Richard Stillman

Professor Richard Stillman

  • Professor Of Conservation Ecology
  • Christchurch House C206, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, BH12 5BB
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Biography

I am an applied ecologist with an interest in predicting how environmental change and management influence animal populations. My research aims to advise policy makers, conservationists and industry on the best ways of reconciling the interests of wildlife with those of humans. My main study species have been wading birds (e.g. oystercatcher, black-tailed godwit, redshank, dunlin) and wildfowl (e.g. Brent geese), and my research has addressed environmental conflicts when the coastal habitats of these species are also exploited by humans (e.g. for recreation, land reclamation, shellfishing, port, wind farm, tidal barrage and nuclear power development). I conduct research on foraging behaviour and decision making to search for general rules in the ways that individual animals interact with each other and their environment. My applied research incorporates these general rules into computer individual-based models to predict how environmental change influences animal populations.

Journal Articles

  • Williams, N.F., Porteus, T.A., Hardouin, E.A., Case, J., Rivers, E., Andreou, D., Hoodless, A.N., Stillman, R.A., Short, M.J., 2025. Evidence of anthropogenic subsidisation of red foxes in a national park important for breeding wading birds. Mammal Research, 70 (1), 61-73.
  • Goss-Custard, J.D., Austin, G.E., Frost, T.M., Sitters, H.P., Stillman, R.A., 2024. Decline in the Numbers of Eurasian Oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus on the Exe Estuary Special Protection Area. Ardea, 112 (2), 267-283.
  • Williams, N.F., Short, M., Andreou, D., Porteus, T.A., Stillman, R.A., Hoodless, A.N., Hardouin, E., 2024. Ancestry and genetic differentiation of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) on the Isle of Wight. Mammal Communications.
  • Stillman, R.A., Rivers, E.M., Gilkerson, W., Wood, K.A., Clausen, P., Deane, C., Ward, D.H., 2024. Predicting the response of a long-distance migrant to changing environmental conditions in winter. Ecology and Evolution, 14 (7).
  • Oldeland, J., Žydelis, R., Dorsch, M., Stillman, R.A., Nehls, G., 2023. Individual-based modelling supports environmental impact assessment in a large-scale construction project. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 101.
  • Brown, S., Stillman, R.A., 2021. Evidence-based conservation in a changing world: lessons from waterbird individual-based models. Ecosphere, 12 (7).
  • Stillman, R.A., Rivers, E.M., Gilkerson, W., Wood, K.A., Nolet, B.A., Clausen, P., Wilson, H.M., Ward, D.H., 2021. Predicting impacts of food competition, climate, and disturbance on a long-distance migratory herbivore. Ecosphere, 12 (3).
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Newth, J.L., Nuijten, R.J.M., Hilton, G.M., Nolet, B.A., Rees, E.C., 2021. Predicting avian herbivore responses to changing food availability and competition. Ecological Modelling, 441.
  • Goss-Custard, J.D., Hoppe, C.H., Hood, M.J., Stillman, R.A., 2020. Disturbance does not have a significant impact on waders in an estuary close to conurbations: importance of overlap between birds and people in time and space. Ibis, 162 (3), 845-862.
  • Hill, S.L., Hinke, J., Bertrand, S., Fritz, L., Furness, R.W., Ianelli, J.N., Murphy, M., Oliveros-Ramos, R., Pichegru, L., Sharp, R., Stillman, R.A., Wright, P.J., Ratcliffe, N., 2020. Reference points for predators will progress ecosystem-based management of fisheries. Fish and Fisheries, 21 (2), 368-378.
  • Grimm, V., Railsback, S.F., Vincenot, C.E., Berger, U., Gallagher, C., Deangelis, D.L., Edmonds, B., Ge, J., Giske, J., Groeneveld, J., Johnston, A.S.A., Milles, A., Nabe-Nielsen, J., Polhill, J.G., Radchuk, V., Rohwäder, M.S., Stillman, R.A., Thiele, J.C., Ayllón, D., 2020. The ODD protocol for describing agent-based and other simulation models: A second update to improve clarity, replication, and structural realism. JASSS, 23 (2).
  • Clarke, L.J., Hill, R.A., Ford, A., Herbert, R.J.H., Esteves, L.S., Stillman, R.A., 2019. Using remote sensing to quantify fishing effort and predict shorebird conflicts in an intertidal fishery. Ecological Informatics, 50, 136-148.
  • Goss-Custard, J.D., Bowgen, K.M., Stillman, R.A., 2019. Increasing the harvest for mussels Mytilus edulis without harming oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 101-110.
  • Clarke, L.J., Esteves, L.S., Stillman, R.A., Herbert, R.J.H., 2019. Population dynamics of a commercially harvested, non-native bivalve in an area protected for shorebirds: Ruditapes philippinarum in Poole Harbour, UK. Aquatic Living Resources, 32.
  • Herbert, R.J.H., Davies, C.J., Bowgen, K.M., Hatton, J., Stillman, R.A., 2018. The importance of nonnative Pacific oyster reefs as supplementary feeding areas for coastal birds on estuary mudflats. Aquatic Conservation Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 28 (6), 1294-1307.
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Clarke, R.T., Daunt, F., O’Hare, M.T., 2018. Water velocity limits the temporal extent of herbivore effects on aquatic plants in a lowland river. Hydrobiologia, 812 (1), 45-55.
  • Herbert, R.J.H., Broderick, L.G., Ross, K., Moody, C., Cruz, T., Clarke, L., Stillman, R.A., 2018. Artificial coastal lagoons at solar salt-working sites: A network of habitats for specialised, protected and alien biodiversity. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 203, 1-16.
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Hilton, G.M., 2018. Conservation in a changing world needs predictive models. Animal Conservation, 21 (2), 87-88.
  • Clarke, L.J., Esteves, L.S., Stillman, R.A., Herbert, R.J.H., Kenchington, E., 2018. Impacts of a novel shellfishing gear on macrobenthos in a marine protected area: Pump-scoop dredging in Poole Harbour, UK. Aquatic Living Resources, 31.
  • Clarke, L.J., Hughes, K.M., Esteves, L.S., Herbert, R.J.H., Stillman, R.A., 2017. Intertidal invertebrate harvesting: A meta-analysis of impacts and recovery in an important waterbird prey resource. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 584, 229-244.
  • Herbivore regulation of plant abundance in aquatic ecosystems. Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 92 (2), 1128-1141.
  • Garcia, C., Stillman, R.A., Forster, R.M., Silva, T., Bremner, J., 2016. Nuclear power and coastal birds: Predicting the ecological consequences of warm-water outflows. Ecological Modelling, 342, 60-81.
  • Cartwright, S.J., Bowgen, K.M., Collop, C., Hyder, K., Nabe-Nielsen, J., Stafford, R., Stillman, R.A., Thorpe, R.B., Sibly, R.M., 2016. Communicating complex ecological models to non-scientist end users. Ecological Modelling, 338, 51-59.
  • Collop, C., Stillman, R.A., Garbutt, A., Yates, M.G., Rispin, E., Yates, T., 2016. Variability in the area, energy and time costs of wintering waders responding to disturbance. Ibis, 158 (4), 711-725.
  • Phang, S.C., Stillman, R.A., Cucherousset, J., Britton, J.R., Roberts, D., Beaumont, W.R.C., Gozlan, R.E., 2016. FishMORPH - An agent-based model to predict salmonid growth and distribution responses under natural and low flows. Scientific Reports, 6.
  • Young, A., Stillman, R., Smith, M.J., Korstjens, A.H., 2016. Applying Knowledge of Species-Typical Scavenging Behavior to the Search and Recovery of Mammalian Skeletal Remains. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 61 (2), 458-466.
  • Murray, G.P.D., Stillman, R.A., Britton, J.R., 2016. Habitat complexity and food item size modify the foraging behaviour of a freshwater fish. Hydrobiologia, 766 (1), 321-332.
  • Nolet, B.A., Gyimesi, A., Van Krimpen, R.R.D., De Boer, W.F., Stillman, R.A., 2016. Predicting effects of water regime changes on waterbirds: Insights from staging swans. Plos One, 11 (2).
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., 2015. The effect of kleptoparasite and host numbers on the risk of food-stealing in an avian assemblage. Journal of Avian Biology, 46 (6), 589-596.
  • Murray, G.P.D., Stillman, R.A., Britton, J.R., 2015. Habitat complexity and food item size modify the foraging behaviour of a freshwater fish. Hydrobiologia.
  • Goss-Custard, J.D., West, A.D., Yates, M.G., Caldow, R.W.G., Stillman, R.A., Bardsley, L., Castilla, J., Castro, M., Dierschke, V., Sarah, S.E.A., Eichhorn, G., Ens, B.J., Exo, K.M., Udayangani-Fernando, P.U., Ferns, P.N., Hockey, P.A.R., Gill, J.A., Johnstone, I., Kalejta-Summers, B., Masero, J.A., Moreira, F., Nagarajan, R.V., Owens, I.P.F., Pacheco, C., Perez-Hurtado, A., Rogers, D., Scheiffarth, G., Sitters, H., Sutherland, W.J., Triplet, P., Worrall, D.H., Zharikov, Y., Zwarts, L., Pettifor, R.A., 2015. Erratum to Intake rates and the functional response in shorebirds (Charadriiformes) eating macro-invertebrates. [Biological Review, 81, (2006), 501-529]. Biological Reviews, 90 (3), 995.
  • Stillman, R.A., Wood, K.A., Gilkerson, W., Elkinton, E., Black, J.M., Ward, D.H., Petrie, M., 2015. Predicting effects of environmental change on a migratory herbivore. Ecosphere, 6 (7).
  • Stillman, R.A., Wood, K.A., Gilkerson, W., Elkinton, E., Black, J.M., Ward, D.H., Petrie, M., 2015. Predicting effects of environmental change on a migratory herbivore. ECOSPHERE, 6 (7).
  • Bowgen, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Herbert, R.J.H., 2015. Predicting the effect of invertebrate regime shifts on wading birds: insights from Poole Harbour, UK. Biological Conservation, 186, 60-68.
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., 2015. The effect of kleptoparasite and host numbers on the risk of food-stealing in an avian assemblage. Journal of Avian Biology.
  • Stillman, R.A., Railsback, S.F., Giske, J., Berger, U., Grimm, V., 2015. Making predictions in a changing world: The benefits of individual-based ecology. Bioscience, 65 (2), 140-150.
  • Stillman, R.A., Wood, K.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., 2015. Deriving simple predictions from complex models to support environmental decision-making. Ecological Modelling.
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., 2015. Co-creation of individual-based models by practitioners and modellers to inform environmental decision-making. Journal of Applied Ecology.
  • Young, A., Stillman, R., Smith, M.J., Korstjens, A.H., 2015. Scavenger Species-typical Alteration to Bone: Using Bite Mark Dimensions to Identify Scavengers. Journal of Forensic Sciences.
  • Young, A., Stillman, R., Smith, M.J., Korstjens, A.H., 2014. An experimental study of vertebrate scavenging behavior in a Northwest European woodland context. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 59 (5), 1333-1342.
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Daunt, F., O'Hare, M.T., 2014. Can sacrificial feeding areas protect aquatic plants from herbivore grazing? Using behavioural ecology to inform wildlife management. PLoS One, 9 (7), e104034.
  • Young, A., Stillman, R., Smith, M.J., Korstjens, A., Marquez-Grant, N., 2014. An investigation of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and Eurasian badger (Meles meles) scavenging, scattering and removal of deer remains: forensic implications and applications. Journal of Forensic Sciences.
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., 2014. Do birds of a feather flock together? Comparing habitat preferences of piscivorous waterbirds in a lowland river catchment. Hydrobiologia.
  • Young, Stillman, R., Smith, M., Korstjens, A., 2014. Scavenging in Northwestern Europe: A Survey of UK Police Specialist Search Officers. Policing (Oxford): a journal of policy and practice, 8 (2), 156-164.
  • Young, A., Stillman, R.A., Smith, M.J., Korstjens, A., 2014. An experimental study of vertebrate scavenging behavior in a northwest European woodland context. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 59 (5).
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Daunt, F., O'Hare, M.T., 2014. Chalk streams and grazing mute swans. British Wildlife, 25 (3), 171-176.
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., 2014. Do birds of a feather flock together? Comparing habitat preferences of piscivorous waterbirds in a lowland river catchment. Hydrobiologia, 738 (1), 87-95.
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Wheeler, D., Groves, S., Hambly, C., Speakman, J.R., Daunt, F., O'Hare, M.T., 2013. Go with the flow: Water velocity regulates herbivore foraging decisions in river catchments. Oikos, 122 (12), 1720-1729.
  • Uzal, A., Walls, S., Stillman, R.A., Diaz, A., 2013. Sika deer distribution and habitat selection: The influence of the availability and distribution of food, cover, and threats. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 59 (4), 563-572.
  • Murray, G.P.D., Stillman, R.A., Gozlan, R.E., Britton, J.R., 2013. Experimental Predictions of The Functional Response of A Freshwater Fish. Ethology, 119, 1-11.
  • Murray, G.P.D., Stillman, R.A., Gozlan, R.E., Britton, J.R., 2013. Experimental Predictions of The Functional Response of A Freshwater Fish. Ethology, 119.
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Coombs, T., McDonald, C., Daunt, F., O'Hare, M.T., 2013. The role of season and social grouping on habitat use by Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) in a lowland river catchment. Bird Study, 60 (2), 229-237.
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Daunt, F., O'Hare, M.T., 2013. Evaluating the effects of population management on a herbivore grazing conflict. PLoS One, 8 (2), e56287.
  • Uzal, A., Stillman, R.A., Diaz, A., Walls, S., 2013. Sika deer distribution and habitat selection: the influence of the availability and distribution of food, cover, and threats. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 1-10.
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Clarke, R.T., Daunt, F., O'Hare, M.T., 2012. Measuring submerged macrophyte standing crop in shallow rivers: A test of methodology. Aquatic Botany, 102, 28-33.
  • Toral, G.M., Stillman, R.A., Santoro, S., Figuerola, J., 2012. The importance of rice fields for glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus): Management recommendations derived from an individual-based model. Biological Conservation, 148 (1), 19-27.
  • Wood, K., Stillman, R.A., Clarke, R.T., Daunt, F., O'Hare, M.T., 2012. The impact of waterfowl herbivory on plant standing crop:a meta-analysis. Hydrobiologia, 686, 157-167.
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Clarke, R.T., Daunt, F., O'Hare, M.T., 2012. Understanding plant community responses to combinations of biotic and abiotic factors in different phases of the plant growth cycle. PLoS One, 7 (11), e49824.
  • Baker, D.J., Stillman, R.A., Smart, S.L., Bullock, J.M., Norris, K.J., 2011. Are the costs of routine vigilance avoided by granivorous foragers? Functional Ecology, 25 (3), 617-627.
  • Forbes, V.E., Calow, P., Grimm, V., Hayashi, T.I., Jager, T., Katholm, A., Palmqvist, A., Pastorok, R., Salvito, D., Sibly, R., Spromberg, J., Stark, J., Stillman, R.A., 2011. Adding value to ecological risk assessment with population modeling. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 17 (2), 287-299.
  • West, A.D., Stillman, R.A., Drewitt, A., Frost, N.J., Mander, M., Miles, C., Langston, R., Sanderson, W.G., Willis, J., 2011. WaderMORPH - a user-friendly individual-based model to advise shorebird policy and management. METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, 2 (1), 95-98.
  • Forbes, V.E., Calow, P., Grimm, V., Hayashi, T., Jager, T., Palmqvist, A., Pastorok, R., Salvito, D., Sibly, R., Spromberg, J., Stark, J., Stillman, R.A., 2010. Integrating population modeling into ecological risk assessment. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 6, 191-193.
  • Rappoldt, C., Stillman, R.A., Ens, B.J., 2010. A geometrical model for the effect of interference on food intake. Ecological Modelling, 221, 147-151.
  • Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., 2010. Individual-based ecology of coastal birds. Biological Reviews, 85, 413-434.
  • Stillman, R.A., Moore, J.J., Woolmer, A.P., Murphy, M.D., Walker, P., Vanstaen, K.R., Palmer, D., Sanderson, W.G., 2010. Assessing waterbird conservation objectives: An example for the Burry Inlet, UK. Biological Conservation, 143, 2617-2630.
  • Gyimesi, A., Stillman, R.A., Nolet, B.A., 2010. Cryptic interference competition in swans foraging on cryptic prey. Animal Behaviour, 80, 791-797.
  • Baker, D.J., Stillman, R.A., Smith, B.M., Bullock, J.M., Norris, K.J., 2010. Vigilance and the functional response of granivorous foragers. Functional Ecology, 24, 1281-1290.
  • Duriez, O., Bauer, S., Destin, A., Madsen, J., Nolet, B.A., Stillman, R.A., Klaassen, M., 2009. What decision rules might pink-footed geese use to depart on migration? An individual-based model. Behavioural Ecology, 20, 560-569.
  • Baker, D.J., Stillman, R.A., Bullock, J.M., 2009. The effect of habitat complexity on the functional response of a seed-eating farmland bird. Ibis, 151, 547-558.
  • Stillman, R.A., 2008. MORPH – An individual-based model to predict the effect of environmental change on foraging animal populations. Ecological Modelling, 216, 265-276.
  • Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., Caldow, R.W.G., McGrorty, S., West, A.D., Stillman, R.A., Humphreys, J., 2008. Population Structure and Secondary Production of the Ragworm Hediste (Nereis) Diversicolor in Poole Harbour, UK. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 129, 163-174.
  • Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., Stillman, R.A., Triplet, P., Desprez, M., Fagot, C., Loquet, N., Sueur, F., Goss-Custard, J.D., 2008. Using an individual-based model to inform estuary management in the Baie de Somme, France. Oryx, 42, 265-277.
  • Goss-Custard, J.D., Stillman, R.A., 2008. Individual-based models and the management of shorebird populations. Cytopathology, 21, 3-17.
  • Smart, S.L., Stillman, R.A., Norris, K.J., 2008. Measuring the functional responses of farmland birds: an example for a declining seed-feeding bunting. Journal of Animal Ecology, 77, 687-695.
  • O'Hare, M.T., Stillman, R.A., Mcdonnell, J., Wood, L.R., 2007. Effects of mute swan grazing on a keystone macrophyte. Freshwater Biology, 52 (12), 2463-2475.
  • Poole, A.E., Stillman, R.A., Watson, H.K., Norris, K.J., 2007. Searching efficiency and the functional response of a pause-travel forager. Functional Ecology, 21 (4), 784-792.
  • Caldow, R.W.G., Stillman, R.A., Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., West, A.D., McGrorty, S., Goss-Custard, J.D., Wood, P.J., Humphreys, J., 2007. Benefits to Shorebirds from Invasion of a Non-Native Shellfish. Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences, 274, 1449-1455.
  • Gillings, S., Atkinson, P.W., Bardsley, S.L., Clark, N.A., Love, S.E., Robinson, R.A., Stillman, R.A., Weber, R.G., 2007. Shorebird predation of horseshoe crab eggs in Delaware Bay: species contrasts and availability constraints. J Anim Ecol, 76 (3), 503-514.
  • West, A.D., Yates, M.G., McGrorty, S., Stillman, R.A., 2007. Predicting Site Quality for Shorebird Communities: A Case Study on the Wash Embayment, UK. Ecological Modelling, 202, 527-539.
  • Stillman, R.A., West, A.D., Caldow, R.W.G., Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., 2007. Predicting the Effect of Disturbance on Coastal Birds. Ibis, 149, 73-81.
  • Goss-Custard, J.D., West, A.D., Yates, M.G., Caldow, R.W.G., Stillman, R.A., Bardsley, L., Castilla, J., Castro, M., Dierschke, V., Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., Eichhorn, G., Ens, B.J., Exo, K.-M., Udayangani-Fernando, P.U., Ferns, P.N., Hockey, P.A.R., Gill, J.A., Johnstone, I., Kalejta-Summers, B., Masero, J.A., Moreira, F., Nagarajan, R.V., Owens, I.P.F., Pacheco, C., Perez-Hurtado, A., Rogers, D., Scheiffarth, G., Sitters, H., Sutherland, W.J., Triplet, P., Worrall, D.H., Zharikov, Y., Zwarts, L., Pettifor, R.A., 2006. Intake rates and the functional response in shorebirds (Charadriiformes) eating macro-invertebrates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc, 81 (4), 501-529.
  • Grimm, V., Berger, U., Bastiansen, F., Eliassen, S., Ginot, V., Giske, J., Goss-Custard, J., Grand, T., Heinz, S.K., Huse, G., Huth, A., Jepsen, J.U., Jørgensen, C., Mooij, W.M., Müller, B., Pe'er, G., Piou, C., Railsback, S.F., Robbins, A.M., Robbins, M.M., Rossmanith, E., Rüger, N., Strand, E., Souissi, S., Stillman, R.A., Vabø, R., Visser, U., DeAngelis, D.L., 2006. A standard protocol for describing individual-based and agent-based models. Ecological Modelling, 198 (1-2), 115-126.
  • Sarah, S.E.A., Stillman, R.A., Caldow, R.W.G., McGrorty, S., West, A.D., Humphreys, J., 2006. Modelling the effect of environmental change on shorebirds: A case study on Poole Harbour, UK. Biological Conservation, 131 (3), 459-473.
  • Kaiser, M.J., Galanidi, M., Showler, D.A., Elliott, A.J., Caldow, R.W.G., Rees, E.I.S., Stillman, R.A., Sutherland, W.J., 2006. Distribution and behaviour of Common Scoter Melanitta nigra relative to prey resources and environmental parameters. Ibis, 148 (SUPPL. 1), 110-128.
  • Stillman, R.A., Simmons, V., 2006. Predicting the functional response of a farmland bird. Functional Ecology, 20, 723-730.
  • Poole, A.E., Stillman, R.A., Norris, K.J., 2006. A video-based method for measuring small-scale animal movement. Animal Behaviour, 72 (5), 1205-1212.
  • Goss-Custard, J.D., Burton, N.H.K., Clark, N.A., Ferns, P.N., McGrorty, S., Reading, C.J., Rehfisch, M.M., Stillman, R.A., Townend, I., West, A.D., Worrall, D.H., 2006. Test of a Behavior-Based Individual-Based Model: Response of Shorebird Mortality to Habitat Loss. Ecological Applications, 16, 2215-2222.
  • Goss-Custard, J.D., West, A.D., Yates, M.G., Caldow, R.W.G., Stillman, R.A., Bardsley, L., Castilla, J., Castro, M., Dierschke, V., Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., Eichhorn, G., Ens, B.J., Exo, K.M., Udayangani-Fernando, P.U., Ferns, P.N., Hockey, P.A.R., Gill, J.A., Johnstone, I.G., Kalejta-Summers, B., Masero, J.A., Moreira, F., Nagarajan, R.V., Owens, I.P.F., Pacheco, C., Perez-Hurtado, A., Rogers, D., Scheiffarth, G., Sitters, H.P., Sutherland, W.J., Triplet, P., Worrall, D.H., Zharikov, Y., Zwarts, L., Pettifor, R.A., 2006. Intake Rates and the Functional Response in Shorebirds (Charadriiformes) Eating Macro-Invertebrates. Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 81, 501-529.
  • Stillman, R.A., West, A.D., Goss-Custard, J.D., McGrorty, S., Frost, N.J., Morrisey, D.J., Kenny, A.J., Drewitt, A., 2005. Predicting Site Quality For Shorebird Communities: A Case Study on the Humber Estuary, UK. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 305, 203-217.
  • Dit Durell, S.E.A.L.V., Stillman, R.A., Triplet, P., Aulert, C., Dit Biot, D.O., Bouchet, A., Duhamel, S., Mayot, S., Goss-Custard, J.D., 2005. Modelling the efficacy of proposed mitigation areas for shorebirds: A case study on the Seine estuary, France. Biological Conservation, 123 (1), 67-77.
  • Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., McGrorty, S., West, A.D., Clarke, R.T., Goss-Custard, J.D., Stillman, R.A., 2005. A Strategy for Baseline Monitoring of Estuary Special Protection Areas. Biological Conservation, 121, 289-301.
  • West, A.D., Goss-Custard, J.D., Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., Stillman, R.A., 2005. Maintaining Estuary Quality for Shorebirds: Towards Simple Guidelines. Biological Conservation, 123, 211-224.
  • Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., Goss-Custard, J.D., Stillman, R.A., Triplet, P., Fagot, C., Aulert, C., 2004. Effects of building of a new heaven ("PORT 2000") in Le Havre (France) on waders: First draft of a predictive model. Alauda, 72 (2), 87-106.
  • Caldow, R.W.G., Beadman, H.A., McGrorty, S., Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., West, A.D., Kaiser, M.J., Mould, K., Wilson, A.K., 2004. A Behavior-Based Modeling Approach to Reducing Shorebird-Shellfish Conflicts. Ecological Applications, 14, 1411-1427.
  • Goss-Custard, J.D., Stillman, R.A., West, A.D., Caldow, R.W.G., Triplet, P., Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., McGrorty, S., 2003. When Enough is not Enough: Shorebirds and Shellfishing. Proceedings of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 271, 233-237.
  • Goss-Custard, J.D., Stillman, R.A., Caldow, R.W.G., West, A.D., Guillemain, M., 2003. Carrying Capacity in Overwintering Birds: When are Spatial Models Needed? Journal of Applied Ecology, 40, 176-187.
  • Stillman, R.A., West, A.D., Goss-Custard, J.D., Caldow, R.W.G., McGrorty, S., Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., Yates, M.G., Atkinson, P.W., Clark, N.A., Bell, M.C., Dare, P.J., Manders, M., 2003. An Individual Behaviour-Based Model can Predict Shorebird Mortality Using Routinely Collected Shellfishery Data. Journal of Applied Ecology, 40, 1090-1101.
  • West, A.D., Goss-Custard, J.D., McGrorty, S., Stillman, R.A., Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., Stewart, B., Walker, P., Palmer, D.W., Coates, P., 2003. The Burry Shellfishery and Oystercatchers: Using a Behaviour-Based Model to Advise on Shellfishery Management Policy. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 248, 279-292.
  • Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., 2002. Seasonal changes in the response of oystercatchers haematopus ostralegus to human disturbance. Journal of Avian Biology, 33 (4), 358-365.
  • Stillman, R.A., Bautista, L.M., Alonso, J.C., Alonso, J.A., 2002. Modelling state-dependent interference in common cranes. Journal of Animal Ecology, 71 (5), 874-882.
  • West, A.D., Goss-Custard, J.D., Stillman, R.A., Caldow, R.W.G., McGrorty, S., 2002. Predicting the impacts of disturbance on shorebird mortality using a behaviour-based model. Biological Conservation, 106 (3), 319-328.
  • Stillman, R.A., Poole, A., Goss-Custard, J.D., Caldow, R.W.G., Yates, M.G., Triplet, P., 2002. Predicting the Strength of Interference More Quickly Using Behaviour-Based Models. Journal of Animal Ecology, 71, 532-541.
  • Guillemain, M., Caldow, R.W.G., Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., 2002. Towards behaviour-based models of dabbling duck population dynamics. Zeitschrift Fur Jagdwissenschaft, 48 (SUPPL.), 1-6.
  • Goss-Custard, J.D., Stillman, R.A., West, A.D., Caldow, R.W.G., McGrorty, S., 2002. Carrying Capacity in Overwintering Migratory Birds. Biological Conservation, 105, 27-41.
  • Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., West, A.D., Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., McGrorty, S., Caldow, R.W.G., Norris, K.J., Johnstone, I.G., Ens, B.J., Van Der Meer, J., Triplet, P., 2001. Predicting Shorebird Mortality and Population Size Under Different Regimes of Shellfishery Management. Journal of Applied Ecology, 38, 857-868.
  • Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., Goss-Custard, J.D., Stillman, R.A., West, A.D., 2001. The Effect of Weather and Density-Dependence on Oystercatcher Haematopus Ostralegus Winter Mortality. Ibis, 143, 498-499.
  • Goss-Custard, J.D., West, A.D., Stillman, R.A., Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., Caldow, R.W.G., McGrorty, S., Nagarajan, R.V., 2001. Density-Dependent Starvation in a Vertebrate Without Significant Depletion. Journal of Animal Ecology, 70, 955-965.
  • Stillman, R.A., McGrorty, S., Goss-Custard, J.D., West, A.D., 2000. Predicting mussel population density and age structure: The relationship between model complexity and predictive power. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 208, 131-145.
  • Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., West, A.D., Dit Durell, S.E.A.L.V., Caldow, R.W.G., McGrorty, S., Clarke, R.T., 2000. Predicting mortality in novel environments: Tests and sensitivity of a behaviour-based model. Journal of Applied Ecology, 37 (4), 564-588.
  • Stillman, R.A., Caldow, R.W.G., Goss-Custard, J.D., Alexander, M.J., 2000. Individual variation in intake rate: The relative importance of foraging efficiency and dominance. Journal of Animal Ecology, 69 (3), 484-493.
  • Fojt, E., Triplet, P., Robert, J.C., Stillman, R.A., 2000. Comparison of the breeding habitats of little ringed plover charadrius dubius and kentish plover charadrius alexandrinus on a shingle bed. Bird Study, 47 (1), 8-12.
  • Yates, M.G., Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., 2000. Contrasting interference functions and foraging dispersion in two species of shorebird (Charadrii). Journal of Animal Ecology, 69 (2), 314-322.
  • Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., Alexander, M.J., 2000. Predator search pattern and the strength of interference through prey depression. Behavioral Ecology, 11 (6), 597-605.
  • Caldow, R.W.G., Goss-Custard, J.D., Stillman, R.A., Le Dit Durell, S.E.A.V., Swinfen, R., Bregnballe, T., 1999. Individual variation in the competitive ability of interference-prone foragers: The relative importance of foraging efficiency and susceptibility to interference. Journal of Animal Ecology, 68 (5), 869-878.
  • Triplet, P., Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., 1999. Prey abundance and the strength of interference in a foraging shorebird. Journal of Animal Ecology, 68 (2), 254-265.
  • Brown, A.F., Stillman, R.A., 1998. The return of the merlin to the south pennines. Bird Study, 45 (3), 293-301.
  • Stillman, R.A., Bignal, E.M., McCracken, D.I., Ovenden, G.N., 1998. Clutch and egg size in the Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax on Islay, Scotland. Bird Study, 45 (1), 122-126.
  • Stillman, R.A., Brown, A.F., 1998. Pattern in the distribution of Britain's upland breeding birds. Journal of Biogeography, 25 (1), 73-82.
  • Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., Caldow, R.W.G., 1997. Modelling interference from basic foraging behaviour. Journal of Animal Ecology, 66 (5), 692-703.
  • Bignal, E.M., McCracken, D.I., Stillman, R.A., Ovenden, G.N., 1996. Feeding behavior of nesting Choughs in the Scottish hebrides. Journal of Field Ornithology, 67 (1), 25-43.
  • Stillman, R.A., Goss-Custard, J.D., Clarke, R.T., Dit Durell, S.E.A.L.V., 1996. Shape of the interference function in a foraging vertebrate. Journal of Animal Ecology, 65 (6), 813-824.
  • Stillman, R.A., Deutsch, J.C., Clutton-Brock, T.H., Sutherland, W.J., 1996. Black hole models of ungulate lek size and distribution. Animal Behaviour, 52 (5), 891-902.
  • Pienkowski, M.W., Bignal, E.M., Galbraith, C.A., McCracken, D.I., Stillman, R.A., Boobyer, M.G., Curtis, D.J., 1996. A simplified classification of land-type zones to assist the integration of biodiversity objectives in land-use policies. Biological Conservation, 75 (1), 11-25.
  • Brown, A.F., Stillman, R.A., Gibbons, D.W., 1995. Use of breeding bird atlas data to identify important bird areas: A northern england case study. Bird Study, 42 (2), 132-143.
  • Stillman, R.A., Brown, A.F., 1995. Minimising effort in large-scale surveys of terrestrial birds: An example from the English uplands. Journal of Avian Biology, 26 (2), 124-134.
  • Brown, A.F., Crick, H.Q.P., Stillman, R.A., 1995. The distribution, numbers and breeding ecology of twite acanthis flavirostris in the south pennines of england. Bird Study, 42 (2), 107-121.
  • Stillman, R.A., Brown, A.F., 1994. Population sizes and habitat associations of upland breeding birds in the south Pennines, England. Biological Conservation, 69 (3), 307-314.
  • Stillman, R.A., Cutton-brock, T.H., Sutherland, W.J., 1993. Black holes, mate retention, and the evolution of ungulate leks. Behavioral Ecology, 4 (1), 1-6.
  • Brown, A.F., Stillman, R.A., 1993. Bird-habitat associations in the Eastern Highlands of Scotland. Journal of Applied Ecology, 30 (1), 31-42.
  • Stillman, R.A., Sutherland, W.J., 1990. The optimal search path in a patchy environment. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 145 (2), 177-182.
  • Sutherland, W.J., Stillman, R.A., 1988. The foraging tactics of plants. Oikos, 52 (3), 239-244.

Books

  • Thomas, N.S., Caldow, R.W.G., McGrorty, S., Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., West, A.D., Stillman, R.A., 2004. Bird Invertebrate Prey Availability in Poole Harbour. Wareham, England: Poole Harbour Study Group.

Chapters

  • Herbert, R.J.H., Stillman, R.A., Ross, K.E., Thornton, A., Hall, A.E., Clarke, L., Cantarello, E., Pickering, P., Herbert, R., 2022. Intertidal and Lagoon Macrofauna and Flora of Poole Harbour. In: Humphreys, J., Hall, A.E., eds. Harbour Ecology Environment and Development in Poole Harbour. Pelagic, 55-81.
  • Ross, K.E., Bowgen, K.M., Burton, N.H.K., Herbert, R.J.H., Stillman, R.A., 2022. Waterbirds of Poole Harbour: Figures and Trends. In: Humphreys, J., Hall, A.E., eds. Harbour Ecology. Environment and Development in Poole Harbour. Pelagic.
  • Thornton, A., Herbert, R.J.H., Stillman, R., Franklin, D., 2019. Macroalgal mats in a eutrophic estuarine marine protected area: implications for benthic invertebrates and wading birds. Marine Protected Areas: Science, Policy , Management. Elsevier, 703-727.
  • Thornton, A., Herbert, R.J.H., Stillman, R.A., Franklin, D.J., 2019. Macroalgal mats in a eutrophic estuarine marine protected area. Marine Protected Areas Science Policy and Management. 703-727.
  • Goss-Custard, J.D., Stillman, R.A., 2019. How new science should affect the application of protection measures for UK estuarine shorebirds. Marine Protected Areas Science Policy and Management. 525-542.
  • Wood, K.A., Stillman, R.A., Daunt, F., O'Hare, M.T., 2012. An Individual-based model of swan-macrophyte conflicts in a chalk river. In: Boon, P., Raven, P., eds. River Conservation and Management. Oxford, England: Wiley-Blackwell, 339-344.
  • Caldow, R.W.G., McGrorty, S., West, A.D., Durell, S.E.A.L.V.D., Stillman, R.A., Anderson, S., 2005. Macro-Invertebrate Fauna in the Intertidal Mudflats. In: Humphreys, J., May, V.J., eds. The Ecology of Poole Harbour. Elsevier Science, 91-108.

Conferences

  • Clarke, L., Herbert, R., Stillman, R., 2017. Benthic impacts of a novel, non-native shellfishery in a marine protected area. In: Marine Protected Areas. Science, Policy & Management 15/05/2017 Poole Dorset.
  • Thornton, A., Herbert, R.J.H., Stillman, R.A.S., Franklin, D., 2015. Does nutrient pollution transform upper trophic levels of estuarine food webs? In: ECSA 55: 55th Conference of Estuarine Coastal Sciences Association 06/09/2015 ExCel Exhibition Centre Royal Victoria Dock London.
  • Diaz, A., Uzal Fernandez, A., Stillman, R.A., Walls, S.S., 2009. Landscape scale habitat use by sika deer. In: British Ecological Society –Deer Initiative workshop: The ecology and management of deer in wooded landscapes. 20/05/2009 Bournemouth University (Studland Village Hall), UK.
  • Hill, R.A., O'Hare, M.T., Stillman, R.A., Gozlan, R.E., 2009. Hyperspectral remote sensing of river macrophyte vegetation: towards an assessment of wildfowl and fish habitat quality. In: RSPSoc Annual Conference: New Dimensions in Earth Observation 08/09/2009 Leicester. Leicester: RSPSoc.
  • Uzal Fernandez, A., Diaz, A., Walls, S.S., Stillman, R.A., 2009. How does landscape structure affect Sika deer (Cervus nippon) distribution in lowland heath mosaics? In: Mammal Society Easter Conference 18/04/2009 University of Winchester.
  • Uzal Fernandez, A., Diaz, A., Stillman, R.A., Walls, S.S., 2007. Predicting Sika deer impacts on animal and plant communities; a comparison of ecological models. In: 1st International Conference on Genus Cervus 14/09/2007 Fiera di Primiero, Trentino, Italy.

Reports

Posters

  • Clarke, L., Esteves, L., Stillman, R., Herbert, R., 2017. Benthic impacts of a novel, non-native shellfishery in a marine protected area: pump-scoop dredging for Manila clam R. philippinarum in Poole Harbour, UK. In: ICES Annual Science Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.
  • Thornton, A., Herbert, R., Stillman, R.A., Franklin, D., 2017. The impact of green macroalgal mats on overwintering wading birds: a top predator within an estuarine SPA ecosystem. In: Marine Protected Areas. Science, Policy & Management, Poole 15-17 May 2017.

PhD Students

  • Brittany Maxsted. Proximate causes and spatiotemporal consequences of natal dispersal in an expanding Osprey Pandion haliaetus population, (In progress)
  • Alexandria Young, 2013. An Investigation of patterns of mammalian scavenging in relation to vertebrate skeletal remains in a Northwestern European context: forensic applications
  • Ailidh Barnes. Modelling how to mitigate bird population declines in the UK through landscape-scale environmental management

Profile of Teaching UG

  • L5 - Behavioural Ecology

Grants

  • Building a user-friendly model to assist wildlife policy and management (Natural Environment Research Council, 01 Jan 2008). Awarded
  • Modelling the impact of habitat loss on Pied Oystercatcher populations in Lauderdale, Tasmania (British Trust for Ornithology). Awarded
  • Predicting the impact of proposed tidal power schemes on shorebirds in the Severn estuary (British Trust for Ornithology). Awarded
  • Predicting the impact of shellfish stocks on the survival of shorebirds in Morecambe Bay (Natural England). Awarded
  • Coastal bird enterprise (HEIF). Awarded
  • Predicting the impact of human disturbance on shorebirds in the Solent, UK (Solent Forum). Awarded
  • Assessing the impact of human disturbance on shorebirds in the Solent, UK (Solent Forum). Awarded
  • Predicting the impact of warm water outflow from proposed nuclear power station on birds and their prey in Bridgwater Bay (Centre for Environmental, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science). Awarded
  • Predicting the effect of environmental change on black brant geese in Humboldt Bay, California (Ducks Unlimited). Awarded
  • Predicting the impact of shellfish stocks on the survival of shorebirds in the Burry Inlet and Three Rivers, Wales (Countryside Council for Wales). Awarded

Qualifications

  • PhD in Ecology (University of East Anglia, 1990)
  • BSc in Ecology (University of East Anglia, 1986)

Memberships

  • British Ecological Society, Member,
The data on this page was last updated at 22:00 on February 14, 2026.