Dr Steve Portugal, The University of Oxford

Congrats to Jasper, Rana and Ursh for graduating with your MSc’s!

Our new paper is out today in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. This paper is all about eggshell surface topography, pigmentation and its heterogeneity. Wonderful visuals as always by first author Marie Attard.

We have a new paper coming in Journal of Experimental Biology, called “Influence of behavioural and morphological group composition on pigeon flocking dynamics“. Congrats first author Dan Sankey, who has now published all 5 of his PhD data chapters.

Very happy our paper has been accepted in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. All about surface texture heterogeneity in maculated bird eggshells. More to follow. Thanks and congratulations to co-authors Marie (Attard) and James (Bowen).

I have a new article out in Birdwatch magazine, all about bird eggs!

We’re very grateful to SEB, COB and ASAB for making it possible for PhD students Robin, Hana and Jamie to attend various conferences and lab visits over the last six months! It’s made the world of difference! Congratulations Jamie and Robin for your recent prize success at the Postgraduate Symposium.

We have a PhD studentship available, all about eggshells. Closing date June 19th. Full details can be found in the official advert, link below!

https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/evolution-of-eggshell-surface-structure-and-physiology/?p158854

Our new paper is out today, “Eggshell composition and surface properties of avian brood-parasitic species compared with non-parasitic species”. Published in Royal Society Open Science, you can read it here!

This week we spent some time at Birdworld for MSc student Ellie Lucas’s project. We’re measuring the visual fields of various tropical seabird species to determine if there is a visual basis undermining why some species are prone to flying into man-made objects and others are not. We’re very grateful to Birdworld for allowing us access to their wonderful Inca Terns. The data were fascinating. More to follow!