Colleen Lynch, M.S.

Hope B. McCormick Curator of Birds
Consulting Population Biologist, Population Management Center

Colleen Lynch earned a B.S. from the Illinois Benedictine College and a M.S. from Northern Illinois University. Her thesis examined kin differentiation in the Guinea baboon (Papio papio), exploring the relationship between kinship and social bonds. Upon completing her degree, she became a bird keeper and has been involved in avian husbandry and population management since that time.

As the Hope B. McCormick Curator of Birds, Lynch is responsible for creating the collection plan for bird species at the zoo, performing research and overseeing the bird department’s operations. Her research includes topics in applied population biology and the management of avian populations for long-term genetic and demographic sustainability. As an aviculturist, Lynch has specialized in artificial incubation and hand-rearing.

Lynch also serves as a consulting population biologist with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Population Management Center and is a contributor to the Alexander Center for Applied Population Biology. She participates in several reintroduction programs, providing genetic and demographic advising and developing management strategies tailored to the special needs of captive breeding for endangered species recovery in the wild.

Lynch serves as a member of several scientific advisory committees to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums: the Avian Scientific Advisory Group, Small Population Management Advisory Group and Reintroduction Scientific Advisory Group. She also serves as a behavioral advisor to the Baboon Species Survival Plan, as the chair of the Genetics Expertise Group and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Team member for the Channel Island Fox.

Ballou, J., Lees, C., Faust, L., Long, S., Lynch, C., Bingaman-Lackey, L., and Foost, T. 2010. Demographic and Genetic management of captive populations for conservation. Wild Mammals in Captivity. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois.

Bauman, K., Mekarska, A., Grisham, J., and Lynch, C. 2010. Small canid husbandry challenges: reviewing problems, with recommendations for improving captive canid programmes. International Zoo Yearbook, 44: 87-101.

Coonan, T. J., Varsik, A., Lynch, C., and Schwemm, C. A. 2010. Cooperative conservation: zoos and in situ captive breeding for endangered Island fox Urocyon littoralis ssp. International Zoo Yearbook, 44: 165–172.

Guiffre, G., Thornton, R., and Lynch, C. 2010. Puppets: construction and use for the hand-rearing of birds. Animal Keeper’s Forum

Bakker, V.J., Doak, D.F., Roemer, G.W., Garcelon, D.K., Coonan, T.J., Morrison, S.A., Lynch, C., Ralls, K., and Shaw, R. 2009. Incorporating ecological drivers and uncertainty into a demographic population viability analysis for the island fox. Ecological Monographs, 79(1): 77-108.

Lynch, C. 2008. Population Biology: the science of population management for captivity, reintroduction, and conservation. Wildlife Middle East News, 2(4).

Santymire, R.M., Lonsdorf, E., Lynch, C., Marinari, P., Kreeger, J., Wildt, D.E., and Howard, J.G. 2007. Increasing inbreeding results in declining seminal quality, pregnancy success and litter size in the endangered black-footed ferret, Mustela nigripes. Proceedings: Society for Conservation Biology 21st Annual Meeting, South Africa, p. 127 (abstract#227).

Lynch, C. 2005. Social behavior of the Guinea baboon. AZA Baboon SSP Husbandry Manual. Wildlife Conservation Society, New York. In press.

Long, S., Lynch, C. and Van Dyke, F. 2003. Designing a captive breeding plan with real world constraints. A workbook in conservation biology: solving practical problems in conservation, 63-67.

Long, S., Lynch, C. and Van Dyke, F. 2003. Implementing alternative captive breeding strategies. A workbook in conservation biology: solving practical problems in conservation, 57-61.

Long, S., Lynch, C. and Van Dyke, F. 2003. Managing gene diversity in captive populations. A workbook in conservatin biology: solving practical problems in conservation, 49-56.

Long, S., Lynch, C. and Van Dyke, F. 2003. Simple pedigree analysis. A workbook in conservation biology: solving practical problems in conservation, 1-47.

Lynch, C. 2000. San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike studbook. Zoological Society of San Diego, San Diego, California.

Lynch, C. 1999. San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike studbook. Zoological Society of San Diego, San Diego, California.

Lynch, C. 1998. San Clemente Loggerhead Shrike studbook. Zoological Society of San Diego, San Diego, California.