Events at the MPIAB

Bonobo Stories - Fotografien von Christian Ziegler aus dem Salonga Nationalpark

Ausstellung
Eine Ausstellung des Max-Planck-Instituts für Verhaltensbiologie. Fotografien aus dem LuiKotale-Bonobo-Projekt und Informationsstationen zur modernen Verhaltensforschung, die heute digitale Methoden nutzt. [more]

The gut feeling of animals: A venture into quantum biology

Rado Seminar by Martin Wikelski
We know that gut feeling can be as powerful an analytic as conscious neural processes. We studied magnetoreception in homing pigeons and surprisingly found that it is mediated via “gut” cell populations. The effect is built upon quantum mechanisms. [more]

Three-dimensional models for animal movement and habitat selection

Guest talk by Natasha Klappstein
Animal movement and habitat selection underpin important ecological phenomena, from individual behaviour to population-level distributions. Despite navigating three-dimensional space, the spatial locations of animals are often measured and analysed on a two-dimensional plane, which limits our understanding of species that swim or fly. In this talk, I will describe how step selection functions ... [more]

1st Conference on Multiple Global Change Factors and Plant Invasions

1st Conference on Multiple Global Change Factors and Plant Invasions
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Intercultural communication workshop

Intercultural communication workshop
This interactive workshop explores how culture shapes the way we perceive, interpret, and engage with the world—and with one another. Participants will identify key factors that influence their own cultural perspectives as well as those of others, uncovering how these elements affect everyday interactions. Using an established model of intercultural communication, we will analyze moments of ... [more]

Flight behaviour in migratory songbirds

Institute Seminar by Sissel Sjoberg
  • Date: Apr 7, 2026
  • Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Sissel Sjoberg
  • I am a researcher at Lund University with a broad interest in behavioural ecology, and I am strongly fascinated by the abilities of animals that are sometimes so extreme that we humans cannot even imagine how they manage it. My research aims to elucidate how individual birds manage their migrations, how their behavioural adaptations facilitate the seemingly extreme travels conducted by birds, and how limitations to flight might affect their ability to travel in a changing world.
  • Location: MPI-AB Möggingen
  • Room: Seminar room MPI-AB Möggingen + Online
  • Host: Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
  • Contact: ksokolovskis@ab.mpg.de
Advances in tracking technology during the last decade have shown that migratory birds have the capacity to fly longer and faster than we previously thought was possible. Yet, we do not know how birds perform these seemingly impossible travels as it previously only was possible to record spatiotemporal patterns. Now, with the help of new technology, we have the possibility to study not only where ... [more]

Do animals understand death

Institute Seminar by Susana Monsó
  • Date: Apr 14, 2026
  • Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Susana Monsó
  • Susana Monsó is associate professor of philosophy in the Department of Logic, History, and Philosophy of Science at the National Distance Education University. Her work focuses on the socio-cognitive capacities of animals and their ethical implications. She has published in leading journals in her field, such as Philosophical Quarterly, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, and Philosophy of Science. Her book, Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death (2024, Princeton University Press) was recommended in The New York Times and The Guardian and selected as one of the best books of 2024 by The New Yorker.
  • Location: Bückle St. 5a, 78467 Konstanz
  • Room: Seminar room MPI-AB Bücklestrasse + Online
  • Host: Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
  • Contact: zgoldsborough@ab.mpg.de
When the Virginia opossum feels threatened, she becomes paralysed, her body temperature drops, her breathing and heart rate are reduced to a minimum, her tongue turns blue, and her glands simulate the smell of rot. Despite her convincing corpse disguise, the opossum is paying close attention to her surroundings, ready to swing back into action as soon as the coast is clear. Not unlike the cat in ... [more]

The ecology of collective behavior across oceanic scales

Institute Seminar by Will Oestreich
  • Date: Apr 21, 2026
  • Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Will Oestreich
  • Will Oestreich studies animal behavior in dynamic and changing ecosystems. He is a group leader in the Department of Evolutionary Biology & Environmental Studies at the University of Zurich, and an affiliated researcher with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Will has a particular interest in oceanic ecosystems, exploring how biophysical variation and information interact to shape behavior in the open and deep ocean. He also interrogates how we as humans can collectively understand, steward, & adapt to the changing ecosystems of which we are all a part.
  • Location: Bückle St. 5a, 78467 Konstanz
  • Room: Seminar room MPI-AB Bücklestrasse + Online
  • Host: Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
  • Contact: spashchevskaya@ab.mpg.de
Oceanic ecosystems comprise Earth's largest living space. In these vast, fluid, and mostly dark ecosystems, resources aggregate in patchy, fleeting hotspots of biological activity. These conditions pose immense challenges both for resident lifeforms and researchers seeking to elucidate their behavior. How do oceanic predators find ephemeral patches of plenty in their vast & dynamic home? How can ... [more]

Bayesian Generative Network

Institute Seminar by Sebastian Sosa
Data collection biases pose a persistent challenge in social network analysis, particularly in animal social network studies where observations are uneven, censored, and incomplete. These biases can lead to distorted network inference and incorrect conclusions about social behaviour. We present a generative Bayesian framework based on the Social Relationship Model (SRM) that jointly estimates ... [more]

Institute Seminar by Theresa Kirchner

Institute Seminar by Theresa Kirchner
[more]

Institute Seminar by Daniela Perez

Institute Seminar by Daniela Perez
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Forest Loss, Fragmentation and Climate Change: Mammals in a Changing Amazon Landscape

Institute Seminar by Daniel Rocha
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When Fear Enters the Lab: Bullying, Power, and the Erosion of Scientific Integrity

Institute Seminar by Leah P. Hollis
  • Date: May 26, 2026
  • Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Leah P. Hollis
  • Associate Dean for Access, Equity and Inclusion; Professor of Education, Education Policy Studies Penn State University. Leah P. Hollis EdD, the inaugural Associate Dean of Access, Equity and Inclusion is national and international expert on workplace bullying. Her most recent book, Instrumental Social Justice in Higher Education Eight Surveys for Workplace Bullying and Social Justice Research which was released by Routledge publications in 2024, is an extension of her work on bullying in higher education. Other notable work includes Human Resource Perspectives on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education addresses structural problems that enable workplace bullying. She has spoken nationally and internationally to help over 350 schools address incivility on campus. Dr. Hollis has an extensive career in higher education administration and has held senior leadership and faculty posts. Dr. Hollis has taught at Northeastern University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Rutgers University. Dr. Hollis received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Africana Studies from Rutgers University and her Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of Pittsburgh. She earned her Doctorate of Education from Boston University as a Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellow. Also, Dr. Hollis continued her professional training at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, Higher Education Management Development Program. She earned certification in Project Management and Executive Leadership at Stanford University and Cornell University, respectively. Hollis is also the recipient of the AERA Social Justice Award for 2024.
  • Location: Bückle St. 5a, 78467 Konstanz
  • Room: Seminar room MPI-AB Bücklestrasse + Online
  • Host: Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
Workplace bullying is increasingly recognized as a serious threat to employee health and organizational sustainability, yet in the United States it is still framed primarily as a legal or interpersonal issue rather than a public health concern. Drawing on survey data from 729 higher education professionals, this presentation examines workplace bullying as a chronic stressor with measurable ... [more]

Workshop: When Work Makes You Sick - How Workplace Bullying Undermines Health, Wellness, and Human Sustainability

Workshop with Leah P. Hollis
  • Date: May 27, 2026
  • Time: 10:00 AM - 01:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Leah P. Hollis
  • Associate Dean for Access, Equity and Inclusion; Professor of Education, Education Policy Studies Penn State University. Leah P. Hollis EdD, the inaugural Associate Dean of Access, Equity and Inclusion is national and international expert on workplace bullying. Her most recent book, Instrumental Social Justice in Higher Education Eight Surveys for Workplace Bullying and Social Justice Research which was released by Routledge publications in 2024, is an extension of her work on bullying in higher education. Other notable work includes Human Resource Perspectives on Workplace Bullying in Higher Education addresses structural problems that enable workplace bullying. She has spoken nationally and internationally to help over 350 schools address incivility on campus. Dr. Hollis has an extensive career in higher education administration and has held senior leadership and faculty posts. Dr. Hollis has taught at Northeastern University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Rutgers University. Dr. Hollis received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Africana Studies from Rutgers University and her Master of Arts in English Literature from the University of Pittsburgh. She earned her Doctorate of Education from Boston University as a Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellow. Also, Dr. Hollis continued her professional training at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, Higher Education Management Development Program. She earned certification in Project Management and Executive Leadership at Stanford University and Cornell University, respectively. Hollis is also the recipient of the AERA Social Justice Award for 2024.
  • Location: Bückle St. 5a, 78467 Konstanz
  • Host: Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
  • Contact: mhieber@ab.mpg.de
Workplace bullying is increasingly recognized as a serious threat to employee health and organizational sustainability, yet in the United States it is still framed primarily as a legal or interpersonal issue rather than a public health concern. Drawing on survey data from 729 higher education professionals, this presentation examines workplace bullying as a chronic stressor with measurable ... [more]

Institute Seminar by Natalia Borrego

Institute Seminar by Natalia Borrego
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Institute Seminar by Stefan Garthe

Institute Seminar by Stefan Garthe
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Keeping the Wild Working: Predators, Processes, and the Ethics of Intervention

Institute Seminar by Sam Ferreira
  • Date: Jun 16, 2026
  • Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Sam Ferreira
  • Dr Sam M. Ferreira, PhD is a senior conservation ecologist and internationally recognised authority on large mammal population dynamics, restoration ecology and evidence-based conservation management, with more than three decades of experience integrating theoretical ecology with applied conservation across Africa and the Southern Hemisphere. For the past 18 years and currently he serves as Large Mammal Ecologist in Scientific Services at South African National Parks (SANParks), where his work focuses on the spatial and temporal dynamics of large mammals, including elephants, rhinoceroses and large carnivores, directly informing adaptive management in complex protected area systems. In parallel, he is the Scientific Officer of the IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group, leading scientific reporting on rhino population trends and management and providing technical input to international policy processes, including CITES. He also holds academic appointments as Adjunct Professor at the Department of Nature Conservation and Marine Science of Cape Peninsula University of Technology and Extraordinary Professor at the Faculty of Law of North-West University, reflecting sustained engagement in postgraduate supervision, academic mentorship and research capacity development. His research has made a sustained and measurable contribution to wildlife conservation and management across southern and eastern Africa, evidenced by the authorship or co-authorship of more than 160 peer-reviewed publications that have attracted over 5 500 citations (h-index > 40). This work has advanced understanding of population dynamics, spatial ecology, and demographic drivers, improved monitoring methodologies widely applied by conservation agencies, and informed adaptive, landscape-scale management approaches in major protected areas. The consistent uptake of this research in operational planning, regional and continental assessments, advisory processes and international conservation policy debates underscores its enduring scientific, management and policy impact.
  • Location: Bückle St. 5a, 78467 Konstanz
  • Room: Seminar room MPI-AB Bücklestrasse + Online
  • Host: Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
  • Contact: nborrego@ab.mpg.de
Large predators have a talent for stirring strong feelings. We admire them, fear them, argue about them, and then write long papers about how everything is going wrong. This talk takes a different path. It asks a simple question: what do large predators do for ecosystems—and why does that matter for people who depend on biodiversity, whether they like predators or not? Across many systems, the ... [more]

Turning tracks into risk: probabilistic estimation of bird collisions at wind turbines

Institute Seminar by Moritz Mercker
  • Date: Jun 23, 2026
  • Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Moritz Mercker
  • Moritz Mercker is a trained biologist and mathematician with a PhD in applied mathematics. Early in his career, he worked as an ornithologist on different offshore and island field stations, including the North Sea island of Trischen, where long-term bird monitoring and close exposure to protected ecosystems shaped his strong ecological perspective. He currently works at the interface of ecology, statistics, and applied mathematics. Alongside his involvement in academic research on biomathematical methods, he runs a biostatistical consultancy supporting ecological assessments and environmental decision-making. His work is driven by the conviction that biodiversity conservation and the expansion of renewable energy can and must be reconciled through rigorous, data-driven approaches.
  • Location: MPI-AB Möggingen
  • Room: Seminar room MPI-AB Möggingen + Online
  • Host: Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
  • Contact: fiedler@ab.mpg.de
Expanding wind energy requires reliable ways to assess collision risks for birds, especially for protected species. We present a probabilistic framework that translates animal movement data into spatially explicit estimates of collision risk at wind turbines. Using GPS tracking of different breeding birds (such as the red kite), the approach combines information on space use, flight height, and ... [more]

Institute Seminar by Simon Garnier

Institute Seminar by Simon Garnier
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Getting Published and Mastering Peer Review (workshop)

Getting Published and Mastering Peer Review (workshop)
  • new dates!
  • Start: Jul 2, 2026
  • End: Jul 3, 2026
  • Speaker: Brian Cusack and Babette Regierer
  • Dr. Brian Cusack comes from Cork, Ireland and received his Ph.D. in Genetics from Trinity College, Dublin in 2007. During his Ph.D. Brian received the kind of mentoring that he continues to consider as the gold-standard for graduate students. After completing his first postdoc at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, Brian conducted post-doctoral research in evolutionary genomics at the Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin. In February 2012, together with Rick Scavetta, Brian co-founded Science Craft in Berlin. Since then Brian has provided high-level training workshops for more than a thousand researchers throughout Germany as well as in Norway and China.
  • Location: University of Konstanz
  • Room: Mon K503, Tue ZT1201
  • Host: IMPRS
  • Contact: imprs@uni-konstanz.de
[more]

Scientific Writing (workshop)

2-tägiger Kurs
  • new dates!
  • Start: Jul 6, 2026
  • End: Jul 7, 2026
  • Speaker: Brian Cusack, Science Craft
  • Dr. Brian Cusack comes from Cork, Ireland and received his Ph.D. in Genetics from Trinity College, Dublin in 2007. During his Ph.D. Brian received the kind of mentoring that he continues to consider as the gold-standard for graduate students. After completing his first postdoc at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, Brian conducted post-doctoral research in evolutionary genomics at the Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin. In February 2012, together with Rick Scavetta, Brian co-founded Science Craft in Berlin. Since then Brian has provided high-level training workshops for more than a thousand researchers throughout Germany as well as in Norway and China.
  • Location: University of Konstanz
  • Room: ZT1201
  • Host: IMPRS
  • Contact: imprs@uni-konstanz.de
[more]

Institute Seminar by Eduardo Sampaio

Institute Seminar by Eduardo Sampaio
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Behavioral Cascades: Predator Loss, Fear, and Species Interactions in Tropical Ecosystems

Institute Seminar by Dumas Galvez
  • Date: Jul 14, 2026
  • Time: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (Local Time Germany)
  • Speaker: Dumas Galvez
  • Dumas Gálvez is a behavioral ecologist based in Panama whose research focuses on how animal behavior influences ecological interactions and ecosystem processes in tropical systems. He is affiliated with the Coiba Scientific Station, the University of Panama and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, where he studies behavioral responses to predators, competition, and environmental change across a range of taxa including rodents, ants, termites, and other arthropods.
  • Location: Bückle St. 5a, 78467 Konstanz
  • Room: Seminar room MPI-AB Bücklestrasse + Online
  • Host: Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
  • Contact: mcrofoot@ab.mpg.de
Animal behavior plays a central role in mediating species interactions and can generate cascading effects that influence ecosystem processes. In tropical ecosystems, behavioral responses to predators, competitors, and environmental disturbances can alter key ecological functions such as seed dispersal, decomposition, and species coexistence. In this talk, I present a series of studies conducted ... [more]
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