Katja Kochvar

she/her

PhD Student

Princeton
University

Discipline

Behaviour, Visual Ecology

Regional Focus

Atlantic Canada

Years Active

0-2 years

Species Focus

Auks (Alcidae)

Tell us about your work with seabirds.

Katja loves all things animal communication, but she did become somewhat of a puffin biologist during her master's degree. She earned her M.Sc. from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2023, where she explored the potential adaptive function of the Atlantic puffin's colorful bill. Even though she might be studying a little thing called a hummingbird now for her PhD at Princeton University, she remains fascinated by the amazing behavioral ecology of seabirds and hopes to stay connected to the wonderfully tight-knit seabird community.

What advice would you offer to individuals aspiring to pursue a career as seabird scientists?

Do field work and you will be absolutely hooked!! There is nothing more magical than being on a seabird colony in the height of the breeding season. Hold on to that special feeling and the rest will all feel worth it.

Katja wearing a dirty green field outfit holding an Atlantic puffin chick on a seabird colony in Newfoundland, Canada. This picture was taken as part of her master's project assessing the relationship between parental bill coloration and offspring growth.

Email:

khkochvar@mun.ca

Website:

Twitter:

@gotcha__katja

Instagram:

@gotcha_katja