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Stephen Debus

Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Environmental and Rural Sciences at University of New England

Summary

I am now an honorary research associate in zoology at UNE, and work as an ecological consultant. As a former research fellow in zoology at UNE, most of my work was on owls, raptors and threatened/declining woodland birds. The definitive CSIRO study on the ecology and distribution of Australian crows and ravens, in the 1970s, sparked my interest, and I have occasionally done some amateur, spare-time (unfunded, unofficial) study on those birds. I discovered a coastal population of the Forest Raven on the lower north coast of NSW, and did a minor study of Forest Raven ecology on the Northern Tablelands.

Experience

  • Ecological consultant, privately 1994 – present
  • Research Fellow in zoology, University of new England 1990 – 2006

Education

  • University of New England, PhD zoology, 2004

Publications

  • The Owls of Australia: A Field Guide to Australian Night Birds, Envirobook, Sydney 2009
  • The Birds of Prey of Australia: A Field Guide, Oxford University Press, Melbourne 1998

Research Areas

  • Zoology (0608)
  • Terrestrial Ecology (060208)
  • Population Ecology (060207)

Honours

Bird Observers Club of Australia, Distinguished Service Award for editing the journal Australian Field Ornithology for 20 years. Honorary life membership, Australasian Raptor Association for editing Australasian Raptor Association News for 10 years.