INFORMED BIRDS

Rose Thorogood

ASSociate PROFESSOR of BEHAVIOURAL ECOLOGY, University of Helsinki

My research uses information ecology theory to better understand coevolution: I look at how variation in the way information is acquired and used influences the evolutionary outcomes of species interactions. Recent projects include exploring how social information use by predators facilitates the evolution of prey defences (e.g. Thorogood et al. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2018) and continuing my work on interactions between brood parasitic cuckoos and their hosts (e.g. Thorogood & Davies, Science, 2012) by using a recent range expansion of reed warblers to test the importance of social information for plasticity. I also have a long-term project with hihi, a bird that I have worked with since 2002 (e.g. Thorogood et al. NZ J Ecology, 2013) where we are now testing how ‘social resilience’ might enhance conservation outcomes. 

Click here for my publications and here for my University of Helsinki pages.

Michał Jezierski

Post-doc (2024 - )

Based at the University of Helsinki, Michał is a biogeographer interested in the shaping of species distributions, focusing on birds in Europe. Within the group, this research mostly focuses on understanding Cuckoos’ (Cuculus canorus) coexistence with their hosts, and the manner in which these interactions affect their distributions. Michał also works on: i) studying adaptations to life on islands in Eurasian Wrens (Troglodytes troglodytes); and ii) understanding the movement and space use of Rock Doves (Columba livia) in the Outer Hebrides.

Nora Bergman

PhD Student (2022 - )

Work in progress…

Nora is funded by a doctoral salary from the University of Helsinki (LUOVA Wildlife Biology programme)

Deryk Tolman

PHD STUDENT (2021 - )

Work in progress…

Deryk is employed through the Academy of Finland project grant INFORMED MOVEMENT.

Gloria Murari

PHD STUDENT (2024 - )

After working for a year as research assistant in our group, developing an AI (Loopy) for automatically tracking of birds movement, Gloria is now starting her PhD and is funded by a doctoral salary from the University of Helsinki (LUOVA Wildlife Biology programme). Her project will focus on resolution of sexual conflict over care in two passerine species: common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) & pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca). Gloria is co-supervised by Robert Thomson (UCT, South Africa).  

Follow me on Twitter @murarigloria

Previous team members

PhDs and Postdocs

Purabi Deshpande (PhD, University of Helsinki, 2023) : Purabi investigated how urbanisation and climate change are shaping bird populations and plant interactions. She moved to a postdoc at University of Turku, Helsinki, Finland.

Edward Kluen (postdoc, University of Helsinki, 2018-2023) : Ed brought his knowledge of animal personality, reed beds, and everything a proper birder should know to our group. Now working in environmental consultancy.

Caitlin Andrews (PhD, University of Cambridge 2021) : Caitlin studied individual foraging behaviour in hihi and applied this to their conservation (co-supervised by John Ewen, IOZ). She moved to a postdoc at Tufts University, USA.

Liisa Hämäläinen (PhD, University of Cambridge 2019) : Liisa explored why there is variation in social information use both within species and across communities, and whether this can help us understand variation in prey defences. Liisa moved to a postdoc with Marie Herberstein at Macquarie University, Sydney Australia and is now a Finnish Cultural Foundation postdoc at the University of Jyväskylä.

Victoria Franks (PhD, University of Cambridge 2018; postdoc University of Cambridge 2019) : Vix studied how and why juvenile groups form in hihi and how social behaviour influences success of translocations (co-supervised by John Ewen, IOZ). Vix is now a lecturer at Manchester Salford University, UK.

James Westrip (Post-doc, University of Cambridge 2016) : now at BirdLife International

Kirsty Macleod (Post-doc, University of Cambridge 2014-2016) : used hihi datasets to explore how carotenoids in the environment influence hatching asynchrony and sex ratios, and helped to set up the Science Cafe (a popular recurring feature of the Cambridge Science Festival). She became a Marie Skłodowska Curie fellow (Lund University, Sweden & Simon Fraser University, Canada) working on stress and maternal effects in lizards and is now a lecturer at Bangor University, Wales UK.

Jessica van der Wal  (MSc, University of Wageningen 2012; Post-doc, University of Helsinki & University of Cambridge 2018) : Jes collected our first data on hihi social networks for her MSc thesis, went on to complete a PhD thesis at the University of St Andrews studying New Caledonian crows, before coming back to work with us on social networks among behavioural ecologists. Jes moved to a postdoc with Claire Spottiswoode at the FitzPatrick Institute of Ornithology, University of Cape Town.

Thesis project students

Jules Mourgues (MSc, University of Lyon 2024)

Esmeralda Villon (MSc, University of Helsinki 2023-24)

Sil de Bruin (MSc, Wageningen University 2023-24)

Zalihe Kourtoural (MSc, Wageningen University 2023-24)

Lucie Michel (MSc, Universite de Paris Saclay 2023)

Ari Kaukiainen (MSc, University of Helsinki 2023-24)

Ronja Saarinen (MSc, University of Helsinki 2022-23)

Rafael Morales (MSc, University of Madrid 2022)

Juho Jolkkonen (MSc, University of Jyväskylä 2021)

Sarella Arkkila (MSc, University of Helsinki 2021-22)

Anna Välkki (MSc, University of Helsinki 2020-21)

Giovanna Villani (MSc, University of Helsinki)

Adriana Luna (MSc thesis project, University of Madrid 2019-20)

Maaike Griffioen (MSc, University of Wageningen 2014) : became a PhD student at University of Antwerp, studying coordination and cooperation in parental care.

Pang Bowen (BSc thesis project, Wuhan University 2019)

Gemma Shaw (Undergraduate research project & additional data collection, University of Cambridge 2016 & 2017)

Alicia Winthrop (Undergraduate research project & additional data collection, University of Cambridge 2015 & 2017)

Martha Stokes (Undergraduate research project, University of Cambridge 2013)

Megan Wilson (Undergraduate research project, University of Cambridge 2013)

Internships and visiting students

Olli Lilja (BSc internship, University of Helsinki 2023)

Jonna Heino (BSc internship, University of Helsinki 2023)

Ilona Koskela (BSc internship, University of Helsinki 2022)

Lukas Wolffram (Universität Konstanz, Germany 2023)

Sarella Arkkila (HiLIFE internship programme, University of Helsinki)

Linnea Kivela (summer internship, University of Helsinki 2019) : now a PhD student in ecology and evolutionary biology, University of Helsinki.

Mathilde Baudat (summer internship, University of Helsinki 2018)

Francois Lazarus (summer internship, University of Helsinki 2018)

Felicitas Pamatat (summer internship, University of Bielefeld 2017)

Marie Froehly (summer internship, Université de Strasbourg 2017)

Last but absolutely not least, our wonderful field assistants

Juho Jolkkonen, Anna Tuominen, Julius Mäkinen, Ari Turula, Ossian Witting, Pietro di Bari (Sicily)