Keywords

  • animal acoustics
  • animal behavior and its neural basis
  • animal migration and navigation
  • animal navigation
  • animal orientation
  • bird acoustic communication
  • homing pigeons
  • teaching introductory biology
  • territoriality in loons
  • vocal communication in loons

Walcott, Charles

Professor Emeritus/a
Charles Walcott is Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University. Dr. Walcott received his AB from Harvard and his PhD from Cornell. He served on the faculties of Harvard, Tufts and The State University of New York at Stony Brook before coming to Cornell as Director of the Laboratory of Ornithology in 1981. He retired as the Louis Aggasiz Fuertes Director in June of 1995 to return to teaching and research. He taught the Introductory Biology Course for majors for four years and is now serving as Dean of the University Faculty. In addition to research on the hearing of spiders, the navigational ability of homing pigeons, magnetoreception in bees and vocal communication in Loons, Dr. Walcott has taught undergraduate courses in animal behavior, human physiology and evolution. He has also participated in projects designed to interest the public in science. These have included a television series for in-school use, Exploring Nature, The Elementary Science Curriculum Study, NOVA and 3-2-1 Contact.

research

research and scholarship focus

Common Loons, Gavia immer, are highly territorial on their fresh water breeding lakes. I have been looking at the role of vocalizations in how Loons establish and maintain their territories.

research areas

affiliations

head of

emeritus faculty in

member of graduate field

other Cornell affiliations

teaching

teaching focus

I have taught Introductory Biology and been in charge of Animal Behavior as well as lectured in the course.
Keywords: animal acoustics, animal behavior and its neural basis, animal migration and navigation, animal navigation, animal orientation, bird acoustic communication, homing pigeons, teaching introductory biology, territoriality in loons, vocal communication in loons