Call for citizen scientists
Attention Bird Ringers of England! We are collecting samples again, we need your expertise!
Dear Fellow Bird Ringers,
I’m Vildan Acar, a PhD student with the Davidson Lab at the University of East Anglia (UEA), and I’m looking for help with my PhD project which focuses on the gut microbiota of great tits and its potential link to cognitive abilities in urban environments.
We are looking for bird ringers who are willing to help collect faecal samples from great tit chicks in urban or suburban areas, including villages across England. If you have nestboxes currently or potentially occupied by great tits, or even a pair nesting in your urban garden, your help would be hugely appreciated. Every sample is invaluable to our study and your involvement will significantly enhance our understanding of how birds adapt to urban life. All the data collected will be shared openly with you and all the necessary equipment for sample collection will be provided. If you are interested and wish to learn more, please fill out this form or feel free to contact me directly at v.acar (at) uea.ac.uk.
