DEPREDATION ON GRAIN CROPS BY BIRDS IS A VEXING PROBLEM TO AGRICULTURE. IN THE MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS (AGELAIUS PHOENICEUS, HEREAFTER BLACKBIRD) HAVE LONG BEEN A PEST TO GRAIN CORN (ZEA MAYS). ANNUALLY OVER 360,000 TONNES OF GRAIN CORN IS LOST, REPRESENTING THE GREATEST ECONOMIC LOSS OF AN AGRICULTURAL CROP TO BIRDS IN THE UNITED STATES. CHEMICAL REPELLANTS ARE INEFFECTIVE AGAINST BLACKBIRD DEPREDATION, WHICH IN TURN ENCOURAGES AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS WITH METHODS OPPOSING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION LAWS FOR THIS MIGRATORY SPECIES. THE PROPOSED POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH PROJECT WILL USE PRINCIPLES OF BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY TO ASSESS A NOVEL, SOCIALLY MORE RELEVANT AND INEXPENSIVE TECHNIQUE TO CAUSE BLACKBIRDS TO AVOID GRAIN CORN AGRICULTURAL FIELDS. PROJECT DIRECTOR JANICE ENOS AND PRIMARY MENTOR MARK HAUBER WILL DETERMINE IF BIOLOGICALLY SALIENT PLAYBACKS, SPECIFICALLY: 1) VOCALIZATIONS OF NEST PREDATORS AND BROOD PARASITES, AND/OR 2) PLAYBACKS THAT DISRUPT THE REGULAR COMMUNICATIVE VOCALIZATIONS FREQUENCIES OF THE BLACKBIRDS, CAN REPULSE BLACKBIRDS FROM GRAIN CORN FIELDS. WE EXPECT ECOLOGICALLY SALIENT AND/OR ACOUSTICALLY DISRUPTIVE PLAYBACKS TO BE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE BECAUSE STUDIES DEMONSTRATE THAT MIGRATORY BIRDS IN GENERAL, WHICH USE QUICK RULES-OF-THUMB TO ASSESS HABITAT SUITABILITY, AVOID SITES WHERE PERCEIVED PREDATION AND/OR BROOD PARASITISM RISKS ARE HIGH. ALL COMPONENTS OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT (RESEARCH, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT) WILL OCCUR FOR TWO YEARS (2021-2022) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, AND AREHIGHLY RELEVANT TO THE "PLANT HEALTH AND PRODUCTION AND PLANT PRODUCTS" FARM BILL PRIORITY AREA.