Publications

Also see pages on Google Scholar and ResearchGate; Please contact me (tjbenson@illinois.edu) if there’s an article below that you’re interested in but unable to access.

2023 or in press

Turner, A. M., V. N. Sluis, E. J. Williams, T. J. Benson, M. P. Ward, and M. E. Hauber. 2023. Examining causes and characteristics of egg ejection behaviour in the American robin (Turdus migratorius). Behaviour: in press.

Dunn, P. O., I. Ahmed, E. Armstrong, N. Barlow, M. Barnard, M. Belisle, T. J. Benson, et al. 2023. Extensive regional variation in the phenology of insects and their responses to temperature across North America. Ecology 104:e4036.

Emmet, R. L., T. J. Benson, M. L. Allen, and K. W. Stodola. 2023. Integrating multiple data sources improves prediction and inference for upland game bird occupancy models. Ornithological Applications 125:duad005.

Skinner, A. A., S. N. Matthews, M. P. Ward, I. F. Souza-Cole, J. R. Wright, F. R. Thompson, III, T. J. Benson, and C. M. Tonra. 2023. Agriculture and forest fragmentation are associated with increased winter home range size in the Eastern Whip-poor-will. Ornithological Applications 125:duac050.

Di Giovanni, A. J., M. J. Miller, T. M. Jones, T. J. Benson, and M. P. Ward. 2023. Hatching failure is greater in altricial bird species with cavity nests and large clutches. Ornithology 140:ukac048.

2022

Bauder, J. M., K. W. Stodola, T. J. Benson, C. A. Miller, and M. L. Allen. 2022. Modeling eighteen years of community science data reveals extensive recolonization of bobcats in Illinois, USA. Landscape Ecology 38:597–611.

Souza-Cole, I, F., M. P. Ward, R. L. Mau, J. T. Foster, and T. J. Benson. 2022. Eastern Whip-poor-will abundance is influenced by urban land cover and moth abundance. Ornithological Applications 124:duac032.

Jones, T. M., S. J. Chiavacci, T. J. Benson, and M. P. Ward. 2022. Nesting and post-fledging predation risk influence diel patterns of songbird fledging. Ibis.

Bauder, J. M., M. L. Allen, T. J. Benson, A. A. Ahlers, C. A. Miller, and K. W. Stodola. 2022. Long-term data reveal equivocal evidence for intraguild suppression among sympatric canids. Biodiversity and Conservation 31:2965–2979.

Jones, T. M., T. J. Benson, M. E. Hauber, and M. P. Ward. 2022. Host-community wide patterns of post-fledging behavior and survival of obligate brood parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds. Oecologia 198:981–993.

Johnson, C. A., and T. J. Benson. 2022. Dynamic occupancy models reveal within-breeding-season movements of Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos. Ornithological Applications 124:duac021.

Pollock, H. S., J. D. Toms, C. E. Tarwater, T. J. Benson, J. R. Karr, and J. D. Brawn. 2022. Long-term monitoring reveals widespread and severe declines of understory birds in a protected Neotropical forest. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119:e2108731119.

Winnicki, S. K., M. E. Hauber, T. J. Benson, and M. Abolins-Abols. 2022. Ground nesting by arboreal American Robins (Turdus migratorius). Ecology and Evolution 12:e8489.

Skinner, A. A., M. P. Ward, I. F. Souza-Cole, J. R. Wright, F. R. Thompson, III, T. J. Benson, S. N. Matthews, and C. M. Tonra. 2022. High spatiotemporal overlap in the non-breeding season despite variable breeding latitudes in the Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus). Diversity and Distributions 28:712–726.

2021

Bauder, J. M., M. L. Allen, T. J. Benson, C. A. Miller, and K. W. Stodola. 2021. An approach for using multiple indices for monitoring long-term trends of mesopredators at broad spatial scales. Biodiversity and Conservation 30:3529–3547.

Lawson, S. L., J. K. Enos, C. S. Wolf, K. Stenstrom, S. K. Winnicki, T. J. Benson, M. E. Hauber, and S. A. Gill. 2021. Referential alarm calling elicits future vigilance in the host of an avian brood parasite. Biology Letters 17:20210377.

Bauder, J. M., A. M. Cervantes, A. C. Avrin, L. S. Whipple, M. J. Farmer, C. A. Miller, T. J. Benson, K. W. Stodola, and M. L. Allen. 2021. Mismatched spatial scales can limit the utility of citizen science data for estimating wildlife-habitat relationships for widespread generalist species. Ecological Research 36:87­–96.

2020 

Jones, T. M., T. J. Benson, and M. P. Ward. 2020. Terrapene carolina carolina (Eastern box turtle) diet. Herpetological Review 51:839.

Reiley, B. M., and T. J. Benson. 2020. Does conservation practice and site age influence vegetation structure and avian abundance in restored fields? Wildlife Society Bulletin 44:684–694.

Bauder, J. M., K. W. Stodola, T. J. Benson, C. A. Miller, and M. L. Allen. 2020. Raccoon pelt price and trapper harvest relationships are temporally inconsistent. Journal of Wildlife Management 84:1601–1610.

Bauder, J. M., M. L. Allen, A. A. Ahlers, T. J. Benson, C. A. Miller, and K. W. Stodola. 2020. Identifying and controlling for variation in canid harvest data. Journal of Wildlife Management 84:1234­–1245.

Merrill, L., S. Tyndel, M. P. Ward, T. J. Benson, and J. H. Sperry. 2020. Effect of conspecific attraction on the presence of northern bobwhites. Journal of Field Ornithology 91:189–198.

Strauser, J., W. P. Stewart, T. J. Benson, and C. J. van Riper. 2020. Information sharing among park professionals: facilitating ecological restoration. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration 38:39–57.

Jones, T. M., T. J. Benson, and M. P. Ward. 2020. Does the size and developmental stage of traits at fledging reflect juvenile flight ability among songbirds? Functional Ecology 34:799–810.

Williams, B. R., T. J. Benson, A. P. Yetter, J. D. Lancaster, and H. M. Hagy. 2020. Habitat use of spring migrating dabbling ducks in the Wabash River Valley.  Condor 122:1–11.

Merrill, L., Ospina, E. A., R. Santymire, and T. J. Benson.  2020. Egg incubation temperature affects development of innate immune function in nestling American robins (Turdus migratorius). Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 93:1–12.

2019

Lyons, T. P., K. W. Stodola, and T. J. Benson. 2019. A hierarchical Bayesian model for estimating the survival of unmarked young. Wildlife Biology 2020:wlb.00529.

Scharf, H., K. Stenstrom, M. Dainson, T. J. Benson, E. Fernandez-Juricic, and M. E. Hauber. 2019. Mimicry-dependent lateralization of visual inspection of foreign eggs by American Robins. Biology Letters 15:20190351.

Williams, B. R., T. J. Benson, A. P. Yetter, J. D. Lancaster, and H. M. Hagy. 2019. Stopover duration of spring migrating dabbling ducks in the Wabash River Valley. Wildlife Society Bulletin 43:590–598.

Merrill, L., T. E. Stewart Merrill, A. Barger, and T. J. Benson. 2019. Avian health across the landscape: nestling immunity covaries with changing landcover. Integrative and Comparative Biology 59:1150–1164.

Reiley, B. M., and T. J. Benson. 2019. Avian fitness consequences match habitat selection at the nest site but not the landscape scale in agriculturally fragmented landscapes. Ecology and Evolution 9:7173–7183.

Gibson, J. C., A. V. Suarez, D. Qazi, T. J. Benson, S. J. Chiavacci, and L. Merrill. 2019. Prevalence and consequences of ants and other arthropods in active nests of Midwestern birds. Canadian Journal of Zoology 97:696­–­704.

Anich, N. M., T. J. Benson, J. D. Brown, C. Roa, J. C. Bednarz, R. E. Brown, and J. G. Dickson. 2019.  Swainson’s Warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii), version 3.0. In A. Poole, editor, The Birds of North America. https://doi.org/10.2173/bna.126

Merrill, L., S. J. Chiavacci, R. T. Paitz, and T. J. Benson. 2019.  Quantification of 27 yolk steroid hormones in seven shrubland bird species: interspecific patterns of hormone deposition, and links to life history, development, and predation risk.  Canadian Journal of Zoology 97:1–12.

Reiley, B. M., and T. J. Benson. 2019. Differential effects of landscape composition and patch size on avian habitat use of restored fields in agriculturally fragmented landscapes. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 274:41–51.

Reiley, B. M., K. W. Stodola, and T. J. Benson. 2019. Are avian population targets achievable through programs that restore habitat on private land? Ecosphere 10:e02574.

2018

Ospina, E. A., L. Merrill, and T. J. Benson. 2018. Incubation temperature impacts nestling growth and survival in an open-cup nesting passerine.  Ecology and Evolution 8:3270–3279.

Chiavacci, S. J., T. J. Benson, and M. P. Ward. 2018. Linking landscape composition to predator-specific nest predation requires examining multiple landscape scales. Journal of Applied Ecology 55:2082–2092.

Kelly, J. K., S. J. Chiavacci, T. J. Benson, and M. P. Ward. 2018. Who’s in the neighborhood? Conspecific and heterospecific responses to perceived density for breeding habitat selection. Ethology 124:269–278­­.

Ward, M. P., K. W. Stodola, J. W. Walk, T. J. Benson, J. L. Deppe, and J. D. Brawn. 2018. Changes in bird distributions in Illinois, USA, over the 20th century were driven by use of alternative rather than primary habitats.  Condor 120:622–631.

Wingert, A. K., and T. J. Benson. 2018. Detection of Barn Owls (Tyto alba) during nighttime call-broadcast surveys. Journal of Raptor Research 52:361–369.

Ward, M. P., T. J. Benson, J. L. Deppe, R. H. Diehl, A. Celis-Murillo, R. T. Bolus, T. J. Zenzal, F. R. Moore. 2018. Estimating apparent survival of songbirds crossing the Gulf of Mexico during autumn migration. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 285:20181747.

Buxton, V. L., R. Santymire, and T. J. Benson.  2018. Mixed effects of urbanization on density, nest survival, and nestling corticosterone of a generalist passerine. Ecosphere 9:e02517.

2017

Hennig, J. D., T. J. Benson, J. D. Stafford, A. P. Yetter, H. M. Hagy, and K. W. Stodola. 2017. An aerial grid-based sampling method to estimate nonbreeding duck abundance. Wildlife Society Bulletin 41:678–684.

Merrill, L., S. J. Chiavacci, R. T. Paitz, and T. J. Benson.  2017. Rates of parasitism, but not allocation of egg resources, vary among and within hosts of a generalist brood parasite. Oecologia 184:399–410.

Anich, N. M., T. J. Benson, J. A. Gerwin, N. A. Chartier, B. M. Reiley, J. L. Everitts, and J. C. Bednarz. 2017. Natal philopatry and juvenile survival in Swainson’s Warblers (Limnothlypis swainsonii). Wilson Journal of Ornithology 129:850–859.

Reiley, B. M., T. J. Benson, J. Everitts, and J. C. Bednarz. 2017. Does flooding affect the apparent survival and body condition of a ground foraging migrant passerine? PLoS ONE 12:e0175179.

Celis-Murillo, A., W. Schelsky, T. J. Benson, M. McKim-Louder, and M. P. Ward. 2017.  Patterns, correlates, and paternity consequences of extraterritorial foray behavior in the Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla): an automated telemetry approach. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 71:45.

Brawn, J. D., T. J. Benson, N. D. Sly, M. Stager, and C. E. Tarwater. 2017. Impacts of changing rainfall regime on the demography of tropical birds. Nature Climate Change 7:133–136.

Moore, F., K. Covino, W. Lewis, T. J. Zenzal, Jr., and T. J. Benson. 2017. Effect of fuel deposition rate on departure fuel load of migratory songbirds during spring stopover along the northern cost of the Gulf of Mexico. Journal of Avian Biology 48:123–132.

Smith, R. J., T. J. Benson, and M. Carey. 2017. Blood sampling does not negatively affect apparent survival, recapture probability, or within-season site fidelity in Field Sparrows (Spizella pusilla). Auk 134:240–246.

Jones, T. M., M. P. Ward, T. J. Benson, and J. D. Brawn. 2017. Variation in nestling body condition and wing development predict cause-specific mortality in fledgling Dickcissels. Journal of Avian Biology 48:439–447.

2016

Matthews, J. W., D. Skultety, B. Zercher, M. P. Ward, and T. J. Benson. 2016. Field verification of original and updated National Wetlands Inventory maps in three metropolitan areas in Illinois, USA. Wetlands 36:1155–1165.

Merrill, L., E. M. Baehl, K. E. Ripple, and T. J. Benson.  2016. Do birds alter levels of parental investment based on nest-site habitat features? Ethology 122:859–868.

DeGregorio, B. A., S. J. Chiavacci#, T. J. Benson, J. H. Sperry, and P. J. Weatherhead. 2016. Nest predators of North American birds: continental patterns and implications. BioScience: 66:655–665.

Celis-Murillo, A., T. J. Benson, J. R. Sosa-López, and M. P. Ward. 2016. Nocturnal songs in a diurnal passerine: attracting mates or repelling intruders? Animal Behaviour 118:105–114.

Buxton, V. L., and T. J. Benson. 2016. Conservation-priority grassland bird response to urban landcover and habitat fragmentation.  Urban Ecosystems 19:599–613.

2015

Deppe, J. L., M. P. Ward, R. T. Bolus, R. H. Diehl, A. Celis-Murillo, T. J. Zenzal, F. R. Moore, T. J. Benson, J. A. Smolinsky, L. N. Schofield, D. A. Enstrom, E. H. Paxton, G. Bohrer, T. A. Beveroth, A. Raim, R. L. Obringer, D. Delaney, and W. W. Cochran. 2015. Fat, weather, and date affect migratory songbirds’ departure decisions, routes, and the time it takes to cross the Gulf of Mexico. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112:E6331–E6338.

Jessop, J., G. Spyreas, G. E. Pociask, T. J. Benson, M. P. Ward, A. D. Kent, and J. W. Matthews. 2015. Tradeoffs among ecosystem services in restored wetlands. Biological Conservation 191:341–348.

Buxton, V. L., and T. J. Benson. 2015. Do natural areas in urban landscapes support successful reproduction by a group of conservation priority birds? Animal Conservation 18:471–479.

Chiavacci, S. J., M. P. Ward, and T. J. Benson. 2015. Why fledge early in the day? Examining the role of predation risk in explaining fledging behavior. Behavioral Ecology 26:593–600.

Everitts, J. L., T. J. Benson, J. C. Bednarz, and N. M. Anich. 2015. Effects of prescribed burning on Swainson’s Warbler home-range size and habitat use.  Wildlife Society Bulletin 39:292–300.

McKim Louder, M. I., W. M. Schelsky, T. J. Benson, and J. P. Hoover. 2015. Brown-headed cowbirds exploit a host’s compensatory behavioral response to fecundity reduction. Behavioral Ecology 26:255–261.

2014

Ward, M. P., M. G. Alessi, T. J. Benson, and S. J. Chiavacci. 2014. The active nightlife of diurnal birds: extra-territorial forays and nocturnal activity patterns. Animal Behaviour 88:175–184.

Hagy, H. M., A. P. Yetter, K. W. Stodola, M. M. Horath, C. S. Hine, M. P. Ward, T. J. Benson, R. V. Smith, and J. D. Stafford. 2014. Stopover duration of Mallards during autumn in the Illinois River Valley. Journal of Wildlife Management 78:747–752.

DeGregorio, B. A., S. J. Chiavacci#, P. J. Weatherhead, J. D. Willson, T. J. Benson, and J. H. Sperry. 2014. Snake predation on North American bird nests: culprits, patterns, and future directions. Journal of Avian Biology 45:325–333.

Stodola, K.W., B. J. O’Neal, M. G. Alessi, J. L. Deppe, T. R. Dallas#, T. A. Beveroth, T. J. Benson, and M. P. Ward. 2014. Stopover ecology of American Golden-plovers (Pluvialis dominica) in Midwestern agricultural fields. Condor 116:162–172.

Chiavacci, S. J., J. C. Bednarz, and T. J. Benson. 2014. Does flooding influence the types and proportions of prey delivered to nestling Mississippi Kites? Condor 116:215–225.

2013

Benson, T. J., J. J. Dinsmore, and W. L. Hohman. 2013. Soil disturbances increase songbird use of monotypic reestablished grasslands. Wildlife Society Bulletin 37: 725–732.

Benson, T. J., S. J. Chiavacci, and M. P. Ward. 2013. Patch size and edge proximity are useful predictors of brood parasitism but not nest survival of grassland birds. Ecological Applications 23:879–887.

Bednarz, J. C., M. J. Huss, T. J. Benson, and D. E. Varland. 2013.  The efficacy of fungal inoculation of live trees to create wood decay and wildlife-use trees in managed forests of western Washington, USA.  Forest Ecology and Management 307:186–195.

McKim-Louder, M. I., J. P. Hoover, T. J. Benson, and W. M. Schelsky. 2013. Juvenile survival in a Neotropical migratory songbird is lower than expected. PLoS ONE 8:e56059.

Reiley, B. M., T. J. Benson, and J. C. Bednarz. 2013. Mechanisms of flood induced territory abandonment in an obligate ground foraging bird. Condor 115:650–658.

2012

Benson, T. J., M. P. Ward, R. Lampman, A. Raim, and P. J. Weatherhead. 2012. Implications of spatial patterns of roosting and movements of American Robins for West Nile Virus transmission. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 12:877–885.

Anich, N. M., T. J. Benson, and J. C. Bednarz. 2012. What factors explain differential use within Swainson’s Warbler home ranges?  Auk 129:409–418.

Cox, W. A., M. S. Pruett, T. J. Benson, S. J. Chiavacci, and F. R. Thompson, III. 2012. Development of camera technology for monitoring nests. Studies in Avian Biology 43:185–210.

2011

Benson, T. J., J. D. Brown, N. M. Anich, and J. C. Bednarz. 2011.  Estimating habitat availability for bottomland hardwood forest birds: the importance of considering elevation. Journal of Field Ornithology 82:25–31.

Benson, T. J., J. J. Dinsmore, and W. L. Hohman. 2011. Short-term effects of burning and disking on songbird use of floodplain conservation easements. American Midland Naturalist 165:257–273.

Brown, J. D., T. J. Benson, and J. C. Bednarz. 2011.  Arthropod communities associated with habitats occupied by breeding Swainson’s Warblers. Condor 113:890–898.

2010

Walk, J. W., M. P. Ward, T. J. Benson, J. L. Deppe, S. Lischka, S. D. Bailey, and J. D. Brawn. 2010. Illinois Birds: A Century of Change. Illinois Natural History Survey Special Publication 31.

Benson, T. J., J. D. Brown, and J. C. Bednarz. 2010.  Identifying predators clarifies predictors of nest success in a temperate passerine. Journal of Animal Ecology 79:225–234.

Benson, T. J., N. M. Anich, J. D. Brown, and J. C. Bednarz. 2010. Habitat and landscape effects on brood parasitism, nest survival, and fledgling production in Swainson’s Warblers.  Journal of Wildlife Management 74:81–93.

Benson, T. J., and J. C. Bednarz. 2010.  Relationships among survival, body condition, and habitat of breeding Swainson’s Warblers. Condor 112:138–148.

Benson, T. J., and J. C. Bednarz. 2010. Short-term effects of flooding on understory habitat and presence of Swainson’s Warblers. Wetlands 30:29–37.

Benson, T. J., and N. A. Chartier. 2010. Harvestmen as predators of bird nestlings. Journal of Arachnology 38:374–376.

Anich, N. M., T. J. Benson, J. D. Brown, C. Roa, J. C. Bednarz, R. E. Brown, and J. G. Dickson. 2010.  Swainson’s Warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii), version 2.0. In A. Poole, editor, The Birds of North America. http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/126

Alessi, M. G., T. J. Benson, and M. P. Ward. 2010.  Nocturnal social cues attract migrating Yellow-breasted Chats. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 122:780–784.

Anich, N. M., T. J. Benson, and J. C. Bednarz. 2010. Factors influencing home-range size of Swainson’s Warblers in eastern Arkansas. Condor 112:149–158.

Pappas, S., T. J. Benson, and J. C. Bednarz. 2010. Effects of Brown-headed Cowbird parasitism on provisioning rates of Swainson’s Warblers. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 122:75–81.

Walk, J. W., E. L. Kershner, T. J. Benson, and R. E. Warner. 2010. Nesting success of grassland birds in small patches in an agricultural landscape. Auk 127:328–334.

Ward, M. P., T. J. Benson, B. Semel, and J. R. Herkert. 2010.  The use of social cues in habitat selection by wetland birds. Condor 112:245–251.

2009 and earlier

Benson, T. J., N. M. Anich, J. D. Brown, and J. C. Bednarz. 2009.  Swainson’s Warbler nest-site selection in eastern Arkansas. Condor 111:694–705.

Anich, N. M., T. J. Benson, and J. C. Bednarz. 2009. Estimating territory and home-range sizes: do singing locations alone provide an accurate estimate of space use? Auk 126:626–634.

Anich, N. M., T. J. Benson, and J. C. Bednarz. 2009. Effect of radio transmitters on return rates of Swainson’s Warblers. Journal of Field Ornithology 80: 206–211.

Brown, J. D., T. J. Benson, and J. C. Bednarz. 2009. Vegetation characteristics of Swainson’s Warbler habitat at the White River National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas. Wetlands 29:586–597.

Benson, T. J., J. J. Dinsmore, and W. L. Hohman. 2007. Responses of plants and arthropods to burning and disking of riparian habitats. Journal of Wildlife Management 71:1949–1957.

Benson, T. J., J. J. Dinsmore, and W. L. Hohman. 2006. Changes in land cover and breeding bird populations with restoration of riparian habitats in east-central Iowa. Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science 113:10–16.