PhD position in Avian Ecology and Behaviour
PhD position in Avian Ecology and Behaviour at Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid, Spain), linked to the research grant: “Pair bonds in a polygamous bird: establishment, dynamics, and consequences for breeding and survival”.
The position includes:
- 4-year contract for a doctoral candidate to obtain a PhD studying avian reproduction in the wild, with an important component of fieldwork and field experiments, and also paternity genotyping, hormonal assays and immune system characterisation.
- Supervised by Diego Gil (MNCN, CSIC) and Lorenzo Pérez-Rodríguez (IREC, CSIC-UCLM), the student will join the Behavioural Ecology Endocrinology Lab a lively multidisciplinary research group with collaborators in several countries (behavecol.es/en).
- In addition, the student will benefit from extra funding to cover a 3-month visit to a University abroad to expand training and knowledge, as well as regular participation in conferences.
Project description
The thesis main objective is to analyse how pair bonds are established and maintained in the spotless starling, a highly social and polygamous bird, and what their consequences are for fitness. The main hypothesis is that the duration and strength of the relationship are key factors for the reproductive success and survival of individuals.
The research will be carried out in a long-term, RFID-tagged spotless starling population near Madrid, which shows variability in bond duration due both to demography and divorce. Social network data will be used to quantify bond strength between reproductive pairs. In addition, the project will experimentally evaluate how pair bond duration and strength influences extra-pair paternity rate, parental coordination in chick care, vocal communication and, ultimately, reproductive success.
Candidates should hold a Master’s degree (MSc) in Biology, Veterinary Sciences or Psychology, and demonstrate high motivation to pursue a career in field-based behavioural ecology. We will value good English speaking and writing skills, as well as a good level of statistics in the R environment. In addition, experience in fieldwork with birds and molecular or ecophysiology lab experience will be an advantage. Although we expect the official announcement to open sometime between October and November 2025, we welcome interested candidates to send their CV and a candid, personal and compelling motivation letter to diego.gil@csic.es by October 7th.
