It is estimated that up to 100,000 birds are killed each year by strikes with wind turbines in the UK alone. In the USA, some estimate this figure at over one million. Why is it that some avian species - with their supposedly superior bird's eye vision - can spot their small, camouflaged, ground-dwelling prey from up to five miles away, yet they fail to see the looming edifice that's right in front of them? This question is what underpins my main line of research. The methods I employ aim to paint a detailed picture of the physiology of birds and the decisions they make in the air that influence their flight trajectory. My methods include measuring birds' visual fields, phylogenetic analyses and flight experiments. These approaches and the knowledge they provide are necessary to developing the technical advancements that will hopefully see reductions in the number of anthropogenic mortalities that avian populations suffer every year.
Previously, my work has also focused on the sensory ecology of species. Specifically, how aposematic species can communicate with colour to bolster their survival prospects and how predators go about learning to avoid attacking distasteful or even lethally-toxic prey.
