Toon Willems
Former researcher
Master in Biology
Joined the group in May 2018
Research project: Effectiveness of agri-environmental management on farmland birds.
Currently I am working on a research with the goal to develop an agri-environmental management guide to help farmland birds survive. In order to do so, we must evaluate the agreements that are taken by the VLM (Flemish Land Agency) with local farmers. The goal of our study is to assess whether such agreements are effective in fulfilling farmland birds’ needs. To achieve this, we will investigate the spatial and habitat use of four target species: Skylark, Yellow wagtail, Yellowhammer and Grey Partridge. In the upcoming years, we will therefore search for nests, assess food availability and track the whereabouts of these species using radio- and GPS-telemetry. Ultimately, we anticipate to provide guidelines to optimize the agri-environmental management that will improve the survival of farmland birds.
My favorite quote: “Elke wijze uil begon ooit als uilskuiken”