Visit to collaborators in Bielefeld
Last week Kimia and I visited our collaborators at Bielefeld University, including Dr Öncü Maraci, with whom we are working on the links between physiological markers during migration (e.g. mitochondrial function and hormones) and microbiome compositio...
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Our new study on microplastics in White-throated dipper is out (Colette's MSc thesis)
Excited to share that a new study based on Colette Martin’s MSc thesis has just been published in Environmental Research. We investigated the microplastic exposure in White-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus) nestlings across Scotland and the Basque Coun...
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New paper published on cellular markers (telomeres and mtDNAcn) in relation to migratory status in Eurasian blackbirds
In this new study, we examined telomere length and mitochondrial DNA copy number in migratory and resident Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) on Helgoland. Telomeres are widely regarded as markers of cellular ageing and physiological state, and are th...
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New paper published on hormonal regulation in migratory Blackbirds!
In a new study published in Hormones & Behaviour, in collaboration with Dr. Alex T. Baugh (Swarthmore College), we measured circulating levels of the gut hormone peptide YY (PYY), a hormone known in mammals to signal satiety after feeding. We compared ...
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Helgoland field campaign 2025
The third autumn fieldwork campaign on Helgoland is now complete! Together with Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior researchers, we tagged 54 blackbirds to study their movement ecology and link it to physiological parameters. Some of this data will be part of Lisa’s BSc thesis, who joined the campaign and quickly learned the basics of bird ringing and cellular respirometry.