Professor Ben J Hatchwell
School of Biosciences
Professor of Evolutionary Ecology
+44 114 222 4625
Full contact details
School of Biosciences
B91
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
- Profile
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- Professor of Evolutionary Ecology, University of Sheffield (2007-present)
- Reader, University of Sheffield (2004 - 2006)
- Senior Lecturer in Zoology, University of Sheffield (2002-2004)
- Lecturer in Zoology, University of Sheffield (1993-2002)
- Post-doc, University of Oxford (1991-1993)
- Post-doc, University of Cambridge (1988-1991)
- PhD (1988), University of Sheffield
- BA (1984), University of Oxford
- Research interests
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Social Evolution
My principal research interest is in social evolution and reproductive strategies in birds. The main approach of my research is to use field observations and experiments to test evolutionary theory. I have been studying cooperative breeding in long-tailed tits since 1994, and have also collaborated recently on other projects on cooperative behaviour in sociable weavers, riflemen and monk parakeets. Specific research interests include:
- The ecological and demographic factors that promote the evolution of cooperation in animal societies.
- The influence of individual dispersal decisions on the genetic structure of populations and the consequences for cooperative behaviour
- The fitness consequences of alternative reproductive strategies of individuals in cooperative groups
- Mechanisms of kin recognition in social animals
- Proximate and ultimate causes of variation in parental investment
Population Ecology
I am also interested in pure and applied aspects of avian population ecology, including long-term studies of seabirds, parrot conservation and the ecology of urban bird populations. Recent projects include studies of guillemots, blackbirds and three species of parrot. Specific areas of interest include:
- The population dynamics of guillemots on Skomer Island
- Population biology of vulnerable parrot populations
- The relationship between urban and rural bird populations
- Invasion biology of monk parakeets in Europe
- Publications
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Show: Featured publications All publications
Featured publications
Journal articles
- Mechanistic home range analysis reveals drivers of space use patterns for a non-territorial passerine. Journal of Animal Ecology, 89(12), 2763-2776. View this article in WRRO
- Cost, risk, and avoidance of inbreeding in a cooperatively breeding bird. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(27), 15724-15730.
- Helping decisions and kin recognition in long-tailed tits : is call similarity used to direct help towards kin?. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 375(1802). View this article in WRRO
- Inclusive fitness consequences of dispersal decisions in a cooperatively breeding bird, the long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(47), 12011-12016. View this article in WRRO
- Fine‐scale genetic structure and helping decisions in a cooperatively breeding bird
. Molecular Ecology, 27(7), 1714-1726. View this article in WRRO
- Sex Allocation Patterns across Cooperatively Breeding Birds Do Not Support Predictions of the Repayment Hypothesis
. American Naturalist, 190(4), 547-556. View this article in WRRO
- Coordinated parental provisioning is related to feeding rate and reproductive success in a songbird. Behavioral Ecology, 27(2), 652-659.
- Variation in helper effort among cooperatively breeding bird species is consistent with Hamilton’s Rule. Nature Communications, 7(-), ---.
- Demographic routes to variability and regulation in bird populations. Nature Communications, 7(-), ---.
- Social genetic and social environment effects on parental and helper care in a cooperatively breeding bird. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 282(1810).
- Cooperative investment in public goods is kin directed in communal nests of social birds. Ecology Letters, 17(9), 1141-1148.
- Helping in cooperatively breeding long-tailed tits: a test of Hamilton's rule.. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 369(1642), 20130565.
- Inclusive fitness theory and eusociality.. Nature, 471(7339), E1-E4.
- Consequences of 'load-lightening' for future indirect fitness gains by helpers in a cooperatively breeding bird.. J Anim Ecol, 79(3), 529-537.
- Cryptic Kin Selection: Kin Structure in Vertebrate Populations and Opportunities for Kin-Directed Cooperation. ETHOLOGY, 116(3), 203-216.
- The evolution of cooperative breeding in birds: kinship, dispersal and life history.. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 364(1533), 3217-3227.
- Independent colonization of multiple urban centres by a formerly forest specialist bird species.. Proc Biol Sci, 276(1666), 2403-2410.
- Learned kin recognition cues in a social bird.. Nature, 434(7037), 1127-1130.
- Heritability of parental effort in a passerine bird.. Evolution, 57(9), 2191-2195.
- HERITABILITY OF PARENTAL EFFORT IN A PASSERINE BIRD. Evolution, 57(9), 2191-2191.
All publications
Journal articles
- Variable social organization and breeding system of a social parrot revealed by genetic analysis. Ibis. View this article in WRRO
- Correction to ‘Ecological and demographic drivers of kin‐directed cooperation in a social bird: Insights from a long‐term study’. Journal of Animal Ecology, 94(6), 1317-1317.
- Drivers of variation in egg size in a cooperative breeder with a redirected helping system. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 38(8), 1041-1049. View this article in WRRO
- Ecological and demographic drivers of kin‐directed cooperation in a social bird: Insights from a long‐term study. Journal of Animal Ecology, 94(4), 485-500. View this article in WRRO
- Long‐term multi‐species demographic studies reveal divergent negative impacts of winter storms on seabird survival. Journal of Animal Ecology, 94(1), 139-153. View this article in WRRO
- Coordination of care reduces conflict and predation risk in a cooperatively breeding bird. Evolution Letters, 8(6), 764-773. View this article in WRRO
- Rewinding the invasion history of monk parakeets in Barcelona city: 1976-2022. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation, 47(1), 101-111. View this article in WRRO
- Social associations are predicted by nest proximity but not kinship in a free-living social parrot. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 143(3). View this article in WRRO
- Cooperation and conflict in the building and maintenance of the compound nests of monk parakeets Myiopsitta monachus. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation, 47(1), 9-17. View this article in WRRO
- Nest-site selection and reproductive success of a critically endangered parrot, the Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus), in an anthropogenic landscape. Ibis, 166(2), 518-533. View this article in WRRO
- Dispersal behaviour and settlement in an invasive bird: dispersers prefer their natal habitat. Animal Behaviour, 205, 139-148. View this article in WRRO
- Links between personality, reproductive success and re‐pairing patterns in a long‐lived seabird. Ethology, 129(12), 686-700. View this article in WRRO
- Experimental variation of perceived predation risk does not affect coordination of parental care in long-tailed tits. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 77(9). View this article in WRRO
- Coordination of care is facilitated by delayed feeding and collective arrivals in the long-tailed tit. Animal Behaviour, 201, 23-44. View this article in WRRO
- Heterospecific nest material kleptoparasitism: observations of grey herons, Ardea cinerea, removing material from the nests of monk parakeets, Myiopsitta monachus. Arxius de Miscel·lània Zoològica, 21, 13-17. View this article in WRRO
- Long distance dispersal of monk parakeets. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation, 46(1), 71-78. View this article in WRRO
- Recruitment, survival and breeding success in a declining rifleman population. New Zealand Journal of Ecology, 47(1).
- Partner intrinsic characteristics influence foraging trip duration, but not coordination of care in wandering albatrosses Diomedea exulans. Ecology and Evolution, 12(12).
- Who to help? Helping decisions in a cooperatively breeding bird with redirected care. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 76(6).
- Coordination of care by breeders and helpers in the cooperatively breeding long-tailed tit. Behavioral Ecology, 33(4), 844-858. View this article in WRRO
- Individual variation explains ageing patterns in a cooperatively breeding bird, the long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus. Journal of Animal Ecology, 91(7), 1365-2656. View this article in WRRO
- Sex and age effects on monk parakeet home-range variation in the urban habitat. Diversity, 13(12).
- Fine‐scale genetic structure reflects limited and coordinated dispersal in the colonial monk parakeet, Myiopsitta monachus. Molecular Ecology, 30(6), 1531-1544. View this article in WRRO
- Mechanistic home range analysis reveals drivers of space use patterns for a non-territorial passerine. Journal of Animal Ecology, 89(12), 2763-2776. View this article in WRRO
- Incubation in a temperate passerine: do environmental conditions affect incubation period duration and hatching success?. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 8. View this article in WRRO
- Cost, risk, and avoidance of inbreeding in a cooperatively breeding bird. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(27), 15724-15730.
- Helping decisions and kin recognition in long-tailed tits : is call similarity used to direct help towards kin?. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 375(1802). View this article in WRRO
- Kith or kin? Familiarity as a cue to kinship in social birds. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 8.
- Microsatellite characterisation and sex-typing in two invasive parakeet species, the monk parakeet Myiopsitta monachus and ring-necked parakeet Psittacula krameri. Molecular Biology Reports, 47(2), 1543-1550. View this article in WRRO
- Sex-biased dispersal patterns of a social passerine: complementary approaches and evidence for a role of spatial scale. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 128(3), 592-602.
- Context-dependent strategies of food allocation among offspring in a facultative cooperative breeder. Behavioral Ecology, 30(4), 975-985. View this article in WRRO
- Individuality, kin similarity and experimental playback of contact calls in cooperatively breeding riflemen. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 46(4), 334-347. View this article in WRRO
- The reproductive capacity of Monk Parakeets Myiopsitta monachus is higher in their invasive range. Bird Study, 66(1), 136-140. View this article in WRRO
- Inclusive fitness consequences of dispersal decisions in a cooperatively breeding bird, the long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(47), 12011-12016. View this article in WRRO
- Fine‐scale genetic structure and helping decisions in a cooperatively breeding bird
. Molecular Ecology, 27(7), 1714-1726. View this article in WRRO
- Testing the predictions of sex allocation hypotheses in dimorphic, cooperatively breeding riflemen. Ecology and Evolution, 8(7), 3693-3701. View this article in WRRO
- Sex Allocation Patterns across Cooperatively Breeding Birds Do Not Support Predictions of the Repayment Hypothesis
. American Naturalist, 190(4), 547-556. View this article in WRRO
- Replication in behavioural ecology: a comment on Ihle et al.. Behavioral Ecology, 28(2), 360. View this article in WRRO
- Flexibility but no coordination of visits in provisioning riflemen. Animal Behaviour, 125, 25-31.
- Social dynamics in nonbreeding flocks of a cooperatively breeding bird: causes and consequences of kin associations. Animal Behaviour, 122, 23-35. View this article in WRRO
- Coordinated parental provisioning is related to feeding rate and reproductive success in a songbird. Behavioral Ecology, 27(2), 652-659.
- Variation in helper effort among cooperatively breeding bird species is consistent with Hamilton’s Rule. Nature Communications, 7(-), ---.
- Demographic routes to variability and regulation in bird populations. Nature Communications, 7(-), ---.
- Adult helpers increase the recruitment of closely related offspring in the cooperatively breeding rifleman. Behavioral Ecology, 27(6), 1617-1626. View this article in WRRO
- Disruptive viability selection on a black plumage trait associated with dominance. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 28(11), 2027-2041. View this article in WRRO
- Fine-scale genetic structure reflects sex-specific dispersal strategies in a population of sociable weavers (Philetairus socius).. Molecular Ecology. View this article in WRRO
- Social genetic and social environment effects on parental and helper care in a cooperatively breeding bird. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 282(1810).
- Chestnut-crowned babblers show affinity for calls of removed group members: a dual playback without expectancy violation. Animal Behaviour, 104, 51-57.
- Cooperative investment in public goods is kin directed in communal nests of social birds. Ecology Letters, 17(9), 1141-1148.
- Helping in cooperatively breeding long-tailed tits: a test of Hamilton's rule.. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 369(1642), 20130565.
- Dominance, not kinship, determines individual position within the communal roosts of a cooperatively breeding bird. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 1-11.
- Phenological indices of avian reproduction: cryptic shifts and prediction across large spatial and temporal scales. Ecology and Evolution, 3(7), 1864-1877.
- Characterisation of microsatellite loci in the rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris, Acanthisittidae, AVES) and their predicted genome locations. Conservation Genetics Resources, 5(2), 555-560.
- Maternal effects in the highly communal sociable weaver may exacerbate brood reduction and prepare offspring for a competitive social environment. Oecologia, 171(2), 379-389.
- The population increase of common guillemots Uria aalge on Skomer Island is explained by intrinsic demographic properties. Journal of Avian Biology.
- Colonisation of urban environments is associated with reduced migratory behaviour, facilitating divergence from ancestral populations. Oikos.
- Do females adjust brood sex ratio according to males' genetic structures in a gregarious passerine, the vinous-throated parrotbill Paradoxornis webbianus?. Journal of Avian Biology.
- Do parents and helpers adjust their provisioning effort in relation to nestling sex in a cooperatively breeding bird?. Animal Behaviour.
- Do parents and helpers adjust their provisioning effort in relation to nestling sex in a cooperatively breeding bird?. Animal Behaviour, 82(2), 303-309.
- Predation and kin-structured populations: An empirical perspective on the evolution of cooperation. Behavioral Ecology, 22(6), 1294-1303.
- An experimental test of the information model for negotiation of biparental care.. PLoS One, 6(5), e19684.
- Patterns of recruitment, relatedness and cooperative breeding in two populations of long-tailed tits. Animal Behaviour, 81(4), 843-849.
- Patterns of recruitment, relatedness and cooperative breeding in two populations of long-tailed tits. Animal Behaviour.
- Inclusive fitness theory and eusociality.. Nature, 471(7339), E1-E4.
- Brood sex ratio variation in a cooperatively breeding bird.. J Evol Biol, 24(4), 904-913.
- What makes an urban bird?. Global Change Biology, 17(1), 32-44.
- Corrections for "Assessing the function of house sparrows' bib size using a flexible meta-analysis method [Behav Ecol 18: 831-840]". Behavioral Ecology, 22(2), 445-446.
- No direct fitness benefits of helping in a cooperative breeder despite higher survival of helpers. BEHAV ECOL, 21(6), 1186-1194.
- A conceptual framework for the colonisation of urban areas: the blackbird Turdus merula as a case study.. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc, 85(3), 643-667.
- Kinship affects investment by helpers in a cooperatively breeding bird.. Proc Biol Sci, 277(1698), 3299-3306.
- Natal dispersal and philopatry in a group-living but noncooperative passerine bird, the vinous-throated parrotbill. Animal Behaviour, 79(5), 1017-1023.
- Consequences of 'load-lightening' for future indirect fitness gains by helpers in a cooperatively breeding bird.. J Anim Ecol, 79(3), 529-537.
- Cryptic Kin Selection: Kin Structure in Vertebrate Populations and Opportunities for Kin-Directed Cooperation. ETHOLOGY, 116(3), 203-216.
- Parental provisioning behaviour in a flock-living passerine, the Vinous-throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis webbianus. J ORNITHOL, 151(2), 483-490.
- The consequences of winter flock demography for genetic structure and inbreeding risk in vinous-throated parrotbills, Paradoxornis webbianus.. Heredity (Edinb), 104(5), 472-481.
- The evolution of cooperative breeding in birds: kinship, dispersal and life history.. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 364(1533), 3217-3227.
- Changes in the timing of egg-laying of a colonial seabird in relation to population size and environmental conditions. MAR ECOL-PROG SER, 393, 225-233.
- Characterization of 38 microsatellite loci in the European blackbird, Turdus merula (Turdidae, AVES). MOL ECOL RESOUR, 9(6), 1520-1526.
- Extrapair paternity in a flock-living passerine, the vinous-throated parrotbill Paradoxornis webbianus. J AVIAN BIOL, 40(5), 469-474.
- Independent colonization of multiple urban centres by a formerly forest specialist bird species.. Proc Biol Sci, 276(1666), 2403-2410.
- Fine-scale genetic structure and its consequence in breeding aggregations of a passerine bird.. Mol Ecol, 18(12), 2728-2739.
- Effects of urbanisation on disease prevalence and age structure in blackbird Turdus merula populations. OIKOS, 118(5), 774-782.
- Factors influencing overnight loss of body mass in the communal roosts of a social bird. FUNCT ECOL, 23(2), 367-372.
- The effect of urbanisation on avian morphology and latitudinal gradients in body size. OIKOS, 118(2), 251-259.
- Avian productivity in urban landscapes: a review and meta-analysis. IBIS, 151(1), 1-18.
- Differential selection according to the degree of cheating in a status signal.. Biol Lett, 4(6), 667-669.
- Natal dispersal and recruitment in a cooperatively breeding bird. OIKOS, 117(9), 1371-1379.
- Recruitment and survival of immature seabirds in relation to oil spills and climate variability.. J Anim Ecol, 77(5), 974-983.
- Dispersal of sibling coalitions promotes helping among immigrants in a cooperatively breeding bird.. Proc Biol Sci, 275(1647), 2125-2130.
- Characterization of 20 microsatellite loci in the long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus (Aegithalidae, AVES). MOL ECOL NOTES, 7(6), 1319-1322.
- Avian reproduction: role of ecology in the evolution of cooperative breeding.. Curr Biol, 17(19), R845-R847.
- Predictable males and unpredictable females: sex difference in repeatability of parental care in a wild bird population.. J Evol Biol, 20(5), 1674-1681.
- Historical perspectives and a focus on fitness.. Behav Processes, 76(2), 73-74.
- Does the badge of status influence parental care and investment in house sparrows? An experimental test.. Oecologia, 153(3), 749-760.
- Social organization of co-operatively breeding Long-tailed Tits Aegithalos caudatus: flock composition and kinship. IBIS, 149(1), 170-174.
- Kin selection, constraints, and the evolution of cooperative breeding in long-tailed tits. ADV STUD BEHAV, 36, 355-395.
- Competing for position in the communal roosts of long-tailed tits. ANIM BEHAV, 72, 1035-1043.
- Kin selection and recognition mechanisms in avian societies. J ORNITHOL, 147(5), 8-9.
- Development of family specific contact calls in the Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus. IBIS, 148(4), 649-656.
- Debating sexual selection and mating strategies.. Science, 312(5774), 689-697.
- Debating sexual selection and mating strategies [2]. Science, 312(5774), 689-690.
- Debating sexual selection and mating strategies.. Science, 312(5774), 689-697.
- Oil pollution and climate have wide-scale impacts on seabird demographics. ECOL LETT, 8(11), 1157-1164.
- Trends in the use of private gardens by wild birds in Great Britain 1995-2002. J APPL ECOL, 42(4), 659-671.
- Learned kin recognition cues in a social bird.. Nature, 434(7037), 1127-1130.
- Individuality in the contact calls of cooperatively breeding long-tailed tits (Aegithalos caudatus). BEHAVIOUR, 142, 1559-1575.
- Determinants of lifetime fitness in a cooperative breeder, the long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus. J ANIM ECOL, 73(6), 1137-1148.
- The structure and function of nests of Long-Tailed Tits Aegithalos caudatus. FUNCT ECOL, 18(4), 578-583.
- Helpers increase long-term but not short-term productivity in cooperatively breeding long-tailed tits. BEHAV ECOL, 15(1), 1-10.
- Heritability of parental effort in a passerine bird.. Evolution, 57(9), 2191-2195.
- HERITABILITY OF PARENTAL EFFORT IN A PASSERINE BIRD. Evolution, 57(9), 2191-2191.
- The effect of helping behaviour on the survival of juvenile and adult long-tailed tits Aegithalos caudatus. J ANIM ECOL, 72(3), 491-499.
- Sharing of caring: nestling provisioning behaviour of long-tailed tit, Aegithalos caudatus, parents and helpers. ANIM BEHAV, 66, 955-964.
- Parentage in the cooperative breeding system of long-tailed tits, Aegithalos caudatus. ANIM BEHAV, 64, 55-63.
- Temporal variation in fitness payoffs promotes cooperative breeding in long-tailed tits Aegithalos caudatus.. Am Nat, 160(2), 186-194.
- The haematozoan parasites of Common Blackbirds Turdus merula: associations with host condition. IBIS, 143(3), 420-426.
- Social organization of cooperatively breeding long-tailed tits: kinship and spatial dynamics. J ANIM ECOL, 70(5), 820-830.
- Experimental evidence for kin-biased helping in a cooperatively breeding vertebrate.. Proc Biol Sci, 268(1481), 2169-2174.
- Kin discrimination in cooperatively breeding long-tailed tits.. Proc Biol Sci, 268(1470), 885-890.
- Extra-Pair Paternity in the Common Murre. The Condor, 103(1), 158-162.
- Extra-pair paternity in the Common Murre. CONDOR, 103(1), 158-162.
- Divorce in cooperatively breeding long-tailed tits: a consequence of inbreeding avoidance?. Proc Biol Sci, 267(1445), 813-819.
- The prevalence and ecology of the haematozoan parasites of European blackbirds, Turdus merula. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 78(4), 684-687.
- The prevalence and ecology of the haematozoan parasites of European blackbirds, Turdus merula. CAN J ZOOL, 78(4), 684-687.
- Ecological constraints, life history traits and the evolution of cooperative breeding.. Anim Behav, 59(6), 1079-1086.
- Importance of feeding ecology to the reproductive success of Blackbirds Turdus merula nesting in rural habitats. IBIS, 141(3), 415-427.
- Reply from J. Komdeur and B.J. Hatchwell.. Trends Ecol Evol, 14(11), 448.
- Kin recognition: function and mechanism in avian societies.. Trends Ecol Evol, 14(6), 237-241.
- Still having trouble with relatives [1] (multiple letters). Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 14(11), 448.
- Investment strategies of breeders in avian cooperative breeding systems. AM NAT, 154(2), 205-219.
- Incubation behavior of Long-tailed Tits: Why do males provision incubating females?. CONDOR, 101(3), 681-686.
- Reproductive success and nest-site selection in a cooperative breeder: Effect of experience and a direct benefit of helping. AUK, 116(2), 355-363.
- The reproductive success of blackbirds Turdus merula in relation to habitat structure and choice of nest site. IBIS, 138(2), 256-262.
- Provisioning rules in cooperatively breeding long-tailed tits Aegithalos caudatus: An experimental study. P ROY SOC LOND B BIO, 263(1366), 83-88.
- Female song attracts males in the alpine accentor Prunella collaris. P ROY SOC LOND B BIO, 263(1367), 141-146.
- The demography of blackbirds Turdus merula in rural habitats: Is farmland a sub-optimal habitat?. J APPL ECOL, 33(5), 1114-1124.
- Female control of copulations to maximize male help: A comparison of polygynandrous alpine accentors, Prunella collaris, and dunnocks, P-modularis. ANIM BEHAV, 51, 27-47.
- Spaced out nests and predators: An experiment to test the effects of habitat structure. J AVIAN BIOL, 26(4), 346-349.
- THE POLYGYNANDROUS MATING SYSTEM OF THE ALPINE ACCENTOR, PRUNELLA-COLLARIS .1. ECOLOGICAL CAUSES AND REPRODUCTIVE CONFLICTS. ANIM BEHAV, 49(3), 769-788.
- THE POLYGYNANDROUS MATING SYSTEM OF THE ALPINE ACCENTOR, PRUNELLA-COLLARIS .2. MULTIPLE PATERNITY AND PARENTAL EFFORT. ANIM BEHAV, 49(3), 789-803.
- NEW SLANTS ON ORNAMENT ASYMMETRY. P ROY SOC LOND B BIO, 251(1332), 171-177.
- An experimental study of mating competition in monogamous and polyandrous dunnocks, : I. Mate guarding and copulations. Animal Behaviour, 43, 595-609.
- AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY OF MALE ADORNMENT IN THE SCARLET-TUFTED MALACHITE SUNBIRD .2. THE ROLE OF THE ELONGATED TAIL IN MATE CHOICE AND EXPERIMENTAL-EVIDENCE FOR A HANDICAP. BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 29(6), 421-427.
- AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY OF MALE ADORNMENT IN THE SCARLET-TUFTED MALACHITE SUNBIRD .1. THE ROLE OF PECTORAL TUFTS IN TERRITORIAL DEFENSE. BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 29(6), 413-419.
- THE VALUE OF MALE PARENTAL CARE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON REPRODUCTIVE ALLOCATION BY MALE AND FEMALE DUNNOCKS. J ANIM ECOL, 61(2), 259-272.
- AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY OF MATING COMPETITION IN MONOGAMOUS AND POLYANDROUS DUNNOCKS, PRUNELLA-MODULARIS .1. MATE GUARDING AND COPULATIONS. ANIM BEHAV, 43(4), 595-609.
- AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY OF MATING COMPETITION IN MONOGAMOUS AND POLYANDROUS DUNNOCKS, PRUNELLA-MODULARIS .2. INFLUENCE OF REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT EXPERIMENTS ON MATING SYSTEMS. ANIM BEHAV, 43(4), 611-622.
- PATERNITY AND PARENTAL EFFORT IN DUNNOCKS PRUNELLA-MODULARIS - HOW GOOD ARE MALE CHICK-FEEDING RULES. ANIM BEHAV, 43(5), 729-745.
- RECOGNITION OF INDIVIDUAL MALES SONGS BY FEMALE DUNNOCKS - A MECHANISM INCREASING THE NUMBER OF COPULATORY PARTNERS AND REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS. ETHOLOGY, 88(2), 145-153.
- SPERM COMPETITION AND THE REPRODUCTIVE-ORGANS OF THE MALE AND FEMALE DUNNOCK PRUNELLA-MODULARIS. IBIS, 133(3), 306-311.
- THE FEEDING ECOLOGY OF YOUNG GUILLEMOTS URIA-AALGE ON SKOMER ISLAND, WALES. IBIS, 133(2), 153-161.
- AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF TIMING OF BREEDING ON THE REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS OF COMMON GUILLEMOTS (URIA-AALGE). J ANIM ECOL, 60(3), 721-736.
- POPULATION-DYNAMICS OF COMMON GUILLEMOTS URIA-AALGE ON SKOMER ISLAND, WALES. ORNIS SCAND, 22(1), 55-59.
- INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION IN EGG COMPOSITION AND YOLK FORMATION IN THE COMMON GUILLEMOT (URIA-AALGE). J ZOOL, 220, 279-286.
- PROVISIONING OF NESTLINGS BY DUNNOCKS, PRUNELLA-MODULARIS, IN PAIRS AND TRIOS - COMPENSATION REACTIONS BY MALES AND FEMALES. BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL, 27(3), 199-209.
- PARENTAL CARE AND MATING-BEHAVIOR OF POLYANDROUS DUNNOCKS PRUNELLA-MODULARIS RELATED TO PATERNITY BY DNA FINGERPRINTING. NATURE, 338(6212), 249-251.
- INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION IN EXTRA-PAIR COPULATION AND MATE DEFENSE IN COMMON GUILLEMOTS URIA AALGE. BEHAVIOUR, 107, 157-185.
- Assessing the function of house sparrows' bib size using a flexible meta-analysis method. Behavioral Ecology, 18(5), 831-840.
Book chapters
- Sociality in Birds, Comparative Social Evolution (pp. 320-353). Cambridge University Press
- Long-tailed tits: Ecological causes and fitness consequences of redirected helping, Cooperative Breeding in Vertebrates (pp. 39-57). Cambridge University Press
- Kin-Recognition Mechanisms in Cooperative Breeding Systems: Ecological Causes and Behavioral Consequences of Variation, Ecology of Social Evolution (pp. 175-193). Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Delayed dispersal, Ecology and Evolution of Cooperative Breeding in Birds (pp. 35-47). Cambridge University Press
- Fitness consequences of helping, Ecology and Evolution of Cooperative Breeding in Birds (pp. 48-66). Cambridge University Press
Conference proceedings
- Their genes are your environment: Social genetics of breeding behavior in birds. BEHAVIOR GENETICS, Vol. 43(6) (pp 505-505)
Preprints
- Mechanistic home range analysis reveals drivers of space use patterns for a non-territorial passerine. Journal of Animal Ecology, 89(12), 2763-2776. View this article in WRRO
- Research group
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Dr Alexandra Jebb de Calais
UKRI-funded Post-doctoral Research Associate (2023-2027). Constraints on adaptation in social animals: kin recognition mechanisms and the fitness consequences of discrimination rules. PI - BJH.
Dr Jennifer Morinay
UKRI-funded Post-doctoral Research Associate (2023-2027). Constraints on adaptation in social animals: kin recognition mechanisms and the fitness consequences of discrimination rules. PI - BJH.
Sarah Biddiscombe
UKRI-funded Technician (2022-2027). Constraints on adaptation in social animals: kin recognition mechanisms and the fitness consequences of discrimination rules. PI - BJH.
Dr Mickaël Jacquier
UKRI-funded Technician (2023-2027). Constraints on adaptation in social animals: kin recognition mechanisms and the fitness consequences of discrimination rules. PI - BJH.
Luke Nelson
UKRI-funded Technician (2023-2027). Constraints on adaptation in social animals: kin recognition mechanisms and the fitness consequences of discrimination rules. PI - BJH.
Tom Lewis
UKRI-funded Research Assistant (2023). Constraints on adaptation in social animals: kin recognition mechanisms and the fitness consequences of discrimination rules. PI - BJH.
Chay Halliwell
NERC-funded ACCE2 PhD student (2019-2023). Cooperation, conflict and the coordination of care in a social bird. Lead supervisor - BJH, co-supervisors - Dr Sam Patrick (University of Liverpool) and Dr Andrew Beckerman.
Fionnuala McCully
NERC-funded ACCE2 PhD student (2019-2023). How do Arctic seabirds coordinate care in a changing climate? Lead supervisor – Dr Sam Patrick (University of Liverpool), co-supervisor - BJH.
Natalia Borray
Independently funded PhD student (2022-2025). Population genetic structure and contemporary evolution in monk parakeets. Lead supervisor – Dr Juan Carlos Senar (Natural Sciences Museum of Barcelona; University of Barcelona), co-supervisor - BJH.
Joey Baxter
UKRI-funded PhD student (2023-2027). Are olfactory cues used to recognise kin in social birds? Lead-supervisor – BJH, co-supervisor – Dr Chris Cooney.
- Teaching activities
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I have been fascinated by natural history since I was young and becoming a behavioural ecologist was a natural progression from that early obsession. In common with my colleagues in Biosciences, my teaching is research-led, with the ambition of communicating my enthusiasm and knowledge about animal behaviour to students.
At Level 2, I teach on a field course in southern France, including guided exercises and independent project work in a stunning Mediterranean landscape. At Level 3, I coordinate Cooperation & Conflict (APS357, 10 credits), and I also run and/or teach on field courses to Portugal and Borneo (APS356, 20 credits). The aim of APS357 is to demonstrate how theory provides the framework that allows us to make sense of the extraordinarily diverse social behaviour that exists in the natural world, including our own behaviour. Field courses are highlights of the teaching year because of the quality of the projects conducted by students, and more importantly, because the opportunity to engage in research offered by such courses is often a critical moment in students’ development as scientists. At Level 4, I usually supervise two MBiolSci students per year. They are embedded within my research group, working alongside my PhD students, post-docs and other researchers on novel questions relating to some aspect of the behaviour and ecology of birds, involving field observations, experiments and analysis of long-term data. I also supervise MRes students in their research projects, typically one student per year.
- Professional activities and memberships
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- International Society for Behavioral Ecology: President-elect (2014-2016), President (2016-2018) and Past-President (2018-2020)
- External examiner: MSc in Applied Ecology, University of Exeter (Falmouth)
- Editor: Behavioral Ecology (2010-2013)
- Editor: Animal Behaviour (2005-2008)
- Member of Council: Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (2006-2009)
- Member of Council: British Ornithologists’ Union (1999-2003)
- Leverhulme Research Fellowship (2008-2009)