Wouter Vansteelant appointed Scientific Director of BirdEyes

Dr Wouter Vansteelant will become Scientific Director of BirdEyes, the research centre for global ecological change in Leeuwarden, as of 1 October. For the past three years, he has worked there as a researcher and supervisor of PhD candidates. Vansteelant succeeds Theunis Piersma, emeritus professor of migratory bird ecology and founder of the interdisciplinary research centre.

International experience

Vansteelant is a recognised voice in international ornithology. The researcher, who is originally from Flanders, received the Early Professional Award from the British Ornithologists’ Union (BOU) in 2024. His scientific work focuses on the influence of environmental factors on the movements and migration patterns of long-lived migratory bird species. Increasingly, he focuses on the learning processes and social behaviour of individual migratory birds, and on how these relate to the resilience of migratory bird populations in our rapidly changing world.

Seeing the world from a bird’s perspective

Vansteelant is interested not only in the factors that shape birds’ movement behaviour, but also in the relationship between science and society. He has been a advocate of citizen science since his Master’s programme and recognised himself in BirdEyes’ mission. Three years ago, he returned to the Netherlands from Spain to show a much wider public what migratory birds can tell us about the landscapes we share with them.

Prof Joost Frenken, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, emphasises the unique nature of the appointment: “The position requires not only thorough knowledge of migratory birds and ecology, but also vision for the future, organisational skills and leadership qualities. I see all these qualities in Wouter Vansteelant and am therefore very enthusiastic that he is taking on this role.”

Fertile ground

The BirdEyes team conducts research on migratory birds, trains young talent and works with artists to develop innovative forms of science communication. BirdEyes is made possible through collaboration between the Faculty of Science and Engineering and Campus Fryslân, both faculties of the University of Groningen. The research centre is affiliated with the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development and has strong ties with NIOZ (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research), the University of Amsterdam, Tresoar and the Fryske Akademy.

The position of the new Scientific Director has been made possible by a special donation to the University of Groningen in support of BirdEyes. Vansteelant will be appointed to a tenured position as Assistant Professor at the Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), with the specific responsibility of leading BirdEyes as its Scientific Director.

More information

• Wouter Vansteelant personal page
• BirdEyes website
• BirdEyes visiting address: Doelestraat 8, 8911 DX Leeuwarden