Over the years we have been particularly interested in the social organization of animal societies, specifically in animal movements (automatized radiotracking) in relation to long distance signalling and territorial behaviour. We have applied this previously to nightingales and great tits and currently to white-browed sparrow weavers (in South Africa with Andy Young, University Exeter) and plan to expand this on zebra finches in the wild (With Simon Griffith, Macquarie University Sydney) using novel solar-powered automatized tracking technologies.
Moreover we recently started a large interdisciplinary project (Eco2) on human-wildlife interactions and conservation behaviour.
Students, feel free to contact me for thesis opportunities within the research lines (also see projects below) or if you have other ideas for a thesis project.
For specifics see links below.
Short CV
Since 2011 Chair of Behavioural Ecology Group. From 2008 to 2011 senior researcher at the Department of Animal Ecology at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). In 2010 and 2016 visiting professor at the Université Paris Ouest Nanterre, France. Previous positions: 2000-2008 Department of Animal Behaviour, University Bielefeld, Germany, promoted to the rank of professor in 2007. From 1995 to 1999 research associate in Animal Behaviour at the Freie Universität Berlin. Studied biology at the Freie Universität Berlin in Germany (1984-1991 Diplom in Biology; group Prof. Dietmar Todt) and from 1992-1995 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA (PhD in 1995, group Prof. R. Haven Wiley).
Since 2020 president of the Netherlands Society for Behavioural Biology (NVG). Previously, council member (2004-2010) of the Association of the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) and Secretary of the Ethologische Gesellschaft (2007-2010). Currently is editor of journal Behavioral Ecology and is Executive Editor of Advances in Study of Behaviour.