15th European Ornithologists' Congress, Wales 2025
Monday, 18 August 2025 - Friday, 22 August 2025
Key Dates
15 March 2025
Deadline for submitting abstracts. Submit abstract.
15 November 2024
Deadline for submitting symposium proposals
Plenary Speakers
Tim Birkhead, University of Sheffield, UK
'Fifty years of Guillemot Uria aalge studies on Skomer Island, Wales'
Suvi Ruuskanen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
'Invisible friends: Microbiome, physiology and fitness in a changing world'
Davide Dominoni, University of Glasgow, UK
'Navigating the urban jungle: From individuals to population processes of city birds'
Antica Culina, Ruder Boskovic Institute, Croatia
'Collaborative and robust bird research - why and how'
Mylene Mariette, Doñana Biological Station EBD-CSIC
'Avian developmental programming by sound in a changing world'
Will Cresswell, University of St Andrews, UK
'Understanding migration - theoretical and conservation challenges that can unite us along flyways'
Rose Thorogood, University of Helsinki, Finland
'Why do birds do what they do? How ‘information ecology’ helps understand behavioural responses to environmental change'
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME
Accepted Symposia
Conveners
- Arianna Passarotto, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK
- Chiara Morosinotto, Department of Biology, University of Padova, Italy / National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo, Italy
Summary
Birds exhibit remarkable diversity in their coloration, which serves a multitude of biological functions, such as communication, thermoregulation and crypsis. By being strongly adaptive and readily observable, avian coloration can provide early evidence for evolutionary responses to changes in the environment. However, despite growing research endeavour, many questions remain unanswered. For example, it is still unclear whether environmental changes may upend selective processes, favouring colorations previously considered less adaptive, and whether different environmental challenges might generate conflictual responses as they may affect different biological functions. This symposium aims to gather researchers working on different global environmental challenges (e.g., climate change, urbanization, pollution) and different aspects of bird coloration, and foster a discussion on eco-evolutionary changes in bird colour phenotypes. The goal is to highlight recent advancements in our understanding of both the potential for human-induced changes to modify processes acting on coloration, and the possible mechanisms underpinning bird phenotypic responses. Focal areas for research will cover, but will not be limited to, the effects of different stressors on coloration as well as whether different species exhibit similar responses to the same environmental challenges, or, on the contrary, (colour) phenotypic responses are species-specific.
Invited speakers
- Patrik Karell (Review Talk), Novia, University of Applied Sciences, Raseborg, Finland / Evolutionary Ecology and Infection Biology Unit, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sweden
Preliminary title: “Plumage coloration as a biomarker for adaptations to global change” - Liliana D’Alba Evolutionary Ecology Group, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands / University of Ghent, Belgium
Preliminary title: “Changes in egg coloration in response to increasingly warming environments” - Katarzyna Janas (15 min. talk) - (ECR, <5 years from PhD). Ornithological Station, Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Gdansk, Poland
Preliminary title: “Urban impact on bird colours - a multicity study on two passerine species”
Conveners
- Riccardo Alba, Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
- Jan Grünwald, Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Benátská 2, 128 01 Praha, Czechia
Summary
This symposium will explore the challenges of bird research and conservation in urban environments, focusing on the interactions between avian species and human populations. By introducing the concept of the luxury effect, we will examinate how socioeconomic status may influence urban bird diversity. We will then discuss how birds adapt their behaviour to urban settings and explore the social roles of urban birds, from bird feeders to birdwatching, as well as the cultural ecosystem services that birds provide. The session will emphasize the importance of bird-friendly initiatives for fostering biodiversity and wellbeing in urban areas and how urban landscapes can be designed to support both avian communities and human well-being in more sustainable, liveable cities.
Invited speakers
- Dan Chamberlain (Review Talk), Department of Life Sciences and System Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
Preliminary title: "Linking Socioeconomic Status and Urban Biodiversity: are rich areas species-rich?" - Peter Mikula, TUM School of Life Sciences, Ecoclimatology, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
Preliminary title: "Birds as Bridges: Behavioural Adjustments of Urban Birds for Inclusive and Sustainable Cities" - Piotr Tryjanowski, Department of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, PL-60-625, Poznań, Poland
Preliminary title: "From Bird Feeders to Birdwatching: the subtle social role of urban birds" - Christoph Randler, Department of Biology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
Preliminary title: "Cultural Ecosystem Services of Birds: the role of human cognition"
Conveners
- Baptiste Schmid, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Switzerland
- Yana Yakushina, University of Ghent, Belgium
- Pablo Capilla-Lasheras, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Spain & Swiss Ornithological Institute, Switzerland
Summary
Artificial light at night (ALAN) can drastically alter the environment of migratory birds, both on their breeding grounds, non-breeding grounds and during their migratory journeys. ALAN can therefore disrupt the birds' evolved response to natural changes in environmental light. For example, light is an important cue for determining the circa-annual cycle of birds, and birds use it to orientate during their migratory flights. The scale of the problem has been recognised by the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), which aims to identify knowledge gaps and develop guidelines to reduce the impact of light pollution on migratory species. This symposium aims to present the latest research on the effects of ALAN on migratory birds, identify research gaps, and to improve our understanding of how to adapt research projects in order to translate research results into policy and legislation.
Invited speakers
- Yana Yakushina (Review Talk), University of Ghent, Belgium
Preliminary title: "Towards a Proper Regulatory Framework to Address Environmental Impacts of Light Pollution" - Carolyn Burt, Colorado State University, USA
Preliminary title: "The effects of light pollution on migratory birds" - Jitse Creemers, University of Louvain, Belgium
Preliminary title: TBA - Simon Hirschhofer, University of Zürich and Swiss Ornithological Institute, Switzerland
Preliminary title: "Nocturnally migrating songbirds encounter patchy light pollution along the east Adriatic coast"
Conveners
- Molly Ohse, Swiss Ornithological Institute (Schweizerische Vogelwarte), Switzerland / Department of Ecology and Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland
- Cloe Hadjadji, Swiss Ornithological Institute (Schweizerische Vogelwarte), Switzerland / Department of Ecology and Evolution, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland
- Pierre Bize, Swiss Ornithological Institute (Schweizerische Vogelwarte), Switzerland
- Antoine Stier, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Universite de Strasbourg, France
Summary
Fundamental, still-unanswered questions in ecology and evolutionary biology are related to the understanding of which mechanisms rule individual growth, reproduction, and survival. Mitochondria, also well-known as the powerhouse of the cell, are the organelles responsible for energy production in eukaryote cells through oxidative phosphorylation. It sets the efficiency to which food is converted into cellular energy, and thus how this energy is invested in overall maintenance and fitness. Oxidative phosphorylation produces up to 90% of the energy to fuel cells and therefore individuals. Recent research suggested that variation in their functioning, efficiency, and density might account for a large part of inter-individual differences in performance. Mitochondrial traits are expected to vary over life, particularly when influenced by extrinsic factors such as changes in diet, increased exposure to pollutants, or introduction of pathogen infections. Future efforts in conservation focus on preserving genetic diversity such as that associated with intra-individual variation in mitochondria, recognizing the importance of resilience and plasticity of species in rapidly changing environments.
Invited speakers
- Stefania Casagrande (Review Talk), Max Plank Institute at Seewiesen, Germany
Preliminary title: "Mitochondrial biology as a key mechanism linking reduced size and warmer nest temperatures in seabird nestlings" - Elisa Thoral, University of La Rochelle, France
Preliminary title: "Changes in fatty acids uptake affect energetic metabolism at several biological scales in Japanese quails" - Neal Dawson. The University of Glasgow, Scotland
Preliminary title: "Convergent and time-dependent evolutionary changes in mitochondrial function in high-altitude waterfowl" - Pablo Salmón, The Institute of Avian Research (Vogelwarte Helgoland), Germany
Preliminary title: "Mitochondrial function and avian migration: lessons from short and long-distance migrants"
Conveners
- Ellen C. Martin, Vogelwarte Swiss Ornithological Institute
- Jaume A. Badia-Boher, Vogelwarte Swiss Ornithological Institute
- Matthieu Paquet, Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Summary
Twenty years after the seminal paper on Integrated Population Models by Pannagiotis Besbeas, this modelling approach has revolutionized the study of bird demographics. Where once demographic parameters were estimated independently from single data sources, IPMs now provide a more precise framework by integrating shared information across multiple datasets. Avian datasets have been central to the advancement of IPM methodological developments, which has allowed our field to progress substantially in several directions, from the understanding of individual and population heterogeneity and population dynamics drivers to the generation of evidence-based knowledge to guide conservation action. In this symposium, we want to highlight the methodological advancements in IPM development and its application to bird ecology and conservation in the last two decades, while also exploring promising future directions.
Invited speakers
- Panagiotis Besbeas (Review Talk), Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece / School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Kent, Kent, UK.
Preliminary title: "Hidden Markov Integrated Population Modelling" - Chloé Nater, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Norway.
Preliminary title: "Reproducible integrated modelling workflows for bird research and management" - Maud Quéroué, CEFE/CNRS, Montpellier, France
Preliminary title: "Accounting for interspecific interactions in bird population dynamics using multispecies integrated population models"
Conveners
- Rachel Reid, University of Glasgow
- Anne-Caroline Heintz, Swiss Ornithological Institute / University of Lausanne
Summary
This symposium aims to explore the effects of artificial light at night (ALAN) on bird species, with a focus on how ALAN influences their behaviour, fitness and physiology. As artificial lighting becomes increasingly prevalent across the globe, understanding its impact on avian life is crucial for both conservation efforts and urban planning. While studies on ALAN have been increasing in recent years, much of the research on birds has centred around reporting attractive or repulsive effects and activity shifts related to ALAN. However, there remains limited research on how ALAN influences critical life-history traits that could ultimately have profound consequences on birds' health and fitness. By bringing together researchers from diverse fields, this symposium will provide an opportunity for sharing research, fostering collaboration, and discussing the challenges posed by ALAN on bird populations.
Invited speakers
- Jenny Ouyang (Review Talk), University of Nevada, Reno
Preliminary title: "The wide-ranging impacts of light pollution on avian health and fitness" - Rachel Reid, University of Glasgow
Preliminary title: "Partial night lighting mitigates the effects of artificial light at night on telomere loss in a songbird" - Anne-Caroline Heintz, Swiss Ornithological Institute, University of Lausanne
Preliminary title: "Artificial light at night affects nesting site selection and breeding parameters of a cosmopolitan nocturnal bird of prey" - Airam Rodriguez, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid, Spain
Preliminary title: "How ALAN affects fledgling success and fitness in seabirds"
Conveners
- Elin Persson, Lund University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology and Infection Biology, Kontaktvägen 10, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
- Joshua Tabh, Lund University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology and Infection Biology, Kontaktvägen 10, SE-223 62, Lund, Sweden
- Elisa Thoral, La Rochelle Université - CNRS UMR 7266 LIttoral ENvironnement et Sociétés, France
Summary
Over the past century, amassing evidence has shown us that many traits, from mating tactics, plumage colouration, bill size, migratory strategy, and physiology, are also shaped by plastic responses to the environment during development. Such responses, from short- to long-term, adaptive to non-adaptive, are increasingly identified in response to both anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic shifts in the developmental environment. Understanding these plastic responses, their mechanisms, manifestations, and functional consequences, is likely to help illuminate the future paths of avian form, function, and selection. This symposium aims to explore the manifold ways in which: (1) the developmental environment shifts avian phenotypes, and (2) how these shifts may influence the performance and/or fitness of individuals.
Invited speakers
- Pat Monaghan (Review Talk), University of Glasgow, Scotland
Preliminary title: "Bad beginnings and untimely ends: early life stress and why it matters" - Oscar Vedder, Institute for Bird Research, Vilhelmshaven, Germany
Preliminary title: "Are bigger eggs better? Short- and long-term effects of egg size in a precocial bird" - Elin Persson, Lund University, Department of Biology, Sweden
Preliminary title: "Growing up in the heat: effects on physiology and morphology of post-hatch temperature changes"
Conveners
- Yann Rime, Swiss Ornithology Institute, Switzerland
- Tianhao Zhao, University of Groningen, the Netherlands
Summary
Global avian migration research and conservation efforts depend on gathering comprehensive knowledge of migration patterns worldwide. Recent advancements in technology have enabled more detailed studies of migratory landbirds, especially smaller species. Despite this progress, a pronounced geographical bias exists. While migration patterns in Western Europe and North America are well-documented, fundamental information on landbird migration from regions such as Eastern Europe, Asia, the Southern Hemisphere, and tropical areas remains scarce. This geographical imbalance limits researchers' ability to develop comprehensive migration theories and understand the evolutionary aspects of avian migration. Equally important, it hampers conservation efforts. In poorly-studied regions, many endangered species exhibit cryptic migration behaviours, making it difficult to identify threats and design effective conservation strategies. Individual tracking, particularly using multi-sensor geolocators, offers a key method for studying small migratory species. However, the adoption of these technologies in under-researched areas is limited, restricting further research and conservation efforts. To address these gaps, fostering international collaboration is essential. This symposium will synthesize recent research on poorly studied migratory systems to reveal the knowledge gap. The goal for this symposium is to identify research priorities, promote knowledge exchange, and support collaboration to improve the understanding and protection of migratory species worldwide.
Invited speakers
- Wieland Heim (Review Talk), University of Oldenburg, Germany
Preliminary title: "From Siberia to the tropics: landbird migration along the Asian flyways" - Soladoye Iwajomo, University of Lagos, Nigeria
Preliminary title: "Intra-African bird migration: understanding the spatio-temporal patterns" - Alex Jahn, Indiana University, USA
Preliminary title: "Recent advances in tracking Neotropical austral migrants: a full annual cycle perspective"
Conveners
- Giulia Masoero, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Switzerland
- Alejandro Corregidor-Castro. University of Padua, Italy
Summary
Global climate has experienced significant warming in recent decades, with an increased frequency and magnitude of temperature extremes. During the same period, mounting evidence suggests that endotherms, particularly birds, have progressively decreased in size and increased the relative length of their appendages in association with increasing temperatures. These observed size and shape shifts have been understood as a temporal extension to Bergmann’s and Allen’s rules, which state that animals living in warmer environments tend to have smaller body size and relatively longer appendages. Consequently, these changes have been interpreted as the result of stronger selection for phenotypes that facilitate efficient passive heat dissipation. However, recent experimental studies challenge this perspective, suggesting that size reduction may not provide significant thermoregulatory advantages. Thus, while empirical support for a widespread morphological response to increasing temperatures in birds appears overwhelming, the underlying mechanisms responsible for these rapid changes are less clear. This symposium aims to present the various hypotheses behind these changes (i.e. adaptive plasticity vs selection) and showcase the latest evidence to address these knowledge gaps.
Invited speakers
- Ryan Shipley (Review Talk), Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Switzerland
Preliminary title: "Form follows function? Possible mechanisms underlying decreasing body size in a warming world" - Alejandro Corregidor-Castro, University of Padua, Italy
Preliminary title: "Antagonistic effect of temperature on nestling development and selection for body size and shape" - Sara Ryding, Deakin University, Australia
Preliminary title: "Shape-shifting: changing animal morphologies as a response to climatic warming" - Joshua K.R. Tabh, Lund University, Department of Biology, Sweden
Preliminary title: "Joel, Carl, Adam, and the appeal to antiquity: Does old wisdom really help us explain why the shape of extant birds is changing?"
Conveners
- Paul Dufour,, CEFE-CNRS, Montpellier, France
- Alexander C. Lees, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Summary
Vagrancy, the occurrence of individuals outside their normal geographic range of their species, offers a unique lens through which to study the importance of rare events on ecological and evolutionary processes. Indeed, this phenomenon can lead to significant, often unpredictable consequences, such as the disruption of ecosystem stability, the formation of new migration routes, speciation and the emergence of new reproductive behaviours. Besides, vagrancy can offer insights into movement ecology, as studying abnormal movements helps uncover the neuro-physiological bases and heritability of animal navigation. With recent advances in tracking technologies and data collection, the study of vagrancy is becoming increasingly feasible and is gaining increasing attention.
Invited speakers
- Paul Dufour (Review Talk), CEFE-CNRS, Montpellier, France
- Alexander C. Lees (Review Talk), Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Preliminary title: Vagrancy is an important eco-evolutionary process - Joe Wynn, University of Liverpool, UK
Preliminary title: TBA - Lucinda Zawadski, University of Oxford, UK
Preliminary title: TBA - Georg Manthey, Institute of Avian Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Preliminary title: TBA
Conveners
- Francesca Roseo, Milan University, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Milan, Ital
- Maria Delgado, Biodiversity Research Institute, IMIB, CSIC-Oviedo University, Principality of Asturias, Mieres, Spain
Summary
High-elevation birds are highly sensitive to the direct and indirect impacts of climate change and to those of anthropogenic activities, which can exacerbate the effects of global warming on alpine species and mountain ecosystems. Mountain birds, adapted to cope and thrive under harsh conditions, respond to climate and environment alterations in different ways, for instance by shifting their distributions upwards. Within this context, it is important to understand the complexity of the effects of climate change and human activities, such as winter sports, and their possible interactions on mountain birds. The identification of climate refugia for high-elevation species and main sources of anthropogenic threats is therefore of paramount importance for conservation. The symposium will provide an overview of climate change impacts on high-elevation species, explore methods to identify climate refugia combining past and future scenarios, and discuss possible ways to deal with the impacts of anthropogenic activities on these and other key areas for the conservation of high-elevation species.
Invited speakers
- James Pearce-Higgins (Review Talk), British Trust for Ornithology, UK
Preliminary title: "Climate change and mountain birds" - Maria Delgado, CSIC-Oviedo University, Spain
Preliminary title: "Identifying climate refugia for the sensitive high-elevation specialist Montifringilla nivalis based on past and current patterns of occurrence" - Francesca Roseo, Milan University, Italy
Preliminary title: "Alpine birds and ski-pistes: an assessment of current and future climate-induced threats" - Raphael Arlettaz, University of Bern, Switzerland
Preliminary title: Challenges for Alpine bird conservation in the face of climate change"
Conveners
- Lucy Mitchell, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, Belgium
- Thiemo Karwinkel, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany
Summary
While large birds such as storks, birds of prey or waterfowl can be tracked using satellite or cellular-based GPS transmitters, most bird species are too small and too light to be able to carry such high-resolution devices. Radio transmitters, on the other hand, have become so small that very light animals, such as the smallest European songbirds (and even bats and insects) can be outfitted with them. They can then be tracked, either by following the animal manually with an antenna or using a network of stationary receivers. The Motus wildlife tracking system uses the latter approach by standardising the equipment and data acquisition process (open access!), creating a mutual research community across countries and institutions. While the system is already widespread in North America, the European community is currently accelerating in growth, comprising mainly songbird and bat migration researchers. This symposium introduces the European perspective from the technical basics towards its application in research and clarifies whether the system might be the right approach to the researchers in the audience.
Invited speakers
- Lucy Mitchell (Review Talk), Department of Biology, University of Ghent, Belgium
- Thiemo Karwinkel (Review Talk), Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Germany
Preliminary title: "Motus – from the technical basis to future perspectives in Europe by the two conveners" - Arne Hegemann, Lund University, Department of Biology, Lund, Sweden
Preliminary title: "Motus tracking to unravel physiological mechanisms of migratory decisions" - Ivan Maggini, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
Preliminary title: "Investigating desert stopover strategies using automated radiotelemetry" - David LaPuma, Cellular Tracking Trechnologies, USA
Preliminary title: "Evolution of Motus – perspectives from the tag and receiver manufacturer CTT"
Programme
Full programme information, including details of oral presentations, poster presentations and round table discussions, will be available in due course.
Organisers
This conference is organised by Mark Mainwaring, Richard Holland, and Alex Sutton in the School of Environmental and Natural Sciences at Bangor University, UK.
School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2DG