Staff profile

I am a PhD student interested in behavioural, movement, and population ecology, currently studying the impacts of environmnetal change on the migratory journeys and breeding ecology of Pied Flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca). 

For my research I am using a novel migration modelling framework that simulates the relationship between migratory behaviour and population dynamics. Given their vulnerability to climate change, pied flycatchers provide an ideal system for developing and testing models of migratory behaviour. This modelling framework will allow me to investigate how climate change affects individual birds and drives population declines. Considering the scale of recent climate and land-use changes across migratory songbird ranges, such models are urgently needed.

I am also interested in the use of audio recorders as a remote nest box monitoring tool to estimate breeding behaviour, phenology and success. The proof-of-concept for this methodology formed my Masters by Research thesis at Durham University. 

Previously, I graduated with a degree in Zoology from the University of Glasgow, having studied the impact of urbanisation on the behavioural ecology of urban bird populations.