Dr Finella Dawlings
Research Associate, University of Newcastle
See Dr Dawlings full research profile here.
E: finella.dawlings@newcastle.edu.au
Research outputs linked to policy change and decision-making
- Dr Finella Dawlings is a research associate with the Conservation Science Research Group (University of Newcastle) and is interested in applied ecology and conservation research.
- She is currently conducting research into the management of invasive rodents on Norfolk Island, particularly in relation to their effects on the island’s fauna and flora species, many of which are threatened. This project will identify the significance of the reinvasion of rodents, determine whether control activities that are pulsed or continual yield better outcomes, investigate the roles of cats as predators of rodents and native wildlife, and assess how these issues translate to the biodiversity on the island more broadly.
- Dr Finella Dawlings conducted her PhD in the Research Ecology and Conservation lab (Monash University) in 2020-24, during which she investigated the use of remote sensors to improve monitoring and conservation management of Australian biodiversity. She compared vehicle-mounted thermal scanners with traditional spotlights as tools for detecting and monitoring small grassland birds and mammals in the Northern Plains of Victoria, including the Endangered Plains-wanderer (Dawlings et al. 2023 Ecology and Evolution; Dawlings et al. 2024 Austral Ecology; Nugent et al. 2022 Austral Ecology). She also explored the RPASs as a tool for monitoring canopy-dwelling species (Sorell et al. 2023 Drones), as well as build an understanding of the nesting distribution and population trend of the Christmas Island Frigatebird. Her research reshaped monitoring protocols for small endotherms in open habitats, and canopy-dwelling species, and she was able to contribute to the design of new monitoring programs for Plains-wanderers (Nugent et al. 2020 Report to DELWP) and Christmas Island Frigatebirds (Clarke et al. 2021 Report to CINP).
- Previously, she completed her honours project with the REC lab (Monash University) in 2017-18, on the breeding ecology and nesting threats of Norfolk Island Robins. She used camera traps to determine the nest success rates and threats to nesting success of the NI Robin, and used thermal cameras to determine invasive rodent densities on the island. She found that invasive rodents presented a serious threat to the nesting success of the Robin, and therefore threatened the survival of the species (Nance et al. 2023 Austral Ornithology). She also undertook an undergraduate research project in the REC lab in 2016. She performed a dynamic factor analysis on a 38-year dataset of 41 seabirds to describe the trajectory of seabird populations in the Bonney Upwelling, many of which displayed ongoing declines.
- Dr Finella Dawlings has also worked with Australian Wildlife Conservancy and consultancies as an ecologist conducting surveys and monitoring of threatened Australian flora and fauna.
Current academic employment and positions
- 2024 – current: Post-doc research associate, University of Newcastle
Highest qualification
- 2024: PhD, Monash University
Research quality
- Peer-reviewed journal articles: 5
- Citations: 24
- h-index: 3
- i10-index: 1
My Projects
Current project
Completed project
NESP RLH, 2021-2027NESP, 2015-2021NERP, 2012-2015TRaCK, 2005-present
