My research interest broadly centres on understanding how animals move and manage different constrains that could influence their distribution and other survival strategies. I am working with Professors Susanne Åkesson on a PhD project that focus on Winter Ecology and Movements of Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica. My research questions cover aspects of migration and connectivity of the swallows breeding in Europe and wintering in western and southern sub-saharan Africa.

To answer these questions, I will analyze already existing data collected in SE Nigeria where certain swallow population winters. I will study the movement and foraging differentiation between sexes and ages of the swallows through application of light loggers and DNA barcoding approach from faeces samples. I will also analyze stable isotopes in feathers sampled from swallows wintering in SE Nigeria.I predict that South European barn swallows to a large extent spend the winter in this roost or nearby roosts, while northern barn swallows may winter in southern Africa.