Research Ecologist
Jacob works as a Research Ecologist on the Wetland & Marine Team, carrying out data analysis for a wide range of projects.
Since joining the BTO recently, Jacob has used terrestrial climate and oceanographic data to predict future seabird abundance in western Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland under climate change as part of the MarPAMM project. Jacob has broad research interests in ecology, particularly in demography and range dynamics and in the analysis of large spatial datasets. For his PhD research on the causes of reed warbler’s recent range expansion in Britain, he carried out colour-ringing and analysed CES, NRS, ringing and satellite data using hierarchical and individual-based models. Jacob’s original background in ornithology includes upland and woodland fieldwork in Scotland and the USA, mostly on raptors and passerines, and analysis of farmland wader declines. Jacob is also a keen nest recorder and holds a ‘C’ ringing permit.
BA (Hons.) Biological Sciences, University of Oxford, 2009.
MRes Ecology and Environmental Biology, University of Glasgow, 2012.
PhD Dispersal and range expansion in reed warbler, University of York, 2019.
Recent BTO Publications
- Johnston, D.T., Humphreys, E.M., Davies, J.G., Evans, T., Howells, R.J. & Pearce-Higgins, J.W. Current understanding of how climate change affects seabirds varies between regions and species in the North-East Atlantic 10.3354/meps14785 View at journal website( DOI:10.3354/meps14785 )
- Davies, J.G., Boersch-Supan, P.H., Clewley, G.D., Humphreys, E.M., O’Hanlon, N.J., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Thaxter, C.B., Weston, E. & Cook, A.S.C.P. Influence of wind on kittiwake Rissa tridactyla flight and offshore wind turbine collision risk 10.1007/s00227-024-04508-0 View at journal website( DOI:10.1007/s00227-024-04508-0 )
- O’Hanlon, N.J., Clewley, G.D., Davies, J.G., Johnston, D.T., Booth Jones, K.A., Green, R.M.W., Weston, E., Humphreys, E.M. & Cook, A.S.C.P. Trial of the use of silicone cord leg-loop harnesses on Black-legged Kittiwake during the 2023 breeding season View at journal website( DOI: )
- O’Hanlon, N.J., Thaxter, C.B., Clewley, G.D., Davies, J.G., Humphreys, E.M., Miller, P.I. Pollock, C.J., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Weston, E. & Cook, A.S.C.P. Challenges in quantifying the responses of Black-legged Kittiwake to habitat variables and local stressors due to individual variation 10.1080/00063657.2024.2305169 View at journal website( DOI:10.1080/00063657.2024.2305169 )
- Davies, J.G., Dytham, C., Robinson, R.A. & Beale, C.M. Estimating the distribution of reed Phragmites australis in Britain demonstrates challenges of remotely sensing rare habitat types at large spatial scales 10.1038/s41598-024-73030-6 View at journal website( DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-73030-6 )
- Cook, A.S.C.P., Thaxter, C.B., Davies, J., Green, R.M.W., Wischnewski, S. & Boersch-Supan, P. Understanding seabird behaviour at sea part 2: improved estimates of collision risk model parameters View at journal website( DOI: )
- Davies, J.G., Kirkland, M., Miller, M.G.R., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Atkinson, P.W. & Hewson, C.M. Spring arrival of the Common Cuckoo at breeding grounds is strongly determined by environmental conditions in tropical Africa 10.1098/rspb.2023.0580 View at journal website( DOI:10.1098/rspb.2023.0580 )
- Johnston, D.T., Thaxter, C.B., Boersch-Supan, P.H., Davies, J.G., Clewley, G.D., Green, R.M.W., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Cook, A.S.C.P., Burton, N.H.K. & Humphreys, E.M. Flight heights obtained from GPS versus altimeters influence estimates of collision risk with offshore wind turbines in Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus 10.1186/s40462-023-00431-z View at journal website( DOI:10.1186/s40462-023-00431-z )
- Davies, J.G., Humphreys, E.M., Evans, T., Howells, R., O’Hara-Murray, R. & Pearce-Higgins, J.W. Seabird abundances projected to decline in response to climate change in Britain and Ireland 10.3354/meps14462 View at journal website( DOI:10.3354/meps14462 )
- Woodward, I.D., Franks, S.E., Bowgen, K., Davies, J.G., Green, R.M.W., Griffin, L.R., Mitchell, C., O’Hanlon, N., Pollock, C., Rees, E.C., Tremlett, C., Wright, L. & Cook, A.S.C.P. Strategic study of collision risk for birds on migration and further development of the stochastic collision risk modelling tool (Work Package 1: Strategic review of birds on migration in Scottish waters) View at journal website( DOI: )