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- The evolutionary ecology of cognition across a heterogeneous landscape
- ObSERVE aerial surveys
- SeabirdWatch
- The distribution, diet, vulnerability of far-ranging pelagic-foraging seabirds to oil spills
- EIRwind – Understanding seabird vulnerability to offshore windfarms
- MarPAMM - Marine Protected Area Management and Monitoring
- The development of robust predictors of seabird behaviour at sea
- The Ecology of a Cryptic Game Species
- Dipper Ecology
- Developing a tool to predict the distribution of seabirds
- Developing and assessing a monitoring strategy for burrow nesting seabirds in Ireland
- How Wintering Waterbirds use Dublin Bay
- Eurasian Woodcock Satellite Tagging and Tracking Project 2012-2016
- Modelling the impacts of fossils and renewable energy industries on internationally protected seabird populations around Ireland
- The evolutionary ecology of individual variation in cognitive performance
- ADAPT - Avian Diversity and Afforestation Planning Tool
- Interactions between Hen Harriers and Wind Turbines
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Alan McCarthy
Biography
Alan graduated from University College Cork with a BSc. (Hons) in Ecology in 2017. During his four years as an undergraduate student, Alan advanced his lifelong interest in wildlife, particularly birds. He has a wide range of experiences in ornithological research and conservation in Ireland with a main focus on birds of prey including Hen Harriers and Barn Owls.
Alan’s main research interests are focused on the conservation of threatened species, particularly those found in Ireland. For his Final Year Thesis, Alan undertook a project entitled “Examining the impact of the Greater White-toothed Shrew (Crocidura russula) on the diet and breeding ecology of Barn Owls (Tyto alba) in South-West Ireland”. Through this research, Alan described the changing diet of Barn Owls resulting from the spread of invasive small mammal species and the resulting affects on Barn Owl productivity.
Alan is currently undertaking a PhD under the supervision of Professor John O’Halloran. His PhD research project, entitled “The importance of winter ecology for the conservation management of Hen Harriers (Circus cyaneus) in Ireland”, will examine various aspects of Hen Harrier ecology outside of the breeding season, including winter roost characteristics, wintering diet, movement ecology and over-winter survival.