Conservation Science
As a trained conservation scientist, Kendrew selects projects which require the collection and interpretation of scientific evidence to inform species and habitat protection work. Current work builds on his and co-workers decades of research and monitoring work on some very special species in some very special environments. Projects include:
PROJECT 1 Migratory waterbirds: (a) East Canadian High Arctic Light-bellied Brent Geese
Kendrew has co-ordinated international surveys, productivity assessments and multiple research projects on migratory waterbirds since the late 1990s. This has included a period as national I-WeBS co-ordinator, a co-ordinator of non-estuarine waterbirds around the Irish coastline (1998), co-ordinating international surveys of Light-bellied Brent Geese (Iceland/Ireland/Britain and France, annually since 1998) and research studies of waders and geese in Iceland, Canada and Iceland for several decades.
Our long-term project concerns monitoring distribution and demography of this flyway population (through counts, productivity assessments, and via colour-rings survival, fecundity etc) and aspects of their ecology and behaviour (energetics, drivers of individual fitness, migratory behaviour etc).
Pair of Light-bellied Brent Geese – photo copyright Daniel Bergmann
Current projects include:
Annual censusing and productivity monitoring (Iceland/Ireland/Britain/France) October 2021
Brent Goose GPS tracking, Dungarvan, Waterford (funding Waterford Co Co) – to determine terrestrial site usage Dec 2021 onwards
Wider public engagement project at Dungarvan (funded by The Heritage Council/Waterford Co Co)
Brent Goose GPS tracking, Trawbrega Bay, Donegal (funding The Marine Institute) – to examine interactions of Brent Geese and inter-tidal aquaculture; Dec 2021 onwards
With Dr Xav Harrison & Professor Stuart Bearhop – 2021 – 2025
Updating our project website (www.irishbrentgoose.com)
Submission of co-supervised thesis (Tess Handy; funded by Final Co Co) and associated peer-reviewed publications
Light-bellied Brent Goose on nest, Axel Heiberg Island, Canada – photo copyright Kendrew Colhoun
Past projects/outputs include:
CAFF (2018) contributing author to A global audit of the status and trends of arctic and northern hemisphere goose populations Goose_Report_P1_Final_march22_web.pdf
Organising an AEWA International Workshop and authoring the arising AEWA Single Species Action Plan International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Light-bellied Brent Goose (East Canadian High Arctic Population) (TS No. 11) | AEWA (unep-aewa.org)
WWT/JNCC Waterbird Review Series population review https://monitoring.wwt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Waterbird-Review-Series-Canadian-Light-bellied-Brent-Goose.pdf
PhD projects by Dr Rich Inger, Dr Xav Harrison, Dr Matt Silk
Organising 2 expeditions to the Canadian Arctic (Bathurst, Ellesmere, Axel Heiberg Islands) in 2005 & 2007 with CWS/BBC/Polar Continental Shelf; 2007 part of International Polar Year ARCTIC WOLVES project 2007-08 ArcticWOLVES - Arctic wildlife observatories linking vulnerable ecosystems (ulaval.ca)
Light bellied Brent Goose flock, Strangford Lough – photo copyright Alex Portig
Selected outputs:
Handby, T., Slezacek, J., Lupi, S., Harrison, X.A., Colhoun, K & Bearhop, S. (in prep) The influence of behavioural and physiological flexibility on departure decision-making during spring staging in a long-distance migrant Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Harrison, X. A., Hodgson, D. J., Inger, R., Colhoun, K., Gudmundsson, G. A., McElwaine, G. & Bearhop, S. (2013) Environmental conditions during breeding modify the strength of mass-dependent carry-over effects in a migratory bird. PloS one, 8(10), e77783.
Cleasby, I.R., Bodey, T.W., Vigfusdottir, F., McDonald, J.L., McElwaine, G., Mackie, K., Colhoun, K. and Bearhop, S. (2017) Climatic conditions produce contrasting influences on demographic traits in a long‐distance Arctic migrant. Journal of Animal Ecology, 86(2), pp.285-295.
Silk, M.J., Jackson, A.L., Croft, D.P., Colhoun, K. and Bearhop, S. (2015) The consequences of unidentifiable individuals for the analysis of an animal social network. Animal Behaviour, 104, pp.1-11.
Harrison XA, Hodgson DJ, Inger R, Colhoun K, Gudmundsson GA, McElwaine G, Tregenza T, Bearhop S. (2013) Environmental conditions during breeding modify the strength of mass-dependent carry-over effects in a migratory bird. PLoS One 15: 8(10):e77783. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077783.
Harrison XA, Tregenza T, Inger R, Colhoun K, Dawson DA, Gudmundsson GA, Hodgson DJ, Horsburgh GJ, McElwaine G, Bearhop S. (2010) Cultural inheritance drives site fidelity and migratory connectivity in a long-distance migrant. Molecular Ecology 9:5484-96. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2010.04852.x.
Inger R, Ruxton GD, Newton J, Colhoun K, Robinson JA, Jackson AL, Bearhop S. (2006) Temporal and intrapopulation variation in prey choice of wintering geese determined by stable isotope analysis. Journal of Animal Ecology 75(5):1190-200. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2006.01142.x.
Inger, R., Ruxton, G., Newton, J., Colhoun, K., Mackie, K., Robinson, J. and Bearhop, S. (2006) Using daily ration models and stable isotope analysis to predict biomass depletion by herbivores. Journal of Applied Ecology, 43: 1022-1030. (doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2006.01207.x)
PROJECT 1 Migratory waterbirds: (b) waders
We have a long-standing interest in wading birds on the East Atlantic flyway and have been increasing our work on waders in recent years – there remains relatively little study of waders in Ireland. Kendrew co-ordinated the national waterbird monitoring scheme (I-WeBS) between 1998 and 2002 and was national co-ordinator of an international survey of non-estuarine waterbirds (NEWS) in 1998. Since 2019 we have embarked on some large-scale colour-marking projects across Ireland, focussing on Northern Irish estuaries (funding to IBGRG from the NIEA Env Fund) and work elsewhere – in Donegal and Waterford.
Colour-ringed Black-tailed Godwit, Belfast Lough – photo copyright Kendrew Colhoun
Current/on-going projects include:
Non-breeding movements of Curlew in Ireland (NPWS/Donegal Co Co funded project examining movements of wintering Curlew using geolocators)
Use of inter-tidal and terrestrial sites by selected waders in N Dublin (PhD studentship 2021 – 2024 co-investigator with Prof Stuart Bearhop; funded by Fingal Co Co)
Usage and movements of wintering waders utilising NI estuaries (as Project Manager, funding to IBGRG from NIEA Env Fund)
Oyster bags on trestle structures at Dungarvan Hbr, Waterford – photo copyright Kendrew Colhoun
Past projects/outputs include:
CAFF (2018) contributing author to A global audit of the status and trends of arctic and northern hemisphere goose populations Goose_Report_P1_Final_march22_web.pdf
Organising an AEWA International Workshop and authoring the arising AEWA Single Species Action Plan International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Light-bellied Brent Goose (East Canadian High Arctic Population) (TS No. 11) | AEWA (unep-aewa.org)
WWT/JNCC Waterbird Review Series population review https://monitoring.wwt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Waterbird-Review-Series-Canadian-Light-bellied-Brent-Goose.pdf
PhD projects by Dr Rich Inger, Dr Xav Harrison, Dr Matt Silk
Organising 2 expeditions to the Canadian Arctic (Bathurst, Ellesmere, Axel Heiberg Islands) in 2005 & 2007 with CWS/BBC/Polar Continental Shelf; 2007 part of International Polar Year ARCTIC WOLVES project 2007-08 ArcticWOLVES - Arctic wildlife observatories linking vulnerable ecosystems (ulaval.ca)
GPS-tagged Grey Plover, Dungarvan, Waterford – photo copyright Kendrew Colhoun
The Cunnigar spit, Dungarvan Hbr, Waterford – photo copyright Kendrew Colhoun
PROJECT 2: Conservation of breeding Curlew and other waders in Ireland
Upland bogs and lowland turloughs, callows and other wet grassland habitats in Ireland used to hold healthy population of breeding waders – alas, our breeding populations of Lapwing, Redshank and Curlew have been decimated and all three species are red-listed in Ireland. Arising from RSPB NI’s long tradition of trying (with great success) to conserve breeding waders in N Ireland, we have acquired a great deal of knowledge on the conservation management of these species.
Alarm-calling territorial adult male Eurasian Curlew – photo copyright James O’Neill
Current on-going projects include:
National survey of breeding Curlew in Ireland in 2021; Irish Wildlife Manual in prep. (under contract to NPWS)
Support to GPS tracking breeding Curlew on territories across Ireland in 2021 (to NPWS and BirdWatch Ireland EIP)
Completion of a 3-year conservation project at SW L Neagh on breeding Curlew (funded by Heritage Lottery via Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership)
Analysis of habitat use and ecology of breeding Curlew in Ireland underway (analysis funded by NPWS/UCD)
Surveys of breeding waders at Reedy Flat (Lough Neagh; funded by Heritage Lottery via Lough Neagh Landscape Partnership)
Surveys of breeding waders in The Shannon Callows (under contract from NPWS)
Pre-fledgling Eurasian Curlew in hay meadow, Lough Neagh – photo copyright James O’Neill
Past projects/outputs include:
Survey of breeding waders across N Ireland (2012; NIEA contract to RSPB NI) Colhoun, K Mawhinney, K & Peach, W.J. (2015) Population estimates and changes in abundance of breeding waders in Northern Ireland up to 2013, Bird Study, 62: 394-403, DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2015.1058746
Testing the efficacy of breeding AES options for breeding Lapwing in NI (2007-2011; AFBI/DAERA-NI contract to RSPB) Colhoun, K., Mawhinney, K., McLaughlin, M., Barnett, C., McDevitt, A.M., Bradbury, R.B. & Peach, W.J. (2017) Agri-environment scheme enhances breeding populations of some priority farmland birds in Northern Ireland, Bird Study, 64: 545-556, DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2017.1415296
Nest camera trained on a Eurasian Curlew nest photo – copyright Kendrew Colhoun
Temporary electrified nest protection fence surrounding a Eurasian Curlew nest in hay meadow, L Neagh – photo copyright Kendrew Colhoun
Juvenile Common Redshank, Reedy Flat, L Neagh – photo copyright Kendrew Colhoun
High-quality breeding wader habitat at Reedy Flat, L Neagh – photo copyright Kendrew Colhoun
4 day old Eurasian Curlew chick in a hay meadow Lough Neagh – photo copyright Kendrew Colhoun
Juvenile Common Snipe, Reedy Fat, L Neagh – photo copyright Kendrew Colhoun
High-quality breeding wader habitat in the Middle Shannon Callows – photo copyright Kendrew Colhoun
Using thermal imaging equipment to locate scarce incubating species – photo copyright Kendrew Colhoun
PROJECT 3: Ecology of resident and migrating Common Swift
Afro-palearctic migrants are undergoing significant declines amongst them are urban-nesting Common Swifts. While at RPSB NI Kendrew embarked on a ground-breaking project in collaboration with BTO, aimed to identify key foraging areas of provisioning Swifts and full migrations. By fitting 1g miniature Pathtrack GPS devices using thoracic harnesses we were able to successfully track provisioning birds from colonies in N Ireland during the summer and also, for the first time, full migrations to/from the African wintering grounds. In 2021 KRC Ecological assisted RSPB Conservation Science to continue these studies in Scotland.
Common Swift re-caught and with 1g GPS tag removed – photo copyright Malcolm Burgess
Current/on-going projects include:
Foraging behaviour of Common Swifts across the urban-rural gradient in the UK (with RSPB)
Common Swift being ringed, Edinburgh – photo copyright Kendrew Colhoun
Past projects/outputs include:
Foraging behaviour of breeding Common Swifts in 4 colonies in N Ireland (RSPB project, in collaboration with BTO)
Migratory movements of Common Swifts between Ireland and the African wintering grounds (RSPB
Heatmap showing movements within one year of a Common Swift between breeding and wintering areas – image copyright Kendrew Colhoun