Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program:
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Staff Member

Chris Cattau

Chris Cattau holding an American Alligator.
PhD
Email: cattau@ufl.edu

Education

  • MS University of Florida 2008
  • BS University of Florida 2003

Biography

Chris Cattau worked for two seasons as a field technician on the long-term monitoring project of Snail Kite demography, movement, and foraging ecology. Subsequently, Chris moved to Gainesville and completed his masters thesis "Effects of the invasive exotic apple snail (Pomacea insularum) on the Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) in Florida, USA". Currently, Chris is testing ecological trap hypotheses related to the exotic snail and to hydrology management. He is also analyzing spatio-temporal patterns in the distribution of Snail Kite nests throughout their range and modeling wetland-specific reproductive parameters for use in an adaptive management framework.. Population Ecology, Wetland Ecology

Research Publications Publication Date
Reichert, B. E., Martin, J., Kendall, W. L., Cattau, C. E., & Kitchens, W. M. (2010). Interactive effects of senescence and natural disturbance on the annual survival probabilities of snail kites. Oikos, 119(6), 972-979. December 2010
Reichert, B. E., C. E. Cattau, R. J. Fletcher, Jr., P. W. Sykes, Jr., J. A. Rodgers, Jr. and R. E. Bennetts. 2015. Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/171 doi:10.2173/bna.171 | Publisher Website December 2015
Martin, Julien, Wiley M. Kitchens, Madan K. Oli, Christopher E. Cattau. 2008. Exploring the importance of natural disturbances and habitat degradation on Snail Kite population dynamics. Endangered Species Research. 6: 25-39. October 2008
Cattau, Christopher E., Julien Martin, and Wiley M. Kitchens. "Effects of an exotic prey species on a native specialist: Example of the snail kite." Biological Conservation 143.2 (2010): 513-520. December 2010
Cattau, C. E., P. C. Darby, R. J. Fletcher, and W. M. Kitchens. 2013. Reproductive response of the endangered snail kite to variations in prey density. Journal of Wildlife Management. December 2014
Project Completion Date
Demographic, Movement, and Habitat of the Endangered Snail Kite in Response to Operational Plans in Water Conservation Area 3A April 2011
Technical Publications Publication Date
Reichert, Brian, Christopher Cattau, Wiley Kitchens, Kyle Pias, and Jean Olbert. 2009. Snaill Kite Demography in blue cypress Marsh Complex. Annual Report 2009. October 2009
Reichert, Brian, Christopher Cattau, Wiley Kitchens, Kyle Pias, and Jean Olbert. 2010. Snail Kite Demography in Blue Cypress Marsh Complex. Annual Report 2011. May 2011
Reichert, Brian, Christopher Cattau, Wiley Kitchens, Christa Zweig, Jean Olbert, and Kyle Pias. Demographic, Movement, and Habitat studies of the Endagered Snail Kite in Response to Operational Plans in Water Conservation Area 3A. Annual Report. October 2009
Reichert, Brian, Christopher Cattau, Wiley Kitchens, Christa Zweig, Jean Olbert, and Kyle Pias. Demographic, Movement, and Habitat Studies of the Endangered Snail Kite in Response to Operational Plans in Water Conservation Area 3A. 2011. Annual Report May 2011
Martin, J., W.M. Kitchens, C. Cattau, A. Bowling, S. Stocco, E. Powers, C. Zweig, A. Hotaling, Z. Welch, H. Waddle, and A. Paredes. 2007. Snail Kite Demography: Annual report, 2007. U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. May 2007
Cattau, C.E., W.M. Kitchens, B.E. Reichert, A. Bowling, A. Hotaling, C. Zweig, J. Olbert, K. Pias, and J. Martin. 2009. Snail kite Demography. U.S.G.S. Biological Resources Division, Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Annual Report. 104pp. December 2009
Cattau, C.E., W.M. Kitchens, B.E. Reichert, A. Bowling, A. Hotaling, C. Zweig, J. Olbert, K. Pias, and J. Martin. 2008. Demographic, movement, and habitat studies of the endangered snail kite in response to operational plans in Water Conservation Area 3. U.S.G.S. Biological Resources Division, Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Annual. Report. 138pp. December 2008
Cattau, C.E., B.E. Reichert, W.M. Kitchens, R. J. Fletcher, J. Olbert, K. Pias, E. Robertson, R. Wilcox, and C. Zweig. 2012. Snail kite Demography. U.S.G.S. Biological Resources Division, Florida Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Annual Report. 254pp. December 2012