Research Ecologist
Jacob works as a Research Ecologist on the Wetland & Marine Team, carrying out data analysis for a wide range of projects.
Since joining the BTO recently, Jacob has used terrestrial climate and oceanographic data to predict future seabird abundance in western Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland under climate change as part of the MarPAMM project. Jacob has broad research interests in ecology, particularly in demography and range dynamics and in the analysis of large spatial datasets. For his PhD research on the causes of reed warbler’s recent range expansion in Britain, he carried out colour-ringing and analysed CES, NRS, ringing and satellite data using hierarchical and individual-based models. Jacob’s original background in ornithology includes upland and woodland fieldwork in Scotland and the USA, mostly on raptors and passerines, and analysis of farmland wader declines. Jacob is also a keen nest recorder and holds a ‘C’ ringing permit.
BA (Hons.) Biological Sciences, University of Oxford, 2009.
MRes Ecology and Environmental Biology, University of Glasgow, 2012.
PhD Dispersal and range expansion in reed warbler, University of York, 2019.
Recent BTO Publications
- Bennett, S., Rhoades, J., Boersch-Supan, P., Humphreys, E.M., Davies, J. & Upton, A. 2025. Modelled changes to seabird presence and abundance across the MarPAMM region in response to predicted changes in climatic and oceanographic variables. BTO Research Report 767:
- Johnston, D.T., Humphreys, E.M., Davies, J.G., Evans, T., Howells, R.J. & Pearce-Higgins, J.W. 2025. Current understanding of how climate change affects seabirds varies between regions and species in the North-East Atlantic. Marine Ecology Progress Series 755: 163-177 doi:10.3354/meps14785
- Davies, J.G., Boersch-Supan, P.H., Clewley, G.D., Humphreys, E.M., O’Hanlon, N.J., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Thaxter, C.B., Weston, E. & Cook, A.S.C.P. 2024. Influence of wind on kittiwake <em>Rissa tridactyla</em> flight and offshore wind turbine collision risk. Marine Biology 171: doi:10.1007/s00227-024-04508-0
- O’Hanlon, N.J., Clewley, G.D., Davies, J.G., Johnston, D.T., Booth Jones, K.A., Green, R.M.W., Weston, E., Humphreys, E.M. & Cook, A.S.C.P. 2024. Trial of the use of silicone cord leg-loop harnesses on Black-legged Kittiwake during the 2023 breeding season. BTO Research Report 772:
- O’Hanlon, N.J., Thaxter, C.B., Clewley, G.D., Davies, J.G., Humphreys, E.M., Miller, P.I. Pollock, C.J., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Weston, E. & Cook, A.S.C.P. 2024. Challenges in quantifying the responses of Black-legged Kittiwake to habitat variables and local stressors due to individual variation. Bird Study 71: 48-64 doi:10.1080/00063657.2024.2305169
- Davies, J.G., Dytham, C., Robinson, R.A. & Beale, C.M. 2024. Estimating the distribution of reed <em>Phragmites australis</em> in Britain demonstrates challenges of remotely sensing rare habitat types at large spatial scales. Scientific Reports 14: doi:10.1038/s41598-024-73030-6
- Woodward, I.D., Franks, S.E., Bowgen, K., Davies, J.G., Green, R.M.W., Griffin, L.R., Mitchell, C., O’Hanlon, N., Pollock, C., Rees, E.C., Tremlett, C., Wright, L. & Cook, A.S.C.P. 2023. Strategic study of collision risk for birds on migration and further development of the stochastic collision risk modelling tool (Work Package 1: Strategic review of birds on migration in Scottish waters). JNCC Reports
- Cook, A.S.C.P., Thaxter, C.B., Davies, J., Green, R.M.W., Wischnewski, S. & Boersch-Supan, P. 2023. Understanding seabird behaviour at sea part 2: improved estimates of collision risk model parameters.
- Davies, J.G., Kirkland, M., Miller, M.G.R., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Atkinson, P.W. & Hewson, C.M. 2023. Spring arrival of the Common Cuckoo at breeding grounds is strongly determined by environmental conditions in tropical Africa. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 290: doi:10.1098/rspb.2023.0580
- Johnston, D.T., Thaxter, C.B., Boersch-Supan, P.H., Davies, J.G., Clewley, G.D., Green, R.M.W., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Cook, A.S.C.P., Burton, N.H.K. & Humphreys, E.M. 2023. Flight heights obtained from GPS versus altimeters influence estimates of collision risk with offshore wind turbines in Lesser Black-backed Gulls <em>Larus fuscus</em>. Movement Ecology 11: doi:10.1186/s40462-023-00431-z