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John Quinn

Professor In Zoology (Head of Discipline)
School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Room 1.25
Distillery Fields
Enterprise Centre
University College Cork

T: +353-21-4904546 (direct)
E: j.quinn@ucc.ie

BSc(Hons), Zoology,  University College Dublin (1984-1988).
Senior reserve warden, Rockabill, Irish Wildbird Conservancy (1989). 
MSc, Biological Computation, University of York, (1989-1990). 
Research Officer, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge UK (1990-1996).
DPhil, The behavioral ecology of red-breasted geese and their nesting association with birds of prey, University of Oxford (1996-2000).
Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship, Predator-prey interactions, University of Oxford (2001-2004).
PDRA, The evolution of personality, University of Oxford (2004-2006).
Departmental Lectureship in Behavioural Mechanisms, University of Oxford (2006-2012).
Lectureship in Biology at Pembroke College, Oxford (2006-2012). 
Lectureship in Ecology, University College Cork, (from January 2012).
ERC Consolidators Grant, August 2014.

Research Interests

My interests span a broad range of topics in ecology, evolution and ornithology. Mostly I have worked on birds, across a range of different environments, including marine, coastal, wetland, woodland and agricultural. My current focus is on the following four general areas:

  • The evolutionary ecology of cognitive ability and personality: My initial interest in this field arose when based at the Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, where I used the long term study population of great tits at Wytham Wood to study individual variation in animal personality and cognitive ability. I set up a similar system among woodland fragments along the Bandon Valley, Co. Cork, to continue this work at a landscape level. This research is highly interdisciplinary because it examines proximate (genetic, physiological, environmental) and evolutionary causes of individual variation.
  • Seabird ecology and natural resource management: Perched on the edge of the North East Atlantic, Ireland hosts some of the most important seabird populations in Europe and the world, and is under statutory obligation to ensure their protection. Nevertheless the population ecology and general ecology of most of these populations is either largely unknown or very poorly understood.  My research currently involves predicting the impact of oilspills and renewable energy on seabirds, using a combination of GIS, mathematical modelling, and biotracking techniques, and by refining population estimates.
  • Biodiversity in agricultural and forestry landscapes: In the past I have studied the impact of agriculture on avian behaviour and populations in the UK. The predicted increase in the Irish agricultural sector over the next 20 years is likely to have a major impact on biodiversity, an issue I am increasingly keen to investigate.
  • Predator-prey interactions and group living: I have a long standing interest in predator-prey interactions and the evolution of group living behaviour.
Research impact: To date I have published over 60 papers which have been cited 1540 times in google scholar generating a h-score of 25. Publication highlights include senior author papers in PNAS, Current Biology, and Biological Reviews, all with impact factors ca. 10. Three of my papers in Journal of Animal Ecology in 2011 and 2012 were among the most widely read or cited in that journal for those years.

Research funding: Grant capture to date totals €3.63 million.

Graduate students: 2 PhDs and 2 MRes students completed; currently supervising or cosupervising 3 PhDs and 2 MScs, with 4 more PhDs due to begin in 2015-2016.

Research led teaching and mentoring: Most years I supervise about 6 final year research projects on a range of topics in applied and theoretical ecology. I designed and lecture exclusively on two modules concerned directly with research (Research Skills and Frontiers in Biology) and regularly use my own material to highlight fundamental topics in all of my modules. I set up the BEES seminar series which is now in its third year and which doubles up as a fourth year module. I also set up the BEES Research Club which runs regularly and acts as a forum for young researchers to discuss current topics in biology.

Research Grants

 ProjectFunding
Body		Start DateEnd DateAward
The evolutionary ecology of cognition in a heterogeneus environmentEuropean Commission01-MAR-1528-FEB-20€1,993,189.00
Developing and assessing a monitoring strategy for burrow nesting seabirds in Ireland01-MAR-1501-MAR-18€113,910.00
Passerine studies in CorkUCC Strategic Research Fund06-JUN-1206-JUN-13€10,000.00
The adaptive significance of associative learningOther: Not Listed01-JAN-1001-JUN-12€80,000.00
The evolutionary ecology of cognitive variation.Other: Not Listed01-JAN-1031-DEC-10€60,000.00
The provision of Research Services in connection with the Petroleum Infrastructure Programme Group 4.Industry01-OCT-1331-DEC-17€229,697.00
Forestry and birdsDepartment of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (DAFF)01-DEC-1330-DEC-15€184,000.00
The evolutionary ecology of individual variation in cognitive performance.European Union01-MAY-1330-APR-17€100,000.00
Developing an automated system for associative learning tasks.01-OCT-10€6,600.00

Contract Researchers

 Researcher NameProjectRoleFunding Body
Will O'SheaThe evolutionary ecology of personality and cognitive abilityPostgraduate ResearcherOther: Not Listed
Esther KettelA comparison of rural and urban behaviours in the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus):based in Nottingham Trent University with Dr Louise Gentle as main supervisorPostgraduate ResearcherOther: Not Listed
Saskia WischnewskiDeveloping a tool to predict the effects of oilspills on seabirdsPostgraduate ResearcherOther: Not Listed
Dario Fernandez-BellonThe Ecology of dippers in southern Ireland in relation to environmental and landscape changesPostgraduate ResearcherOther: Not Listed
Dr Julie Morand-FerronThe evolutionary ecology of cognitive variationPostgraduate ResearcherOther: Not Listed
Dr Julie Morand-FerronNSERC fellowshipPostgraduate ResearcherOther: Not Listed
Barry O'MahoneyVariousResearch AssistantOther: Not Listed
Dr Ella ColeThe adaptive significance of associative learningPostgraduate ResearcherLeverhulme Trust
Ilse CorkeryADAPTPostdoctoral ResearcherDepartment of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food (DAFF)

Peer Reviewed Journals

YearPublication
(2016)'Environmental and genetic determinants of innovativeness in a natural population of birds'
Quinn JL;Cole EF;Reed TE;Morand-Ferron J; (2016) 'Environmental and genetic determinants of innovativeness in a natural population of birds'. Philosophical Transactions Of The Royal Society Of London Series B-Biological Sciences, 371 (1690) [DOI] [Details]
(2015)'Animal personality meets community ecology: founder species aggression and the dynamics of spider communities'
Quinn, JL (2015) 'Animal personality meets community ecology: founder species aggression and the dynamics of spider communities'. Journal of Animal Ecology, 84 :1457-1460 [DOI] [Details]
(2015)'Replicated analysis of the genetic architecture of quantitative traits in two wild great tit populations'
Santure, AW,Poissant, J,De Cauwer, I,van Oers, K,Robinson, MR,Quinn, JL,Groenen, MAM,Visser, ME,Sheldon, BC,Slate, J (2015) 'Replicated analysis of the genetic architecture of quantitative traits in two wild great tit populations'. Molecular ecology, 24 :6148-6162 [DOI] [Details]
(2015)'The evolutionary ecology of cognition in a heterogeneus environment'
Morand-Ferron, J., Cole, E.F., & Quinn, J.L. (2015) 'The evolutionary ecology of cognition in a heterogeneus environment'. Biological Reviews, [Details]
(2015)'Implications of afforestation for bird communities: the importance of preceding land-use type'
Graham, C. T., Wilson, M.W., Gittings, T., Kelly, T.C., Irwin, S., Quinn, J.L. & O'Halloran, J (2015) 'Implications of afforestation for bird communities: the importance of preceding land-use type'. Biodiversity and Conservation, [DOI] [Details]
(2014)'Large-scale movement patterns in a bovine TB host: have badger movements been under-estimated?'
Byrne, A.; Quinn, J.L.; O'Keeffe, J.; Green, S.; Sleeman, P.D.; Martin, S. W.; Davenport, J. (2014) 'Large-scale movement patterns in a bovine TB host: have badger movements been under-estimated?'. Journal of Animal Ecology, 83 :991-1001 [Details]
(2014)'Shy birds play it safe: personality in captivity predicts risk responsiveness during reproduction in the wild'
Cole, E.F. and Quinn, J.L. (2014) 'Shy birds play it safe: personality in captivity predicts risk responsiveness during reproduction in the wild'. Biology Letters, 10 [DOI] [Details]
(2014)'Personality and basal metabolic rate in a wild bird population'
Bouwhuis, S,Quinn, JL,Sheldon, BC,Verhulst, S (2014) 'Personality and basal metabolic rate in a wild bird population'. Oikos, 123 :56-62 [DOI] [Details]
(2014)'Studying micro-evolutionary processes in cognitive traits: a comment on Rowe and Healy'
Quinn, J.L., Cole, E.F. and Morand-Ferron (2014) 'Studying micro-evolutionary processes in cognitive traits: a comment on Rowe and Healy'. Behavioral Ecology, [Details]
(2013)'Contrasting risks from different predators change the overall nonlethal effects of predation risk'
Cresswell, W,Quinn, JL (2013) 'Contrasting risks from different predators change the overall nonlethal effects of predation risk'. Behavioral Ecology, 24 :871-876 [DOI] [Details]
(2013)'Haplotype structure, adaptive history and associations with exploratory behaviour of the DRD4 gene region in four great tit (Parus major) populations'
Mueller J.C., Korsten P., Hermannstaedter C., Feulner T., Dingemanse N.J., Matthysen E., van Oers K., Overveld T., Patrick S.C., Quinn J.L., Riemenschneider M., Tinbergen J.M., Kempenaers B. (2013) 'Haplotype structure, adaptive history and associations with exploratory behaviour of the DRD4 gene region in four great tit (Parus major) populations'. Molecular Ecology, 22 :2797-2809 [Details]
(2012)'Cognitive Ability Influences Reproductive Life History Variation in the Wild'
Cole, EF,Morand-Ferron, J,Hinks, AE,Quinn, JL (2012) 'Cognitive Ability Influences Reproductive Life History Variation in the Wild'. Current Biology, 22 :1808-1812 [DOI] [Details]
(2012)'Personality predicts responsiveness to the risks of starvation and predation'
Quinn, J.L., Bates, J., Cole, E.F., Payne, R. & Cresswell, (2012) 'Personality predicts responsiveness to the risks of starvation and predation'. Proceedings of The Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 279 :1919-1926 [Details]
(2012)'Variation in personality and behavioural plasticity across four populations of the great tit Parus major'
Dingemanse, N.J., Bouwman, K., Van Overveld, T., Patrick, S.C., Matthysen, E., van de Pol, M., Quinn, J.L. (2012) 'Variation in personality and behavioural plasticity across four populations of the great tit Parus major'. Journal of Animal Ecology, 81 :116-126 [Details]
(2012)'Personality and innovativeness explain individual variation in competitive ability in the wild'
Cole, E.F. and Quinn, J.L. (2012) 'Personality and innovativeness explain individual variation in competitive ability in the wild'. Proceedings of The Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 279 :1168-1175 [Details]
(2012)'Local prey vulnerability increases with multiple attacks by a predator'
Quinn, J.L. and Cresswell, W. (2012) 'Local prey vulnerability increases with multiple attacks by a predator'. Oikos, 121 :1328-1334 [Details]
(2012)'Promiscuity, paternity trade-offs and personality in the great tit'
Patrick, S.C, Chapman, J.R., Dugdale, H., Quinn, J.L. and Sheldon, B.C. (2012) 'Promiscuity, paternity trade-offs and personality in the great tit'. Proceedings of The Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 279 :1724-1730 [Details]
(2012)'The Distribution of Colonial Waterbirds in relation to a Ugandan Rice Scheme'
Nachuha, S., and Quinn, J.L. (2012) 'The Distribution of Colonial Waterbirds in relation to a Ugandan Rice Scheme'. Waterbirds, 35 :590-598 [Details]
(2011)'Predicting the optimal prey group size from predator hunting behaviour'
Cresswell, W. and Quinn, J.L. (2011) 'Predicting the optimal prey group size from predator hunting behaviour'. Journal of Animal Ecology, [Details]
(2011)'Personality and parasites: sex-dependent associations between avian malaria infection and multiple behavioural traits'
Dunn, J.C. and Cole, E.F. and Quinn, J.L. (2011) 'Personality and parasites: sex-dependent associations between avian malaria infection and multiple behavioural traits'. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, :1-13 [Details]
(2011)'Larger groups of passerines are more efficient problem solvers in the wild'
Morand-Ferron, J. and Quinn, J.L. (2011) 'Larger groups of passerines are more efficient problem solvers in the wild'. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108 (38):15898-15903 [Details]
(2011)'Scale and state dependence of the relationship between personality and dispersal in a great tit population'
Quinn, J.L. and Cole, E.F. and Patrick, S.C. and Sheldon, B.C. (2011) 'Scale and state dependence of the relationship between personality and dispersal in a great tit population'. Journal of Animal Ecology, [Details]
(2011)'Who are the innovators? A field experiment with 2 passerine species'
Morand-Ferron, J. and Cole, E.F. and Rawles, J.E.C. and Quinn, J.L. (2011) 'Who are the innovators? A field experiment with 2 passerine species'. Behavioral Ecology, 22 (6):1241-1248 [Details]
(2011)'Individual variation in spontaneous problem-solving performance among wild great tits'
Cole, E.F. and Cram, D.L. and Quinn, J.L. (2011) 'Individual variation in spontaneous problem-solving performance among wild great tits'. Animal Behaviour, 81 :491-498 [Details]
(2010)'Attack frequency, attack success and choice of prey group size for two predators with contrasting hunting strategies'
Cresswell, W. and Quinn, J.L. (2010) 'Attack frequency, attack success and choice of prey group size for two predators with contrasting hunting strategies'. Animal Behaviour, 80 (4):643-648 [Details]
(2010)'Association between DRD4 gene polymorphism and personality variation in great tits: a test across four wild populations'
Korsten, P. and Mueller, J.C. and HERMANNSTAeDTER, C. and Bouwman, K.M. and Dingemanse, N.J. and Drent, P.J. and Liedvogel, M. and Matthysen, E. and van OERS, K. and van Overveld, T. and others (2010) 'Association between DRD4 gene polymorphism and personality variation in great tits: a test across four wild populations'. Molecular ecology, 19 (4):832-843 [Details]
(2010)'Predator-hunting success and prey vulnerability: quantifying the spatial scale over which lethal and non-lethal effects of predation occur'
Cresswell, W. and Lind, J. and Quinn, J.L. (2010) 'Predator-hunting success and prey vulnerability: quantifying the spatial scale over which lethal and non-lethal effects of predation occur'. Journal of Animal Ecology, 79 (3):556-562 [Details]
(2009)'Heterogeneous selection on a heritable temperament trait in a variable environment'
Quinn, J.L. and Patrick, S.C. and Bouwhuis, S. and Wilkin, T.A. and Sheldon, B.C. (2009) 'Heterogeneous selection on a heritable temperament trait in a variable environment'. Journal of Animal Ecology, 78 (6):1203-1215 [Details]
(2009)'Very short delays prior to escape from potential predators may function efficiently as adaptive risk-assessment periods'
Cresswell, W. and Butler, S. and Whittingham, MJ and Quinn, JL (2009) 'Very short delays prior to escape from potential predators may function efficiently as adaptive risk-assessment periods'. Behaviour, 146 (6):795-813 [Details]
(2008)'Protective nesting associations in birds'
QUINN, J.L. and UETA, M. (2008) 'Protective nesting associations in birds'. Ibis, 150 :146-167 [Details]
(2008)'Birds as predators and as prey'
QUINN, J.L. and REYNOLDS, S.J. and BRADBURY, R.B. (2008) 'Birds as predators and as prey'. IBIS, 150 :1-8 [Details]
(2007)'Ringing or colour-banding does not increase predation mortality in redshanksTringa totanus'
Cresswell, W. and Lind, J. and L Quinn, J. and Minderman, J. and Philip Whitfield, D. (2007) 'Ringing or colour-banding does not increase predation mortality in redshanksTringa totanus'. Journal of Avian Biology, 38 (3):309-316 [Details]
(2006)'Noise, predation risk compensation and vigilance in the chaffinch Fringilla coelebs'
L Quinn, J. and J Whittingham, M. and J Butler, S. and Cresswell, W. (2006) 'Noise, predation risk compensation and vigilance in the chaffinch Fringilla coelebs'. Journal of Avian Biology, 37 (6):601-608 [Details]
(2006)'Testing domains of danger in the selfish herd: sparrowhawks target widely spaced redshanks in flocks'
Quinn, J.L. and Cresswell, W. (2006) 'Testing domains of danger in the selfish herd: sparrowhawks target widely spaced redshanks in flocks'. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 273 (1600) [Details]
(2006)'Time in captivity, individual differences and foraging behaviour in wild-caught chaffinches'
Butler, SJ and Whittingham, MJ and Quinn, JL and Cresswell, W. (2006) 'Time in captivity, individual differences and foraging behaviour in wild-caught chaffinches'. Behaviour, 143 (4):535-548 [Details]
(2006)'Data depth, data completeness, and their influence on quantitative genetic estimation in two contrasting bird populations'
Quinn, JL and Charmantier, A. and Garant, D. and Sheldon, BC (2006) 'Data depth, data completeness, and their influence on quantitative genetic estimation in two contrasting bird populations'. Journal of evolutionary biology, 19 (3):994-1002 [Details]
(2005)'Quantifying the interaction between food density and habitat structure in determining patch selection'
Butler, SJ and Whittingham, MJ and Quinn, JL and Cresswell, W. (2005) 'Quantifying the interaction between food density and habitat structure in determining patch selection'. Animal behaviour, 69 (2):337-343 [Details]
(2005)'Personality, anti-predation behaviour and behavioural plasticity in the chaffinch Fringilla coelebs'
Quinn, J.L. and Cresswell, W. (2005) 'Personality, anti-predation behaviour and behavioural plasticity in the chaffinch Fringilla coelebs'. Behaviour, 142, 9 (10):1377-1402 [Details]
(2005)'Escape response delays in wintering redshank, Tringa totanus, flocks: perceptual limits and economic decisions'
Quinn, J.L. and Cresswell, W. (2005) 'Escape response delays in wintering redshank, Tringa totanus, flocks: perceptual limits and economic decisions'. Animal behaviour, 69 (6):1285-1292 [Details]
(2004)'The effect of limited visibility on vigilance behaviour and speed of predator detection: implications for the conservation of granivorous passerines'
Whittingham, MJ and Butler, SJ and Quinn, JL and Cresswell, W. (2004) 'The effect of limited visibility on vigilance behaviour and speed of predator detection: implications for the conservation of granivorous passerines'. Oikos, 106 (2):377-385 [Details]
(2004)'Predator hunting behaviour and prey vulnerability'
Quinn, JL and Cresswell, W. (2004) 'Predator hunting behaviour and prey vulnerability'. Journal of Animal Ecology, 73 (1):143-154 [Details]
(2004)'Cresswell, W., Lind, J., Kaby, U., Quinn, JL \& Jakobsson, S. 2003. Does an opportunistic predator preferentially attack nonvigilant prey? Animal Behaviour, 66, 643-648'
Cresswell, W. and Lind, J. and Kaby, U. and Quinn, JL and Jakobsson, S. (2004) 'Cresswell, W., Lind, J., Kaby, U., Quinn, JL \& Jakobsson, S. 2003. Does an opportunistic predator preferentially attack nonvigilant prey? Animal Behaviour, 66, 643-648'. Animal Behaviour, 67 (1):187-187 [Details]
(2004)'Faced with a choice, predators select the most vulnerable group: implications for both predators and prey for monitoring relative vulnerability'
Cresswell, W. and Quinn, JL (2004) 'Faced with a choice, predators select the most vulnerable group: implications for both predators and prey for monitoring relative vulnerability'. Oikos, 104 :71-76 [Details]
(2004)'Faced with a choice, sparrowhawks more often attack the more vulnerable prey group'
Cresswell, W. and Quinn, JL (2004) 'Faced with a choice, sparrowhawks more often attack the more vulnerable prey group'. Oikos, 104 (1):71-76 [Details]
(2003)'Good foragers can also be good at detecting predators'
Cresswell, W. and Quinn, JL and Whittingham, MJ and Butler, S. (2003) 'Good foragers can also be good at detecting predators'. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 270 (1519) [Details]
(2003)'Multiple effects of weather on the starvation and predation risk trade-off in choice of feeding location in Redshanks'
Yasu\'e (2003) 'Multiple effects of weather on the starvation and predation risk trade-off in choice of feeding location in Redshanks'. Functional Ecology, 17 (6):727-736 [Details]
(2003)'Constrained by available raptor hosts and islands: density-dependent reproductive success in red-breasted geese'
Prop, J. and Quinn, J.L. (2003) 'Constrained by available raptor hosts and islands: density-dependent reproductive success in red-breasted geese'. Oikos, 102 (3):571-580 [Details]
(2003)'Does an opportunistic predator preferentially attack nonvigilant prey?'
Cresswell, W. and Lind, J. and Kaby, U. and Quinn, JL and Jakobsson, S. (2003) 'Does an opportunistic predator preferentially attack nonvigilant prey?'. Animal behaviour, 66 (4):643-648 [Details]
(2003)'Predator protection or similar habitat selection in red-breasted goose nesting associations: extremes along a continuum'
Quinn, J.L. and Prop, J. and Kokorev, Y. and Black, J.M. (2003) 'Predator protection or similar habitat selection in red-breasted goose nesting associations: extremes along a continuum'. Animal Behaviour, 65 (2):297-307 [Details]
(2002)'Trading-off risks from predators and from aggressive hosts'
Quinn, J.L. and Kokorev, Y. (2002) 'Trading-off risks from predators and from aggressive hosts'. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, :455-460 [Details]
(2002)'The trade-off between individual foraging and predation risk by granivorous birds feeding in different micro-habitats'
Whittingham, M.J. and Butler, S.J. and Cresswell, W. and Quinn, J. (2002) 'The trade-off between individual foraging and predation risk by granivorous birds feeding in different micro-habitats'. Abstract Volume of the 23rd International Ornithological Congress, [Details]
(2002)'A different developmental pattern of the seabird tick Amblyomma loculosum when lizards are present'
Ramos, JA and Bowler, J. and Davis, L. and Venis, S. and Quinn, J. and Middleton, C. (2002) 'A different developmental pattern of the seabird tick Amblyomma loculosum when lizards are present'. Acarologia, 42 (3):215-222 [Details]
(2001)'Activity patterns and effect of ticks on growth and survival of tropical Roseate Tern nestlings'
Ramos, J.A. and Bowler, J. and Davis, L. and Venis, S. and Quinn, J. and Middleton, C. (2001) 'Activity patterns and effect of ticks on growth and survival of tropical Roseate Tern nestlings'. The Auk, 118 (3):709-716 [Details]
(2000)'Direct and indirect estimates of Peregrine Falcon population size in northern Eurasia'
Quinn, JL and Kokorev, Y. (2000) 'Direct and indirect estimates of Peregrine Falcon population size in northern Eurasia'. The Auk, 117 (2):455-464 [Details]
(2000)'Saker Falco cherrug and Peregrine Falco peregrinus falcons in Asia; determining migration routes and trapping pressure'
Eastham, CP and Quinn, JL and Fox, NC (2000) 'Saker Falco cherrug and Peregrine Falco peregrinus falcons in Asia; determining migration routes and trapping pressure'. Raptors at risk. World Working Group on Birds of Prey and Owls, Berlin, Germany and Hancock House, London, United Kingdom, :247-258 [Details]
(1999)'A westward extension to the known breeding range of Sabine's Gull Larus sabini in Siberia'
Quinn, JL and Kokorev, Y. (1999) 'A westward extension to the known breeding range of Sabine's Gull Larus sabini in Siberia'. BULLETIN-BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS CLUB, 119 :206-208 [Details]
(1997)'The effects of hunting Peregrines Falco peregrinus on the foraging behaviour and efficiency of the Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus'
QUINN, J.L. (1997) 'The effects of hunting Peregrines Falco peregrinus on the foraging behaviour and efficiency of the Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus'. Ibis, 139 (1):170-173 [Details]
(1997)'Scaup Aythya marila numbers and the Cockle Cardium edule fishery on the Solway Firth: are they related?'
Quinn, J. and Still, L. and Kirby, JS and Carrier, MC and Lambdon, P. (1997) 'Scaup Aythya marila numbers and the Cockle Cardium edule fishery on the Solway Firth: are they related?'. WILDFOWL-SLIMBRIDGE-, :187-194 [Details]
(1997)'The importance and distribution of waterfowl on the inner Solway Firth'
Quinn, JL and Still, L. and Carrier, MF and Kirby, JS (1997) 'The importance and distribution of waterfowl on the inner Solway Firth'. The Solway and Cumbrian coasts, 2 [Details]
(1993)'Oystercatchers feeding on grasslands and sandflats in Dublin Bay'
Quinn, JL and Kirby, JS (1993) 'Oystercatchers feeding on grasslands and sandflats in Dublin Bay'. Irish birds, 5 [Details]
(1991)'Waterfowl populations in NW England'
Quinn, JL and Kirby, JS (1991) 'Waterfowl populations in NW England'. Britain’s Birds in, 92 :114-119 [Details]

Journal Volume Edited

YearPublication
(2008)Birds as predators and as prey. Special issue of Ibis.
Quinn, J.L., Bradbury, R. Reynolds, S.J. (2008) Birds as predators and as prey. Special issue of Ibis. Journal Volume Edited Globe icon [Details]

Thesis/Dissertation

YearPublication
(2000)The timing of nesting in red-breasted geese and their nesting association with birds of prey.
Quinn, J.L. (2000) The timing of nesting in red-breasted geese and their nesting association with birds of prey. Thesis/Dissertation [Details]

Honours and Awards

 YearTitleAwarding Body
2014ERC Consolidator Grant EU Commission
2001Leverhulme Trust Fellowship Leverhulme Trust
1997Award for Academic Promise Wolfson College, Oxford.
2013Huxley Award Commendation for my PhD student, Ella Cole Zoological Society London
2000Best poster presentation Edward Grey Institute, Oxford
2008Keynote speaker Irish Ornithology Conference
2013Invited speaker Nordic Evolutionary Psychology Meeting, Tartu
2011Keynote Speaker SEBDEM
2014Plenary Speaker at Presidents Symposium for the American Association of Animal Behaviour, Princeton AAAB
2012Most cited papers in Journal of Animal Ecology British Ecological Society
2012Plenary Speaker at Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour ASAB
2014Behavioural Ecology Virtual Issue International Society for Behavioral Ecology
2011Most cited papers in Journal of Animal Ecology British Ecological Society

Professional Associations

 AssociationFunctionFrom / To
Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour Member, referee/
British Ornithologist's Union Associate Editor, Ibis/

Committees

 CommitteeFunctionFrom / To
School of BEES Research Committee Member2013 / 2017
Research Council for Biosciences and Environment Academy of Finland Grant review panel member2013 / 2015
UCC Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee Representative for School of BEES2014 / 2017
European Ornithologists Union, Scientific Programme Committee committee member2013 / 2018
Innishannon Tidy Towns Committee Ecology and wildlife advisor2014 / 2020
UCC Biological Safety Committee committee member2014 / 2017
British Ornithologist's Union, Meetings Committee Committee member2003 / 2008

Education

 YearInstitutionQualificationSubject
1986University College Dublin BSCZoology
1990University of York MScBiological Computation
2001University of Oxford PhDZoology

Employment

 EmployerPositionFrom / To
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford Postdoctoral Researcher01-SEP-04 / 31-AUG-06
British Ornithologist's Union Editorial Assistant, Ibis01-SEP-00 / 01-SEP-01
UCC Lecturer in Ecology22-JAN-12 /
The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Project Officer, Senior Project Officer, Senior Research Officer31-AUG-90 / 31-AUG-96
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford Departmental Lecturer in Behavioural Mechanisms01-OCT-06 / 21-JAN-12
Pembroke College, Oxford Stipendiary Lecturer in Animal Biology01-OCT-06 / 21-JAN-12
Irish Wildbird Conservancy Senior Reserve Warden01-APR-89 / 31-AUG-89
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford Leverhulme Trust Research Fellow01-SEP-01 / 31-AUG-03

Outreach Activities

 Description

Clever birds don't have it all (Irish Times, 18 October 2012).

Birds of diverse feathers, Problem solving together. Article in Scientific American.

Wings of desire (Travelogue on research in the Seychelles, the Guardian).

A flying visit. Travelogue about Crete in the Guardian.

Too many birds do not spoil the broth. [wired.co.uk]

BBC's Springwatch link to my student, Ella Cole's video of great tit pulling string to find food

Jocks vs. Keeks plays out in the wild too: Livescience

Crows use mirrors to find food: BBC story on cognition in which our research is discussed.

Story on personality research (Phys Org)

The Red-breasted goose and peregrine falcon. Based on my PhD research.

Friends help wild birds innovate. University of Oxford website.

Evolution of Behaviour - perspectives from the past and present. Exhibition at the Boole library on my research.

Fieldworks: Animal Habitats in Contemporary Art. Acted as advisor to the exhibition and was an invited lecturer.

Personality and cognitive ability in wild birds : A Darwinian perspective. Invited lecture to the Cork Literary and Scientific Society.

Countryside Bird Survey. Conduct summer breeding surveys at two sites as part of a national monitoring strategy by BirdwatchIreland.

Irish Wetland Bird Survey. Conduct monthly surveys of wetland birds on the Bandon Estuary from September to March every year as part of a national survey in support of EU legislation reporting requirements.

School of BEES Facebook page. Co-manage with E. Lettice. Regularly post material on research, activities and job opportunities for the school.

Journal Activities

 JournalRoleTo / From
Ecology Letters Referee-
Journal Of Animal Ecology Editorship01-JAN-08 - 14-OCT-14
Proceedings Of The Royal Society B-Biological Sciences Referee-
American Association For The Advancement Of Science Referee-
Bird Study Member of Editorial Board01-JAN-13 - 01-JAN-18
Animal Behaviour Referee-
Current Biology Referee-
Nature Referee-
Ibis Editorship01-JAN-05 - 14-OCT-14
Journal Of Applied Ecology Referee-
Behavioral Ecology Referee-
Journal Of Ethology Referee-
Journal Of Evolutionary Biology Referee-

Other Activities

 Description

Ireland and the European Research Council: As an ERC grant holder, I was invited to a special one day meeting at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin, 17/11/14. 


Conferences, SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS
Invited

2015 Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) meeting (invited plenary).

President’s Symposium at the Animal Behavior Society, Princeton, August 2014 (invited speaker).

Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour, ZSL, London, December 2012 (invited plenary).

2nd Nordic Evolutionary meeting in Tartu, Estonia, September 2013 (invited speaker).

University College Dublin, November 2012 (seminar).

Trinity College Dublin, January 2013 (seminar).

SEBDEM conference, University of Turku, Finland, April 2011 (Keynote speaker).

Irish Ornithology Conference, University College Cork, 2008 (Keynote speaker).

UFAW conference in Bristol, University of Bristol (Plenary speaker).

University of Bath, March 2009 (seminar).

University of Newcastle, May 2009 (seminar).

European Conference for Behavioural Biology, Dijon, 2008 (Invited speaker).

Personalities in natural populations workshop, Heteren, Netherlands, October 2007 (Invited speaker).

Personalities in natural populations workshop, Seeweisen, Germany, October 2008 (Invited speaker).

International Ornithological Congress, Hamburg, 2006. (Invited speaker).

European Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour, Groningen, Aug 2004 (invited proceedings paper).

University of Durham, October 2007 (seminar).

University of Bristol, October 2007 (seminar).

University of Glasgow, February 2006 (seminar).

ABRG, Oxford, 25 November 2004 (seminar).

Biosciences, The University of Birmingham, January 2004 (seminar).

RSPB Research Department, The Lodge, Sandy 2003 (seminar).

Irish Raptor Study Group Conference, Dublin, 2001 (keynote speaker).


Contributed (and attended; excludes other conferences not attended but coauthor)

International Ornithological Congress, Tokyo, Japan, August 2014 (speaker on one talk and joint speaker on another talk).

European Ornithologists Union, UEA, UK, August 2013 (symposium organiser and talk).

International Society for Behavioural Ecology, Lund, August 2012 (talk).

First joint congress on Evolutionary Biology, Ottawa, July 2012 (co-author).

Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour, St Andrews, 2011 (co-author & poster)

International Society for Behavioural Ecology, Cornell, 2010 (co-author).

British Ornithologists Union, Leicester, 2012 (talk & organiser).

European Society for Evolutionary Biology, Kracow, August 2005 (poster).

International Goose Study Group Conference, Belgium 2003 ‘Food quantity and quality: determinants of habitat/diet selection and foraging success in red-breasted geese’ (with Jouke Prop).

British Ecological Society, 2002: Paper ‘Managing individual risk of predation’ (with Will Cresswell).

EGI Conference, 2001: Poster ‘Nesting association between red-breasted geese and raptors’.

North American Arctic Goose Conference, Quebec, 2000: Poster “Density dependence and the ideal free distribution in red-breasted geese” (with Jouke Prop).

North American Arctic Goose Conference, Quebec, 2000: Paper ‘Nesting association between red-breasted geese and raptors’ (with J. Prop, J. Black & Y. Kokorev).

EGI Conference, 1999: Paper ‘Nesting association between red-breasted geese and raptors’.

ASAB student conference, University of Glasgow, Easter 1999: Poster “Nesting association between red-breasted geese and raptors”.

World Working Group on Birds of Prey, Johannesburg 1999: Paper ‘The recovery of the peregrine falcon on the Taymyr Peninsula’ (with J. Prop, J. Black & Y. Kokorev).

World Working Group on Birds of Prey, Johannesburg 1999: Paper ‘Satellite Telemetry in Saker and Peregrine Falcons’ (with C. Eastham & N. Fox).

International Goose Study Group Conference, Bulgaria, 1999, Paper ‘Nesting association between red-breasted geese and raptors’.

International Goose Study Group Conference, Bulgaria, 1999, Paper Food limitation in red-breasted geese’ (with Jouke Prop).

International Goose Study Group Conference, UK, 1996: Paper ‘Red-breasted goose ecology’.



Research priorities to attain the targets of the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020. Attended, on invitation, the European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy, Dublin Castle, 15-17 May, 2013.



FINANCING NATURA 2000: More and better opportunities from EU funding 2014-2020? Participated in a meeting at the EU Parliament Office, Dublin, 12 December 2013.


PhD examinership
2013 University of Exeter, Dr Jess Isden - Individual variation in cognitive ability
2013 University College Cork, Rosyln Anderson - Grazing and grassland ecology
2011 University College Cork, Barry O'Donoghue - Hen Harrier Ecology
2010 University of Glasgow, Dr Katherine Herborn - Personality in blue tits
2010 University of Exeter in Cornwall, Dr Ross Dwyer - Shorebird ecology
2009 University of St Andrews, Dr Alex Sansom - Predator-prey interactions
2004 University of Oxford, Dr Chris Butler - Invasive species: ring-necked parakeet



EARLY GRANTS

1)     2010: John Fell Fund, PI with co-PI Dr Julie Morand-Ferron. £6,600. Developing an automated system for associative learning tasks.

2)     2009-2011: Co-applicant on NSERC Canadian Fellowship with Dr Julie Morand-Ferron. £60,000.

3)     2007: Royal Society Research Grant, PI, £15,000. The evolutionary ecology of problem solving ability.

4)     2007: BBSRC graduate training award for 4-year DPhil studentship, Principle Supervisor £65,000. The adaptive significance of problem solving.

5)     2001: 3-year Leverhulme Trust Fellowship, £100,000. I helped to write the application that led to my Leverhulme fellowship with Dr. Cresswell as the PI.

6)     1996-2000, National Avian Research Centre (UAE), ca. £55,000. Co-applicant with Prof. J.M. Black (PI) on a series of small grants to fund my DPhil on the ecology of red-breasted geese and their nesting association with raptors.

7)     1997-1999, PSTERIC (Peter Scott Trust for Education, Research and Conservation), £9,000. PI on three small grants to study the ecology of red-breasted geese for my DPhil.



Travel grants

1)    2009: ASAB workshop organiser’s grant, £5,000, Joint Principle Investigator with Dr Hanne Lovelie, University of Oxford.

2)    2008: Lead fund-raiser (with Dr J. Reynolds University of Birmingham and Dr R. Bradbury, RSPB) for BOU ‘Birds as predators and as prey’ conference proceedings, £9,000 from DEFRA, SNH, CCW, Natural England and RSPB.

3)    2008: Grant awarded to attend and present a paper at a workshop on the personality at the Max Planck Institute, Seeweisen, Germany (ca. £400).

4)    2007: Grant awarded to attend and present a paper at a workshop on personality at the Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, NL (ca. £400).

5)    2006: Royal Society Travel Grant, £1,000. To attend an international conference in Dijon at which I co-organised one of the main sessions on animal personalities.

6)    2000: Competitive Conference Travel Award, £500, to attend the North American Arctic Goose conference in Quebec.

7)    1999: Conference Travel Grant, £1,000 from National Avian Research Centre (UAE), to attend World Working Group on Birds of Prey Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa.


Teaching Interests

1 AE3013 Practical field ecology (Algarve) - Lecturer

2 AE6005 Quantitative Ecological Surveying - Lecturer

3 AE6020 Birds: Survey Methods and Interpretation - Lecturer

4 BL3001 Literature reviews - Lecturer

5 BL4001 Final year research projects - Lecturer

6 BL4004 Frontiers in Biology Seminar Series - Coordinator

7 BL4005 Research skills in biology - Coordinator

8 BL6012 Marine Megafauna - Lecturer

9 BL6017 MSc Marine projects - Coordinator

10 Ev1002 The Environment - Coordinator

11 ZY2000 Vertebrate Biology - Lecturer

12 ZY3015 Advanced vertebrate biology - Lecturer

13 ZY4012 Population biology of birds - Coordinator

Current PhD Students
2015-2018: Gavin Arneill, Developing and assessing a monitoring strategy for breeding Puffins, Manx Shearwaters and Storm Petrels in Ireland (co-supervisor Dr Mark Jessopp).

2014-2018: Esther Kettel, A comparison of rural and urban behaviours in the peregrine falcon (cosupervisor with Dr Louise Gentle as main supervisor at the University of Nottingham Trent).

2012-2016: Will O'Shea, the evolutionary ecology of cognition and personality across a heterogeneous  Landscape. (co-supervisor Prof. J. O'Halloran).

2014-2018: Dario Fernandez-Bellon, The Ecology of the Dipper (co-supervisor with Prof. J. O'Halloran as main supervisor).

2013-2018: Helen Boland (Birdwatch Ireland), the ecology of disturbance shorebird in Dublin Bay 

(co-supervisor with Prof. J. O'Halloran).

2013-2018: Chris Honan, The foraging ecology of a top marine predator, the Great Black-backed Gull, in the context of anthropogenic factors (cosupervisor with Dr J. Reynolds as main supervisor at the University of Birminghan).


Current MSc (by research) Students
2014-2016: Saskia Wischnewski, Developing a tool to predict the impact of oil spills on seabirds 

(cosupervisor Dr Mark Jessopp, MaREI).


2015-2017: Advertised, Using GIS to predict the distribution of seabirds (cosupervisor Dr Mark Jessopp, MaREI). 

Recent Postgraduates

 Graduation YearStudent NameInstitutionDegree TypeThesis Title
2012Ella Cole University of OxfordPHDPersonality and cognitive variation in a wild population of the great tit (Parus major)
2006Sarah Nachua University of OxfordPHDSarah Nachuha, 2002-2006: Main supervisor (with Prof. Ben Sheldon). “The spatial ecology of wetland birds on rice paddies in Uganda and conflicts with agriculture

Current Postgraduate Students

 StudentDegree Type
O Shea William Doctoral Degree

Modules Taught

 Term (ID))TitleLinkSubject
2016Fundamentals of Ecology AE2001Fundamentals of Ecology
2017Frontiers in Biology BL4004Frontiers in Biology
2016The Environment EV1002The Environment
2016Population Dynamics of Birds ZY4012Population Dynamics of Birds

Internal Collaborators

 NameInstituteCountry
Dr Mark Jessopp MaREI, UCCIRELAND
Prof. John O'Halloran UCCIRELAND
Paddy Sleeman UCCIRELAND

External Collaborators

 NameOrganisation / InstituteCountry
Prof Will Cresswell St AndrewsUNITED KINGDOM
Prof. Ben Sheldon University of OxfordUNITED KINGDOM
Dr Julie Morand-Ferron University of OttawaCANADA
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