Karen T. Mabb

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Yellow-headed Parrot (A. oratrix) Photo by Pam Dong

Personal Interests: Back when I actually had spare time, I seem to remember enjoying a lot of things. I have a vague recollection of reading for pleasure, hiking in the outdoors for non-research purposes, birding for non-research purposes, and being avid Los Angeles Kings fan. I love traveling. Among my favorite places are Monterey (CA), Monterrey (MX), Montana, Idaho, southeastern Arizona, northeastern Arizona, and southern San Diego County (not necessarily in that order). I have a fascination for birds, but most especially crested, conspicuous, obnoxious, brightly colored, raucous birds (in that order). You can keep the brown ones.

Professional Interests: I started my academic career interested solely in ornithology. I tend to ask the questions in regard to why birds do what they do, and where are they doing it. I have since discovered that I enjoy geography and the techniques used in Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing, etc. I am interested in the field of restoration ecology because I am fascinated by the idea that we can restore ravished, degraded areas to some level of ecosystem functioning, where these areas would otherwise lie stark, fallow, and unusable by all. I am interested in the field of conservation biology because I feel that if the ecosystems and species of this earth are lost, so then are we.

Academic Interests: I am on track to graduate Spring 2003. I am looking to enter a PhD program Fall 2003 term. I am interested in Ecology, Population Biology, Resource Management, Environmental Science, and Biogeography.

Work Experience

Jun 2002-Aug 2002. Internship. Monterrey Tech MX (ITESM). Field study of Thick-billed Parrots in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.
Sep 2001-present. Graduate Teaching Associate. Calif. St. Polytechnic Univ., Pomona, CA
BIO 115L—Intro. to Biol. (2 units). Fall 01, Winter 02, Spring 02, Fall 02, Winter 03.
BIO 415L—Field studies in the Southwest (4 units). Spring 02.
Jul 2001-Aug 2001. Internship. McNair Program Summer Research Internship, Calif. St. Poly. Univ., Pomona, CA.
March 4, 2000. Co-organizer. California Parrot Conference: The Status and Natural History of Naturalized Parrots (Psittacidae) in California, Pasadena, CA.
Feb 1999-Nov 2000. Lead Livestock Specialist. Leading pet store.
Dec 1998-Jan 2000. Field Biologist. Research grant funded by a private donation to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Foundation.
Sep 1995-Jun 1996. Student Assistant. Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, CA.
Jul 1995-Sep 1995. Biology Laboratory Manual Editor/Proofreader. California State University, Long Beach, CA. I created the manuscript for Biology Laboratory Manual for Biology 211A. Mason, A.Z. 1996. Burgess Press.
May 1995- present. Researcher. The California Parrot Project. In affiliation with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and in cooperation with Pasadena Audubon Society and Kern Audubon Society.
May 1995-Oct 1999. Volunteer Data Collection. Los Angeles County Breeding Bird Atlas Project.
Apr 1994-Aug 1994. Research Assistant. University Foundation, California State University, Long Beach, CA. Data collection by land and boat on California Least Terns at San Diego Harbor and San Diego Naval Base.

Publications

Mabb, K.T. 2002. Naturalized (wild) parrots in California: a current assessment, 2002, in Sympos. Proceed. of The Gabriel Foundation Third Annual Symposium: Parrots in the New Millennium, 2002. Feb 7-10, San Diego, CA.
Mabb, K.T. 2001. The California Parrot Project—Researching parrots in the wilds of California’s suburban jungles. WatchBird Magazine Jan/Feb 2001: 30-31.
Mabb, K.T. 1998. Naturalized parrots in southern California. Amazona Quarterly 14(3): 7-10.
Garrett, K.L., K.T. Mabb, C.T. Collins, and L.M. Kares. 1997. Food items of naturalized parrots in southern California. Western Birds 28:196-201.
Mabb, K.T. 1997a. Roosting behavior of naturalized parrots in the San Gabriel Valley, California. W. Birds 28:202-208.
Mabb, K.T. 1997b. Nesting behavior of Amazona parrots and Rose-ringed Parakeets in the San Gabriel Valley, California. W. Birds 28:209-217.

Presentations

19 Feb 03, 1 May 03.“50 Days Researching the Endangered Thick-billed Parrot in Mexico”. Two Audubon Society presentations.
15 Nov 00, 6 Sep 01, 20 Sep 01, 8 Jan 02, 20 Mar 02, 2 Apr 02, 18 Apr 02, 10 Dec 02.“Parrots of Southern California.” Eight Audubon Society Presentations.
September 24-28, 2002. “Naturalized parrot populations in California: Where will parrots become established next?” K.T. Mabb. 3rd N. Amer. Ornith. Conf.—Amer. Ornith. Union, Soc. of Canadian Ornith., Cooper Ornith. Soc., CIPAMEX, et al. New Orleans, LA.
September 24-28, 2002.“When does ’Exotic’ become ‘Invasive’?” K.L. Garrett and K.T. Mabb. 3rd N. Amer. Ornith. Conf.—Amer. Ornith. Union, et al. New Orleans, LA.
June 25, 2002. “Human and climatic influence on naturalized parrot populations in California.” K.T. Mabb. ESRI User Conf. San Diego, CA.
May 9, 2002. “Influence of human and climatic factors on naturalized parrot populations in California: Where will parrots become established next?” K.T. Mabb. Cal Poly Fourth Annual GIS Expo, Pomona, CA.
February 7-10, 2002. “Naturalized (wild) parrots in California: a current assessment, 2002.” K.T. Mabb. Keynote speaker at the Third Annual The Gabriel Foundation Symposium: Parrots in the New Millennium, 2002, San Diego, CA.
August 15-19, 2001. “Seasonal patterns in parrot roost flocks in the San Gabriel Valley: size, composition, tree usage, and location”. K.T. Mabb. Amer. Ornith. Union Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
August 10-12, 2001. “Seasonal patterns in parrot roost flocks in the San Gabriel Valley”. K.T. Mabb. Ninth Annual Western McNair Scholars Symposium, Berkeley, CA.
August 2, 2001. “Seasonal patterns in parrot roost flocks in the San Gabriel Valley”. K.T. Mabb. The Second Annual Ronald E. McNair Summer Symposium, Calif. St. Poly. Univ., Pomona, CA.
May 10, 2001. “Seasonal Patterns in Parrot Roost Flocks in the San Gabriel Valley”. K.T. Mabb. Cal Poly Third Annual GIS Expo, Pomona, CA.
July 5-9, 2000. “Flock composition of naturalized parrot roosts in the San Gabriel Valley, California.” K.T. Mabb. Western Field Ornith., 25/30/2000, Kernville, CA.
April 26-29, 2000. “Seasonal roost flock dynamics and tree usage by naturalized parrots in the San Gabriel Valley, California.” K.T. Mabb and M.A. Stalder. Cooper Ornith. Soc., 70th Annual Meeting, Riverside, CA.
March 4, 2000. “Introduction: Perspectives in studying naturalized parrots.” K.T. Mabb and M.A. Stalder. California Parrot Conference: The Status and Natural History of Naturalized Parrots (Psittacidae) in Calif., Pasadena, CA.
March 4, 2000. “Seasonal roost flock dynamics and tree usage by naturalized parrots in the San Gabriel Valley, California.” K.T. Mabb and M.A. Stalder. California Parrot Conference: Pasadena, CA.
March 27-31, 1996. “Roosting behavior of feral parrots in southern Calif.” K.T. Mabb. Cooper Ornith. Soc., 66th Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
May 5-6, 1995. “El Niño effects on the population numbers of Western and Clark’s Grebes.” K.T. Mabb and P.H. Baird. Southern California Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting, Calif. St. Univ., Fullerton, CA.
June 21-26, 1994. “El Niño effects on the population numbers of Western and Clark’s Grebes.” K.T. Mabb and P.H. Baird. 1994 North American Ornith. Conf., Univ. of Montana, Missoula, First Joint Meeting—Amer. Ornith. Union, Cooper Ornith. Soc., Wilson Ornith. Soc.

Awards and Other Activities

July 6, 2002. Graduate Presidential Fellowship ($3000). California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
June 7, 2002. California (Sally Casanova) Pre-doctoral Scholar Program ($3000 award, $3000 internship). California State University, Office of the Chancellor.
June 5, 2002. Harold Lint Memorial Award ($500). California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Mat 23, 2002. Ralph W. Schreiber Memorial Ornithology Research Award ($2500). Los Angeles Audubon Society.
May 9, 2002. Second Place Award for “Influence of human and climatic factors on naturalized parrot populations in California: Where will parrots become established next?”($25) Cal Poly Fourth Annual GIS Expo, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
March 19, 2002. Honorable Mention. National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship.
February 16, 2002. Third Place Award ($100). Cal Poly Univ. Research Poster Competition.
January 21, 2002. Dept. of Bio. Sci. Grad. Research Award ($750).
November 6, 2001. AOU Student Membership Award. American Ornithologists’ Union.
August 21, 2001. Graduate Equity Scholarship Award ($3000). California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
May 24, 2001. Paul Marti Memorial Scholarship Award ($600). California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
May 10, 2001. Second Place Award for “Seasonal Patterns in Parrot Roost Flocks in the San Gabriel Valley”. Cal Poly Third Annual GIS Expo, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Academic Year 2000-2001. McNair Scholar’s Program ($2800), TRIO Student Support Services, US Dept of Education, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
November 1, 2000. Eva L. MacKenzie Scholarship Award ($1500). California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
August 2000-August 2001. ARCHES, TRIO Student Support Services, US Dept of Education, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Organizational Memberships

• American Ornithologists’ Union
• CIPAMEX
• Neotropical Ornithological Society
• Urban and Regional Information Systems Association
• Western Field Ornithologists (lifetime)

Other Organizational Memberships

• Association for Parrot Conservation
• Biological Sciences Graduate Association (student club, vice-president 2002-03)
• La Tangara (Partners in Flight)
• Pasadena Audubon Society
• World Parrot Trust