Ben Hatchwell

My principal research interest is in social evolution and reproductive strategies in birds. The main approach of my research is to use field observations and experiments to test evolutionary theory. I have been studying cooperative breeding in long-tailed tits since 1994, and have also collaborated recently on other projects on cooperative behaviour in sociable weavers, riflemen and monk parakeets. Specific research interests include:

The ecological and demographic factors that promote the evolution of cooperation in animal societies.
The influence of individual dispersal decisions on the genetic structure of populations and the consequences for cooperative behaviour
The fitness consequences of alternative reproductive strategies of individuals in cooperative groups
Mechanisms of kin recognition in social animals
Proximate and ultimate causes of variation in parental investment
Population Ecology
I am also interested in pure and applied aspects of avian population ecology, including long-term studies of seabirds, parrot conservation and the ecology of urban bird populations. Recent projects include studies of guillemots, blackbirds and three species of parrot. Specific areas of interest include:

The population dynamics of guillemots on Skomer Island
Population biology of vulnerable parrot populations
The relationship between urban and rural bird populations
Invasion biology of monk parakeets in Europe