Dr Steve Portugal, The University of Oxford

Our paper looking at embryonic twitching in eggs is now out in Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, and can be found here!

Our paper, based on a great idea by Dora Biro, is out now (Online Early) in Trends in Ecology and Evolution. All about animal collective behaviour. Paper can be read here!

Our eggy paper looking at non-invasive techniques for studying twitching in bird embryos has been accepted in Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. Hopefully a useful methods paper for many. Congratulations first author Andrea Pollard at the RVC.

New paper published in Physiological and Biochemical Zoology – lots of logger data, lots of authors. Looking at heart rate patterns between mammals and birds, and whether any uniformity exists between them. You can read the paper here!

Sam Jones has started his PhD at RHUL. Sam’s PhD research broadly investigates the physiological and behavioural underpinnings of avian species turnover in tropical mountains. This primarily focuses on the relationship between interspecific aggression and physiology, and its subsequent behavioural consequences. Approaches focus on behavioural and physiological techniques, studying species turnover of Nightingale-Thrushes (Catharus sp.) in Central America that have parapatric distributions and abut at ‘contact zones’ at the edges of their elevational ranges. Sam is a NERC funded student as part of the London Doctoral Training Partnership. Sam is co-supervised by Dr Rob Freeman (ZSL).

I have a fully funded PhD available, with full details available here.

Funding is available for one project, but two project areas are suggested and can be applied to. These areas are:

1. Collective flocking in birds (looking at behaviour, physiology and energetics). Co-supervised by Dr Dora Biro (Oxford) and Dr Emily Shepard (Swansea).
2. Physiology, development and behaviour of brood parasites (primarily cuckoos). Co-supervised by Dr Claire Spottiswoode (Cambridge) and Dr Christine Riehl (Princeton).

Any informal enquiries, feel free to drop me an email. FindaPhD adverts can be found on the following links:

Cuckoos

Collective physiology

Fantastic new programme on BBC1, Life in the Air, Sunday’s 5pm. Was fun helping out the team with some of the science behind the animals.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b076ywc6 

I have a guest blog on the BBC website about eggs – link below:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/natureuk/entries/1f81dc3f-7366-455f-9fd4-1849bbb50596