Vanessa Poirier, currently a doctoral student in the PaqLab, co-authored a paper entitled Assessing metabolite profiles of wild Swainson's thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) in different moult stages using a veterinary point of care device recently published in Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology. The study provides a glimpse into the metabolic blood profile of birds who use urban and peri-urban green spaces in Montreal to moult their feathers and refuel for migration. Moult and migration are particularly vulnerable periods of a bird’s life cycle, and so understanding their physiological state at this time could help future conservation efforts.

The research, lead by Elena Tranze-Drabinia, was part of her Master's work with Barbara Frei from Environment and Climate Change Canada and Kyle Elliott at McGill University.

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