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Dr Wesley Webb PhD, BSc (Hons), BMus / BSc Conjoint
Research Officer
School of Natural SciencesI'm a behavioural ecologist with expertise in ornithology. My PhD was on the evolution of female birdsong and the comparison of vocal cultures between sexes—including a large field study on New Zealand bellbirds. I helped to create analysis tools (koe.io.ac.nz) for large-scale analysis of animal sounds. I hold a Marsden Fast-Start grant (Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi), Understanding the evolution of complex female song in songbirds. In my lecturing and science outreach I strive to inspire and equip students to become ambassadors for science and stewards of the planet.
Professional
Contact details
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Location: 56.03, 56
Campus: Oteha Rohe
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy - Massey University (2020)
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) - University of Auckland (2014)
- Bachelor of Music / Bachelor of Science Conjoint - University of Auckland (2013)
Prizes and Awards
- Marsden Fast-Start - Royal Society of New Zealand (2021)
Research Expertise
Research Interests
Avian Biology
Bioacoustics
Behavioural Ecology
Evolution
Research Opportunities
- Help us develop Koe bioacoustics software (01/09/2021) Koe (koe.io.ac.nz) is open-source web-based bioacoustics software, coded in Python and JS. Help us develop this awesome tool for analysing animal sounds! Contact w.webb@massey.ac.nz
Area of Expertise
Field of research codes
Animal Behaviour (060801):
Behavioural Ecology (060201):
Biological Sciences (060000):
Ecology (060200):
Evolutionary Biology (060300):
Phylogeny and Comparative Analysis (060309):
Zoology (060800)
Keywords
Ornithology, Birdsong, Animal Vocalisations, Bioacoustics, Behavioural Ecology, Evolution
Research Projects
Summary of Research Projects
Position | Current | Completed |
---|---|---|
Project Leader | 1 | 0 |
Current Projects
Project Title: Understanding the evolution of complex female song in songbirds
Date Range: 2021 - 2024
Funding Body: Royal Society of New Zealand
Project Team:
- Dr Wesley Webb - Project Leader
Research Outputs
Journal
[Journal article]Authored by: Pawley, M., Roper, M., Webb, W.
[Journal article]Authored by: Brunton, D., Pawley, M., Roper, M., Webb, W.
[Journal article]Authored by: Aguirre-Davies, J., Dale, J., Thomas, D., Webb, W.
[Journal article]Authored by: Webb, W.
Thesis
[Doctoral Thesis]Authored by: Webb, W.Edited by: Brunton, D., Pawley, M.

Teaching and Supervision
Teaching Statement
2021 Supervisor of Masters student for Computer Science Professional Project (159.888), semester two.
2021 Tutor for second-year Science and Sustainability paper (247.113), semester two.
2016 – 2021 Lecturer / Tutor for third-year Ornithology paper (199.330); developed and ran sound analysis labs using Massey-created software Koe and other bioacoustics software.
2020 Course coordinator / lecturer for third-year Experimental Zoology paper (199.320), semester two.
2020 Course coordinator / lecturer for postgraduate Animal Behaviour paper (199.714), semester one. Designed and taught this new course.
2019 Lecturer for third-year Behavioural Ecology paper (199.312); two lectures on sexual selection.
2019 – 2021 Invited speaker on caring for the planet. Several community groups, including A Rocha, Auckland, New Zealand.
2019, ‘18, ’17, ‘15 Nature guide / Tutor for Bio-Olympiad high school biology competition. Island ecology, bird count techniques, bird behaviour, statistics. Tawharanui Regional Park and Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand.
2018 and 2016 Reviewer for papers submitted to Journal of Ornithology and Emu – Austral Ornithology.
2016, ’17, ’18, ‘19 Tutor for second-year Ecology and Conservation paper (196.205); course has 8 labs and 2 fieldtrips. Massey University, Auckland, NZ.
Media and Links
Other Links
- Avian Acoustics Research - Website of the Avian Acoustics Research group at Massey University
- Koe Bioacoustics Software - Free web-based software for classifying and analysing animal vocalisations
- Google Scholar Profile
- Twitter Profile