Dr Steve Portugal, The University of Oxford

Co-author Christie Riehl has written a blog about our paper, recently published in Ibis. You can read the blog here!

With regards to the below, the proper link to apply, with further details, can be found in this link – https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/biologicalsciences/study-here/research-degrees/phdstudentships2017.aspx

We have a fully-funded PhD Studentship available, supervised by Sam Turvey (ZSL), Sarah Papworth and myself (RHUL). Details are below, with full application details to follow shortly.

Thrilled to get a Royal Society Research Grant. Third time of trying so never give up hope….. The project is called “Does practice make perfect: How much energy does streamlining save during group locomotive tasks?”. The work will focus on how young birds develop their flocking skills (both cluster and Vee formation), and (as the title suggests) as adults, how practise can reduce energy expenditure through experience.

Currently at the University of Pretoria working with Prof Nigel Bennett and his amazing collection of Mole Rats. This work forms part of the wider project with Dr’s Chris Faulkes (QMUL) and Monica Daley (RVC), and is funded by an RSF from RHUL.

It’s been a busy few weeks. Two weeks in Cambodia proved successful working with wild Siamese Fighting Fish. Just prior to departure, we had our first RHUL-Imperial mini conference, organised by myself and Joe Tobias, which was fascinating and good fun too. Lab member Dan Sankey presented his new data on pigeons at the 6th Biologging conference, and the ZSL Avian Senses conference was excellent (thanks to Hannah Rowland for inviting me to talk about Secretary Birds and Vultures).  A busy week in the office setting up project students, and now off to Cape Town (to visit Susan Cunningham and Claire Spottiswoode) before continuing onto Pretoria, to work on the fascinating Bathyergidae with Prof Nigel Bennett. First time there, so suitably excited.

We have two new members joining our lab group, MSc by Research students Rhianna Ricketts (right) and Miranda Reynolds (left). Rhianna will be working on social structure and individual recognition in birds (pigeons), and Miranda on the metabolics of avian brood parasitism.

Our new Review paper is out in the Journal of Fish Biology. All about the amazing air breathing Anabantoid fish. You can read it here!

Our new pigeon paper is out in Journal of Experimental Biology. Led by PhD Lucy Taylor. All about how pigeons fly differently depending on how familiar they are with their surroundings. You can read it here.

I recently interviewed Chris Packham about his career, and to see what tips he had about how young people could begin their careers in science communication and science media. You can read the interview here!