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The Durrell Trust for Conservation Biology
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CV
PhD research entitled "Recovery of the endangered Kiwikiu (Maui Parrotbill, Pseudonestor xanthophrys): population dynamics, conservation genetics and strategies for reintroduction" Supervisors: Dr Jim Groombridge
My PhD research has several components:
Publications Becker, C. D. H. L. Mounce, T. A. Rassmussen, A. Rauch-Sasseen, K. J. Swinnerton, D. L. Leonard (2010). Nest success and parental investment in the Critically Endangered Maui parrotbill Pseudonestor xanthophrys with implications for recovery. Endangered Species Research, 11, 189–194. Mounce, H. L. (2008) What threat do native avian predators pose to Hawaiian honeycreepers? Two cases of predation by pueo (Asio flammeus sandwichensis). ‘Elepaio, 68, 19-26 Mounce, H. L., F. Duvall and K. J. Swinnerton. (2007). Poli Poli fire demonstrates vulnerability of Maui ‘Alauahio. ‘Elepaio 67, 67-69
Related Links Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project
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The Hawaiian honeycreepers (Drepanidinae) are a spectacular example of an adaptive radiation. A combination of gradual but extensive habitat loss across the Hawaiian Islands and a more recent influx of exotic species have resulted in the decline or extinction of a large number of honeycreeper species. My PhD research is investigating the productivity, survival, population genetics and demographic trajectory of the critically endangered Kiwikiu (Pseudonestor xanthophrys), an iconic species of Hawaiian honeycreeper that has become the high-profile focus of an intense conservation management program led by the US State of Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. 
This highly specialized forest bird has a remarkable parrot-like beak which is evolutionarily distinct from all other Hawaiian honeycreepers and appears to have evolved from them to fill a unique ecological niche. The Kiwikiu is a monotypic genus listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and the current population is estimated at 500 individuals, restricted to a single population on the windward slopes of Haleakala Volcano on the island of Maui. Compared to many other honeycreepers, Kiwikiu’s low fecundity and limited distribution makes them very vulnerable to extinction.
This project is run as part of the continued research goals of the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, funded by the State of Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Partners include not only DOFAW and USFWS, but also the Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit of the Research Corporation at the University of Hawaii, Tri-Isle Resource Conservation and Development, The San Diego Zoological Society and The Nature Conservancy in Hawaii.