Dra. Romina C. Scardamaglia

Teaching Assistant EGE | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Animal behavior has always intrigued me. Understanding how different behaviors evolved is fascinating! My research interests are focused on examining different aspects of birds’ behavior, particularly animal movement and its relationship with brood parasitism. I obtained my degree in Biology from the University of Buenos Aires in 2010. For my undergraduate thesis I studied sexual cannibalism in praying mantids by analyzing the role of female aggression in mate choice. I obtained my PhD in 2015 from the University of Buenos Aires, where I examined the use of space and nest-searching behavior in two species of avian brood parasites: the Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) and the Screaming Cowbird (M. rufoaxillaris). During my postdoctoral studies I continued my research on brood parasites, coadvised by Alex Kacelnik and Juan Carlos Reboreda. Using novel radio-tracking techniques I am interested in addressing questions about space use and social interactions between parasites, such as social mating systems and social networks. I am also interested in studying the relationship between personality and different aspects of brood parasitism.