#notBOU2020 Avian Restoration day

Hi there! I’m Brittany, a PhD student at @bournemouthuni studying #dispersal ecology in a recovering population of the European osprey (Pandion haliaetus) here in the UK! #ornithology #conservation (1/9)
#Dispersal is the movement of an individual from its site of birth or current breeding, to a subsequent breeding site. It is an important driver of many ecological processes, including range expansion and #metapopulation dynamics. (2/9)
Following centuries of persecution, the European #osprey metapopulation has become highly fragmented. Without #dispersal connecting these populations, they could become genetically isolated, potentially leading to local extinctions. (3/9)
But male #ospreys have very low dispersal tendencies, greatly limiting range recovery rates and population connectivity. So in order to encourage greater #dispersal between populations, and thus #restore this species, we must first understand the factors influencing it. (4/9)
My research aims to identify the environmental drivers of dispersal movements (or rather a lack thereof!) in ospreys, and to measure the impacts of different dispersal strategies on both individual fitness and population structure. (5/9)
I’m presently only 3 months in, but my findings will eventually contribute to our understanding of dispersal, and more widely population ecology, in long-lived avian species, and will be used to inform a new management strategy for #osprey conservation across Europe. (6/9)
#Conservation interventions such as nest installation and #translocation, have already helped to #restore and enhance many populations, by artificially replicating dispersal and establishment processes, and thus accelerating range expansion. (7/9)
Alongside my studies, I manage one such project which is currently #restoring breeding ospreys to the South Coast of Britain, in a collaboration between @harbourbirds @harbourospreys, @RoyDennisWF and Wildlife Windows. (8/9)
And excitingly, today, the female of what we hope will be the founding pair of our new population and the first breeding ospreys locally for 200 years, landed on our artificial nest with a built in livestream camera, which you can view here: (9/9)
You can follow @BrittanyMaxted.
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