Academic Interests

​

I am studying the life-history traits of Grass Wrens in Argentina. I will like to understand how nest site and adult behavior can increase nest predation risk. My doctoral thesis focuses on both ecological and evolutionary factors involved in the evolution of life-history traits in a south temperate Grass Wren population in the Uspallata Valley, Mendoza, Argentina. In particular, I am studying how nest concealment and adult activity influences nest predation probability. 
​
Predators can use multiple tactics (olfactory, visual, and systematic) to find and predate a nest. My Doctoral thesis involves identifying predator´s nest searching techniques. I am concerned about visual and systematic nest searching strategies that may shape Grass Wren´s breeding behavior. Does Grass Wrens reduce feeding provisioning to nestlings to avoid giving visual clues of nest location to predators? Do Grass Wrens build nests on concealed sites to reduce predation probability? These are some of my study questions.
​
I am also quite interested in ecological and behavioral modeling as a way to syncretize what we see. At the moment I am studying GLMM, multivariate analysis, growth and survival curves models. I am working on survival curve models accounting for covariables effects to describe Grass Wren nest survival probabilities and predation risk.
​
If you are interested in my work do not hesitate to contact me!

​

Contact: milagrosjefferies@gmail.com.ar

​