Will Smith
Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow,
Contact
Biography
BA Biological Sciences, University of Oxford (2016-2019)
DPhil Zoology, University of Oxford (2019-2023)
Postdoctoral researcher, University of Helsinki (2023-2025)
Leverhulme Early Career Fellow, University of Nottingham (2025-present)
Expertise Summary
Evolutionary genomics.
Hybridisation.
Feralisation and domestication.
Field ornithology.
Research Summary
Feral organisms are wild-living populations descending from escaped domestic strains. They play an important role at the wild-domestic interface, and have disproportionate social, economic, and… read more
Uist is part of the Outer Hebrides, an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. It is home to what is currently the only contemporary Rock Dove population which has been genetically proven to have escaped extensive interbreeding with feral pigeons (see: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.01.065). The Rock Dove is the wild, ancestral-type form of the domestic pigeon, and its globally distributed feral pigeon descendants. Uist's Rock Dove population is therefore of conservation significance, and represents a valuable scientific resource to learn more about this species.
Together with Dr Michał Jezierski (University of Birmingham), I have been running an in-depth study of these birds since 2019. We manage a mark-recapture project across ~30 colonies in caves, barns, and ruins. The domestic pigeon is a major model organism and has been studied for decades to provide insights into animal behaviour, evolution, and urban adaptation. In comparison, Rock Doves have historically attracted little interest, despite the potential for exciting comparative research. Studying these populations can help us to better understand avian behaviour, wild-feral hybridisation, and domestication. We are very interested in academic collaborations which could help us to learn more about these animals.
Current Research
Feral organisms are wild-living populations descending from escaped domestic strains. They play an important role at the wild-domestic interface, and have disproportionate social, economic, and ecological importance. I am interested in their evolution, and in understanding how they have become so successful in a human-dominated world (where many related species are at risk of extinction). I mostly work with feral pigeons (Columba livia) in the UK, comparing them to their cliff-dwelling wild Rock Dove cousins. My research combines evolutionary genomics and natural history.
I am also interested in Britain's non-native avifauna (e.g. Golden Pheasants), evolution on islands (e.g endemic Wren subspecies in Scotland), and in avian behaviour (e.g. Cuckoo brood parasitism, pigeon movement ecology).
For access to my publications, please see:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/William-Smith-134
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=UW64SScAAAAJ&hl