Urban environments are ever expanding and differ markedly from natural and rural ecosystems. We study how exposure to toxins, the prevalence of zoonotic pathogens, and the interaction between these stressors differs between these contrasting environments in birds.

The increasing impact caused by migratory and sedentary goose populations to economic activities and natural ecosystems in Europe has been a reason of concern for many governments.

Migratory birds show a suite of innate dispositions that enable them to travel between breeding, staging and wintering grounds. However, we still lack a good understanding of the cues that migratory birds use to orient and navigate.

Our water-dominated landscape, combined with a dense human- and livestock population make the Netherlands particularly vulnerable to outbreaks of zoonotic viral diseases that are transmitted by mosquitoes among avian and mammalian host species.