Faculty and Staff

Natalie V. Sánchez, PhD

Natalie V. Sánchez, PhD

Title
Lecturer in Tropical Ecology
Location
Costa Rica
Education
Ph.D. in Ecology
University of Alberta
Master's in Conservation and Wildlife Management
National University of Costa Rica
Bachelor’s in Biology
University of Costa Rica
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about

Faculty Profile

Natalie V. Sánchez holds a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Alberta, Canada, and has three years of postdoctoral research in Behavioural Ecology and Animal Communication from the University of Windsor, Canada. Natalie obtanied a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Costa Rica and a Master’s degree in Conservation and Wildlife Management from the National University of Costa Rica. Her research has focused on the study of vocal behaviours of birds in different social contexts and their behavioural responses to anthropogenic disturbances. Natalie’s current research focuses on vocalization of migratory birds (e.g. noctural flights calls) as they pass through and stay in tropical ecosystems during the non-migratory season. She is also studying the behavioral responses of tropical wrens to environmental conditions, social context, and female song. Since 2012, Natalie has accumulated teaching experience in tropical ecology, ecology research methods, ornithology, and statistics at both undergraduate and graduate university level. Natalie is currently collaborating on various research projects with the University of Windsor, the National University of Costa Rica, and Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund. She serves as a researcher at the Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre at the National University of Costa Rica.

Areas of Expertise

  • Animal Communication
  • Behavioral Ecology
  • Bioacoustics
  • Ornithology
  • Statistics in R
  • Tropical Ecology and Conservation
Academics & Research

Research Interests

I am interested in acoustic communication and behavioral responses of organisms to different environmental conditions. My study group has been birds since they mainly relay on acoustic signals for communication, but I would love to explore similar questions on different organisms such as arthropods. I am currently studying the nocturnal flight calls of migratory birds and their interactions during their migration flights. I am also studying the vocal behaviors and plumage coloration of the Rufous-and-white Wren in different populations of Costa Rica (Santa Rosa, Monteverde, Ciudad Colón), with the upcoming inclusion of a new population in Atenas.

Research Projects

Innovative strategies for conservation monitoring of migratory and resident birds

I am combining bioacoustics tools with nano-tagging technology and Motus tracking systems to better understand habitat use by migratory birds during the non-breeding season in Costa Rica. I am comparing detections of vocalizations of migratory birds during migration, nocturnal flight calls, with records of tagged migratory birds from the Motus tracking systems. This project is a collaboration with Dr. Dan Mennill from the University of Windsor and partners Wildlife Acoustics and Birds Canada, with financial support from the Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund.

Behavioral ecology of tropical wrens and adaptations to changing social and environmental conditions.

I am investigating specific questions related to the effects of social context on vocal behavior in Rufous-and-white Wrens, including factors such as conspecific density, perception of predation risk, and communication networks. Additionally, I am exploring fundamental aspects of their biology, such as reproductive success, nest architecture, and plumage coloration. This work is part of a long-term research project led by Dr. Dan Mennill, which has been ongoing since 2012.

BioAve Project

This is a long-term monitoring project that aims to understand the habitat use of migratory birds in the Área de Conservación Guanacaste. Since 2014, I have been studying the habitat use of a focal species, the Wood Thrush, across various forest types of different successional stages within a large, protected area that encompasses a wide range of elevations and environmental conditions. This project also involves nano-tagging Wood Thrushes, collecting fecal samples for meta-barcoding analysis, and acoustically detecting the species using autonomous recording units. Additionally, the project is expanding to include the collection of feathers from resident and migratory birds in collaboration with the BioAlfa project, as well as training of local parataxonomists in bird identification and the recording of songs and calls. BioAve is one of the research projects developed and supported by Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund.

Natalie’s Research Gate profile

Natalie’s Google Scholar profile

outputs

Publications

Neighbors affect vocal behavior of tropical wrens: a multi-speaker density experiment. (2024)

Sánchez, N.V., Vargas-Valverde, I., Espejo-Uribe M.J., and D.J. Mennill. Behavioral Ecology, 35: arae075. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arae075

Behavioral consequences of conspecific density: a systematic literature review of the effects of neighbors on avian vocal communication. (2024)

Sánchez, N.V. and D.J. Mennill. Journal of Ornithology, 165: 847-859. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-024-02188-7

Precipitation explains Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) occupancy patterns in Northern Costa Rica. (2024)

Sánchez, N.V, K. Bonilla-Badilla, and C.A. Estevo. 2024. Revista de Biología Tropical, 72: e55265.

https://doi.org/10.15517/rev.biol.trop..v72i1.55265

Lincoln’s Sparrow increases singing rate in areas with chronic industrial noise. (2022)

Sánchez, N.V., B. Hilje, and E.M. Bayne. 2022. Ibis, 165: 944-958. https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.13174

Relative importance for Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) occupancy of vegetation type versus noise caused by industrial development. (2022)

Sánchez, N.V., L. Sandoval, R.W. Hedley, C.C. St Clair, and E.M. Bayne. 2022. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10: 810087. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.810087

Does vegetation structure shape the acoustic features of Lincoln’s Sparrow songs? (2021)

Sánchez, N.V., B. Hilje, and E.M. Bayne. 2021.  Journal of Mediterranean Ecology, Special Issue Vol 19.

Special Feature - Neotropical Ornithology - Insectivorous birds in the Neotropics: ecological radiations, specialization, and coexistence in species-rich communities. (2020)

Sherry, T.W., C. Kent, N.V. Sánchez, and C. Sekercioglu. 2020. The Auk 137(4):1-27. https://doi.org/10.1093/auk/ukaa049

First description of the structure and geographic patterns in the songs of the Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis). (2020)

Hannah, K.C., Bayne E.M, and Sánchez, N.V. 2020. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 132(3): 598-607. https://doi.org/10.1676/19-104

Bird assemblage recovery in a chrono sequence of tropical dry forest in Costa Rica. (2020)

Hilje, B, N.V. Sánchez, E.M. Bayne, and A. Sánchez-Azofeifa. 2020. Forest 11(6): 629. https://doi.org/10.3390/f11060629

Nestling feeding, nest success, and notes on parental care in Clay-colored Thrush (Turdus grayi): the role of females and males. (2018)

Sánchez, N. V., L.E. Vargas-Castro, and G. Barrantes. 2018. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 130(2): 437-444. https://doi.org/10.1676/17-002.1

Grants and Awards

Animal Behavior Society 2023. ABS Developing Nations Research Grant. Financial support for Scientific Studies on Animal Behavior.

University of Alberta Northern Research Award. 2018. Financial support for Doctoral Research Projects. University of Alberta, AB, Canada.

ACA Grants in Biodiversity. 2017 Financial support for Doctoral Research Projects. Alberta Conservation Association, AB, Canada.

Presentations

Singing in the face of Danger: A predator simulation experiment with tropical wrens (Talk). (2024)

Natalie V. Sánchez and Daniel J. Mennill.  Animal Behavior Society Conference London, Canada.

Plenary talk - Listening to the Birds: Studies in Ecology, Behavior, and Conservation in changing environments. (2024)

Natalie V. Sánchez. VII Costa Rican Ornithology Conference Costa Rica.

Male and female tropical wrens vary their vocal behavior with density changes: Reponses to a multi-speaker experiment. (Talk). (2023)

Natalie V. Sánchez and Daniel J. Mennill.  AOS | SCO-SOC Joint Conference: Birds as Bridges London, Canada

Behavioral consequences of conspecific density: a systematic literature review of the effects of neighbors on birdsong (Poster). (2023)

Natalie V. Sánchez and Daniel J. Mennill. AOS | SCO-SOC Joint Conference: Birds as Bridges London, Canada

Machos y hembras del soterrey rufo y blanco (Thryophilus rufalbus) varían su comportamiento vocal con la densidad de vecinos: respuestas a un experimento de múltiples parlantes. (2023)

Natalie V. Sánchez and Daniel J. Mennill. II Simposio Nacional de Bioacústica. San José, Costa Rica.

Lincoln’s Sparrow increases singing rate and song amplitude in areas with chronic industrial noise (Talk). (2022)

Natalie V. Sánchez, Erin M. Bayne, and Branko Hilje. SCO-SOC (Virtual Conference).

Behavioral consequences of conspecific neighbors in birds: a systematic review and playback study (Talk) (2022)

Natalie V. Sánchez and Daniel J. Mennill. Behavioral consequences of conspecific neighbors in birds: a systematic review and playback study (Talk) 2022. SCO-SOC (Virtual Conference).

Does vegetation structure shape the acoustic features of Lincoln’s Sparrow songs? (Talk). (2021)
  1. Natalie V. Sánchez, Erin M. Bayne, and Branko Hilje.   AOS | SCO-SOC Joint Conference: Birds of many feathers flock together. (Virtual)
  2. Natalie V. Sánchez, Erin M. Bayne, and Branko Hilje. Ecoacoustics Congress (Virtual)

 

Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) movements in a Northern Caribbean Forest in Costa Rica: a multi-season occupancy approach. (Talk) (2019)

Natalie V. Sánchez, Cesar A. Estevo, Frank Joyce, and Eric Palola. XI Neotropical Ornithological Conference | VI Costa Rican Ornithological Conference San José, Costa Rica

Occupancy of two common sparrows in Northern Alberta: disentangling the effects of human disturbances and noise. (Poster) (2018)

Natalie V. Sánchez and Erin M. Bayne.27th International Ornithological Congress Vancouver, Canada