Ornithology Unit

Submitted by Ornithology Unit on Tue, 04/14/2020 - 13:57
Faculty/school/department
Faculty of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Ecology & Zoology
Size of the team
from 0 to 3
number of researchers number of supporting staff number of PhD students
3
1
2
PI
PI name
Włodzimierz Meissner
PI bio

ORCID: 0000-0001-5995-9185

Contact person and e-mail
Contact person
Włodzimierz Meissner
Contact person e-mail
Short description of research profile

Main research area concerns ecology and ecophysiology of avian seasonal migration, particularly migratory strategies of waterbirds and shorebirds within Palearctic. Our studies focus on phenology, stopovering, population composition, intra- and interspecific competition, resource partitioning as well as individual condition based on hematological and physiological measures. Moreover we monitor waterbird populations wintering in the Gulf of Gdańsk (southern Baltic). These two groups of birds are very sensitive to global changes , like degradation, fragmentation and loss of water, wetland and tundra habitats, global warming, pollution therefore the results of the studies involving those birds are often used to monitor and mitigate these impacts and develop effective conservation strategies. We conduct our field studies in the area of the Gulf of Gdańsk, where data on shorebird and waterbird abundance have been collected since 1984. In recent years, we have also been investigating aspects of the behavioural ecology of ducks, including the long-tailed duck wintering in the Gulf of Gdańsk and mallards from urban populations. As we have extensive data from past projects and more ideas than opportunities to pursue them, we are looking for students and PhD candidates interested in joining us for short-term internships or thesis work.

Publications

Representative publications

van Gils J. A., Lisovski S., Lok T., Meissner W., Ożarowska A., de Fouw J., Rakhimberdiev E., Soloviev M. Y., Piersma T., Klaassen M. 2016. Body shrinkage due to Arctic warming reduces red knot fitness in tropical wintering range. Science 352: 819–821. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aad6351      
Meissner W., Binkowski Ł.J., Barker J., Hahnd A., Trzeciak M. 2020. Relationship between blood lead levels and physiological stress in mute swans (Cygnus olor) in municipal beaches of the southern Baltic. Science of the Total Environment 710: 136292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136292
Meissner W., Zaniewicz G., Kośmicki A., Włodarczak-Komosińska A. 2019. Low asymmetry of primary moult in Dunlins Calidris alpina alpina migrating to wintering grounds. Journal of Ornithology 160: 229–237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-018-1602-8
Meissner W., Krupa R. 2017. Sex-related differences in autumn migration timing of adult common sandpipers Actitis hypoleucos (Linnaeus, 1758) (Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae). European Zoological Journal 84: 136–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1278474
Meissner W., Jewuła M. 2024. Age differences in primary moult of the Black-headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus. European Zoological Journal 91: 1068–1077.  https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2024.2398174

Link to extended list of publication