Mgr. Michal Šulc Ph.D.

Position full-time researcher
Direction behavioural ecology of birds

+420 543 422 519

Research interests

  • sensory ecology,
  • evolutionary and behavioural ecology of birds,
  • brood parasitism,
  • mimicry of parasitic eggs.

I am interested in the behavioural and evolutionary ecology of birds. I am particularly fascinated by inter- (cuckoos) and intra-specific (swallows) brood parasite-host interactions. We video-record parasitism in situ at host nests and follow individuals by using RFID tags and readers. For studying the impact of visual signals (e.g. mimetic eggs of brood parasites) to host behaviour (e.g. egg recognition), we use up-to-date methods that simulate avian visual perception of colours and patterns. These include e.g. spectrometry, UV photography and modelling of avian vision.

Finished projects

Conspecific brood parasitism in an altricial passerine: physiological conditions, behavioural adaptations and fitness consequences (2020–2022)

Vzdělání

  • 2007 – 2010: bachelor’s degree – Charles University, Prague, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology. Thesis: The role of ultraviolet light in communication of birds. Supervisor: Mgr. Ondřej Sedláček, Ph.D.
  • 2010 – 2012: master’s degree – Charles University, Prague, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology. Thesis: The role of UV reflection in parasitic egg rejection in the reed warbler. Supervisor: RNDr. Petr Procházka, Ph.D.
  • 2012 – 2016: Ph.D. study – Charles University, Prague, Faculty of Science, Department of Ecology. Thesis: Visual cues in the coevolution of brood parasite and its hosts. Supervisor: doc. Ing. Marcel Honza, Dr.
  • 2018 – 2019 – research internship (Programme for Research and Mobility Support of Starting Researchers, Czech Academy of Sciences) – University of Exeter, United Kingdom.

Current students

  • Petra Kopková: Indicators of the quality of bird individuals.
  • Jan Studecký: Timing of brood parasitism in the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus).
  • Regular supervision of students in the Open Science project of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

Popularization activities

  • Bird catching and ringing for the public

Publications

2023

Míčková K, Tomášek O, Jelínek V, Šulc M, Pazdera L, Albrechtová J, Albrecht T (2023). Age-related changes in sperm traits and evidence for aging costs of sperm production in a sexually promiscuous passerine. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 11: 1105596.
Štětková G, Šulc M, Jelínek V, Hughes A, Honza M (2023). Egg mimicry, not the sight of a common cuckoo, is the cue for parasitic egg rejection. Behavioral Ecology, 34: 891-897.

2022

Honza M, Koleček J, Piálek L, Piálková R, Požgayová M, Procházka P, Štětková G, Jelínek V, Hughes AE, Šulc M (2022). Multiple parasitism in an evictor brood parasite: patterns revealed by long-term monitoring, continuous video recording, and genetic analyses. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 76: 161.
Šulc M, Hughes AE, Troscianko J, Štětková G, Procházka P, Požgayová M, Piálek L, Piálková R, Brlík V, Honza M (2022). Automatic identification of bird females using egg phenotype. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 195: 33-44.
Šulc M, Hughes AE, Mari L, Troscianko J, Tomášek O, Albrecht T, Jelínek V (2022). Nest sanitation as an effective defence against brood parasitism. Animal Cognition, 25: 991-1002.

2021

Jelínek V, Šulc M, Štětková G, Honza M (2021). Fast and furious: host aggression modulates behaviour of brood parasites. Ibis, 163: 824-833.
Koleček J, Piálková R, Piálek L, Šulc M, Hughes AE, Brlík V, Procházka P, Požgayová M, Čapek M, Sosnovcová K, Štětková G, Valterová R, Honza M (2021). Spatiotemporal patterns of egg laying in the common cuckoo. Animal Behaviour, 177: 107-116.

2020

Honza M, Čapek M, Jelínek V, Šulc M (2020). Falling out of the host nest: an overlooked factor decreasing survival of brood parasite chicks. Journal of Avian Biology, 51: e02519.
Šulc M, Štětková G, Jelínek V, Czyz B, Dyrcz A, Karpińska O, Kamionka-Kanclerska K, Rowiński P, Maziarz M, Gruszczyński A, Hughes AE, Honza M (2020). Killing behaviour of adult brood parasites. Behaviour, 157: 1099-1111.
Šulc M, Štětková G, Procházka P, Požgayová M, Sosnovcová K, Studecký J, Honza M (2020). Caught on camera: circumstantial evidence for fatal mobbing of an avian brood parasite by a host. Journal of Vertebrate Biology, 69:1205 20027.
Valterová R, Procházka P, Požgayová M, Piálková R, Piálek L, Šulc M, Honza M (2020). Son or daughter, it does not matter: brood parasites do not adjust offspring sex based on their own or host quality. Journal of Ornithology, 161: 977-986.

2019

Jelínek V, Šulc M, Weidinger K, Honza M (2019). Parent-absent begging and the risk of nest predation. Journal of Ornithology, 160: 127-136.
Koleček J, Šulc M, Piálková R, Troscianko J, Požgayová M, Honza M, Procházka P (2019). Rufous Common Cuckoo chicks are not always female. Journal of Ornithology, 160: 155-163.
Samaš P, Grim T, Jelínek V, Abraham MM, Šulc M, Honza M (2019). No immediate or future extra costs of raising a virulent brood parasite chick. Behavioral Ecology, 30: 1020-1029.
Šulc M, Troscianko J, Štětková G, Hughes AE, Jelínek V, Čapek M, Honza M (2019). Mimicry cannot explain rejection type in a host–brood parasite system. Animal Behaviour, 155: 111-118.

2018

Sosnovcová K, Koleček J, Požgayová M, Jelínek V, Šulc M, Steidlová P, Honza M, Procházka P (2018). Timing of natal nests is an important factor affecting return rates of juvenile Great Reed Warblers. Journal of Ornithology, 159: 183-190.

2016

Hanley D, Šulc M, Brennan PLR, Hauber ME, Grim T, Honza M (2016). Dynamic egg color mimicry. Ecology and Evolution, 6: 4192-4202.
Šulc M, Procházka P, Čapek M, Honza M (2016). Birds use eggshell UV reflectance when recognizing non-mimetic parasitic eggs. Behavioral Ecology, 27: 677-684.
Šulc M, Procházka P, Čapek M, Honza M (2016). Common cuckoo females are not choosy when removing an egg during parasitism. Behavioral Ecology, 27: 1642-1649.

2014

Honza M, Šulc M, Jelínek V, Požgayová M, Procházka P (2014). Brood parasites lay eggs matching the appearance of host clutches. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 281: 20132665.
Honza M, Šulc M, Cherry MI (2014). Does nest luminosity play a role in recognition of parasitic eggs in domed nests? A case study of the red bishop. Science of Nature, eNaturwissenschaften.