Research - adamseward.co.uk

RESEARCH

Climate change is one of the most important ecological issues of our time, and yet we still know little about what the effects will be on animal populations, or about the mechanisms that may underlie these effects. Long-distance migrant birds may be particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change because their survival and reproduction depends on environmental conditions in widely-spaced locations.

To address this issue, In 2007 Adam Seward began his PhD at Cardiff University, supervised by Dr Rob Thomas, Dr Hefin Jones (both Cardiff) and Dr Colin Beale (Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen). This research project is investigating the impacts of climate change on the northern wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, a passerine bird that undergoes the longest known migration of any other.

Adam is simulating a climate-driven effect on food abundance by providing wild wheatears with supplementary food while observing their behaviour and monitoring weights, breeding success and annual survival. An equal number of birds without extra food are also being monitored for control. The birds are being studied at both a breeding site in Europe - Fair Isle - and their wintering grounds in West Africa.

MONITORING WEIGHTS OF WILD BIRDS
Once the wheatears have been caught and fitted with both BTO and colour rings (for field identification), it would be almost impossible to catch them again that year. To follow the weights of birds over the course of a breeding season and then during the migratory fuelling period, Adam is using a remote weighing set-up, as has been used by Rob in other projects. This consists of an electronic balance, a dish of mealworms and a video camera.


	Above: Colour-ringed male wheatear and balance with dish of mealworms.

	Left: Male wheatear weighing himself on a balance.
	Right: It doesn't always go to plan. A wheatear looks on while a starling ruins the weighing set up.The dishes are now fixed to the balances with blu-tak!