February 17 Program
Rails at Different Scales
Ecological & Evolutionary Drivers of Vocal Behavior in Rallidae
Daniel Goldberg, Biology Department, Grand Valley State University
Secretive marsh birds like rails are difficult to study visually because many species vocalize from within dense vegetation at times that are difficult to survey. Furthermore, behavioral information is lacking for many species, which poses challenges for rail conservation.
Over the course of his doctoral research, Daniel Goldberg has discovered that Soras do not decrease their vocalization rates following predator calls, and furthermore, that Soras migrating at night during the spring show high site fidelity in choosing stopover locations, but are not more attracted by either Sora calls or habitat cues. His comparative analysis of the family Rallidae has revealed that about 60% of rail species duet — one of the highest rates of any group of birds — and that this duetting is associated with year-round territory defense by mated pairs, in species that primarily occur in densely to highly vegetated habitats.
Daniel is Assistant Professor of Biology at Grand Valley State University, a role that he began in Fall 2024 after teaching Biology for a year at Albion College. His research interests span both animal communication and comparative studies of behavioral ecology and the evolution of elaborate signals, which he pursued during his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at the University of California Riverside, and during his Ph.D. at Illinois State University. He has published research articles on dorsal fin-based courtship displays in freshwater livebearer fishes, parental carrying of offspring on their backs in waterbirds, and vocal behavior and duetting in rails. At GVSU, he specializes in teaching Ecology, Environmental Science, Ornithology, and Natural History of Vertebrates.
Loutit Library, Grand Haven
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Social Time: 6:00-6:15 p.m.
Program: 6:15-8:00 p.m.
February 21 Field Trip
Muskegon Channel Areas
Ric Pedler
At 8:30 Saturday morning, February 21, 2026, meet our group at Pere Marquette Park south of The Deck restaurant. The Lake Michigan shoreline can be colder than inland, so be sure to dress for the weather!
Depending on conditions we will look for birds from the base of the south break wall before driving to the east end of the Muskegon Channel by Muskegon Lake. Later we plan to look for birds at various locations along the south wall of the channel and perhaps further inland.
The trip will end around noon. The public is welcome. Hope to see you there!
