Gary R. Graves

Gary R. Graves is a Research Zoologist and Curator of Birds at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, with adjunct professorships at Louisiana State University and the University of Copenhagen. His career spans nearly four decades at the Smithsonian since 1985, focusing on ornithological research and curation.

Graves earned his B.A. from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, M.S. from Louisiana State University, and Ph.D. from Florida State University. His research centers on avian ecology, biogeography, and evolution, with current emphases on the avian microbiome, Ozark Mountains biogeography, conservation of rare bird species, and bird phylogeny through the Bird 10K genome project. Fieldwork in Jamaica, the Ozarks, and Sonoran Desert forms the foundation of his natural history observations.

His publication record shows remarkable productivity with over 100 papers since 2007, demonstrating consistent research output across evolutionary biology, conservation, and ecological studies. Recent work focuses on genomic approaches to avian evolution, island biogeography, and climate change impacts on bird populations, with frequent publications in high-impact journals including Nature, PNAS, and Evolution.

• Elected Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2012)

Graves actively collaborates across institutions with 29 co-authors since 2008, particularly working with Anna Behrensmeyer, Richard Potts, and Robert Fleischer. His research integrates museum collections with modern genomic techniques, contributing significantly to large-scale projects like the Bird 10K genome initiative. Field studies examining vulture physiology, hummingbird evolution, and Swainson's warbler ecology represent his commitment to natural history observation.

His work spans the Caribbean region with particular focus on Jamaica, examining endemic species and conservation challenges. The integration of stable isotope analysis, genomic sequencing, and traditional field ornithology characterizes his multidisciplinary approach to understanding avian evolution and ecology.