Animal behaviour and ecology are exciting research areas that combine a range of informative disciplines, from natural history observation combined with field-based research, through to using the latest technology in finely controlled laboratory settings to monitor small details.

 

Ultimately, researchers in this lab are interested in understanding both how and why animals behave the way that they do. We focus largely on birds, but research is conducted on whichever focal species is required to answer the question at hand.

 

This research has seen lab members tackle questions such as why animals might cooperate with each other, what information is contained and acted upon within acoustic signals, right through to how the behaviour of a species can impact the conservation and management of entire ecosystems. Our research can be entirely blue sky or linked to specific applied problems, from focused in on single species studies of specific behaviours, out to surveys documenting biodiversity at a site or landscape level.

 

Regardless of the precise question, we believe that understanding the behaviour of an animal is critical to gaining a full picture of its ecology and biology.

 

See the above links to learn more about our Research, Members, Publications, our Overseas Study Tour and ways that you can become involved! Or see here for Paul's views on why studying behaviour at UNE is so rewarding.

 

 

Interested in a fully funded PhD stipend?

We currently have a PhD stipend and Top-up Scholarship available for a student to work with the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust on assessing biodiversity using acoustic indices. This exciting opportunity is open to domestic students interested in using bioacoustics to remotely monitor woodland bird diversity. It is a great project for those who love spending time in the field doing survey work, and also want to help develop techniques in the lab that are in high demand at present across a range of industries and research fields. This includes machine learning, bioacoustic indices, template matching and a range of other lab-based sound analysis techniques.

See our Opportunities page and contact Paul for more details.

 

 

 

Lab News

• Some good news from recent times:
  • Lucy Farrow and Emily Dickson have both submitted their PhD theses for assessment, congratulations!
  • Chris Thomson (Coastal Emus), Mick Wakefield (Little Eagles) and Rhiannon Cheesewright (Ant behaviour) have joined the lab, more details on their projects as they develop.
  • New publications are out from the lab that focus on:
    • managing Noisy Miners,
    • the effectiveness of acoustic indices in monitoring biodiversity,
    • the use of microstructure of eggshell fragments to identify turtle eggs,
    • the importance of a reduction in enrichment options for cattle welfare,
    • predator impacts on multicomponent warning signals,
    • and the use of electric fencing to protect turtle nests.

For full publications details and links to downloads see here or here.

 

Below: Recent finds on UNE campus: threatened Barking Owls (left) and recently fledged Masked Lapwings (right) - more common as a species, but also vulnerable as individuals!