C (Clara) Vinyeta Cortada, MSc

The focus of my PhD project is to explore the factors and mechanisms moderating social information use in great tits (Parus major). I want to unravel how social information helps these birds forage and survive in the wild across sex and age classes. I also want to understand which mechanisms (e.g., local enhancement, calls) are used to acquire information about food availability. To do this, I study wild great tits from the Westerheide forest in the Netherlands. By radio-tracking these birds, using RFID feeders and audio/video recordings, we aim to gain a better understanding of the foraging lives of these wilde birds, and the constraints of individual characteristics.

I usually look for students to work with me during Fall-Winter, but I'm open to ideas. E-mail me if you're interested in working in great tit radio-tracking, social foraging, or acoustic monitoring.

Please contact me for any discussions or questions!