Humans are rapidly changing the natural world, leading to decreasing native fauna and increasing non-native fauna.  Problematic species range expansions are occurring across the globe, but not all species are able to become established outside of their original range.  It is still unclear which characteristics facilitate successful invasions or native species persistence in human-modified environments.  One hypothesis is that variation in behavior may be important when certain individuals possess traits that make them more likely to succeed when venturing into new habitats and outcompeting heterospecifics.  For example, variation in the ability (movement) and motivation (exploratory tendency) to encounter conspecifics and novel food sources could facilitate range expansions.  However, no previous research has compared measures of exploration to the natural movement behavior of individuals along the range of a currently invading species.  In this talk I will discuss my research on movement and exploratory behaviors in a species that has rapidly expanded its range in the U.S., the great-tailed grackle. I consider whether individuals consistently differ in their movement behavior such that it can be considered an inherent individual trait, whether movement relates to performance on an exploration task, and whether movement and exploration differ between grackles in the center of the range and those on the invasion front.  Invasive species are implicated as a leading cause of biodiversity loss, so this research will facilitate a better understanding of the importance of these behavioral characteristics in predicting potential invasions in other systems.