Hannah Coburn
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Email
hc23266@essex.ac.uk -
Location
Colchester Campus
Profile
- Ornithology
- Movement ecology
- Population modelling
Biography
I graduated in 2022 with a BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences (Ecology) at the University of Edinburgh. In my honours project I investigated the intrinsic protection offered by colour polymorphism and how this can vary with predator species, working with wild corvids as a model system. I have a range of ornithological fieldwork experience from my time working for an ecological consultancy and volunteering for organisations such as the BTO, RSPB and bird observatories. I am currently a PhD student at Essex, studying the population and movement ecology of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). I am using a combination of fieldwork and analysis of existing datasets to explore how their migratory behaviour has changed and to better understand what drives their population dynamics.
Qualifications
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BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences (Ecology) University of Edinburgh (2022)
Research and professional activities
Thesis
Improving understanding of mallard productivity, survival and movement in a changing world
Despite being a ubiquitous feature of UK wetlands, we still have many gaps in our knowledge of mallard ecology. The UK’s winter mallard population has declined over the past 30 years and we have a poor understanding of the breeding population status. Drivers of this decline are unclear but could include shifts in migratory behaviour induced by climate change. Contemporary, UK-specific estimates of demographic rates are needed to improve understanding of mallard population dynamics and more work
Supervisor: Prof Tom Cameron
