Research

CONI & moth

Postdoctoral research

My current research focus is on pollinator-plant preference in the Sierra Nevada of California. We survey bumble bees (Apidae: Bombus spp.) and floral resource availability to determine what flowers they prefer. We then use this “Yelp for bumble bees” to inform restoration efforts where pollinators are targeted.

PhD research

My dissertation was focused on understanding insect declines & how insectivorous birds are affected. I am especially interested in

Ecological monitoring & methods standardization
Insect population dynamics & variability
Using resurvey data to understand insect & bird community change over time

To answer these questions, I use a variety of approaches, including field surveys, crowd-sourced science, & rigorous evidence synthesis (like the entoGEM project).

Research +

My main training is in ornithology & entomology, but I am fundamentally an ecologist interested in everything. Other interests include:

Crowd-sourced science

Sites like iNaturalist are revolutionizing ecology. Though most well-known for providing abundant occurrence data in time & space, they also provide many layers of less well-explored data that can inform macroecology, occupancy modeling, & our understanding of ecological interactions.

Teaching, outreach, & mentorship

I'm interested in how field courses & field stations provide ideal settings for deep biological learning, I work with teachers to make curricula for Los Angeles students integrating Next Generation Science Standards and environmental justice, & I mentor undergraduate students on independent research, like the "Finch Itch" project investigating lice on bird museum specimens.

Natural history

I'm a strong believer in the importance of natural history observations for ecology and conservation. I especially enjoy documenting ecological interactions and looking for undescribed species. My main taxonomic interest is the "Psocoptera" (non-parasitic Psocodea) a group that is charming and charismatic, yet understudied.

Selected publications

Montgomery, G. A., M. W. Belitz, R. P. Guralnick, and M. W. Tingley. 2021. Standards and Best Practices for Monitoring and Benchmarking Insects. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 8:579193. link | pdf
Montgomery, G. A., R. R. Dunn, R. Fox, E. Jongejans, S. R. Leather, M. E. Saunders, C. R. Shortall, M. W. Tingley, and D. L. Wagner. 2020. Is the insect apocalypse upon us? How to find out. Biological Conservation 241:108327. link | pdf
Youngflesh, C., G. A. Montgomery, J. F. Saracco, D. A. W. Miller, R. P. Guralnick, A. H. Hurlbert, R. B. Siegel, R. LaFrance, and M. W. Tingley. 2023. Demographic consequences of phenological asynchrony for North American songbirds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120:e2221961120. link | pdf
Grames, E. M., G. A. Montgomery, C. Youngflesh, M. W. Tingley, and C. S. Elphick. 2023. The effect of insect food availability on songbird reproductive success and chick body condition: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ecology Letters 26:658–673. link | pdf
Montgomery G.A., Underwood F., & B. G. Freeman. 2017. Apparent cooperative breeding at a nest of the Silvery-throated Jay (Cyanolyca argentigula) and first nest description. Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 130(2), 543-547. link | pdf
Tingley, M. W., G. A. Montgomery, R. L. Wilkerson, D. R. Cluck, S. C. Sawyer, and R. B. Siegel. 2023. Multi-trophic occupancy modeling connects temporal dynamics of woodpeckers and beetle sign following fire. PloS one 18:e0281687. link | pdf
Freeman, B.G. & G. A. Montgomery. 2017. Using song playback experiments to measure species recognition between geographically isolated populations: A comparison with acoustic trait analyses. The Auk, 134(4), 857-870. link | pdf
Kahnt, B., Montgomery, G.A., Murray, E., Kuhlmann, M., Pauw, A., Michez, D., Paxton R., & B. N. Danforth. 2017. Playing with extremes: origins and evolution of exaggerated female forelegs in South African Rediviva bees. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 115, 95-105. link | pdf
Magnier, B.R.* & G. A. Montgomery.* 2017. Novel wing-flashing behavior in a scorpionfly (Panorpa debilis) may be competitive. Journal of Insect Behavior, 30(3), 247-258. link | pdf
Freeman, B. G., & G. A. Montgomery. 2015. Interspecific aggression by the Swainson’s Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) may limit the distribution of the threatened Bicknell’s Thrush (Catharus bicknelli) in the Adirondack Mountains. The Condor, 118(1), 169-178. link | pdf

Research topics