Brood parasitism in complex systemsUnlike most birds which build nests and raise their own offspring, brood parasites such as cuckoos lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, and foist the cost of raising their young onto the host. Historically, research into brood parasitism has focussed on understanding interactions between a single parasite and a single host, a classic example being that between the Common Cuckoo and the Reed Warbler which are found in the Cambridgeshire fens. Recent studies have suggested that the wider ecological community can play a critical role in the escalation of a co-evolutionary arms-race between parasite and host. In these situations, how do brood parasite-host interactions operate when multiple brood parasite and multiple host species coexist?
To answer this question, I’m investigating the cuckoos and their respective hosts that are found in southern China and Australia. These regions are both global hotspots for brood parasitism where multiple species of cuckoo breed in sympatry and parasitise multiple passerine host species. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach, including behavioural studies under natural conditions, visual and genetic analyses utilising museum collection resources along with statistical modelling, I aim to understand the behavioural and ecological variables that regulate how brood parasite-host interactions evolve, function and persist. |
Map (a) illustrates patterns of brood parasite–host network complexity. We find that hotspots of complexity occur at lower latitudes especially in sub-Saharan Africa, the Himalayas and Australia. Map (b) illustrates brood parasitism research effort and shows that most research has taken place in North America and Europe which are regions with lower complexity. Hence, with my research I'm most interested in the hotspot regions because we have potentially the most to learn from these systems.
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A Palmchat eyeing up a stick to bring back to its ever growing colonial nest.
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Palmchat ecologyThe Palmchat is endemic to Hispaniola with a unique evolutionary history. The sole member of its family, Dulidae, it is a highly social species that constructs large communal nest structures with multiple chambers. Very little is known about the natural history or behavioural ecology of the Palmchat’s iconic breeding strategy from whether individuals at colonies are related to understanding to whether cooperative breeding takes place and the costs and benefits for individuals.
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Conservation biologyRecognising that we are living through the sixth mass extinction, conserving biodiversity has long been important to my values as a scientist. This has led me to working with organisations including the RSPB on the decline of the Spotted Flycatcher in the UK, the University of East Anglia on sustainable management of the Asian Houbara in Uzbekistan, to monitoring shorebirds on the Asia-Pacific flyway with the Queensland Wader Study Group.
One of my most rewarding experiences was the placement year of my undergraduate degree where I spent a year working at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Here, I wrote IUCN Red List Assessments for 30 species of yam that are endemic to Madagascar including for a new species we discovered and described. These were the first conservation assessments for each of these species with the majority also being identified as threatened with extinction. |
Banding a Grey-tailed Tattler with the Queensland Wader Study Group.
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Pied Wheatear — the subject of my first natural history note.
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Natural historyMaking natural history observations from a young age was my route to becoming a scientist. Whilst hypothesis-driven studies form the bread and butter of scientific research, natural history still plays a hugely important role for understanding the natural world and inspiring scientific research so I continue to make notes and publish observations.
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