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John Quinn

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John Quinn

Professor (Scale 2)

 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9363-3146
2000 …2026

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Biography

  • Professor in Zoology, UCC, 2016-present
  • Lectureship in Ecology, UCC, 2012-2017
  • Head of Zoology & Ecology, School of BEES (2015-2020).
  • Vice President and founding member, Irish Ecological Association 2015-2020.
  • Lectureship in Biology at Pembroke College, Oxford, 2006-2012 Departmental
  • Associate Editor, Behavioral Ecology, 2017-2021
  • Associate Editor, Journal of Animal Ecology, 2008-2017
  • Lectureship in Behavioural Mechanisms, University of Oxford, 2006-2012
  • Associate Editor, Ibis, 2005-2010
  • PDRA, The evolution of personality, University of Oxford, 2004-2006
  • Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship, Predator-prey interactions, University of Oxford, 2001-2004
  • Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Oxford, "The behavioral ecology of red-breasted geese and their nesting association with birds of prey",  1996-2000
  • Research Officer, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, UK, 1990-1996
  • MSc, Biological Computation, University of York, 1989-1990
  • Senior reserve warden, Rockabill, Irish Wildbird Conservancy, 1989
  • BSc.Hons. Zoology, University College Dublin, 1984-1988

Research Interests

I am an ornithologist and have been studying birds since 1988. Most of my work has been in Ireland and the UK, but in earlier years I also worked in Arctic Russia, the Seychelles, the Caucusses, and the Carribean. I have a strong interest in a broad range of topics in behavioural ecology, conservation, and applied ecology.

Long term projects

The conservation management of seabird populations on Great Saltee Island in the context of invasive species control and ecotourism. Most of this work is conducted by students doing short term projects for our MSc in Marine Biology and I work closely with the National Parks and Wildlife Service helping them implement management solutions. [three pictures of puffins, gannets and manxies]

Individual variation in cognition and personality in wild populations of three tit species. I set up a nestbox system in the Bandon Valley, Co. Cork, where I study a wide variety of topics aimed at understanding the causes and consequences of individual variation in behaviour. This work has been funded by the ERC, the IRC, and Marie Curie.

Current and recent projects

The spatial ecology of a declining population of hen harriers. NPWS funded postdoctoral study, by Dr Anna Bracken (2025-2029).

The ecology of the Atlantic Puffin. NPWS funded PhD studentship held by Jack Glennon,2025-2029,  Supervised by Dr Mark Jessopp and myself.

Using spatial ecology during the non-breeding season to develop a sustainable habitat management strategy for red-billed chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) in Ireland. Research Ireland Enterprise Partnership postgraduate scholarship, co-funded by National Parks and Wildlife Services, held by Arcadie Fihey, 2025-2029.

Estimating and mitigating the impact of bird damage to crops and stock. NPWS funded postdoctoral study, conducted by Dr Sayantani Basak (2025-2029).

The ecology of the Irish red grouse in the context of habitat deterioration and landscape change. NPWS funded postdoctoral study, by Dr James O’Neill (2025-2029).

Sustainability measures and their impacts on carbon, biodiversity, and farm economics in cereal production under different financial, climatic and ecological scenarios. Two PhD students, Andile Dube and Hanno Kriek, funded by Irish Distillers (Pernod Ricard), co-supervised by Prof. Theo Hennessey from Cork University Business School, Dr. Fiona Thorne from Teagasc, and in collaboration with several other academics from UCC.

The gut microbiome of the wild great tit (Parus major): drivers and fitness consequences. PhD thesis by Dr Shane Somers, 2019-2023, IRC funded postgraduate scholarship. Now working in Ecological Consultancy. 

The evolutionary ecology of cognition in wild populations. European Research Council Consolidator award for €1.9m covering a wide variety of topics, 2015-2020:

PhD Supervision

  • Available for PhD supervision

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
  2. SDG 4 - Quality Education
    SDG 4 Quality Education
  3. SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
    SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  4. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
    SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  5. SDG 14 - Life Below Water
    SDG 14 Life Below Water
  6. SDG 15 - Life on Land
    SDG 15 Life on Land

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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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  • Modelling the national breeding distribution and population size of an elusive forest bird, the Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola)

    O'Neill, J., Holloway, P., Darby, J., Hoodless, A. & Quinn, J., 19 Feb 2026, In: Ibis.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

  • A large-scale study across the avian clade identifies ecological drivers of neophobia

    ManyBirds Project, 1 Oct 2025, In: PLOS Biology. 23, 10, p. e3003394

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access

  • Circadian space use but not overall home range is affected by diurnal hunting in a terrestrial bird species where mortality is low

    O'Neill, J., Harman, L., Holloway, P., Somers, S., Hoodless, A. & Quinn, J. L., Oct 2025, In: Global Ecology and Conservation. 62, e03805.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access

  • Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets

    Sequeira, A. M. M., Rodríguez, J. P., Marley, S. A., Calich, H. J., van der Mheen, M., VanCompernolle, M., Arrowsmith, L. M., Peel, L. R., Queiroz, N., Vedor, M., da Costa, I., Mucientes, G., Couto, A., Humphries, N. E., Abalo-Morla, S., Abascal, F. J., Abercrombie, D. L., Abrantes, K., Abreu-Grobois, F. A. & Afonso, A. S. & 357 others, Afonso, P., Ahonen, H., Åkesson, S., Alfaro-Shigueto, J., Andrews, R. D., Angelier, F., Antonopoulou, M., Arata, J. A., Araujo, G., Arauz, R., Arcos, J. M., Arregui, I., Arrizabalaga, H., Auger-Méthé, M., Bach, S., Bailleul, F., Baird, R. W., Balazs, G. H., Barco, S. G., Barnett, A., Baverstock, W., Baylis, A. M. M., Beard, A., Bécares, J., Belda, E. J., Bell, I., Bennison, A., Benson, S. R., Bernal, D., Berumen, M. L., Bessudo, S., Bezerra, N. P. A., Blaison, A. V., Blanco, G. S., Block, B. A., Bolton, M., Bond, M. E., Bonfil, R., Braun, C. D., Broderick, A. C., Brooke, M. D. L., Brooks, A. M. L., Brooks, E. J., Bruno, I. M., Burns, J. M., Byrne, M. E., Campana, S. E., Campbell, H. A., Campbell, R. A., Carlisle, A., Carmichael, R. H., Carroll, G., Casale, P., Ceia, F. R., Chapman, D. D., Chapple, T. K., Charrassin, J. B., Chiaradia, A., Chisholm, J., Clarke, C. R., Clay, T. A., Cleguer, C., Clingham, E., Clua, E. E. G., Cochran, J. E. M., Constantine, R., Cooper, R. W., Crochelet, E., Cronin, M., Cuevas, E., DaCosta, K. P., Dagorn, L., Daly, R., Davis, R. W., de Bruyn, P. J. N., Delgado-Trejo, C., Dellinger, T., Derville, S., Diamant, S., DiMatteo, A., Dodge, K. L., Doherty, P. D., Double, M. C., Dove, A. D. M., Doyle, T. K., Drew, M. J., Dubbs, L. L., Duffy, C. A. J., Dutton, P. H., Edwards, E. W. J., Einoder, L. D., Erdmann, M. V., Espinoza, E., Esteban, N., Fagundes, A. I., Feare, C., Ferguson, S. H., Ferreira, L. C., Ferretti, F., Filmalter, J., Finucci, B., Fischer, G. C., Fitzpatrick, R. J., Fontes, J., Formia, A., Fossette, S., Francis, M. P., Friedlaender, A. S., Furtado, M., Gallagher, A. J., Garrigue, C., Gennari, E., Gilchrist, H. G., Godley, B. J., Goldsworthy, S. D., Gollock, M., Carman, V. G., Grecian, W. J., Green, J. R., Guinet, C., Gustafson, J., Guttridge, T. L., Guzman, H. M., Hamer, D., Hamer, K. C., Hammerschlag, N., Hammill, M. O., Harman, L., Harrison, E., Hart, C. E., Harris, A. E., Hastie, G., Hazin, F. H. V., Heard, M., Hearn, A. R., Heide-Jørgensen, M. P., Henry, L., Henry, R. W., Hernandez, V. G., Herrera, A. E., Hindell, M. A., Holdsworth, J. C., Holmes, B. J., Howey, L. A., Padilla, E. M. H., Huckstadt, L. A., Hueter, R. E., Lara, P. H., Hussey, N. E., Huveneers, C., Hyland, K., Irion, D. T., Jacoby, D. M. P., Jaeger, A., Jaidah, M. Y., Jessopp, M., Jewell, O. J. D., Johnson, R., Jones, C. G., Jonsen, I. D., Jordan, L. K. B., Jorgensen, S. J., Kato, A., Ketchum, J. T., Kitaysky, A. S., Klimley, A. P., Kock, A. A., Koen, P., Archila, F. L., Lana, F. O., Lane, J. V., Le Corre, M., Lea, M. A., Lea, J., Leat, E. H. K., Lee, O. A., Levenson, J. J., Ley-Quiñonez, C. P., Llewellyn, F., Lockhart, G., Lopez, G. G., Lopez Mendilaharsu, M., Lowther, A. D., Luschi, P., Lutcavage, M. E., Lyon, W. S., Macena, B. C. L., Mackay, A. I., Madden, C. A., Mallory, M. L., Mangel, J. C., Manning, M., Mansfield, K. L., March, D., Marco, A., Marcoux, M., Acuña-Marrero, D., Marsh, H., Marshall, H., Mate, B., McAllister, J. D., McGuire, R. L., McKenzie, J., McLeay, L., McMahon, C. R., Modest, M., Morris, J., Muelbert, M. M. C., Namboothri, N., Nichols, W. J., Nicoll, M. A. C., Norman, B. M., Norris, K., Olsen, E., Oppel, S., Orlowski, S., Pagano, A. M., Page, B., Paiva, V. H., Palacios, D. M., Papastamatiou, Y. P., Parker, D. M., Pattiaratchi, C., Peckham, H., Peñaherrera-Palma, C. R., Pepperell, J. G., Phillips, R. A., Pierce, S. J., Pikesley, S. K., Pilcher, N. J., Pinet, P., Pinkerton, M., Pirotta, E., Plot, V., Powell, A. N., Powers, K. D., Prebble, C. E. M., Preston, T. J., Prieto, R., Prosdocimi, L., Quinn, J. L., Quintero, L. M., Raclot, T., Ramirez, I., Ramírez-Macías, D., Ramos, J. A., Read, A. J., Ream, R., Rees, A. F., Reina, R. D., Reisinger, R. R., Revuelta, O., Reynolds, S. D., Richardson, A. J., Riekkola, L., Riet-Sapriza, F. G., Robinson, D. P., Robinson, P. W., Rocha, C. F. D., Rogers, T. L., Rohner, C. A., Ropert-Coudert, Y., Ross, M., Rowat, D. R. L., Ruhomaun, K., Sagar, P. M., Samoilys, M. A., Sanchez, S., Sandoval-Lugo, A. G., dos Santos, E. A. P., Santos, A. M., Scales, K. L., Schofield, G., Semmens, J. M., Setyawan, E., Shaffer, S. A., Shanker, K., Sheaves, M., Shillinger, G. L., Shivji, M. S., Sianipar, A., Silk, J. R. D., Silva, M. A., Sim, J., Simpson, S. J., Skomal, G., Slip, D. J., Smale, M. J., Soler, G. A., Soria, M., Sousa, L. L., Southall, E. J., Stahl, J. C., Stehfest, K. M., Sterling, J. T., Stevens, J. D., Stevens, G. M. W., Stewart, J. D., Swaminathan, A., Takahashi, A., Tatayah, V., Thiebot, J. B., Thompson, P. M., Thorrold, S. R., Thums, M., Tomás, J., Torres, L. G., Towner, A., Trathan, P. N., Tyminski, J. P., van Buiten, R. S., Van Dam, R. P., Vandeperre, F., Varo-Cruz, N., Vaudo, J. J., Vely, M., Villegas-Amtmann, S., Vincent, C., Waayers, D., Wanless, S., Watanabe, Y. Y., Watt, C. A., Weber, S. B., Weber, N., Weise, M. J., Welch, L., Wells, R. S., Werry, J. M., Wetherbee, B. M., White, T. D., Whiting, S. D., Whiting, A. U., Wiebkin, A., Wienecke, B., Wildermann, N. E., Wiley, D. N., Will, A., Williams, S., Windstein, M., Wischnewski, S., Witt, M. J., Womersley, F. C., Wood, A. G., Wright, L. J., Xavier, J. C., Yamamoto, T., Yurkowski, D. J., Zarate, P. M., Zavala-Norzagaray, A., Zerbini, A. N., Costa, D. P., Harcourt, R., Meekan, M. G., Hays, G. C., Sims, D. W., Duarte, C. M. & Eguíluz, V. M., 5 Jun 2025, In: Science. 388, 6751, p. 1086-1097 12 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access

  • Manipulating a host-native microbial strain compensates for low microbial diversity by increasing weight gain in a wild bird population

    Somers, S. E., Davidson, G. L., Mbandlwa, P., McKeon, C. M., Stanton, C., Ross, R. P. & Quinn, J. L., 22 Oct 2024, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 121, 43, e2402352121.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
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