One of the main ways through which animals face problems in nature is by modifying their behaviour. Iliana’s work aims to understand why animals behave the way they do, and what evolutionary drivers have led to the diversity of behaviours we currently observe. Understanding this is key when looking into the future of our fauna. Changes in behaviour could allow animals to withstand human induced changes to their habitat and to survive future climatic challenges.
Iliana’s work currently focuses on animal building behaviours, specifically nest building in birds. Nests are critical to protect birds’ early life stages from climatic conditions and predation. There is no information, however, about how or whether animals adjust their constructions to the challenges imposed by our changing climate. Using data from the field and from published datasets, Iliana’s work is investigating to what extent birds can adjust their designs and what determines such flexibility. This can inform on how responsive and efficient animal constructions might be to face future climatic challenges.