, S.R. and Buffum, B. 2018. Final Report for NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant: Monitoring and Evaluation of NRCS Practices to Create Early Successional Habitat. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Buffum, B. 2016. Identifying sites where small clearcuts can expand habitat for New England Cottontail in conjunction with existing habitat patches in Rhode Island. Kingston: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Script, M, and McWilliams, SR. 2015. Migrating Songbirds on Block Island – Key findings from ongoing research into stopover ecology. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Buffum, B. 2015. Habitat preferences of New England cottontail and eastern cottontail in relation to proximity to wetlands and developed areas. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Buffum, B. 2015. Climate Change and Forestry in RI. A short URI briefing paper on how climate change is expected to affect specific forest tree species in Rhode Island. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Masse, R. 2014. Young forest management: Conservation that’s for the birds. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Payne, D. 2013. A Management Technique for Monitoring the Creation of Habitat for Shrubland Birds: The Use of a Modified Robel Pole for Reliable Vegetation Assessment. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Monahan, E. 2012. Development of a Woodcock Habitat Demonstration Area Trail. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Buffum, B and McKinney, R. 2012. Breeding Birds and Forest Management in Lawton Farm Recreation Area, Scituate Rhode Island. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Birmingham, D. 2012. The Influence of the Rhode Island Coverts Project: Five Case Studies of Forest Management by Landowners. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Buffum, B. 2012. Identification of Sites for Creating Habitat for New England Cottontail in Rhode Island. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Buffum, B. 2012. Concept for Forest Management Demonstration, Peckham Farm, University of Rhode Island. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Buffum, B. 2012. Using Shrubland Mapping to Sample for New England Cottontails. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Buffum, B. 2012. A New Tool for Mapping Forest Habitats in Rhode Island. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Smith, S. B. and S. R. McWilliams. 2015. Recommended plantings for migratory songbird habitat management. Kingston, Rhode Island: Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island.

Articles  – International

Shrestha S, Bashyal A, Rijal R, Shrestha J, Shrestha P, Shrestha N, McGreevy TJ, Buffum B, Khanal S. 2021. An Ecological Assessment of Critically Endangered Chinese Pangolin in the Midhills Region of Nepal. Open Journal of Ecology. 2021 Mar 23;11(4):344-56 (doi: 10.4236/oje.2021.114024).

Buffum, B,  Husband, TP, Shrestha, S. 2020. “Assessment of Community-Based Activities to Reduce Human–Elephant Conflict in Nepal.” Terrestrial Ecosystems and Biodiversity. CRC Press, 2020. 3-15.

Shrestha, S, Bashyal, A, Dhakal, A, McGreevy Jr, TJ., Buffum, B, Joshi, J, … & Khanal, SN. 2020. Mitochondrial DNA analysis of critically endangered Chinese Pangolins (Manis pentadactyla) from Nepal . Mitochondrial DNA Part B, 5(3), 3275-3279.