Lab of Animal Ecology
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Research

​The research of the Lab of Animal Ecology covers a range of subjects in whole organism biology, but focuses on evolutionary ecology, which is concerned with the ways organisms respond adaptively to changes in their social, ecological, and physical environment.

The Lab also has strong, parallel interests in conservation and climate change biology, and particularly in the impacts of extreme weather and climate events on biodiversity.
Conservation and climate change:
  • ​Threatened species biology – ecology and conservation of threatened birds and bats, including remote-island endemics
  • ​Animal remote sensing – use of emerging technologies (drone, radar & satellite remote sensing; acoustic monitoring) to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of animal populations and animal behaviour
  • Extreme events – the impacts of extreme climate and weather events on biodiversity (particularly flying-foxes)
  • Conservation planning – identifying species and areas vulnerable to environmental change to facilitate the management of wildlife and wildlife habitat​
Evolutionary ecology:
  • Animal signalling – the functional significance of animal communication (particularly mimicry)
  • Movement - proximate causes and ultimate consequences of animal movement across scales
  • Life-history - drivers of patterns of investment in survival and reproduction
  • Social organisation – the ecological and evolutionary interactions within species: social aggregations, mating systems, and family dynamics
  • ​Coevolution – the ecological and evolutionary interactions between species: brood parasite-host dynamics and adaptive portfolios

Recent projects & grants

Vocal mimicry in songbirds
Chief investigators: Prof Justin Welbergen; Dr Anastasia Dalziell; Prof Rob Magrath 
Partner investigators: Assoc Prof Jo Madden; Dr Karan Odom
Collaborators:  Prof Naomi Langmore, Dr Fiona Backhouse
Funding Body: ARC Discovery Project (DP240102490)
Period: 2024-2028

Many of the world’s largest clade of birds - the songbirds - incorporate vocal mimicry in their songs, but while scientific interest in vocal mimicry dates from Aristotle, limited progress has been made. With our unique research program we aim to provide an empirically based, theoretically informed understanding of avian vocal mimicry. In an important advance, we will examine both sexes to test long-held male-centric assumptions about evolutionary origins and maintenance of this trait. Crucially, we focus on lineages found only in Australia and PNG, where songbirds originated, to develop a robust scientific understanding of vocal mimicry across the entire songbird clade, and so provide an important new perspective on why and how song began.​

Animal cultures and anthropogenic change
Chief investigator: Dr Anastasia Dalziell
Collaborator: Prof Justin Welbergen
Funding Body: ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA; DE240101131)
Period: 2024-2028

This project aims to investigate the impacts of anthropogenic change on the elaborate song cultures of declining Australian songbirds. Culture is fundamental to the biology of social animals, and has profound implications for biodiversity conservation; however, the drivers of animal cultural change are unclear. This project will analyse how lyrebird song cultures respond to anthropogenic environmental change, including Australia’s 2019-20 megafires. Furthermore, it will assess the mechanisms linking environmental and cultural change, and examine the utility of vocal cultures as bioindicators of ecological health. This project will advance fundamental research in animal culture and enhance the conservation of cultural diversity in the wild.​

The Macroderma initiative: conserving ghost bats and informing development
Chief investigators: Professor Sam Banks; Dr Kyle Armstrong; Prof Justin Welbergen
Postdoc: Dr Nicola Hanrahan
Partner Investigators: Dr Laura Ruykys; Ms Brydie Hill; Dr Kym Ottewell; Mr John Augusteyn; Dr Tamara Keeley; Dr Luke Lloyd-Jones; Dr Luke Einoder; Professor Emma Teeling; Professor Gerald Wilkinson; Ms Emer McGowan
Funding Body: ARC Linkage (LP230100171)
Period: 2024-2028

This project aims to improve methods for capturing biological information required for environmental assessments of highly mobile species and enable strategic environmental planning in Northern Australia. Using Australia’s iconic ghost bat as a focus, the project will test and apply emerging technologies to obtain key information on a species’ population status and its critical resources to inform assessments of ecological impacts of industry development. Important benefits of the project include information and tools for streamlining development approvals and accurately assessing risks to threatened species to improve outcomes for both our economy and our natural environment.

Ecology and conservation of the Christmas Island goshawk and hawk-owl
Chief investigators: Prof Justin Welbergen, A/Prof Rohan Clarke, Dr Nicholas Macgregor
Co-investigators/partner investigators: Professor Matt Hayward, Dr Darren Southwell, Dr Andrea Griffin, Dr Erik Doerr, Dr Jess Williams, Alexia Jankowski, Mark Holdsworth, Nick Mooney
Funding Body: NESP Resilient Landscapes Hub (Project 3.21)
Period: 2024-2027
​
Improving conservation management outcomes for flying-foxes (Pteropus spp.)
​Chief Investigators: Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Jessica Meade, A/Prof Chris Turbill, Prof Matthias Boer, Dr John Martin
Funding Body: Regional Bushfire Recovery for Multiregional Species and Strategic Projects Program
Period: 2021-2024

The impacts of extreme temperature events on Australian flying-foxes: examining heat-related wildlife die-offs in a warming world
​Chief Investigator: Prof Justin Welbergen
Co-investigators: A/Prof Chris Turbill, Dr Jessica Meade, Dr John Martin, Prof Michael Kearney
Funding Body: The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment; NSW Department of Planning and Environment; various
Period: Ongoing

Vulnerability of Australian bats to white-nose syndrome
​Chief Investigators: A/Prof Christopher Turbill, Dr John Martin, Dr Lindy Lumsden, Prof Fritz Geiser, Dr Jasmin Hufschmid, ​Prof Craig Willis & Prof Justin Welbergen​
Postdoc: Dr Nicholas Wu
Funding Body: ARC Linkage (LP200100331)
Period: 2020-2025

Tempo and modes of cultural evolution in the complex display of the superb lyrebird
Chief Investigators: Prof Irby Lovette, Dr Aaron Rice, Prof Mike Webster, Dr Anastasia Dalziell, Prof Justin Welbergen
​
Postdoc: Dr Fiona Backhouse
Funding Body: National Science Foundation Grant (USA)
Period: 2018-2024

Movement ecology of flying-foxes - integrating mechanisms and patterns across multiple spatiotemporal scales
Chief Investigators: Prof Justin Welbergen & A/Prof Christopher Turbill
Partner Investigator: Dr David Westcott
Named PDRA: Dr Jessica Meade
Funding Body: ARC DISCOVERY (DP170104272)
Period: 2017-2023

Saving the Christmas Island flying-fox – a species in critical decline
Chief Investigators: Prof Justin Welbergen, Dr Karrie Rose, Dr John Martin, Prof David Phalen & Dr David Westcott
Partner/Funding Body: Taronga Conservation Society
​Period: 2017-2023

Resolving human-flying fox conflict in the face of environmental change
Chief Investigators: Prof Brendan Wintle, Dr Kathryn Williams & A/Prof Justin A. Welbergen
Partner Investigators: Dr Dave Kendal, A/Prof Rodney van der Ree & Dr David Westcott
​Named PDRA: Dr Pia Lentini
​Funding Body: ARC LINKAGE (LP160100439)
Period: 2017-2020

European red fox ecology and species interactions along an urban landuse gradient in Australia
Chief Investigator: Dr Justin A. Welbergen
Co-investigator: Dr John Martin
Partner: Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney
Funding Body: Sydney Coastal Councils Group
Period: 2016-2020​

Global climate change and the impacts of temperature extremes on terrestrial biodiversity
Chief Investigators: Dr Justin A. Welbergen, Dr Luke Shoo, Dr Jeremy VanDerWal & Prof Stephen Williams​
Funding Body: ARC DISCOVERY (DP110104186)
Period: 2011-2014

Climate change and the impacts of extreme climatic events on Australia's Wet Tropics biodiversity
Chief Investigator: Dr Justin A. Welbergen
Co-investigator: Prof Andrew Krockenberger
Partner/Funding Body: National Environment Research Program ('NERP')
Period: 2011-2014

Climate change refugia for terrestrial biodiversity: The role of refugia in ecosystem resilience and maintenance of terrestrial biodiversity in the face of global climate change

Investigators: April Reside, Jeremy VanDerWal, Ben Phillips, Justin Welbergen, Luke Shoo, Dan Rosauer, Barbara Anderson, Craig Moritz, Simon Ferrier, Thomas Harwood, Kristen Williams, Brendan Mackey, Sonia Hugh & Stephen Williams
Partner/Funding Body: National Adaptation Research Plan ('NARP') / National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF)
Period: 2011-2013

Climate change adaptation strategies for Australian birds
Investigators: Donald Franklin, Glenn Ehmke, Jeremy VanDerWal, Lauren Hodgson, Chris Pavey, April Reside, Justin Welbergen, Stuart Butchart, Genevieve Perkins & Stephen Williams
Partner/Funding Body: National Adaptation Research Plan ('NARP') / National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF)
Period: 2011-2013
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​The Lab of Animal Ecology

Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
Hawkesbury Campus, Western Sydney 
University 
Bourke Street, Richmond
2753 NSW, Australia
Phone: +61 2 4570 1496; Fax: +61 2 4570 1103

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