Urvi Gupta

I grew up India, fascinated by the wildlife and concerned by the conservation challenges brought by urbanization and climate change. I pursued my BSc in Zoology from Delhi University, while studying the urban ecology of black kites in Delhi with the Wildlife Institute of India. I focused on their population, behavior, and movement ecology in a densely populated city for 8 years.

To further understand interdisciplinary nature and global perspectives of conservation challenges, I studied for a MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management at Oxford University. My thesis focused on the socio-ecological relationships between people and avian scavengers, and the role of culture and stories in conservation. I have also conducted a pilot study to understand the dynamics of food provisioning for urban monkeys, and its implications on health. These studies on urban ecology and societies helped me develop a holistic understanding about people’s relationships with wildlife and its ecological impacts.

Apart from studying birds, I have volunteered for the All-India Tiger Estimation Programme—the world’s largest wildlife census effort using camera traps to monitor tigers, co-predators, prey, and habitat.

For my PhD at the University of Georgia, I plan to study the impact of climate change on trailing edge populations of migratory birds, and the prey-predator dynamics during the breeding season.