Logan Anderson is leading a research effort that ties together two major strands of our grassland bird research. Previously we documented (1) a LOT of within-season movement of birds breeding at our research sites, and (2) a strong aversion to shrubs and trees when locating territories. But why do both of those things happen? Logan is using Motus technology–tiny radio tags paired with a grid of small recievers called “nodes”–to document Grasshopper Sparrow movements in and around their home ranges, and beyond as as the season progresses. Furthermore, he is experimentally manipulating woody cover and the (percieved) presence of predators that perch on trees (and eat small birds) to determine if this avoidance of trees represents some innate, deep-seated fear or a more immediate response driven by increased prevalence of actual predators. In 2024, Logan conducted these experiments at the Konza Prairie Biological Station, and in 2025, he is working in a more tree-free landscape at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.