Senior Research Ecologist
Office:
Stirling
Role and responsibilities
Nina is a Senior Research Ecologist and part of the Wetland and Marine Research Team, based within BTO Scotland. Her role involves reporting, analysis and fieldwork with a focus on marine birds.
Interests
Nina has a broad interest in ornithology and conservation, with a particular interest in anthropogenic threats to marine birds and their environment.
Nina also has a background in seabird foraging ecology and movement behaviour, which has involved a range of fieldwork and analysing large datasets. The skills and experience gained from her previous positions fit well with the seabird work of the Wetland & Marine Research Team.
Qualifications
- PhD, University of Glasgow: ‘Spatial variation in Herring gull traits’, 2016
- MRes Ecology and Environmental Management, University of York, 2011
- BSc (Hons) Zoology, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 2005
Recent BTO publications
- Langlois Lopez, S., Snell, K., van Bemmelen, R.S.A., Pokrovsky, I., O’Hanlon, N.J., Boertmann, D., Gilg, O., Green, M., Hanssen, S.A., Harrison, A.-L., Moe, B., dos Santos, I.M., Smith, P.A. Helge Systad, G. & Humphreys, E.M. 2026. Global population status of the migratory Holarctic species Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus. Bird Conservation International 36: doi:10.1017/S0959270925100336
- Thaxter, C.B., Quinn, L., Atkinson, P., Booth Jones, K.A., Clark, N.A., Clewley, G.D., Green, R.M.W., O'Hanlon, N.J., Johnston, D.T., Masden, E.A., Ross-Smith, V.H., Sage, E., Scragg, E., Taylor, R., Burton, N.K.H. & Humpreys, E.H. 2025. Breeding and foraging habitat are important in determining foraging ranges of sympatric generalist species. Ibis doi:10.1111/ibi.13446
- O’Hanlon, N.J., Jardine, D.C., Lennon, J., Svobodova, D., Swann, R.L., Ward, R.M., Humphreys, E.M. & Morrissey, B.J. 2025. Diet analysis of Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla and Shag Gulosus aristotelis using DNA metabarcoding of faeces. Seabird 37: 58-77 doi:10.61350/sbj.37.5
- O'Hanlon, N.J., Clewley, G.D., Johnston, D.T., Thaxter, C.B., Langlois Lopez, S., Quinn, L.R., Boersch-Supan, P.H., Masden, E.A., Daunt, F., Wilson, J., Burton, N.H.K. & Humphreys, E.M. 2025. Partial niche partitioning in three sympatric gull species through foraging areas and habitat selection. Ecology and Evolution 15: doi:10.1002/ece3.71577
- Patchett, R., Smith, B.J., Thaxter, C.B., Burton, N.H.K., Franke, B.H., Yanco, S.W., Oliver, R.Y., Ellis-Soto, D., Tucker, M.A., Loveridge, A., Sommerfeld, J., Ossi, F., Clewley, G.D., Camphuysen, K.C.J., Desmet, P., Ramos, R., González-Solís, J., Green, R.M.W., Humphreys, E.M., Johnston, D.T., Lens, L., Müller, W., O'Hanlon, N.J., Robin, D., Sallent, Á., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Stienen, E.W.M., Verbruggen, F. & Rutz, C. 2025. Habitat selection of three gull species in response to sudden changes in human mobility. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 292: doi:10.1098/rspb.2025.2482
- Johnston, D., Langlois Lopez, S., Humphreys, E. & O’Hanlon, N. 2025. A review of the Biological Defined Minimum Population Scale (BDMPS) approach and methodology to apportioning non-breeding season impacts on seabirds arising from offshore wind farms. BTO Research Report 791:
- Harris, S., O'Hanlon, N. 2024. SMPnews - Issue 2 - Spring 2024. SMPnews
- O’Hanlon, N.J., Clewley, G.D., Davies, J.G., Johnston, D.T., Booth Jones, K.A., Green, R.M.W., Weston, E., Humphreys, E.M. & Cook, A.S.C.P. 2024. Trial of the use of silicone cord leg-loop harnesses on Black-legged Kittiwake during the 2023 breeding season. BTO Research Report 772:
- O’Hanlon, N.J., van Bemmelen, R.S.A., Conway, G.J., Thaxter, C.B., Aiton, H., Aiton, D., Balmer, D.E., Calladine, J.R., Harris, S.J. & Humphreys, E.M. 2024. New insights into the migration and wintering areas of Scottish-breeding Arctic Skuas. British Birds 117: 488-496
- O'Hanlon, N.J., van Bemmelen, R.S.A., Snell, K.R.S., Conway, G.J, Thaxter, C.B., Aiton, H., Aiton, D., Balmer, D.E., Are Hanssen, S., Calladine, J.R., Hammer, S., Harris, S.J., Moe, B., Schekkerman, H., Tulp, I. & Humphreys, E.M. 2024. Atlantic populations of a declining oceanic seabird have complex migrations and weak migratory connectivity to staging areas. Marine Ecology Progress Series 730: 113-129 doi:10.3354/meps14533
- O’Hanlon, N.J., Harris, S.J., Thaxter, C.B., Boersch-Supan, P.H., Robinson, R.A., Balmer, D.E. & Burton, N.H.K. 2024. Seabird population and demographic monitoring in the UK: a review and recommendations for future sampling. BTO Research Report 754:
- Davies, J.G., Boersch-Supan, P.H., Clewley, G.D., Humphreys, E.M., O’Hanlon, N.J., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Thaxter, C.B., Weston, E. & Cook, A.S.C.P. 2024. Influence of wind on kittiwake Rissa tridactyla flight and offshore wind turbine collision risk. Marine Biology 171: doi:10.1007/s00227-024-04508-0
- Harris, S.J., Baker, H., Balmer, D.E., Bolton, M., Burton, N.H.K., Caulfield, E., Clarke, J.A.E., Dunn, T.E., Evans, T.J., Hereward, H.R.F., Humphreys, E.M., Money, S. and O’Hanlon, N.J. 2024. Seabird Population Trends and Causes of Change: 1986–2023.
- O’Hanlon, N.J., Thaxter, C.B., Clewley, G.D., Davies, J.G., Humphreys, E.M., Miller, P.I. Pollock, C.J., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Weston, E. & Cook, A.S.C.P. 2024. Challenges in quantifying the responses of Black-legged Kittiwake to habitat variables and local stressors due to individual variation. Bird Study 71: 48-64 doi:10.1080/00063657.2024.2305169
- Woodward, I.D., Franks, S.E., Bowgen, K., Davies, J.G., Green, R.M.W., Griffin, L.R., Mitchell, C., O’Hanlon, N., Pollock, C., Rees, E.C., Tremlett, C., Wright, L. & Cook, A.S.C.P. 2023. Strategic study of collision risk for birds on migration and further development of the stochastic collision risk modelling tool (Work Package 1: Strategic review of birds on migration in Scottish waters). JNCC Reports
Other publications
O’Hanlon, N.J., Bond A.L., Lavers, J.L., Masden, E.A., James, N.A. 2019. Monitoring nest incorporation of anthropogenic debris by Northern Gannets across their range. Environmental Pollution, 255: 113152.
O’Hanlon N.J., Alonso, S., Miller, J.A.O., McGill R.A.R., Nager R.G. 2019. Landscape‐mediated variation in diet is associated with egg size and maculation in a generalist forager. IBIS.
O’Hanlon, N.J., Nager, R.G. 2018. Identifying habitat-driven spatial variation in colony size of Herring Gulls Larus argentatus. Bird Study, 65:3, 306-316.
Finch, T., O’Hanlon, N., Dudley, S.P. 2017. Tweeting birds: online mentions predict future citations in ornithology. Royal Society Open Science, 4: 171371.
O’Hanlon, N.J., James, N.A., Masden, E.A., Bond A.L. 2017. Seabirds and marine plastic debris in the northeastern Atlantic: a synthesis and recommendations for monitoring and research. Environmental Pollution, 231: 1291-1301.
O’Hanlon N.J., McGill R.A.R., Nager R.G. 2017. Increased use of intertidal resources benefits breeding success in a generalist gull species. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 574: 193-210.
O’Hanlon, N.J., Lambert, M.S. 2017. Investigating brown rat Rattus norvegicus egg predation using experimental nests and camera traps. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 63: 18.
Nager, R.G., O’Hanlon, N.J. 2016. Changing numbers of three gull species in the British Isles. Waterbirds, 39: 15-28.
Gillingham, P.G., Bradbury, R.B., Roy, D.B., Anderson, B.J., Baxter, J.M., Bourne, N.A.D., Crick, H, Q., Findon, R.A., Fox, R., Franco, A., Hill, J.K., Hodgson, J.A., Holt, A.R., Morecroft, M.D., O’Hanlon, N.J., Oliver, T.H., Pearce-Higgins, J, W., Procter, D.A., Thomas, J.A., Walker, K.J., Walmsley, C.A., Wilson, R.J., Thomas, C.D. 2015. The effectiveness of protected areas in the conservation of species with changing geographical ranges. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 115: 707-717.
Thomas, C.D., Gillingham, P.G., Bradbury, R.B., Roy, D.B., Anderson, B.J., Baxter, J.M., Bourne, N.A.D., Crick, H, Q., Findon, R.A., Fox, R., Hodgson, J.A., Holth, A.R., Morecroft, M.D., O’Hanlon, N.J., Oliver, T.H., Pearce-Higgins, J, W., Procter, D.A., Thomas, J.A., Walker, K.J., Walmsley, C.A., Wilson, R.J., Hill, J.K. 2012. Protected areas facilitate species’ range expansions. PNAS, 109: 14063-14068.