Nicholas Barry Davies FRS (born 1952) is a British field naturalist and

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

, and Emeritus Professor of Behavioural Ecology at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, where he is also a Emeritus Fellow of Pembroke College. Prof Nick Davies

Research

His books with

John Krebs John Richard Krebs, Baron Krebs, Kt FRS (born 11 April 1945) is an English zoologist researching in the field of behavioural ecology of birds. He was the principal of Jesus College, Oxford, from 2005 until 2015."Elliott Coues Award, 1999: Si ...

helped to define the field of

behavioural ecology Behavioral ecology, also spelled behavioural ecology, is the study of the evolutionary basis for animal behavior due to ecological pressures. Behavioral ecology emerged from ethology after Niko Tinbergen outlined four questions to address when ...

, the study of how behaviour evolves in response to selection pressures from ecology and the social environment. His study of a small brown bird, the

dunnock The dunnock (''Prunella modularis'') is a small passerine, or perching bird, found throughout temperate Europe and into Asian Russia. Dunnocks have also been successfully introduced into New Zealand. It is by far the most widespread member of th ...

, linked detailed behavioural observations of individuals to their reproductive success, using DNA profiles to measure paternity and maternity, and revealed how sexual conflicts gave rise to variable mating systems including: monogamy,

polygyny Polygyny (; from Neoclassical Greek πολυγυνία (); ) is the most common and accepted form of polygamy around the world, entailing the marriage of a man with several women. Incidence Polygyny is more widespread in Africa than in any o ...

polyandry Polyandry (; ) is a form of polygamy in which a woman takes two or more husbands at the same time. Polyandry is contrasted with polygyny, involving one male and two or more females. If a marriage involves a plural number of "husbands and wives" ...

and

polygynandry Polygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season. In sexually reproducing diploid animals, different mating strategies are employed by males and females, because the cost of game ...

. His studies of cuckoos and their hosts have revealed an evolutionary arms race of

brood parasite Brood parasites are animals that rely on others to raise their young. The strategy appears among birds, insects and fish. The brood parasite manipulates a host, either of the same or of another species, to raise its young as if it were its own ...

adaptations and host counter-adaptations. Other studies include: territory economics in

pied wagtail The white wagtail (''Motacilla alba'') is a small passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which also includes pipits and longclaws. The species breeds in much of Europe and the Asian Palearctic and parts of North Africa. It has a toehold in ...

s; contest behaviour and mate searching in butterflies and toads; parent-offspring conflict and the transition to independence in young birds.

Awards and distinctions

*Scientific Medal of the

Zoological Society of London The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. It was founded in 1826. Since 1828, it has maintained the London Zoo, and since 1931 Whipsnade Park. History On 29 ...

, 1987 *Fellow of the Royal Society, 1994 *University of Cambridge Teaching Prize, 1995 *William Bate Hardy Prize of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 1995 *Medal of the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour, 1996 *President of the International Society for Behavioural Ecology, 2000-2002 *British Trust for Ornithology / British Birds "Best Book of the Year Award" in 2000 (for ''Cuckoos, Cowbirds and Other'' ''Cheats'') and in 2015 (for ''Cuckoo - Cheating by Nature''). * *

Frink Medal The Frink Medal for British Zoologists is awarded by the Zoological Society of London "For significant and original contributions by a professional zoologist to the development of zoology." It consists of a bronze plaque (76 by 83 millimetres), de ...

of the Zoological Society of London, 2001 * Elliott Coues Medal of the American Ornithologists' Union, 2005 *Hamilton Prize Lecture of the International Society for Behavioural Ecology, 2010 *Croonian Medal and Lecture of the Royal Society, 2015 *Godman Salvin Medal of the British Ornithologists' Union, 2022

Key Publications

* * * * * *

Media

In 2009, his research was featured as a BBC Natural World program "Cuckoo", produced by Mike Birkhead and narrated by David Attenborough. In 2011 he presented a BBC Radio 4 documentary entitled 'The Cuckoo'. In 2016 he was the subject of a BBC Radio documentary in the series The Life Scientific. In 2017 he was the guest of Michael Berkeley on BBC Radio 3 Private Passions. In 2017 he appeared in an episode of the BBC Radio 4 Natural Histories series entitled "Cuckoo".Natural Histories
BBC Radio 4 (broadcast August 8th, 2017)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Nicholas Barry 1952 births British zoologists Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of Pembroke College, Cambridge Living people British ornithologists British naturalists