L.A.Kelley@exeter.ac.uk

A little bit about me

I am a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellow and am broadly interested in how animals perceive their world, particularly how sensory and cognitive processes can shape animal communication and behaviour. I became interested in gulls when I moved to Cornwall several years ago and regularly observed herring gulls on the beach investigating the contents of unattended bags (often running away with a tasty snack!).

My colleague Neeltje Boogert and I teamed up to investigate the nature of herring gulls’ interactions with humans and the urban environment. We ask questions about whether gulls use cues from humans when making foraging decisions, how gulls perceive novelty, and how gulls might learn to exploit the urban environment. We hope that a better understanding of herring gull behaviour can inform policies regarding conservation and management.

In addition to my involvement in the gull research group, I am currently working on sensory manipulations in bowerbird courtship displays, illusory patterning in moths and butterflies, and categorical perception in swordtail fish.

For more information please visit www.laurakelleyresearch.com.