While most agri-ecological studies directly linking birds and insects were conducted in arable lands, our focus is on birds in grasslands, impacted by grazing and mowing practices. We will use datasets of local insects and monitor the breeding bird community, including surveys on their diet. With this, we aim to co-develop measures to protect both insects and birds in collaboration with local farmers within the SPA “Rhin-Havelluch” and other practitioners, NGOs, and nature conservation authorities.

We offer two student positions (start: April 2026), favourably in combination with a thesis project, to conduct bird surveys in meadows and pastures during breeding season in Havelland, Brandenburg. One student will focus on the territory mapping of open grassland breeding songbirds, while the other one will focus on the nest monitoring. Both can assist in bird ringing and sampling activities. Further methods to get involved in if interested: metabarcoding of fecal samples from birds, butterfly transect monitoring and insect identification from already collected samples. 17,50 EUR/hr, 40 hrs/month, duration: 6 months (min. 2 months field work season)

Main supervisor: Dr. Martha Maria Sander / ZALF

Ability to identify European bird species