Project Grant 2222526

This National Science Foundation Project Grant award of $484,536 provides funding from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2025 to Colorado State University under the Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074). The award will support research examining how two related alpine songbird species, the brown-capped rosy-finch and Sierra Nevada gray-crowned rosy-finch, have combined movement, evolutionary adaptation, and behavioral adjustment strategies to persist in extreme high-altitude environments over time.

The research will integrate field survey data on current coping strategies across each species' elevation range with historical data from museum specimens to establish a pre-climate change baseline. Climate change projections will then be incorporated into a statistical model to forecast future responses through shifts in movement, evolution, and behaviors such as annual timing of parenting and diet. Products will include tailored reports and data delivered to partner state and federal wildlife management agencies to inform decision-making. The award will also support research internships for four undergraduate students each year and training of one graduate student and two postdoctoral fellows.