Page Klug

NDSU Affiliated Graduate Faculty; USDA-Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Research Wildlife Biologist

Faculty

Biological Sciences

KlugHeadshotUSDA

Research Wildlife Biologist (The Wildlife Society, Certified Wildlife Biologist)

USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center

North Dakota Field Station, Birds and Agriculture Project Leader

Areas of Study & Research

Wildlife Damage Management – Birds and Agriculture

As the USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center Field Station Leader for North Dakota my research focuses on methods development and population biology of blackbirds and starlings in conflict with agriculture, concentrated animal feeding operations, and urban environments. My main focus is managing the conflict between sunflower producers and blackbirds with methods including frightening devices, wildlife repellents, and evading strategies such as wetland management, decoy conservation plots, and altered agricultural practices. Optimization of methods takes into account blackbird biology at multiple biological levels and incorporates the influence of landscape ecology at various scales.

Other Research Interests

Prior to my position as the Project Leader for the USDA-Wildlife Services NWRC North Dakota Field Station, my research focused on the influence of human-induced, ecosystem modifications on species and species interactions. The human modifications I have investigated range from row-crop agriculture and rangeland management to the impact of introduced species. Much of my previous research focused on interaction between birds and their predators in human-altered landscapes. I have assessed how predators respond to landscape composition surrounding fragmented grasslands in an agricultural ecosystem and the impact on nesting birds. I have further investigated interactions between birds and snakes in a tallgrass prairie by modeling the overlap of predator and prey habitat to illustrate how grazing and burning may exacerbate interactions. My research concerning invasive species evaluated the effectiveness of control technologies to minimize the impact of brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) on the endangered Mariana Swiftlet (Aerodramus bartschi) on Guam and the impact of invasive species on native fauna in southern Florida where invasive constrictor snakes (Python spp.), tegu lizards (Tupimambis spp.), and other invasive species threaten local biodiversity.

Previous Work

Research Ecologist, USGS Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO (Jan 2013-Oct 2015)

Assistant Director UNDERC, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN (May 2010-Dec 2012)

Professional Associations

The National Chapter of The Wildlife Society (2003-present); TWS Wildlife Damage Management Working Group (2016-present); TWS UAS Working Group (2020-present); The North Dakota Chapter of The Wildlife Society (2016-present); American Ornithological Society (2003-present)

Links

Education

  • PhD 2009 Kansas State University
  • MS 2005 University of Nebraska-Omaha
  • BS 2001 Drake University

Publications

  1. Duttenhefner JL, PE Klug. 2025. Observer estimation accuracy from drone-based imagery influenced by the size of blackbird flocks in commercial sunflower fields. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 137:112-122.
  2. White MG, JL Duttenhefner, PE Klug. 2025. Establishing protocols to apply repellents while hazing crop pests: Importance of habitat, flock size, and time on blackbird (Icteridae) responses to a drone capable of spraying. Wildlife Research 52:WR24066.
  3. Duttenhefner JL, TJ Greives, PE Klug. 2024. Spraying drones: Efficacy of integrating an avian repellent with drone hazing to elicit blackbird flock dispersal and abandonment of sunflower fields. Wildlife Biology 2024:e01333.
  4. Duttenhefner JL, PE Klug. 2024. Effective range of auditory frightening devices based on hearing capabilities and antipredator responses of nuisance blackbirds. Wildlife Society Bulletin 48:e1549.
  5. Manz ST, KE Sieving, RN Brown, PE Klug, BM Kluever. 2024. Experimental assessment of laser scarecrows for reducing avian damage to sweet corn. Pest Management Science 80:1547–1556.
  6. Egan CE, BF Blackwell, E Fernández-Juricic, PE Klug. 2023. Dispersal of blackbird flocks from sunflower fields: Efficacy influenced by flock and filed size but not drone platform. Wildlife Society Bulletin 47(3):e1478.
  7. Kotten EA, I Hennessy, ZT Brym, BM Kluever, BF Blackwell, LA Humberg, PE Klug. 2022. Industrial Hemp as a Resource for Birds in Agroecosystems: Human-Wildlife Conflict or Conservation Opportunity? Human-Wildlife Interactions 16(3):384-398.
  8. Klug PE, AB Shiels, BM Kluever, CJ Anderson, SC Hess, WP Bukoski, SR Siers. 2022. A review of nonlethal and lethal control tools for managing the damage of invasive birds to human assets and economic activities. Management of Biological Invasions 14:1-44.
  9. Eshleman MA, PE Klug, E Morales-Vega, B Wissel, TJ Greives. 2022. Relationship between reproductive hormones and migration distance in a polygynous songbird, the red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). Journal of Ornithology 163:425-436.
  10. Stonefish D, MA Eshleman, GM Linz, HJ Homan, PE Klug, TJ Greives, EJ Gillam. 2021. Migration routes and wintering areas of male Red-winged Blackbirds as determined using geolocators. Journal of Field Ornithology 92(3):284–293.
  11. Sausse C, A Baux, M Bertrand, E Bonnaud, S Canavelli, A Destrez, PE Klug, L Olivera, E Rodriguez, G Tellechea, S Zuil. 2021. Contemporary challenges and opportunities for the management of bird damage a field crop establishment Crop Protection 148:105736.
  12. Werrell AK, PE Klug, RN Lipcius, JP Swaddle. 2021. A Sonic Net reduces damage to sunflower by blackbirds (Icteridae): implications for broad-scale agriculture and crop establishment. Crop Protection 144:105579.
  13. Klug PE and HJ Homan. 2020. Movement Behavior of Radio-Tagged European Starlings in Urban, Rural, and Exurban Landscapes. Human–Wildlife Interactions 14:398-408.
  14. Clark BA, PE Klug, PM Stepanian, JF Kelly. 2020. Using bioenergetics and radar-derived bird abundance to assess the impact of a blackbird roost on seasonal sunflower damage. Human–Wildlife Interactions 14:427-441.
  15. Kaiser BA, MH Ostlie, B Johnson, SJ Werner, PE Klug. 2020. Inefficiency of anthraquinone-based avian repellents when applied to sunflower: the importance of crop vegetative and floral characteristics in field applications. Pest Management Science 77:1502–1511.
  16. Egan, CE, BF Blackwell, E Fernández-Juricic, PE Klug. 2019. Testing a key assumption of using drones as frightening devices: Do birds perceive wildlife-monitoring drones as risky? Condor 122:1-15.
  17. Klug PE, WP Bukoski, AB Shiels, BM Kluever, SR Siers. 2019. Rose-Ringed Parakeets. USDA-APHIS-WS NWRC Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series.
  18. Klug PE, HJ Homan, BD Peer, GM Linz. 2019. Flight Feather Molt in Common Grackles (Quiscalus quiscula). Wilson Journal of Ornithology 131(4):807-816.
  19. Bansal, S, SC Lishawa, S Newman, BA Tangen, D Wilcox, D Albert, MJ Anteau, M Chimney, RL Cressey, ES DeKeyser, KJ Elgersma, SA Finkelstein, JR Freeland, R Grosshans, PE Klug, DJ Larkin, BA Lawrence, GM Linz, JE Marburger, GB Noe, CRV Otto, NJ Reo, JH Richards, CJ Richardson, L Rodgers, AJ Schrank, WD Svedarsky, SE Travis, NC Tuchman, A van der Valk, L Windham-Meyer. 2019. Typha (cattail) Invasion in North American Wetlands: Biology, Regional Problems, Impacts, Ecosystem Services, and Management. Wetlands 39:645-684.
  20. Wandrie, LJ, PE Klug, ME Clark. 2019. Evaluation of two unmanned aircraft systems as tools for protecting crops from blackbird damage. Crop Protection 117:15-19.

Presentations

Media Interviews

  1. Milloway, Livi. May/June 2025. Propane cannons have varying effects on nuisance blackbirds The Wildlife Professional
  2. Sun, Alice. Mar 2024. Management of Feral Pigeons. Audubon Magazine
  3. Halvorson, Rusty. Jan 2024. Drones Hazing Blackbirds, KFGO, Agri-Biz, Growing Harvest Ag Network
  4. Zienkiewicz, Marc. Jan 2023. Buzz Off Blackbirds. Nuseed Succeed Vol. 7, p. 25
  5. Parsons, Cecilia. May 2022. Drones for Bird Control in Pistachios. West Coast Nut
  6. Kerzman, Jody, Mar 2022. Drones vs. Blackbirds. The Sunflower
  7. Hein, Treena, Jan 2022. Fly Away Home, Repelling birds – the latest research. Nuseed Succeed, Vol. 6, pp 36-37
  8. Kjera, Mick Jan 2022. Blackbirds and Sunflower. Ag Central Radio Network. AM 890
  9. Kerzman, Jody Feb 2021. Tracking Blackbirds with Radar. The Sunflower
  10. Lawton, Graham Feb 2020. Rose-ringed Parakeets and Invasive Parrots. The New Scientist
  11. Howard, Fran Oct 2018. Farmers look to bird-drones, lasers to scare pests away. AgriPulse
  12. Burke, Allan Sept 2018. Researchers are battling blackbirds with sound to see if isolated sunflower fields can be shielded. Emmons County Record
  13. Stopyra, Diane Sept 2016. Get the flock out of here: Starlings are the Worst Birds Ever Salon
  14. Young, Kim 9 Jun 2016. Scarecrows: An Ancient Tradition. CBS Sunday Morning