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Birgit Erni


Room: 3.05 PD Hahn Building (north entrance)
Phone: 021 - 650 3222
Email: birgit[dot]erni[at]uct[dot]ac[dot]za

 

 

Qualifications and Experience

I obtained my MSc (in Mathematical Statistics) from the University of Cape Town. In 2003 I completed a PhD degree in Switzerland at the Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, and the University of Basle: a computer simulation of bird migration, then I spent 1½ years in Victoria, Canada, as a postdoctoral fellow. Since July 2005 I am a lecturer in the Department of Statistical Sciences. 

 

Research Interests

My research interests are mainly in the field of spatial modelling. Under this topic I have looked at methods for comparing and smoothing of bird distribution maps, simulations of processes across a spatial map, disease mapping and modelling spatial processes with random effects. Other research interests include generalized linear models and circular statistics.

 

Publications

    Altwegg R, Wheeler M and Erni B, 2008. Climate and the range dynamics of species with imperfect detection. Biology Letters 4: 581-584.

    Erni B, Altwegg R and Underhill LG, 2007. An index to compare geographical distributions of species. Diversity and Distributions 13: 829-835.

    Thorup K, Rabøl J and Erni B, 2007. Estimating variation among individuals in migration direction. Journal of Avian Biology 38: 182-189. 

    Erni B, Liechti F and Bruderer B, 2005. The role of wind in passerine autumn migration between Europe and Africa. Behavioral Ecology 16: 732-740. 

    Salewski V, Altwegg R, Erni B, Falk KH, Bairlein F and Leisler B, 2004. Moult of three Palaearctic migrants in their West African winter quarters. Journal of Ornithology 145: 109-116. 

    Erni B, Liechti F and Bruderer B, 2003. How does a first year passerine migrant find its way? Simulating migration mechanisms and behavioural adaptations. Oikos 103: 333-340. 

    Erni B, Liechti F and Bruderer B, 2002. Stopover strategies in passerine bird migration: A simulation study. Journal of Theoretical Biology 219: 479-493. 

    Erni B, Liechti F, Underhill LG and Bruderer B, 2002. Wind and rain govern the intensity of nocturnal bird migration in central Europe - a log-linear regression analysis. Ardea 90: 155-166. 

    Underhill LG, Erni B and Mashinini FX, 1998. Ecological differentiation of canaries Fringillidae in the Western Cape, 1998. Durban Museum Novitates 23: 56-60. 

     

Last updated: 22 September 2009

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