I began by PhD in Zoology at the University of Cambridge in October 2016 and was introduced to hihi by my supervisors, Dr. Rose Thorogood (Cambridge) and Dr. John Ewen (Zoological Society of London). I am fascinated by individual differences in behavior and am particularly interested in exploring the significance that behavioral variation can have in small populations. For my PhD, I am examining individual differences in hihi foraging behaviors, with my main study site on Tiritiri Matangi Island. Hihi are important pollinators of native plants, and individual dietary specializations could make some individuals more effective pollinators than others. The hope is that a better understanding of how individuals’ diets are linked to pollination could help inform future translocation efforts by enabling us to predict or even shape the restorative effect that translocated populations will have on mainland ecosystems.
Published in: Animal Conservation Date published: July 2016 Authors: K. M. Richardson (1,2), J. G. Ewen (2), P. Brekke (2), L. R. Doerr (3), K. A. Parker (4,5) & D. P. Armstrong (1) 1 Wildlife Ecology Group, Te Kura Matauranga o nga Taonga a Papatuanuku, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand 2 Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of […]
