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Steve Portugal

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Steve Portugal is a British zoologist and animal physiologist working in avian energetics and behavioral physiology.

Education and career

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Portugal was educated at The University of Wales Aberystwyth where he was awarded a BSc in Marine and Freshwater Biology with Zoology in 2001, and The University of Wales Bangor where he did an MSc in Ecology in 2003.[1] He was awarded his PhD in 2008 at The University of Birmingham studying the "Ecophysiological aspects of the annual cycle of barnacle geese".[2] In 2014 was appointed as a Lecturer at Royal Holloway University of London, where in 2018 he was promoted to Reader. In 2024 he was appointed Associate Professor of Animal Behaviour at The University of Oxford and St Hugh's College.

Research

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His research looks at animal behaviour and physiology, and he has published over 100 academic papers.

He has looked at the energy expenditure of migratory birds and the physiology of feather moult, by tracking wild barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) from Svalbard to Scotland, using biologging technology.[3] Portugal's team have studied avian vision, and the sensory ecology behind collisions with anthropogenic objects, notably with birds of prey.[4][5][6] Portugal has studied the etiquette of aggression in Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens),[7][8][9] and the developmental energetics of avian brood parasites.[10][11][12][13]

Much of Portugal's work has focused on avian flight and aerodynamics. His research has shown how birds fly in V-formation,[14][15][16][17][18] using Northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) that were part of a European reintroduction scheme. His team has worked extensively with homing pigeons (Columba livia), demonstrating how individuals compromise on speed to stay together as a flock, and the increased energy expenditure required to fly as a group.[19]

Other work has focused on the eggshell collection at The Natural History Museum, where Portugal is a Scientific Associate, demonstrating how eggshell properties have evolved.[20][21][22] Work with secretary birds (Sagittarius serpentarius) demonstrated their capacity to deliver a kick 5 times their own body weight,[23] while his studies on African harrier-hawks (Polyboroides typus) showed their unique visual system designed to support their unusual foraging technique of extracting food from tree holes.[24]

In 2019 he was awarded the Bicentenary Medal of the Linnean Society,[25] awarded annually in recognition of work done by a biologist under the age of 40 years. He has appeared in numerous nature documentaries, including David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities.[26] Portugal is very active in writing popular science articles, writing about migration for the British Trust for Ornithology,[27] eggshells for Birdguides,[28] Cassowaries for BBC Wildlife magazine,[29] and numerous pieces for The Conversation.[30][31][32][33][34]

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ "Steve Portugal".
  2. ^ "Steve Portugal".
  3. ^ Portugal, Steven J.; Green, Jonathan A.; White, Craig R.; Guillemette, Magella; Butler, Patrick J. (2012). "Wild geese do not increase flight behaviour prior to migration". Biology Letters. 8 (3): 469–472. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2011.0975. PMC 3367731. PMID 22090201.
  4. ^ Martin, Graham R.; Portugal, Steven J.; Murn, Campbell P. (2012). "Visual fields, foraging and collision vulnerability in Gyps vultures". Ibis. 154 (3): 626–631. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.2012.01227.x.
  5. ^ Portugal, Steven J.; Murn, Campbell P.; Martin, Graham R. (2017). "White-headed Vulture Trigonoceps occipitalis shows visual field characteristics of hunting raptors". Ibis. 159 (2): 463–466. doi:10.1111/ibi.12448.
  6. ^ "Vulture blind spots lead to collisions with wind turbines". National Geographic Society. 14 March 2012.
  7. ^ Alton, Lesley A.; Portugal, Steven J.; White, Craig R. (2013). "Balancing the competing requirements of air-breathing and display behaviour during male–male interactions in Siamese fighting fish Betta splendens". Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology. 164 (2): 363–367. doi:10.1016/j.cbpa.2012.11.012. PMID 23178457.
  8. ^ Tate, M.; McGoran, R. E.; White, C. R.; Portugal, S. J. (2017). "Life in a bubble: The role of the labyrinth organ in determining territory, mating and aggressive behaviours in anabantoids". Journal of Fish Biology. 91 (3): 723–749. Bibcode:2017JFBio..91..723T. doi:10.1111/jfb.13357. PMID 28868750.
  9. ^ https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(23)00197-5
  10. ^ McClelland, Stephanie C.; Attard, Marie R. G.; Bowen, James; Horrocks, Nicholas P. C.; Jamie, Gabriel A.; Dixit, Tanmay; Spottiswoode, Claire N.; Portugal, Steven J. (2023). "Eggshell composition and surface properties of avian brood-parasitic species compared with non-parasitic species". Royal Society Open Science. 10 (5). Bibcode:2023RSOS...1021023M. doi:10.1098/rsos.221023. PMC 10206472. PMID 37234505.
  11. ^ McClelland, Stephanie C.; Reynolds, Miranda; Cordall, Molly; Hauber, Mark E.; Goymann, Wolfgang; McClean, Luke A.; Hamama, Silky; Lund, Jess; Dixit, Tanmay; Louder, Matthew I. M.; Safari, Ignas; Honza, Marcel; Spottiswoode, Claire N.; Portugal, Steven J. (2021). "Embryo movement is more frequent in avian brood parasites than birds with parental reproductive strategies". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 288 (1961). doi:10.1098/rspb.2021.1137. PMC 8548802. PMID 34702076.
  12. ^ McClelland, Stephanie C.; Jamie, Gabriel A.; Waters, Katy; Caldas, Lara; Spottiswoode, Claire N.; Portugal, Steven J. (2019). "Convergent evolution of reduced eggshell conductance in avian brood parasites". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 374 (1769). doi:10.1098/rstb.2018.0194. PMC 6388047. PMID 30967076.
  13. ^ Portugal, S. J.; Hauber, M. E.; Maurer, G.; Stokke, B. G.; Grim, T.; Cassey, P. (2014). "Rapid development of brood-parasitic cuckoo embryos cannot be explained by increased gas exchange through the eggshell". Journal of Zoology. 293 (4): 219–226. doi:10.1111/jzo.12144. hdl:11250/2462157.
  14. ^ Portugal, Steven J.; Hubel, Tatjana Y.; Fritz, Johannes; Heese, Stefanie; Trobe, Daniela; Voelkl, Bernhard; Hailes, Stephen; Wilson, Alan M.; Usherwood, James R. (2014). "Upwash exploitation and downwash avoidance by flap phasing in ibis formation flight". Nature. 505 (7483): 399–402. Bibcode:2014Natur.505..399P. doi:10.1038/nature12939. PMID 24429637.
  15. ^ "Scientists Solve Mystery of Birds' Flying V".
  16. ^ "Birds That Fly in a V Formation Use an Amazing Trick". National Geographic Society. 15 January 2014.
  17. ^ "V is for vortex". Nature. 505 (7483): 262. 2014. doi:10.1038/505262a. PMID 24436982.
  18. ^ Voelkl, Bernhard; Portugal, Steven J.; Unsöld, Markus; Usherwood, James R.; Wilson, Alan M.; Fritz, Johannes (2015). "Matching times of leading and following suggest cooperation through direct reciprocity during V-formation flight in ibis". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (7): 2115–2120. Bibcode:2015PNAS..112.2115V. doi:10.1073/pnas.1413589112. PMC 4343164. PMID 25646487.
  19. ^ Taylor, Lucy A.; Taylor, Graham K.; Lambert, Ben; Walker, James A.; Biro, Dora; Portugal, Steven J. (2019). "Birds invest wingbeats to keep a steady head and reap the ultimate benefits of flying together". PLOS Biology. 17 (6): e3000299. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3000299. PMC 6581236. PMID 31211769.
  20. ^ Attard, Marie R. G.; Bowen, James; Portugal, Steven J. (2023). "Surface texture heterogeneity in maculated bird eggshells". Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 20 (204). doi:10.1098/rsif.2023.0293. PMC 10336372. PMID 37434502.
  21. ^ Attard, Marie R. G.; Bowen, James; Corado, René; Hall, Linnea S.; Dorey, Robert A.; Portugal, Steven J. (2021). "Ecological drivers of eggshell wettability in birds". Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 18 (183). doi:10.1098/rsif.2021.0488. PMC 8510701. PMID 34637642.
  22. ^ Attard, Marie R. G.; Portugal, Steven J. (2021). "Climate variability and parent nesting strategies influence gas exchange across avian eggshells". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 288 (1953). doi:10.1098/rspb.2021.0823. PMC 8206688. PMID 34130502.
  23. ^ Portugal, Steven J.; Murn, Campbell P.; Sparkes, Emily L.; Daley, Monica A. (2016). "The fast and forceful kicking strike of the secretary bird". Current Biology. 26 (2): R58–R59. Bibcode:2016CBio...26..R58P. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.12.004. PMID 26811886.
  24. ^ Portugal, S.J.; Ozturk, R.; Murn, C.P.; Potier, S.; Martin, G.R. (2023). "Anomalous binocular vision in African Harrier-hawks". Current Biology. 33 (21): R1142–R1143. Bibcode:2023CBio...33R1142P. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2023.09.016. PMID 37935124.
  25. ^ "The Bicentenary Medal".
  26. ^ "Steve Portugal | Additional Crew". IMDb.
  27. ^ "Bird migration". 22 January 2019.
  28. ^ "Understanding eggshells". 31 March 2024.
  29. ^ ""How worried should I be?" A quest through Australia's rainforest in search of the world's most dangerous bird".
  30. ^ "In defence of pigeons". 8 August 2022.
  31. ^ "How a bias towards the weird and wonderful skews our perception of animal biology". 2 March 2016.
  32. ^ "Freaks and uniques: Evolution's weirdest creatures". 25 July 2016.
  33. ^ "Lunar and solar eclipses make animals do strange things". 3 July 2019.
  34. ^ "Where are all the dead pigeons?". 27 June 2018.
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