Cannelle is a PhD student at the University of Sussex, specialising in ecotoxicology and conservation ecology. Her current studies focus on the impact of pesticides on wild birds, with both an agricultural and garden approach. She started by looking at which pesticides were applied on UK farmland and in which quantities to estimate the potential toxicological risk of exposure to birds. She later examined the exposure of farmland birds to pesticide via their consumption of pesticide-coated seeds following drilling of crops using camera traps. And recently she has been investigating whether the use of pesticides in private gardens influences bird abundance and richness. Her future research will include looking at garden insects population and how it might influence garden bird population in relation to pesticide application.

Hugh's background lies strongly in ecology and especially ornithology, having been involved in bird research most of his life. His undergraduate degree dissertation focused on Redshank winter foraging ranging behaviour and his postgraduate dissertation looked at survival in tropical rainforest birds in Trinidad. Hugh has been a birdwatcher since he was very young and a BTO bird ringer for more than 10 years, ringing over 20,000 birds of over 350 species in 9 countries across 4 continents. He has been involved in various UK-based projects, including reed bed Constant Effort Site (CES) ringing, island seabird ringing, autumn coastal migration monitoring and winter garden ringing. With his father, Hugh helped set up a large scale long-term Barn Owl box monitoring scheme that is active across his home county of Northumberland. He now works for the BTO as a research ecologist that specializes in urban birds.

Previous post-doctoral research has included examining the factors influencing the breeding success of lapwing on arable and wet grassland and looking at the impact of pheasant release on woodland ground flora and woodland ride habitats. Her PhD project, which was funded by SongBird Survival and the University of Exeter in association with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, looked at the breeding, ranging and foraging behaviour of rural magpies and their effect on songbird productivity.

She has recently achieved her full doctorate for her work on this study. Martina adds her new qualification to her BSc Biological Sciences from the University of Perugia and MSc Evolution of Animal and Human Behaviour from the University of Turin. Previously she has worked as a fieldworker with Ornis Italica, a not-for-profit association of independent researchers based in Rome. Here she studied the effect of free-roaming cats on shearwaters on Linosa Island, in collaboration with University of Palermo. She also worked as a radar specialist for raptor migration on the Strait of Messina. Martina’s research interests include wildlife conservation, animal welfare and the impacts of invasive species on island endemics. She has now returned to live in Italy with her beloved cat, Menni. This makes Martina the 3rd Doctor SBS has funded with your help – further advancing the education and science of birds and the factors which affect them.

"I'm enthusiastic and love wildlife, but it wasn’t until I took an ecology and conservation module during university that I realised the alternative possibilities of how I could follow this passion. My degrees and volunteering opportunities helped me understand how I can make a difference to the environment, which is why I chose to pursue a PhD. My project is funded by SongBird Survival and the University of Sussex and focuses on the impacts of pesticides on birds which are vital to ecosystem functionality. Pesticides play a large role in the British agricultural landscape, yet it remains unknown the effects these have on birds; their behaviour, population and survival. This project is important to me because wildlife and the outdoors bring me and countless others joy. I am always amazed by birds – from the physiology and behaviour to birdsong. Protecting them has become important to who I am, and this project provides the opportunity to make a change and conserving our beloved birds. During lockdown, many people have ventured outdoors or appreciated hearing birdsong. Something that has always bought a smile to my face, has bought happiness to many across the world during these difficult times. I hope that if this pandemic has taught us anything, it is the importance of wildlife to our existence.”

The research group uses a broad range of approaches, from genetic studies (of inbreeding, population structure, and as a means of estimating nest density) to behavioural assays to large-scale field trials.

He is also a member of the Environment and Sustainability Institute. His research interests lie in mammal ecology and small carnivores in particular, having previously studied the biology of the weasel family. His current projects are looking at the ecology and management of invasive, non-native species, ecological and social aspects of wildlife management and understanding human conflicts over wildlife. His research has also focused on the science, policy and practical implications of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in badgers, and the impacts and management of invasive species. He hopes to develop a programme of applied, interdisciplinary work that will help Cornwall, the South West, and the UK develop in a sustainable way.

She specialises in understanding the social dimensions of managing introduced and invasive species. Her PhD research focused on the management of monk parakeets in southeast England, Eurasian beavers in Devon and grey squirrels nationwide. Sarah has a background in animal behaviour and anthrozoology – the interdisciplinary study of human-animal interactions. Her research interests include environmental conflict, human-animal interactions and introduced and invasive species management and policy. She is keen to continue conducting and promoting applied, interdisciplinary research into complex socioecological problems.