Mountain Ecology 

• Long-term study system on the Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe, a migratory species that breeds in the alpine grasslands of Val Troncea Natural Park. We are interested in studying the breeding and migration ecology, as well the relationship prey-predators in these habitats

• Ecological interactions between mountain bird assemblages and different natural processes, as well as the human footprint over a broad area covering the Western Italian Alps. We are interested in the effects of avalanches and ski pistes on bird assemblages, but also in the species  distribution shifts towards higher elevations caused by climate and land-use changes

• Fine-scale factors that dictate alpine bird species distributions in the forest-shrub ecotone, with particular focus on habitat structure and microclimate, identifying key factors influencing the reproductive success of four common mountain bird species

Urban Ecology 

• Identifying the key variables for urban biodiversity. We are interested in studying changes in bird assemblage composition across the urban gradient and across seasons, as well as studying the effects of land-sparing and land-sharing on urban bird diversity. We also focus in particular on urban parks and we are interested in underdstanding how management strategies can be improved to make the cities more sustainable and more biodiversity-friendly

• Exploring the relationships between people and nature in cities, aiming to link the ecological and social value of urban animal biodiversity. We developed a national Citizen Science programme with the University of Milan to engage urban residents and collect more data on biodiversity in cities. We are investigating urban green spaces to determine which features of the urban environment are valued by people, but at the same time that benefit biodiversity. In this way, we can identify win-win management and development strategies to enhance green areas in cities fostering environmental justice

• Understanding the ecological impacts of alien bird on native bird species at different spatial scales (Europe, Iberian Peninsula and Portugal) and to identify strategies for problematic alien bird species and ways to manage vulnerable habitats in order to enhance native bird species.  The collaboration focuses particularly at the European scale, in order to test the Luxury Effect hypothesis on alien bird invasion in European metropolitan areas.