Publications

characterization of mhc class i in a long distance migratory wader, the icelandic black-tailed godwit.	the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) encodes proteins that are central for antigen presentation and pathogen elimination. mhc class i (mhc-i) genes have attracted a great deal of interest among researchers in ecology and evolution and have been partly characterized in a wide range of bird species. so far, the main focus has been on species within the bird orders galliformes and passeriformes, while charadriiformes remain vastly underrepresented with only two species studied to date. these ...	2017	28534224
sex-biases in distribution and resource use at different spatial scales in a migratory shorebird.	in migratory species, sexual size dimorphism can mean differing energetic requirements for males and females. differences in the costs of migration and in the environmental conditions occurring throughout the range may therefore result in sex-biases in distribution and resource use at different spatial scales. in order to identify the scale at which sexual segregation operates, and thus the scale at which environmental changes may have sex-biased impacts, we use range-wide tracking of individual ...	2013	23610645
rapid changes in phenotype distribution during range expansion in a migratory bird.	the capacity of species to track changing environmental conditions is a key component of population and range changes in response to environmental change. high levels of local adaptation may constrain expansion into new locations, while the relative fitness of dispersing individuals will influence subsequent population growth. however, opportunities to explore such processes are rare, particularly at scales relevant to species-based conservation strategies. icelandic black-tailed godwits, limosa ...	2012	21715406
population-scale drivers of individual arrival times in migratory birds.	1. in migratory species, early arrival on the breeding grounds can often enhance breeding success. timing of spring migration is therefore a key process that is likely to be influenced both by factors specific to individuals, such as the quality of winter and breeding locations and the distance between them, and by annual variation in weather conditions before and during migration. 2. the icelandic black-tailed godwit limosa limosa islandica population is currently increasing and, throughout ice ...	2006	16922847
seasonal matching of habitat quality and fitness in a migratory bird.	when species occupy habitats that vary in quality, choice of habitat can be critical in determining individual fitness. in most migratory species, juveniles migrate independently of their parents and must therefore choose both breeding and winter habitats. using a unique dataset of marked black-tailed godwits (limosa limosa islandica) tracked throughout their migratory range, combined with analyses of stable carbon isotope ratios, we show that those individuals that occupy higher quality breedin ...	2005	16191646
pair bonds: arrival synchrony in migratory birds.	synchronous arrival of pairs of migratory birds at their breeding grounds is important for maintaining pair bonds and is achieved by pairs that remain together all year round. here we show that arrival is also synchronized in paired individuals of a migratory shorebird, the black-tailed godwit (limosa limosa islandica), even though they winter hundreds of kilometres apart and do not migrate together. the mechanisms required to achieve this synchrony and prevent 'divorce' illustrate the complexit ...	2004	15470417
the buffer effect and large-scale population regulation in migratory birds.	buffer effects occur when sites vary in quality and fluctuations in population size are mirrored by large changes in animal numbers in poor-quality sites but only small changes in good-quality sites. hence, the poor sites 'buffer' the good sites, a mechanism that can potentially drive population regulation if there are demographic costs of inhabiting poor sites. here we show that for a migratory bird this process can apply on a country-wide scale with consequences for both survival and timing of ...	2001	11473317
depletion models can predict shorebird distribution at different spatial scales.	predicting the impact of habitat change on populations requires an understanding of the number of animals that a given area can support. depletion models enable predictions of the numbers of individuals an area can support from prey density and predator searching efficiency and handling time. depletion models have been successfully employed to predict patterns of abundance over small spatial scales, but most environmental change occurs over large spatial scales. we test the ability of depletion ...	2001	11270433