How does individual experience impact cognitive development in a wild bird?
History and purpose
Cognition is vital in decision-making and behaviour, but how cognition evolves remains one of the most enduring questions in biology. Recent discoveries suggest that cognition evolves via natural selection, with individual variation in cognitive ability influencing fitness and being passed onto offspring in wild animals. However, laboratory research has shown that cognitive ability is shaped not only by genetic inheritance, but also by an individual’s experiences. Modern evolutionary theory hypothesises that an animal’s experiences with the environment contribute to trait variation and influence evolutionary processes, but this possibility is largely unexplored for cognitive traits.
The successful PhD candidate will join a Marsden-funded research team that aims to test how experience alters cognitive abilities, using a food-caching bird species, the toutouwai (Petroica longipes, North Island robin). In food-caching species, animals must remember where they have stored food and so spatial memory is hypothesised to evolve via natural selection. However, no study has experimentally tested whether experience can shape spatial memory – or any cognitive trait – in the wild.
Your PhD research will contribute to experiments that aim to test 1) if repeated experience of cache theft causes birds to scatter caches more widely as a form of cache defence, 2) how the response to cache theft impacts spatial memory performance (as locating scattered caches increases cognitive demands), and 3) the resulting effects on survival and reproductive success in the wild. Ultimately, this funded PhD position will assist in revealing causes and consequences of cognitive variation in the wild, broadening our understanding of the evolutionary processes that shape animal minds.
Who is eligible?
We are seeking a highly motivated person with an excellent academic record, a good understanding of behavioural ecology and/or animal cognition and an interest in contributing to cutting-edge research on spatial memory in the wild. Our preferred start date for this PhD position is March 1st 2026.
The ideal candidate will have the following:
- Honours or Masters degree with an excellent GPA.
- Background in behavioural ecology, comparative cognition, or a closely related field
- Strong statistical and analytical skills (preferably in R or similar)
- Excellent attention to detail and a love for closely observing behaviour (and birds!)
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, preferably with a track record in presenting research to academic audiences (e.g. journal articles, conference presentations)
- An enthusiasm for working outdoors, preferably with experience in bird population monitoring or other fieldwork with animal populations.
Selection criteria
Applications will be assessed on the basis of academic merit, relevant research experience which aligns well with the research project, and an expressed interest in the research area.
Application process
To apply for the PhD position, please send the scholarship specific documentation to rachael.shaw@vuw.ac.nz.
Scholarship specific documentation
- Cover Letter
- CV
- Copies of academic transcripts
- Writing sample (e.g. a first-author publication, or Master’s thesis chapter)
- Names of two referees
Selection process
Selection will be made by the project leaders (Dr Rachael Shaw, Dr Ella McCallum).
Additional information
The $35,000 per annum stipend will be paid directly to the student in monthly payments. Tuition fees & levies will be paid directly to the University. Please note that international applicants will be responsible for paying their own insurance.
The student must complete regular PhD progress reports to a satisfactory standard.
Acceptance of this scholarship include conditions similar to those of the Wellington Doctoral Scholarship (i.e. excepting those relating to the decision makers).
Conditions
Satisfying the requirements for admission as a PhD candidate at Victoria University of Wellington (including English language requirements).