I am interested in exploring what drives the variation we see in phenology between individuals across small scales. My DPhil project looks at the social, spatial and environmental drivers of the seasonal timing of reproduction in great tits (Parus major) using the long-term Wytham Tits dataset.
Previously, I have carried out research into the effects of the changing climate on the timing of reproduction at the population-level and across species. Now I want to study this at a smaller scale, considering how an individual’s genetics, environment and social interactions influence their phenology and therefore the variation we see in phenology across a population. This approach will also help to better understand the consequences of responses of seasonal behaviours to environmental change.
