Profile
Hi! I'm a recent PhD graduate having completed my studies at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. I grew up in Hawke's Bay, but my parents took me away from the farms, orchards and vineyards to the rugged landscapes of back country New Zealand every chance they could. The stark contrast between human altered and conserved ecosystems always fascinated me, but I didn't acknowledge it until I was at University. As I was finishing my Bachelor's degree I had the opportunity to volunteer for my mentor and adviser Dr. Rachael Shaw. It was during this time my interest in Animal Behaviour peaked and I wanted to continue studying. I finished my Master of Conservation Biology at the start of 2017, helped on some remote research in the outback of Australia and on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, then began my PhD in 2018 finishing in 2022. I have experience that spans the breadth of applied biology from practical ecological and conservation fieldwork skills, to using advanced ecological and behavioral analysis tools. I have a great deal of experience working in isolated areas on my own with high health and safety standards, and also find collaborative work to be fulfilling and enjoyable. I enjoy taking on mentorship roles within the framework I am working under and can take the lead when necessary to effectively organize and apply a group of people to accomplish a task.
Authors: Regan D MacKinlay, Rachael C Shaw
Highlights:
It has been proposed that learned song might signal cognitive ability in songbirds.
Previous song sparrow research provides mixed support for this hypothesis.
We examine song repertoire, spatial memory and detour reaching in New Zealand robins.
We find no associations between male song repertoire and cognitive task performance.
We suggest song repertoire is not a proxy for spatial memory or inhibitory control
Memory Performance Influences Male Reproductive Success in a Wild Bird
Authors: Rachael C Shaw, Regan D MacKinlay, Nicola S Clayton, Kevin C Burns
Highlights:
The link between reproduction and spatial memory is unexplored in caching species
Memory performance influenced male robin (Petroica longipes) reproductive success
Superior male memory performance was associated with efficient offspring provisioning
Sex differences in these links may act to maintain cognitive variation in the wild
Scientific Reports, 7
2017
Article number: 896
Male New Zealand robins (Petroica longipes) cater to their mate’s desire when sharing food in the wild
Authors: Rachael C. Shaw, Regan D. MacKinlay, Nicola S. Clayton & Kevin C. Burns
Abstract: In many species that have bi-parental care, food-sharing males provide vital nutritional resources to their mates during reproduction. However, it is currently unknown whether females can signal specific desires to their mates, or if males can cater to female desire in the wild. Here we investigate whether and how wild male North Island robins (Petroica longipes) respond to changes in their mates’ desires and nutritional need when sharing food. We demonstrate that wild female robins’ desire for particular foods changes over short time periods; when given the choice between two types of insect larvae, females prefer the type they have not recently eaten. In our experiments, wild male robins preferentially shared the larvae type that their mate was most likely to desire and also increased the quantity of food shared if she had begun incubating. Males catered to their mates’ desire when female behaviour was the only cue available to guide their choices. This is the first evidence that females may behaviourally communicate their specific food desires to their mates, enabling males to cater to fine-scale changes in their mates’ nutritional requirements in the wild. Such a simple behaviour-reading mechanism has the potential to be widespread among other food-sharing species.
Notornis, Volume 63:
2016
Pages, 46-49
Destruction of a North Island robin (Petroica longipes) nest by a little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii)
Authors: Rachael C. Shaw, Regan D. MacKinlay
Abstract: Kiwi (Apteryx spp.) are highly territorial and aggressive toward conspecific intruders (Marchant & Higgins 1990). However, little information is available regarding aggressive interactions between kiwi and heterospecifics. In 2000 and 2001, 40 little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii) were translocated from Kapiti Island to Zealandia Wildlife Sanctuary, a 225 ha sanctuary surrounded by a predator exclusion fence in central Wellington (Miskelly et al. 2005). Zealandia is also home to a population of North Island robin (Petroica longipes), a small insectivorous passerine that is endemic to New Zealand. Seventy-six North Island robins were translocated from Kapiti Island to Zealandia in 2001 and 2002. The population now contains several hundred birds (McGavin 2009). A subset of this robin population is currently monitored during the breeding season as part of an on-going research project on robin cognition and fitness (e.g., Shaw et al. 2015).
My CV
As an early career scientist, I’ve been fortunate to have been involved with a variety of fascinating research projects and to have had the opportunity to investigate subjects that I find particularly interesting and important. Have a look at the details of my career below and feel free to contact me with any questions or for reference requests.
March 2018 - 2022
PhD Candidate
I recently completed my thesis entitled
The Application of Animal Personality in Conservation Biology: Investigating a
New Tool in North Island Robin (Petroica longipes). I worked with toutouwai, or North Island robin across the Central Wellington region. I have gained experience with permitting, writing, inter-organisation collaboration, stakeholder engagement, volunteer coordination and working in the wild.
2019-2022
Teaching Assistant
I was a teaching assistant for several undergraduate courses taught at VUW. These courses ranged from residential field trips, to local or lab based teaching. I was responsible for the health & safety of students conducting research in the field, alongside ensuring I effectively taught students new concepts and ideas in a professional manner. This work involved pastoral care of students, collaboration with other staff and demanded high quality communication on all fronts.
September 2017 - October 2017
Volunteer Research Assistant
I worked as a volunteer research assistant working on a project to quantify the population of a newly described seabird species, the Whenua Ho Diving Petrel. I worked on an offshore, highly protected island in culturally significant sand dunes. I gained experience banding birds, working at night and seabird population studies.
February 2017 - May 2017
Volunteer Research Assistant
I worked as a volunteer research assistant in the Outback of Australia. I worked at a UNSW research station neat Broken Hill, Australia investigating the beahviour of wild Zebra Finches. I gained experience working in extreme heat conditions, navigating harsh environments and safety protocols for working near harmful wildlife.
June 2015 - February 2016
Research Assistant
I worked as a paid research assistant for a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow. I worked on breeding season monitoring of an avian species of conservation concern. I gained experience working in the wild as part of a larger project, how to monitor reproductive outputs, song recording, cognitive testing, and data managment.
2009-2015
Retail/Warehouse Work
I worked at a local supermarket in high school and for several manufacturing worksites during summer breaks from University. I learned how to engage with customers in a professional way and to take note of health and safety protocols particularly when dealing with light to heavy machinery.
Get in touch or click on my Research Gate Profile Link to learn more about my education, past experiences, current projects, and future plans.