The ability to communicate with other individuals is essential for an animal in all stages of its life. Our research concentrates on dynamic aspects of bird signalling and the influence of environmental factors in agonistic as well as courtship and nesting contexts (e.g. the significance of shifting between different types and modalities of signalling, the options for counteracting eavesdropping on aggressive and sexual interactions and detection of nesting activities, habitat caused sound degradation and its implications for e.g. information transfer and song based addressing and location of other individuals).
We are also interested in evolutionary and conservation aspects of communication behaviour. Our use of new approaches (e.g. the idea of communication networks) and techniques (e.g. interactive playback and quantification of sound degradation) is instrumental in our studies.

Special duties
Head of the board of Stroedam Reserve.