Research interests:

My research group focuses on the cognitive processes and sensory mechanisms by which non-human animals are able to navigate with such remarkable precision. We work on this question at a number of spatial scales, from long distance homing and migration in birds and bats, to small scale spatial memory in fish. We use a variety of techniques to study their behaviour, from GPS tracking of whole journeys, to radio tracking of initial decisions, orientation cages as proxies for migration direction, and small scale experiments in maze learning paradigms. Alongside my students, postdocs and collaborators I have a number of active projects on aspects of this fascinating phenomenon.

True navigation:

Long distance migrating animals return to the same breeding grounds year after year and are able to correct for displacements to places they have never previously visited. This remarkably ability, called true navigation remains unresolved. It seems to require a map and a compass component but the sensory cues and cognitive processes by which animals achieve this continue to be debated. Postdoctoral researcher Florian Packmor is working on the project AnimalMapUnravelled in collaboration with Oldenberg University and the Biological Station Rybachy to investigate how migratory songbirds such as the Eurasian reed warbler combine both compass and positional cues into their map for navigation. The Bat Navigation project is a collaboration with the IZW Berlin and the Pape Ornithological station in Latvia, investigating the sensory cues used by migrating bats for both compass and map components of true navigation.

Spatial memory:

As well as the spectacular feats of long distance navigation, animals show a remarkable ability to learn and remember locations in space. There are multiple theories as to how they do this but the idea of a "cognitive map" internal representation of space has predominated. It remains controversial however, as to whether such a map exists, how it is encoded and how it interacts with other mechanisms of spatial memory. My research group is investigation this question at a number of scales: Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research Fellow Ingo Schiffner is investigating the cues that are used by homing pigeons using novel analytical techniques in the project NavMap and PhD student Charlotte Griffiths is looking at how homing pigeons reconcile conflict between spatial cues and the interaction between cognitive and physiological decisions within the AnimalMapUnravelled project. A separate line of work is investigating the spatial memory abilities in fish from the laboratory model zebrafish, to other more exotic species such as wealky electric fish. Previous work has looked into the role of personality in spatial cognition, and compared shoals and individuals performance in maze tasks. MScRes student James Blane is continuing this line of research in the AquaticSpatialCognition project.