Behavioural Ecology Group
The Behavioural Ecology Group (BHE) studies the causes and consequences of animal behaviour with a focus on social contexts. We provide education in Behavioural Ecology and Applied Animal Behaviour.
Our research focuses on:
• Behavioural Ecology
• Applied Animal Behaviour
• Behaviour of Companion Animals
Courses
Education by the Behaviour Ecology Group covers the whole field of animal behaviour, including basic behavioural mechanisms, behavioural ecology, applied animal behaviour and life history decisions. Our courses are directed at both Biology and Animal Science students.
Research
The main expertise and research focus of the BHE group is on social behaviour, involving a range of projects that specifically address the causes as well the consequences of key aspects of social behaviour.
Latest News
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Young birds do household chores
- Young birds support their parents in raising youngsters, defending the territory and keeping predators at bay. This social... -
How Dutch migratory birds are caught by trapping nets
- Each year, large numbers of migratory birds (including Dutch birds) are caught in the Mediterranean. These birds, ranging from quails to nightingales,... -
Animals rarely avoid inbreeding
- The widespread general assumption is that inbreeding is bad for genetic reasons and something that should be avoided under all circumstances. A new... -
Tweeting zebra finches in the Australian outback
- The zebra finch is one of the most widely studied songbirds in a laboratory setting, but little is known about its ecology and behaviour in the wild.... -
Guppies with friends eat more
- Guppies that socialise with more conspecifics get more food. This applies to both males and females, despite the common assumption that males... -
Aggressive wasp eats baby bird's head
- An aggressive wasp has attacked a baby bird in its nest and then ate its head. This special attack was captured on camera during a study by Wageningen...
Latest publications
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Who do you trust? Wild birds use social knowledge to avoid being deceived
Science Advances 7 (2021)22. - ISSN 2375-2548 -
Who listens to mother? A whole-family perspective on the evolution of maternal hormone allocation
Biological Reviews (2021). - ISSN 1464-7931 -
Meta-analytic evidence that animals rarely avoid inbreeding
Nature Ecology & Evolution (2021). - ISSN 2397-334X -
Justification for a taxonomic conservation update of the rodent genus Tamiasciurus : addressing marginalization and mis-prioritization of research efforts and conservation laissez-faire for a sustainability outlook
European Zoological Journal 88 (2021)1. - p. 86 - 116. -
Helpers compensate for age-related declines in parental care and offspring survival in a cooperatively breeding bird
Evolution Letters 5 (2021)2. - ISSN 2056-3744 - p. 143 - 153.