Andrew M. Wilson Ph.D.
Professor & Chair · Environmental Studies · Gettysburg College

Andrew Mark Wilson

Avian ecologist studying the effects of land use and climate change on bird populations, with a specialization in drone-based wildlife survey methods and large-scale biodiversity datasets.

Current Chair of the Third Pennsylvania Bird Atlas Steering Committee and Chair of the Department of Environmental Studies at Gettysburg College.

Research at a glance

40+ peer-reviewed publications

30+ years in avian ecology

15+ honors theses supervised

3rd PA Bird Atlas — steering chair

After graduating with a BSc in Applied Statistics from Sheffield Hallam University (1992), I began my career working for two years in health economics research at the University of York, before joining the British Trust for Ornithology in 1994—where I spent a productive decade combining quantitative skills with a lifelong passion for birds and conservation. My work at the BTO focused on the population ecology of farmland birds across the UK, producing foundational studies on lapwing, wader, and grassland bird declines.

In 2004 I moved to the US to pursue a PhD in Ecology at Penn State, where my research examined bird population responses to conservation grasslands in Pennsylvania. Concurrent with graduate study, I spent six field seasons contributing to the Second Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas and ultimately served as lead editor of the resulting 612-page volume published by Penn State University Press in 2012.

Following a postdoctoral fellowship at the US Geological Survey at Patuxent, I joined the faculty at Gettysburg College in 2011, where I have built a research program around three themes: the ecology and conservation of bird populations at landscape and regional scales; the development of drone-based survey methods for wildlife monitoring; and the analysis of large citizen-science datasets including breeding bird atlases and camera trap networks. I am currently a Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental Studies, and Chair of the Third Pennsylvania Bird Atlas Steering Committee.

A central feature of my work at Gettysburg is deep engagement with undergraduate researchers. More than fifteen students have completed honors theses under my supervision, co-authoring papers published in outlets including The Auk, Drones, and Neotropical Biodiversity.

Contact

Department of Environmental Studies
Gettysburg College, Box 2455
300 N. Washington St.
Gettysburg, PA 17325 USA


Tel: (717) 337 6072

awilson@gettysburg.edu


ORCID: 0000-0001-8435-4516

Google Scholar profile →

Education

Ph.D. Ecology
Pennsylvania State University, 2009


BSc Applied Statistics (with honours)
Sheffield Hallam University, UK, 1992

Research

Active Research

Drone-Based Bioacoustic Bird Surveys

My lab has developed and refined methods for estimating songbird abundance using unoccupied aircraft systems (UAS) equipped with passive acoustic recorders. Recent work demonstrates high efficiency compared to traditional point counts, and ongoing projects are optimizing detector placement, flight altitude, and automated species identification to make drone surveys a practical tool for large-scale monitoring.

Active Research

Nocturnal Bird Migration Monitoring

Using a combination of audio recording of flight calls and weather surveillance radar, I am investigating the timing, intensity, and composition of nocturnal bird migration over central Maryland and Pennsylvania. This work addresses fundamental questions about migration phenology and its relationship to weather, season, and broader population trends.

Active Research

Large-Scale Biodiversity Datasets

I contribute to several national-scale collaborative efforts including the SNAPSHOT USA camera trap network (coordinated surveys of US mammal communities since 2019) and continue analyses of breeding bird atlas and eBird datasets to examine how land use, urbanization, and climate change drive changes in bird community composition across the eastern US.

Recent Work

Climate Change & Montane Forest Birds

Collaborative work with students examined the vulnerability of elevation-restricted endemic birds of the Talamancan Montane Forests (Costa Rica and Panama) to climate change, using species distribution modelling to project range losses under future warming scenarios.

Recent Work

Invasive Species & Forest Bird Communities

In collaboration with Penn State researchers, we quantified the regional-scale impacts of hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) invasion on North American forest bird communities, linking hemlock decline detected in remote sensing data to long-term changes in bird occupancy derived from atlas datasets.

Publications

* denotes co-authored with Gettysburg College students  |  Full list on Google Scholar →

2025
Rooney, B. et al. 2025. SNAPSHOT USA 2019–2023: The First Five Years of Data From a Coordinated Camera Trap Survey of the United States. Global Ecology and Biogeography 34: e13941. DOI →
2024
Kays, R. et al. 2024. Climate, food and humans predict communities of mammals in the United States. Diversity and Distributions 30: e13900. DOI →
Shamon, H. et al. 2024. SNAPSHOT USA 2021: A third coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States. Ecology. DOI →
2023
*Liu, Z., L. Sandoval, L.B. Sherman, and A.M. Wilson. 2023. Vulnerability of Elevation-Restricted Endemic Birds of the Talamancan Montane Forests (Costa Rica and Panama) to Climate Change. Neotropical Biodiversity 9: 115–127. Student co-authors
*Amaral, M.R., A.M. Wilson, J. Blum, and D.A. Miller. 2023. Quantifying regional-scale impacts of hemlock woolly adelgid invasion on North American forest bird communities. Biological Invasions 25: 4009–4025. Student co-authors
2022
Kays, R. et al. 2022. SNAPSHOT USA 2020: A second coordinated national camera trap survey of the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Ecology 103: e3775.
Wilson, A.M. 2022. Nocturnal Bird Migration over Frederick, Maryland, Spring and Fall 2021. Maryland Birdlife 71(2): 37–61.
*Wilson, A.M., D.B. Glass, M.A. Immordino, P.S. Ozoh, L.B. Sherman, and M.D. Somers. 2022. A method for estimating songbird abundance with drones. Drone Systems and Applications 10(1). Student co-authors
Ankori-Karlinsky, R., et al. 2022. North American Breeding Bird Survey underestimates regional bird richness compared to Breeding Bird Atlases. Ecosphere 13: e3925.
*Wilson, A.M., K.S. Boyle, J.L. Gilmore, C.J. Kiefer, M.F. Walker. 2021. Species-Specific Responses of Bird Song Output in the Presence of Drones. Drones 6(1). Student co-authors
2021
Wilson, A.M. 2021. Chapter 5: Analytical Methods, in The Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in West Virginia. Penn State Press.
2019
Paton G.D., A.V. Shoffner, A.M. Wilson, S.A. Gagné. 2019. The traits that predict the magnitude and spatial scale of forest bird responses to urbanization intensity. PLoS ONE 14(7): e0220120.
2018
Shoffner, A., A.M. Wilson, W. Tang and S.A. Gagné. 2018. The relative effects of forest amount, forest configuration, and urban matrix quality on forest breeding birds. Scientific Reports 8: 17140.
2017
Wilson, A.M., D.W. Brauning, C. Carey, R.S. Mulvihill. 2017. Spatial Models to Account for Variation in Observer Effort in Bird Atlases. Ecology and Evolution. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3201
Stauffer, G., A.M. Wilson, M. Brittingham, D.W. Brauning, and D. Miller. 2017. Stewardship responsibility of public and private lands for songbird conservation. Biological Conservation 213: 185–193.
*Wilson, A.M., J. Barr, and M. Zagorski. 2017. The feasibility of counting songbirds using unmanned aerial vehicles. The Auk 134(2): 350–362. Student co-authors
2015–2016
Tavernia, B.G. et al. 2015. An Evaluation of Rapid Methods for Monitoring Vegetation Characteristics of Wetland Bird Habitat. Wetlands Ecology and Management 24: 495–505.
Pabian, S.E., A.M. Wilson, S.R. Klinger, and M.C. Brittingham. 2015. Pennsylvania's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program benefits ring-necked pheasants but not enough to reverse declines. Journal of Wildlife Management.
van der Hoek, Y., A. Wilson, et al. 2015. Regional variability in extinction thresholds for forest birds in the northeastern United States. Diversity and Distributions 21(6): 686–697.
2012
Wilson, A.M., D.W. Brauning and R.S. Mulvihill (eds). 2012. Second Atlas of Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania. Penn State Press, University Park, PA. Book
Wilson, A.M., and M. Brittingham. 2012. Initial response of bird populations to conservation grasslands in southern Pennsylvania. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 67(1): 59–67.
Pre-2012 (selected)
Wilson, A.M., M. Brittingham, and G. Grove. 2010. Association of wintering raptors with Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program grasslands in Pennsylvania. Journal of Field Ornithology 81: 361–372.
Gillings, S., A.M. Wilson, G.J. Conway, J.A. Vickery, and R.J. Fuller. 2008. Distribution and abundance of birds and their habitats within the lowland farmland of Britain in winter. Bird Study 55: 8–22.
Wilson, A.M., J.A. Vickery, and C. Pendlebury. 2007. Agri-environment schemes as a tool for reversing declining populations of grassland waders. Biological Conservation 136: 128–135.
Wilson, A.M., R.J. Fuller, C. Day, and G. Smith. 2005. Nightingales in scrub habitats in the southern fens of East Anglia, England. Ibis 147: 498–511.
Wilson, A.M., J.A. Vickery, A. Brown, et al. 2005. Changes in the numbers of breeding waders on lowland wet grasslands in England and Wales between 1982 and 2002. Bird Study 52: 55–69.
Wilson, A.M., M. Ausden, and T.P. Milsom. 2004. Changes in breeding wader populations on lowland wet grasslands in England and Wales. Ibis 146: 32–40.
Wilson, A.M., A.C.B. Henderson, and R.J. Fuller. 2002. Status of the Nightingale in Britain at the end of the 20th Century with particular reference to climate change. Bird Study 49: 193–204.

Teaching & Mentoring

Courses Taught

  • ES 121 Environmental Issues
  • ES 196 Environmental Science and Society
  • ES 211 Principles of Ecology
  • ES 230 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
  • ES 302 Wildlife Ecology
  • ES 304 Landscape Ecology
  • Bio/ES 316 Conservation Biology
  • ES 391 Marine Ecology and Conservation
  • ES 400 Environmental Studies Senior Seminar: The Appalachian Environment

Graduate Students (other institutions)

  • 2023 Sarah Fischer, Ph.D. — Charles Darwin University, Australia. External examiner.
  • 2022 B. Rodrigues Do Amaral, M.S. — Penn State. Committee member.
  • 2021 M. Bolcar, M.S. — Hood College. Advisor.
  • 2018 G. Paton, M.S. — UNC Charlotte. Committee member.
  • 2016 A. Shoffner, M.S. — UNC Charlotte. Committee member.
  • 2016 A. Carlton, M.S. — Penn State. Committee member.
  • 2015 K. Greenwald, M.S. — Hood College. Advisor.
  • 2013 D. Kammerer, M.S. — Hood College. Advisor.

Honors Theses Supervised

  • In progress C. Mobley — Scale and winter bird distribution modelling in Pennsylvania
  • In progress M. McArthur — Small mammal monitoring, Bliss Farm Bird Improvement Area
  • 2024 J. Stergio — Efficient songbird surveys using UAS
  • 2022 Z. Hoffman — Bioacoustics and radar: nighttime migration and window collisions
  • 2022 M. Clarke — Historic redlining and urban butterfly diversity
  • 2021 L. Sherman — Depth and range estimation for beaked whales, Marianas Archipelago
  • 2020 M. Somers — Estimating songbird abundance with drones
  • 2019 J. Gilmore — Recreational boat noise and oyster larvae settlement
  • 2019 E. Porta — Riparian water politics in the Middle East
  • 2018 K. Boyle — Effects of drones on songbird behavior
  • 2017 Z. Liu — Climate vulnerability of Talamancan montane forest birds
  • 2016 R. Pruitt — Broad-winged Hawk range change and habitat fragmentation
  • 2016 M. Zagorski — Field tests of UAV avian abundance monitoring
  • 2015 J. Barr — UAV feasibility for bird surveys
  • 2015 J. Blum — Forest bird declines and hemlock woolly adelgid

Awards

  • 2026 Dr. Robert E. Dutton '46 Memorial Mentorship Award Gettysburg College
  • 2023 Earle Poole Award Recognizing Outstanding Contributions to Ornithology in Pennsylvania
  • 2013 Golden Pileated Award Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology — for significantly advancing ornithological knowledge in Pennsylvania
  • 2008 Outstanding Graduate Student Award Environment and Natural Resources Institute, Penn State
  • 2007 Roger M. Latham Award Outstanding graduate student in Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Penn State
  • 2006 J. Brian Horton Memorial Award Outstanding achievement and service, PSU Intercollege Graduate Program in Ecology
  • 2006 Outstanding Volunteer Assistant United States Department of Agriculture

Service

Gettysburg College

  • Chair, Department of Environmental Studies (2024–present)
  • Faculty Secretary (2022–2024)
  • Faculty Governance Committee, chair (2018–2020)
  • Board member, Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute (2018–2024)
  • Member, Strategic Planning: Integrated Learning Committee (2021)

External & Professional

  • Chair, 3rd Pennsylvania Bird Atlas Steering Committee (2022–present)
  • Chair, PA Biological Survey Ornithological Technical Committee (2025–present)
  • President, Pennsylvania Biological Survey (2021–2023)
  • Member, Technical Committee, Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (2012–present)
  • Member, MD & DC Records Committee, Maryland Ornithological Society (2016–2019; 2023–present)
  • Associate Editor, Bird Study (2016–2021)
  • Manuscript reviewer for 18 journals including Biological Conservation, The Auk, Ecology, Journal of Applied Ecology, and Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation

Grants (selected)

  • PA Game Commission Cooperative Grant — $34,588 (2022)
  • PA Dept. of Education OER Development Grant — $15,200 (2021)
  • West Virginia DNR / Conservation Management Institute — $72,164 (co-PI, 2015)
  • Multiple Gettysburg College Research & Professional Development Grants
  • Grants won for British Trust for Ornithology (1999–2004) — >$100,000 total

Art & Photography

The same close observation that drives my scientific work also finds expression in visual art — from vector silhouettes used in scientific publications worldwide, to digital painting and field photography of birds across two continents.

Backlit bird — digital painting by Andy Wilson
Digital Painting

Backlit Bird — Digital Art Portfolio

Digital artwork combining scientific accuracy with artistic interpretation, featuring birds in natural settings rendered in a painterly style with close attention to plumage, structure, and light.

Visit Full Portfolio →
Winter Wren — photo by Andy Wilson, Macaulay Library ML612452961
Field Photography · Macaulay Library

Winter Wren Troglodytes hiemalis

Buckeystown Community Park, Frederick, Maryland · 20 Dec 2023. Canon EOS R5, RF800mm f/11 IS STM. Contributed to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library.

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548 Silhouettes on PhyloPic

View All Silhouettes →

Vector silhouettes contributed to PhyloPic — the open database of life silhouettes used in scientific publications, textbooks, and educational materials worldwide. All freely available under Creative Commons licensing. Click any image to view on PhyloPic.

Northern Harrier Canada Jay Cooper's Hawk Upland Sandpiper Magnificent Frigatebird Wild Turkey Laughing Kookaburra Eurasian Collared-Dove

8 of 548 contributed silhouettes — hover for species name, click to view on PhyloPic.