Steven W. Cardiff
Steven W. Cardiff
Collections Manager, Birds & Mammals
119 Foster Hall
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Email: scardif@lsu.edu
Telephone: 225-578-9289
Fax: 225-578-3075
Biography
I grew up in California birding, collecting, and helping my father, Eugene A. Cardiff, curate the bird collections at the San Bernardino County Museum. I completed my BS in Biology at the University of California, Riverside, in 1979, and worked toward a Masters in Zoology at LSU 1979-83 (advised by Dr. Remsen) before taking my current position in 1984. Since 1979, I have spent about 2 years of my life on LSUMNS expeditions to Bolivia, Peru, and Panama, and I have spent hundreds of additional days conducting fieldwork in AZ, CA, HI, ID, LA, NM, NC, TX, WA, and the Gulf of Mexico. I have prepared about 8000 specimens, mostly birds. I am a Member and Chair of the Louisiana Bird Records Committee.
Research Interests
Currently, my primary interest is the status and distribution of the birds of Louisiana, both in a general aspect and, more specifically: occurrence of Lesser Black-backed Gull and California Gull; colonization of the Chandeleur Islands by Kelp Gull and Herring Gull (and their subsequent hybridization); and status and distribution of pelagic birds in the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana. Other long term projects: pathology of late migrants and vagrants; birds of the East Mojave Desert of CA; molt sequence of the Yellow-footed Gull; foraging ecology of birds in a tropical latitude desert in NW Peru (Masters Thesis).
Courses
I assist with teaching of “Curatorial Methods,” an orientation and training course conducted every few years for LSUMNS graduate students. On a more informal basis, I frequently contribute to the training of graduate and undergraduate students in collection curation, specimen preparation, and field techniques.
Selected Publications
Remsen, J. V., Jr., and S. CARDIFF. 1979. First records of the race scottii of the Rufous-crowned Sparrow in California. Western Birds 10: 45-46.
CARDIFF, S. W., and J. V. Remsen, Jr. 1981. Three bird species new to Bolivia. Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 101: 304-305.
CARDIFF, S. W., and J. V. Remsen, Jr. 1981. A Blue Bunting {Passerina (Cyanocompsa) parellina} record for the United States from Louisiana. Auk 98: 621-622.
CARDIFF, S. W., and J. V. Remsen, Jr. 1982. Breeding avifaunas of the New York Mountains and Kingston Range: islands of conifers in the California Mojave Desert. Western Birds 12: 73-86.
CARDIFF, S. W. 1983. Three new bird species for Peru, with other distributional records from northern Departamento de Loreto. Gerfaut 73: 185-192.
CARDIFF, S. W. 1987. User guide and curatorial manual for the collection of birds, Louisiana State University. LSUMNS, 78 pp., revised Fall 1997.
CARDIFF, S. W., and G. B. Smalley. 1989. Birds in the rice country of southwest Louisiana. Birding 21: 232-240.
Dittmann, D. L., and S. W. CARDIFF. 1990. How to document rare birds. Louisiana Ornithological Society Newsletter 135.
Remsen, J. V., Jr., and S. W. CARDIFF. 1990. Patterns of elevational and latitudinal distribution, including a “niche switch,” in some guans (Cracidae) of the Andes. Condor 92: 970-981.
CARDIFF, S. W., D. Loria, W. Yong. 1991. First Louisiana and easternmost U.S. record of Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus). Jour. Louis. Orn. 1 (2): 48-53.
Remsen, J. V., Jr., M. M. Swan, S. W. CARDIFF, and K. V. Rosenberg. 1991. The importance of the rice-growing region of south-central Louisiana to winter populations of shorebirds, raptors, waders, and other birds. Jour. Louis. Orn. 1 (2): 35-47.
Zink, R. M., D. L. Dittmann, S. W. CARDIFF, and J. D. Rising. 1991. Mitochondrial DNA and the taxonomic status of the large-billed Savannah Sparrow. Condor 93: 1016-1019.
Robbins, M. B., R. S. Ridgely, A. P. Capparella, and S. W. CARDIFF. 1991. Avifauna of the Rio Maniti and Quebrada Vainilla, Peru. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 143:145-159.
Lee, D. S., and S. W. CARDIFF. 1993. Status of the Arctic Tern in the coastal and offshore waters of the southeastern United States. J. Field Ornithol. 64: 158-168.
Robbins, M. B., R. S. Ridgely, and S. W. CARDIFF. 1994. Voice, plumage and natural history of Anthony’s Nightjar (Caprimulgus anthonyi). Condor 96: 224-228.
CARDIFF, S. W., and J. V. Remsen. 1994. Type specimens of birds in the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science. Occ. Pap. Mus. Nat. Sci. Louis. State Univ. No. 68: 1-32.
Remsen, J. V., Jr., S. W. CARDIFF, and D. L. Dittmann. 1996. Timing of migration and status of vireos (Vireonidae) in Louisiana. J. Field Ornithol. 67: 119-140.
Capparella, A. P., G. H. Rosenberg, and S. W. CARDIFF. 1997. A new subspecies of Percnostola rufifrons (Formicariidae) from northeastern Amazonian Peru, with a revision of the rufifrons complex. Studies in neotropical ornithology honoring Ted Parker: 165-170.
CARDIFF, S. W. 1997. Central Southern Region, Spring 1997. Field Notes 51: 880-884.
CARDIFF, S. W. 1998. Central Southern Region, Spring 1998. Field Notes 52: 340-344.
Dittmann, D. L., and S. W. CARDIFF. 1998. Kelp Gull and Herring X Kelp gull hybrids: a new saga in gull ID problems, part 1. LOS News. No. 181.
Remsen, J. V., Jr., S. W. CARDIFF, and D. L. Dittmann. 1998. Status and natural history of birds of Louisiana. I. Vireos (Vireonidae). J. Louis. Orn. 4: 59-102.
CARDIFF, S. W. 1999. Central Southern Region, Spring 1999. Field Notes 53: 288-291.
Dittmann, D. L., J. P. Kleiman, and S. W. CARDIFF. 1999. Eighth report of the Louisiana Bird Records Committee. J. Louis. Ornith. 4: 103-153.
CARDIFF, S. W., and Donna L. Dittmann. 2000. Brown-crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus tyrannulus). In The Birds of North America, No. 496 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
CARDIFF, S. W., and Donna L. Dittmann. 2002. Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens). In The Birds of North America, No. 664 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
Dittmann, D. L. and S. W. CARDIFF. 2003. Ninth report of the Louisiana Bird Records Committee. J. Louisiana Ornith. 6: 41-101.
Contact Us
Museum of Natural Science
119 Foster Hall
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Phone: 225-578-2855
Hours & Admissions
Admission: Free
Open: Mon - Fri, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.*
Closed: Sat; Sun; state holidays
*Closed Fri at 2 p.m. during school year.