Senior Research Ecologist
Office:
Stirling
Nina is a Senior Research Ecologist and part of the Wetland and Marine Research Team, based within BTO Scotland. Her role involves reporting, analysis and fieldwork with a focus on marine birds.
Nina has a broad interest in ornithology and conservation, with a particular interest in anthropogenic threats to marine birds and their environment.
Nina also has a background in seabird foraging ecology and movement behaviour, which has involved a range of fieldwork and analysing large datasets. The skills and experience gained from her previous positions fit well with the seabird work of the Wetland & Marine Research Team.
- PhD, University of Glasgow: ‘Spatial variation in Herring gull traits’, 2016
- MRes Ecology and Environmental Management, University of York, 2011
- BSc (Hons) Zoology, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 2005
Recent BTO Publications
- O’Hanlon, N.J., Harris, S.J., Thaxter, C.B., Boersch-Supan, P.H., Robinson, R.A., Balmer, D.E. & Burton, N.H.K. Seabird population and demographic monitoring in the UK: a review and recommendations for future sampling View at journal website( DOI: )
- 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 )
- Harris, S.J., Baker, H., Balmer, D.E., Bolton, M., Burton, N.H.K., Caulfield, E., Clarke, J.A.E., Dunn, T.E., Evans, T.J., Hereward, H.R.F., Humphreys, E.M., Money, S. and O’Hanlon, N.J. Seabird Population Trends and Causes of Change: 1986–2023 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 )
- 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., van Bemmelen, R.S.A., Conway, G.J., Thaxter, C.B., Aiton, H., Aiton, D., Balmer, D.E., Calladine, J.R., Harris, S.J. & Humphreys, E.M. New insights into the migration and wintering areas of Scottish-breeding Arctic Skuas View at journal website( DOI: )
- O'Hanlon, N.J., van Bemmelen, R.S.A., Snell, K.R.S., Conway, G.J, Thaxter, C.B., Aiton, H., Aiton, D., Balmer, D.E., Are Hanssen, S., Calladine, J.R., Hammer, S., Harris, S.J., Moe, B., Schekkerman, H., Tulp, I. & Humphreys, E.M. Atlantic populations of a declining oceanic seabird have complex migrations and weak migratory connectivity to staging areas 10.3354/meps14533 View at journal website( DOI:10.3354/meps14533 )
- Langlois Lopez, S., Clewley, G.D., Johnston, D.T., Daunt, F., Wildon, J.M., O'Hanlon, N.J. & Masden, E. Reduced breeding success in Great Black-backed Gulls Larus marinus due to harness-mounted GPS device 10.1111/ibi.13247 View at journal website( DOI:10.1111/ibi.13247 )
- O’Hanlon, N.J., Johnston, D.T., Cook, A.S.C.P., Robinson, R.A. & Humphreys, E.M. A crowded ocean: the need for demographic and movement data in seabird conservation 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106833 View at journal website( DOI:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106833 )
- 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: )