PhD position on impacts of (feral) cats on meadow bird populations

Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Live Sciences, GELIFES www.rug.nl/research/gelifes/ , Institute of the Faculty of Science and Engineering invites applications for a fully-funded, four-year PhD position on the impacts of (feral)cats on meadow bird populations. The position is within the Conservation Ecology Group.

The student will conduct research on the impacts of (feral) cats at meadow bird populations in the Netherlands. The tasks of the PhD student will be the development and setting-up of the field studies, collection of the data, the processing and statistical analyses of field data, and the writing of scientific papers. Field work will primarily be carried out in the northern part of the Netherlands (provinces Friesland and Groningen). At the island of Schiermonnikoog (ca. 3-4 field seasons) the effects of (feral) cats at ground breeding bird species – and other prey species – are quantified, and the effects of removal of (feral)cats at these different prey species is assessed. At (at least) two meadow bird areas in Groningen and Friesland, data will be collected on habitat use by (feral) cats, and others mammalian predators, and directly linked to survival of (tagged) meadow bird chicks. Other key tasks are to coordinate and perform the collection of faecal samples in the study areas, as well as carrying out metabarcoding analyses to assess the diets of feral cats, and other mammalian predators. The PhD student will closely collaborate with a field technician at the RUG, and with a team of well-trained field ecologists of different organizations (consortium partners). Supervision is by Professor Chris Smit and Professor Christiaan Both (both CONSECO group). In addition to conducting research, there will be some teaching duties (up till ~10% of your time).

Project
Meadow bird populations have been declining dramatically over the last decades in the Netherlands. Predation by various species (mammals, birds of prey) plays an important role. The role of (feral) cats in this is probably considerable, e.g. by predation of chicks and breeding birds, as well as by disturbance during the breeding season. However, the magnitude of these effects has thus far not been properly quantified; the available evidence is little and mostly indirect. Hence, there is a large need of scientific studies that quantify the impacts of (feral) cats on meadow bird populations.

Aims of the project are to quantify the impacts of (feral) cats at meadow bird populations at national level, and assess the effectiveness of conservation measures (e.g. removal of predators). The project should lead to evidence-based concrete advise to the Dutch government about effective measures. The project consists of three main pillars:

i) ARTS (automatic radio tracking station), high-resolution tracking of tagged meadow bird chicks and (feral) cats,
ii) eDNA analysis of faeces of (feral) cats and (remains of) prey items to determine the share of meadow birds in cat diet,
iii) experimental field study, manipulation of number of (feral) cats to assess the effectiveness of removal on meadow birds populations.

Our project has important links with other research programs on the spatial dynamics of predators in relation with landscape factors, with the desire to reach sustainable conservation of ground breeding coastal and meadow birds in more robust systems.