Dr. Jacob Cooper's headshot

Dr. Jacob Cooper

Assistant Professor
cooperj2@unk.edu
(308) 865-8912
BHS 321
Department of Biology
Research focus areas: Ornithology, biogeography, ecology, phylogeography, taxonomy

Areas of Expertise

  • Biology
  • Graduate Faculty
  • Ornithology
  • Taxonomy

Areas of Interest

  • Ornithology
  • Biogeography
  • Ecology
  • Evolution

Degrees

  • B.S. (2013) - Louisiana State University
  • M.A. (2016) - University of Kansas
  • M.S. (2019) - University of Chicago
  • Ph. D. (2021) - University of Chicago

Professional Affiliations

  • American Ornithological Society
  • African Bird Club
  • West African Ornithological Society
  • Kansas Ornithological Society
  • Nebraska Ornithologists' Union
  • Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science

Dissertation and Thesis

  • Cooper, J.C.  2021.  Biogeographic and ecologic drivers of avian diversity. Ph. D. Dissertation, University of Chicago.  357 pp. http://dx.doi.org/10.6082/uchicago.3379
  • Cooper, J.C.  2016.  Creating individual dispersal hypotheses improves stacked species distribution model performance.  M.A. thesis.  93 pp. http://hdl.handle.net/1808/21834

Publications

  • Cooper, J.C., Juárez, R., Barragán, D.F., and Boesman, P.F.D.  2026.  South American Leaftosser (Sclerurus obscurior), version 2.0.  In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg and B. K. Keeney, Editors).  Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.  https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.soalea1.02
  • Huryn, E.A. & Cooper, J.C.  2026.  First confirmed Nebraska breeding record of the Common Raven (Corvus corax) since the 19th century.  Nebraska Bird Review 93(3):118-123.
  • Gilbert, N.A., Queally, N., Cooper, J.C., Eyster, H.N., & Williams, P.J.  2026.  Heterogeneity, productivity, and migration drive continental evenness patterns of bird assemblages.  Global Ecology & Biogeography  https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.70205
  • Paysen, J.W., Huss, P.M., Cooper, J.C., Bernal, L.J., Kruse, C., and Geluso, K.  2025.  Terrestrial Gartersnake (Thamnophis elegans) consuming a Western Meadow Vole (Microtus drummondii) in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of New Mexico.  Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences 45:139-131.
  • Panagiotis, N., Krochuk, B.A., Rodrigues, P.F., Brzeski, K.E., Mufumu, S.L., Malanza, S.E., Tonra, C.M., Cooper, J.C.,  Jared D. Wolfe, J.D., and Powell, L.L.  2025.  Insights on avian life history and physiological traits in Central Africa: ant-following species have young-dominated age ratios in secondary forest.  Frontiers in Conservation Science 6.  https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2025.1504320
  • Cobos, M.E., Nuñez-Penichet, C., Campbell, P.D., Cooper, J.C., Machado-Stredel, F., Barve, N., Ashraf, U., Alkishe, A.A., Ng’eno, E., Nair, R.R., Atauchi, P.J., Adeboje, A., and Peterson, A.T.  2023.  Effects of occurrence data density on conservation prioritization strategies.  Biological Conservation 284:110207.  doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110207
  • Velde, M.F., Besozzi, E.M., Krochuk, B.A., Henderson, K.M., Tsuru, B.R., Velásquez Restrepo, S., Garrod, H.M., and Cooper, J.C.  2023.  What constitutes a community?  A co-occurrence exploration of the Costa Rican avifauna.  Neotropical Biodiversity 9(1):64-75.  doi: 10.1080/23766808.2023.2204549
  • Eliason, C., Cooper, J.C., Hackett, S.J., Zahnle, E., Pequeño Saco, T., Maddox, J.D., Hains, T., Hauber, M.E., and Bates, J.M.  2023.  Interspecific hybridization explains rapid gorget color divergence in Heliodoxa hummingbirds (Aves: Trochilidae).  Royal Society Open Science 10(3):221603.  doi: 10.1098/rsos.221603
  • Cooper, J.C.  2022.  Mountain Sawwing (Psalidoprocne fuliginosa), version 2.0.  In Birds of the World (Paul G. Rodewald, Ed.).  Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.  doi: 10.2173/bow.mousaw1.02 (Encyclopedia article).
  • Cooper, J.C., Crouch, N.M.A., Ferguson, A.W., and Bates, J.M.  2022.  Climatic refugia and reduced extinction correlate with underdispersion in mammals and birds in Africa.  Ecology and Evolution 12(3):e8752.  doi: 10.1002/ece3.8752
  • Tobias, J.A. … Cooper, J.C. … and Schleuning, M.  2022.  AVONET: morphological, ecological, and geographical data for all birds.  Ecology Letters 25(3):581-597.  doi: 10.1111/ele.13898
  • Cooper, J.C.  2021.  Hierarchical analyses of community biogeography in the Afromontane highlands.  Frontiers in Biogeography 13.04:e51310.  doi: 10.21425/F5FBG51310
  • Cooper, J.C., Maddox, J.D., Kellie McKague & John M. Bates.  2021.  Multiple lines of evidence indicate ongoing allopatric and parapatric diversification in an Afromontane sunbird (Cinnyris reichenowi).  Ornithology (formerly The Auk) 138:ukaa081.  doi:10.1093/ornithology/ukaa081 PDF HERE Free Access
  • Allen, K.E., Tapondjou, W.P., Freeman, B., Cooper, J.C., Brown, R.M., and Peterson, A.T.  2021.  Modelling potential Pleistocene habitat corridors between Afromontane forest regions.  Biodiversity and Conservation 30:2361–2375.
  • Caparucho, J.M.G., Ashley, M., Tsuru, B.R., Cooper, J.C., and Bates, J.M.  2020.  Dispersal ability correlates with range size in Amazonian habitat restricted birds.  Proceedings of the Royal Society B 287(1939):20201450.  doi: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1450
  • Hruska, J.P., Cooper, J.C., and & Robbins, M.B.  2020.  First record of Mexican Whip-poor-will Antrostomus arizonae in Nicaragua.  Cotinga 42:56-57.
  • Owens, H.L., Ribiero, V., Saupe, E., Cobos, M.E., Hosner, P., Cooper, J.C., Samy, A., Barve, V., Barve, N., Muñoz C., and Peterson, A.T.  2020.  Acknowledging uncertainty in evolutionary reconstructions of ecological niches.  Ecology and Evolution 10(14):6967-6977.  doi: 10.1002/ece3.6359
  • Voight, J.R., Cooper, J.C., and Lee, R.  2020.  Stable isotopic evidence of misotrophy in xylophagids, deep-sea wood-boring bivalves.  Frontiers in Marine Science 7:50.  doi:10.3389/fmars.2020.00050
  • Cooper, J.C.  2018.  Niche theory and its relation to morphology and phenotype in geographic space: a case study in woodpeckers (Picidae).  Journal of Avian Biology e01771.  doi:10.1111/jav.01771
  • Da Silva, T., Fernando, S.W., Robbins, M.B., Cooper, J.C., Fokam, E.B., and Peterson, A.T.  2018.  Recognition of a new generic-level swallow taxon from Central Africa.  Journal of Avian Biology e01698.  doi:10.1111/jav.01698
  • Cooper, J.C., and Soberón, J.  2018.  Creating individual accessible area hypotheses improves stacked species distribution model performance.  Global Ecology & Biogeography 27:156-165.  doi:10.1111/geb.12678
  • Saupe, E.E., Barve, N., Owens, H.L., Cooper, J.C., Hosner, P., and Peterson, A.T.  2018.  Reconstructing ecological niche evolution when niches are incompletely characterized.  Systematic Biology 67:428-438.  doi:10.1093/sysbio/syx084
  • Ingenloff, K., Hensz, C., Anamza, T., Barve, V., Campbell, L.P., Cooper, J.C., Komp, E., Jimenez, L., Olson, K., Osorio-Olvera, L., Owens, H.L., Peterson, A.T., Samy, A., Simões, M., and Soberón, J.  2017.  Predictable invasion dynamics in American populations of the Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto.  Proceedings of the Royal Society B 284:20171157.  doi:10.1098/rspb.2017.1157
  • Brzeski, K.E., Wolfe, J.D., Cooper, J.C., and Powell, L.L.  2016.  Camera sighting of Congo Clawless Otter in the midst of rapid development on mainland Equatorial Guinea.  IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bulletin 33(2).
  • Cooper, J.C., Johnson, O., Davis, T.J., Terrill, R.S., Wolfe, J.D., Brzeski, K.E., Etingüe, A.M., and Powell, L.L.  2017.  Notes on the distribution of the avifauna of Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, including one new country record.  Malimbus 39(1):1-15.
  • Cooper, J.C., and Barragán Díaz, D.  2017.  Tawny-throated Leaftosser Sclerurus mexicanus, version 1.0.  In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.  doi:10.2173/bow.tatlea1.01 (Encyclopedia article).
  • Cooper, J.C., and Cuervo, A.M.  2017.  Vocal variation and species limits in the Sclerurus mexicanus complex. Wilson Journal of Ornithology 129(1):13-24.
  • Cooper, J.C., Powell, L.L., and Wolfe, J.D.  2016.  Notes on the birds of Equatorial Guinea, including nine first country records.  Bulletin of the African Bird Club 23(2):152-163. *Correction published: eight first country records.
  • Simões, M.V.P., Breitkreutz, L.C.V., Alvarado G., M., Baca, S.M., Cooper, J.C., Heins, L.E., Herzog, K.S., and Lieberman, B.S.  2016.  The evolving theory of evolutionary radiations.  Trends in Ecology and Evolution 31(1):27-34.  doi:10.1016/j.tree.2015.10.007u

Articles

  • Velde, M.F., Cooper, J.C., and Garrod, H.M.  2023.  Testing the accuracy of species distribution models based on community science data.  bioRxiv.  doi: 10.1101/2023.01.13.523331
  • Cooper, J.C. and Barragán Díaz, D.  2022.  Is niche divergence more likely in parapatry? A test in Sclerurus mexicanus sensu lato (Aves: Furnariidae).  bioRxiv.  doi: 10.1101/2022.12.06.519370
  • Cooper, J.C.  2020.  Depredation of Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) by a presumed American Bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) in an urban park.  Meadowlark 29.4:10-11.
  • Cooper, J.C.  2017.  Book review of Why Birds Matter edited by Çağan Hakkı Şekercioğlu, Daniel G. Wenny & Christopher J. Whelan.  Quarterly Review of Biology 92:464-465.  doi:10.1086/694954

Biology Faculty Research Directory