Flying through a changing world

BètaBreak editie may 2018

Millions of migratory birds visit the Netherlands each year for a place to breed, forage, or overwinter. Birds can fly thousands of kilometers every year. They cross borders, cities, deserts and oceans. Along their way they find conditions changing not only on a daily scale, but also with the seasons, years and altitude. How do migratory birds know where to fly? How can they fly through changing weather and how do they know when and where to find shelter? With rapid changes induced by global warming, human land-use and urban development, migratory birds face a variety of challenges. How do they cope with an ever-changing environment? And from our own point of view, how can men conserve a species that considers the entire world its habitat? Those questions along with more related aspects will be discussed during the upcoming BètaBreak edition on Wednesday, 16th May between 12:00 and 13:00.

Speakers

Dr. Judy Shamoun-Baranes (associate professor with a passion for avian flight behaviour. She is one of the developers of UvA-BiTS, a high-tech system for both movement and behaviour, and is vice-chair of ENRAM, the European Network for the Radar surveillance of Animal Movement. UvA)

Prof. Dr. Bart Nolet (animal ecologist, professor waterfowl movement ecology. His research focusses on how changing environments affects birds. NIOO, UvA)

Dr. Wouter Vansteelant (movement ecologist and research biologist, who develops innovative models for co-existence of humans and migratory birds. Independent, UvA)