Professor Graham Martin BSc, PhD, DSc

BSc Human and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey
PhD Psychology, University of Exeter
DSc Biology, University of Birmingham

Professor Graham Martin did graduate work at the University of Exeter into the sensory bases of nocturnal activity in owls. He followed this with Post-Doctoral work at The University of Sussex on the function of coloured oil droplets in the colour vision of pigeons. He took up his first post at the University of Birmingham in 1976 as a lecturer in Biology based in the then Department of Extramural Studies and the then Department of Zoology and Comparative Physiology. He became head of the School of Continuing Studies and held a central University post for regional Development. However, he always based his research in Biosciences.

He moved full time to the School of Biosciences in 2002 where he established the Centre for Ornithology and set up the MSc programme in Ornithology, the only such programme in Europe. His research has been into the senses of birds, mainly their vision and hearing, and has always attempted to understand these from the perspective of understanding how sensory information helps birds to carry out different tasks in different environments. He has published papers on more than 60 species, from Albatrosses and Penguins, to Spoonbills and Kiwi. He has collaborated and travelled widely and pondered diverse sensory challenges that birds face in the conduct of different tasks in different habitats, from mudflats and murky waters, to forests, deserts, and caves. In recent years he has focused on how understanding bird senses can help to reduce the very high levels of bird deaths that are caused by human artefacts; particularly, wind turbines, power lines, and gill nets. In early 2017 his book on The Sensory Ecology of Birds was published by Oxford University Press and in 2020 his book on Bird Senses was published by Pelagic Press.

In 2010 he delivered a Plenary lecture about his work in Avian Sensory Ecology to the International Ornithological Congress in Brazil, just before taking retirement and being awarded the title of Emeritus Professor. He continues to research avian senses. He has been active in ornithology having edited the journal Bird Study on behalf of the British Trust for Ornithology for six years, he was Vice-President of the British Ornithologist’s Union, Council member of the European Ornithologists’ Union, and chaired the Scientific Programme Committee for the EOU2015 conference held in Spain. A strong commitment to wildlife conservation at a local level is indicated by Graham being a Trustee of the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust for more than 20 years, serving seven years as Chair.

Research Theme within School of Biosciences: Organisms and Environment

Sensory Ecology of birds, especially the sensory bases of foraging and the reasons why birds are prone to collisions with human artifacts.

Chair of the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust.