Available Master theses Projects
Natal origins and movement strategies in Golden Eagles across Fennoscandia
Are you interested in animal movement ecology, migration, and how early-life environments shape behavior later in life? We are offering a Master’s thesis project on:
Effect of natal area on movements of Golden Eagles across Fennoscandia
Project background
Golden Eagles are wide-ranging top predators whose movements span national borders. In this thesis, you will analyze GPS tracking data from eagles tagged in Finland, Sweden, and Norway to test how natal habitats (conditions in the area where an eagle was born and raised) influence:
· landscape use, space-use patterns and demography
· dispersal and long-range movements
· migratory strategies (e.g., resident vs. migratory tendencies, routes, timing)
The thesis is part of AquilaNorth, an international collaboration under the EU-Interreg program bringing together research groups across Finland, Norway, and Sweden.
What you will do
You will work with:
· GPS tracking data processing and quality control
· habitat/landscape data (e.g., land cover, elevation, climate proxies)
· movement analyses (e.g., utilization distributions, resource/step selection, migratory classification)
· statistical modelling to link natal conditions to later movement outcomes
What you will gain
· hands-on experience with a rare, multi-country movement dataset
· training in reproducible data workflows and quantitative ecology
· a unique opportunity to work with collaborating groups in Finland, Norway, and Sweden, with exposure to international teamwork and research networks
Desired background
We welcome students with interests in ecology, wildlife biology, quantitative methods, GIS, and/or movement ecology. Experience with R (and/or Python) is a must, and motivation to learn matters a lot.
Contact
To express interest, please email a short note describing your background and interests (and optionally a brief CV):
[email protected]
Effect of natal area on movements of Golden Eagles across Fennoscandia
Project background
Golden Eagles are wide-ranging top predators whose movements span national borders. In this thesis, you will analyze GPS tracking data from eagles tagged in Finland, Sweden, and Norway to test how natal habitats (conditions in the area where an eagle was born and raised) influence:
· landscape use, space-use patterns and demography
· dispersal and long-range movements
· migratory strategies (e.g., resident vs. migratory tendencies, routes, timing)
The thesis is part of AquilaNorth, an international collaboration under the EU-Interreg program bringing together research groups across Finland, Norway, and Sweden.
What you will do
You will work with:
· GPS tracking data processing and quality control
· habitat/landscape data (e.g., land cover, elevation, climate proxies)
· movement analyses (e.g., utilization distributions, resource/step selection, migratory classification)
· statistical modelling to link natal conditions to later movement outcomes
What you will gain
· hands-on experience with a rare, multi-country movement dataset
· training in reproducible data workflows and quantitative ecology
· a unique opportunity to work with collaborating groups in Finland, Norway, and Sweden, with exposure to international teamwork and research networks
Desired background
We welcome students with interests in ecology, wildlife biology, quantitative methods, GIS, and/or movement ecology. Experience with R (and/or Python) is a must, and motivation to learn matters a lot.
Contact
To express interest, please email a short note describing your background and interests (and optionally a brief CV):
[email protected]
Master’s thesis (60 hp) – Osprey in Northern Ecosystems
Source: Gary Brookshaw, Getty Images
Assessing status, distribution, and interactions with White-tailed Eagles
Start: Spring 2026
Host: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Umeå.
Location: Northern Sweden (field + GIS/desktop analysis)
Project overview
The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a key indicator of freshwater ecosystem health. In parts of Sweden, the expanding White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) population may influence osprey breeding distribution via competition, disturbance, kleptoparasitism (fish-stealing), or displacement from nesting sites. This thesis will provide an updated, northern Sweden-focused assessment of where ospreys breed today, how patterns have changed, and how this relates spatially to White-tailed Eagles.
Aims
Contact: Dr. Navinder J Singh, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies
Email: [email protected]
Phone (optional): +46706760103
Application deadline (optional): April 30, 2026
Include: short motivation, CV, transcript (and optional writing/code sample)
Assessing status, distribution, and interactions with White-tailed Eagles
Start: Spring 2026
Host: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Umeå.
Location: Northern Sweden (field + GIS/desktop analysis)
Project overview
The Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is a key indicator of freshwater ecosystem health. In parts of Sweden, the expanding White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) population may influence osprey breeding distribution via competition, disturbance, kleptoparasitism (fish-stealing), or displacement from nesting sites. This thesis will provide an updated, northern Sweden-focused assessment of where ospreys breed today, how patterns have changed, and how this relates spatially to White-tailed Eagles.
Aims
- Map and quantify the current breeding distribution of ospreys in northern Sweden
- Assess status and trends where historical data allow
- Evaluate potential spatial overlap / interaction signals with White-tailed Eagle territories (e.g., distances, overlap indices, co-occurrence patterns)
- Compile and quality-check breeding/occurrence data (monitoring databases, nest records, reports)
- GIS mapping and spatial summaries
- Statistical analyses in R (e.g., spatial association, occupancy-type approaches if data support it)
- You’re enrolled in a relevant Master’s programme (ecology, conservation, wildlife biology, environmental science)
- Interest in raptors + field/data work
- Experience with R and/or GIS
- 60 hp
- Mix of field verification and desk-based analysis
Contact: Dr. Navinder J Singh, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies
Email: [email protected]
Phone (optional): +46706760103
Application deadline (optional): April 30, 2026
Include: short motivation, CV, transcript (and optional writing/code sample)
Boreal Raptor Project – Where do the eagles die and why?
Raptors are an important group of species, being the top predators, are at times conflict with humans. They are also indicators of ecosystem health. Studying the causes of mortality in raptors is critically important for ecological, conservation, and management questions. Raptors are especially sensitive to human activities such as habitat destruction, collisions with wind turbines, electrocution on power lines, pesticide use, and illegal hunting.
Eagle monitoring in Sweden is mainly focused on monitoring breeding parameters and currently does not include survival and mortality rates. These estimates are crucial for population management as projections cannot be made without such field data.
This project is aimed at identifying and quantifying the patterns and causes of mortality of Swedish Eagles (Golden and White-Tailed Eagles) using nationally compiled datasets and those followed in research. The eventual goal is to produce crucial demographic parameters that may inform national monitoring and conservation.
The work is a joint effort between Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Naturhistoriska riksmuseet.
If you are someone looking for a diverse experience with strong interest towards Quantitative Ecology and Biodiversity, then this is for you. You get to work in a highly motivated and adventurous research group and have lots of fun with work. See www.goldeneagleswede.com; https://lnkd.in/dZjqtZTr
Also see our newly published study:
https://lnkd.in/d4m6ixQ5
Write a few sentences about yourself, why you think this project is for you, along with your CV.
Mail to: [email protected]
Raptors are an important group of species, being the top predators, are at times conflict with humans. They are also indicators of ecosystem health. Studying the causes of mortality in raptors is critically important for ecological, conservation, and management questions. Raptors are especially sensitive to human activities such as habitat destruction, collisions with wind turbines, electrocution on power lines, pesticide use, and illegal hunting.
Eagle monitoring in Sweden is mainly focused on monitoring breeding parameters and currently does not include survival and mortality rates. These estimates are crucial for population management as projections cannot be made without such field data.
This project is aimed at identifying and quantifying the patterns and causes of mortality of Swedish Eagles (Golden and White-Tailed Eagles) using nationally compiled datasets and those followed in research. The eventual goal is to produce crucial demographic parameters that may inform national monitoring and conservation.
The work is a joint effort between Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Naturhistoriska riksmuseet.
If you are someone looking for a diverse experience with strong interest towards Quantitative Ecology and Biodiversity, then this is for you. You get to work in a highly motivated and adventurous research group and have lots of fun with work. See www.goldeneagleswede.com; https://lnkd.in/dZjqtZTr
Also see our newly published study:
https://lnkd.in/d4m6ixQ5
Write a few sentences about yourself, why you think this project is for you, along with your CV.
Mail to: [email protected]
Read our new study published in the Science of the Total Environment:
Linear infrastructure and associated wildlife accidents create an ecological trap for an apex predator and scavenger
Abstract
Animals may fall into an ‘ecological trap’ when they select seemingly attractive habitats at the expense of their fitness. This maladaptive behavior is often the result of rapid, human-induced changes in their natal environment, such as the construction of energy and transportation infrastructure. We tested the ecological trap hypothesis regarding human-created linear infrastructure on a widely distributed apex predator and scavenger—the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), whose range spans the entire Northern Hemisphere. Roads and railways offer novel and attractive feeding opportunities through traffic-induced mortality of other species, while powerline areas provide perching or nesting sites and scavenging opportunities from electrocuted or collision-killed birds. These conditions may have negative demographic consequences for eagles if these apparent opportunities turn into traps. Using step selection functions, we analyzed habitat selection of 74 GPS-tracked Golden Eagles (37 adults and 37 immatures) during eleven years in Fennoscandia. To assess habitat attractiveness, we used wildlife traffic accident statistics for dominant wild species, and to evaluate demographic consequences, we used mortality data from the GPS-tagged eagles. Our analysis revealed that eagles selected linear features such as roads, railways and powerlines at both the population and individual levels. Both adult and immature eagles consistently selected these features, and the strength of selection for linear features increased with age in immature eagles. The linear features however had 5.5 times higher mortality risk for eagles than other selected habitats indicating the presence of an ecological trap. We discuss the implications of these findings for the conservation and population ecology of apex predators and scavengers, as well as their potential demographic consequences. To mitigate this issue, we urgently recommend the removal of carcasses from roads and tracks to prevent ecological traps for raptors and scavenger species worldwide. Additionally, we advocate for the development of methods and strategies to reduce wildlife traffic accidents.
Animals may fall into an ‘ecological trap’ when they select seemingly attractive habitats at the expense of their fitness. This maladaptive behavior is often the result of rapid, human-induced changes in their natal environment, such as the construction of energy and transportation infrastructure. We tested the ecological trap hypothesis regarding human-created linear infrastructure on a widely distributed apex predator and scavenger—the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), whose range spans the entire Northern Hemisphere. Roads and railways offer novel and attractive feeding opportunities through traffic-induced mortality of other species, while powerline areas provide perching or nesting sites and scavenging opportunities from electrocuted or collision-killed birds. These conditions may have negative demographic consequences for eagles if these apparent opportunities turn into traps. Using step selection functions, we analyzed habitat selection of 74 GPS-tracked Golden Eagles (37 adults and 37 immatures) during eleven years in Fennoscandia. To assess habitat attractiveness, we used wildlife traffic accident statistics for dominant wild species, and to evaluate demographic consequences, we used mortality data from the GPS-tagged eagles. Our analysis revealed that eagles selected linear features such as roads, railways and powerlines at both the population and individual levels. Both adult and immature eagles consistently selected these features, and the strength of selection for linear features increased with age in immature eagles. The linear features however had 5.5 times higher mortality risk for eagles than other selected habitats indicating the presence of an ecological trap. We discuss the implications of these findings for the conservation and population ecology of apex predators and scavengers, as well as their potential demographic consequences. To mitigate this issue, we urgently recommend the removal of carcasses from roads and tracks to prevent ecological traps for raptors and scavenger species worldwide. Additionally, we advocate for the development of methods and strategies to reduce wildlife traffic accidents.
The overall goal of the project is the effective conservation of the Golden eagle, through cross-border collaboration between Sweden, Finland, and Norway by: harmonization of population data collection methods and surveys, joint data analyses, and sharing of knowledge and best practice, including traditional knowledge, for future joint implementation and development of sustainable management strategies.
The specific objectives are to investigate the:
1. Population Ecology of northern golden eagle population (WP1)
2. Eagles and livestock (reindeer and sheep) interactions (WP2)
3. Eagles and land use (wind farms & forestry) relationships (WP3)
1. Population Ecology of northern golden eagle population (WP1)
2. Eagles and livestock (reindeer and sheep) interactions (WP2)
3. Eagles and land use (wind farms & forestry) relationships (WP3)
Project Partners
• SLU
• University of Oulu
• NINA Tromsö
• Wind farm industry - Vattenfall and Statkraft
• Länsstyrelsen
• VOF Västerbotten
• Metsähallitus Finland
• University of Oulu
• NINA Tromsö
• Wind farm industry - Vattenfall and Statkraft
• Länsstyrelsen
• VOF Västerbotten
• Metsähallitus Finland
