Ms Helen Pruzina

My PhD research focuses on habitat use by the Herring Gull Larus argentatus and how people perceive these birds in urban and rural landscapes.

My background is in anthropology, ecology and ornithology, and I have a keen interest in all things bird-related. I am especially interested in how we can help threatened species to thrive in our changing landscapes, and the importance of including people in conservation decisions in order to find solutions which benefit both people and wildlife. In my current research, I am using spatial modelling to gain a better understanding of how Herring Gulls make habitat use choices under different scenarios of habitat availability, and participatory mapping methods to involve stakeholders in decisions around the management of urban gulls.