Changes in bird populations and distributions are determined by demography, particularly the combination of survival and productivity. Rob's main interest lies in understanding how these processes operate, within an applied context, how the sum of individuals creates them and how they vary at different scales.

Much of his recent work at BTO has focussed on combining data from the Ringing and Nest Record Schemes with data on population changes to understand the reasons for population declines. and census schemes to understand the reasons for population declines. This work involves applying novel statistical methods to make better use of national data and contributes to BirdTrends, the annual assessment of Britain's bird populations.

Rob started research with a particular focus on farmland birds, how they use their food supply and how changes in agriculture have, and will, afect them; effects of demographic parameters vary spatially, both geographically and with environmental variables such as habitat; Rob also has an interest in the role that diseases play in bird populations.

Other information

• Chair, European Union of Ringing Schemes (EURING)
• Associate Editor, Ibis
• Honorary Reader, University of East Anglia
• Visiting Researcher, Swiss Ornithological Institute
• Scientific Chair of BOU 2014 Conference and Co-Chair Euring 2017 Analytical Meeting
• Member Nominated Trustee, BTO Assured Pension Scheme

BSc (Hons) Zoology, Edinburgh University, 1989-1993. PhD Ecology and conservation of farmland birds, University of East Anglia, 1993-1997.