PhD opportunity: Unravelling the ontogeny of bird migratory behaviour in a changing world
Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon
Passionate about bird migration and movement ecology? We are looking for a motivated candidate interested in applying for a FCT grant (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) to carry out a 4-year PhD focusing on the ontogeny of migratory behaviour (with black or white storks). The candidate will be based in Portugal at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon. Fieldwork (GPS tagging, nest monitoring, etc) can be carried out depending on the candidate interests. We are aiming to find someone with good analytical skills (particularly in R) and with at least one published paper (to increase the chances of getting a scholarship). Given the specificity of the call, we are looking for students that have obtained their degrees from European universities.
To express your interest, please send your CV (including your 1st degree and Master grades) and a short motivation letter to inescatry@gmail.com.
Supervisors
Inês Catry (https://www.ce3c.pt/research/research-groups/ecology-and-conservation-across- scales/behavioural-ecology-and-conservation/ines-catry)
Aldina Franco (https://research-portal.uea.ac.uk/en/persons/aldina-franco).
Marta Acácio (https://www.cibio.up.pt/en/people/details/marta-acacio/)
Information about our research can be further found at http://whitestork.org/
Relevant information on FCT grant application
Information on FCT grants from last year can be found at: https://www.fct.pt/en/concursos/concurso-bolsas-de-doutoramento-2025-linha-de- candidatura-geral
Project description
Anthropogenic changes are shifting the migration patterns of birds worldwide: species are changing the migration timings, shortening and diversifying migratory routes, or even completely disrupting migration and transitioning towards residency. While human induced environmental changes are known to have contributed to the observed changes in migratory behaviour, the mechanisms by which species adapt to these changes remain largely unknown.
The white (Ciconia ciconia) and black (Ciconia nigra) storks are a long-lived species and iconic symbols for long-distance migrations. Previous research by our team revealed that both species are changing their migratory habits. Thus, the current proposal aims to study the ontogeny of migratory behaviour to unravel the physiological, ecological, and evolutionary mechanisms behind the shifts in migratory decisions, as well as explore the carryover effects of different migratory strategies at the individual and population-level.
This PhD project will capitalise on a long-term GPS-tracking study of white and black storks (> 400 GPS devices combined with 3D-accelerometers deployed, http://whitestork.org/) and will focus on: (i) disentangle the role of early-life physiological and health constraints on first-year migratory decisions, (ii) evaluate the influence of ontogenetic individual experience in subsequent migratory decisions and (iii) investigate life-long time fitness and demographic consequences of different migratory strategies.
Overall, we will be able to increase the knowledge on the extent to which migrants can cope with current rates of environmental change, both in the short term and across generations.