Laboratory of Ornithology

Staff Gallery  •  Laboratory Website

Ornithology Lab was established in 2020 by splitting the corresponding department from the Laboratory of Ornithology and Herpetology. The head of the Lab is Prof. Dr. Nikita Chernetsov. In 1994-2019, he has worked at the Biological Station Rybachy of the Zoological Institute, in 2015-2019, as the station’s director. Nikita Chernetsov studies bird migration with focus on the mechanisms of their long-distance orientation and navigation.

Ornithology Lab includes specialists who study ecology of avian populations and demography (Dr. V.A. Payevsky), avian population biology (Dr. V.G. Vysotsky), fauna and ecology of birds in St. Petersburg and Leningrad oblast (Dr. V.M. Khrabryi), taxonomy, morphology, phylogeny, and fauna of fossil birds (A.V. Panteleev). Further development of research at the lab will be mainly focused on the studies into avian phylogeny and taxonomy using state-of-the art methodological approaches.

Laboratory Structure

7 employees (5 researchers, 2 collection keepers).

Nikita Chernetsov (Head of Laboratory, Doctor of Biological Sciences)

Vladimir A. Payevsky (Principal Researcher, Doctor of Biological Sciences)

Vladimir M. Khrabryi (Senior Researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Andrey V. Panteleev (Junior Researcher)

Ivan J. Starikov (Senior Researcher, Doctor rerum naturalium)

Alexander G. Veselkin (Senior Collection Keeper, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Vadim G. Vysotsky (Senior Collection Keeper, Candidate of Biological Sciences)

Topic of State Assignment

“Phylogeny, morphology, ecology and systematics of terrestrial vertebrates”
PI: Doctor of Biological Sciences N.B. Ananjeva
No. 122031100282-2

Laboratory collections

The history of ornithological collections is traced since the foundation of the Kunstkammer (Chamber of Curiosities) by Peter the Great. At present, the volume of the ornithological collection constitutes more than 200000 samples.

Main publications of the Laboratory staff

Bojarinova J., Kavokin K., Cherbunin R., Sannikov D., Fedorishcheva A., Pakhomov A., Chernetsov N.. 2023. Sensitivity threshold of avian magnetic compass to oscillating magnetic field is species specific. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 77: 6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-022-03282-7

Payevsky V.A. 2022. Sylvia warblers of the world avifauna. Moscow KMK Scientific Press Ltd. 161 p. [Russian].

Payevsky V.A. 2021. Body condition of long-distance migrant birds from the Eastern Baltic before and after a population decline. Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS 325 (3): 339–347. https://doi.org/10.31610/trudyzin/2021.325.3.339

Brlík V., Pipek P., Brandis K., Chernetsov N., Costa F.J.V., L.G. Herrera M., Kiat Y., Lanctot R.B., Marra P.P., Norris D.R., Nwaogu C.J., Quillfeldt P., Saalfeld S.T., Stricker C.A., Thomson R.L., Zhao T., Procházka P. 2022. The reuse of avian samples: opportunities, pitfalls, and a solution. Ibis 164 (1): 343–349. https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12997

Andreyenkova N.G., Karyakin I.V., Starikov I.J., Sauer-Gürth H., Literák I., Andreyenkov O.V., Shnayder E.P., Bekmansurov R.H., Alexeyenko M.N., Wink M., Zhimulev I.F. 2021. Phylogeography and demographic history of the black kite Milvus migrans, a widespread raptor in Eurasia, Australia and Africa. Journal of Avian Biology 52 (10): e02822. https://doi.org/10.1111/jav.02822

Payevsky V.A. 2020. The Mysteries of Bird Migration. Publ. House "Phyton XXI". 144 pp.

Payevsky V.A. 2020. The Phenomenon of the Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs L.) as the Absolute Dominant in European Forest Bird Communities // Russian Journal of Ecology 51 (1): 82–89. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1067413620010087

Payevsky V.A. 2020. Differential migration of birds: Diversity and Inconsistency. Biology Bulletin 47 (7): 18–28.

Payevsky V.A. 2020. Sex ratio and sex-specific survival rates in avian populations: a review. Zhurnal obshchei biologii 81 (4): 272–284. [Russian] https://doi.org/10.31857/S0044459620040077

Loskot V.M., Bakhtadze G.B. 2020. Distribution, systematics and nomenclature of the three taxa of Common Stonechats (Aves, Passeriformes, Muscicapidae, Saxicola) that breed in the Caucasian region. Zoosystematica Rossica 29 (1): 33–57. https://doi.org/10.31610/zsr/2020.29.1.33

Pakhomov A., Chernetsov N. 2020. A hierarchy of compass systems in migratory birds. Biological Communications 65(3): 262–276. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu03.2020.306

Bojarinova J., Kavokin K., Pakhomov A., Cherbunin R., Anashina A., Erokhina M., Ershova M., Chernetsov N. 2020. Magnetic compass of garden warblers is not affected by oscillating magnetic fields applied to their eyes. Scientific Reports 10: 3473. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60383-x

Rotov A.Yu., Cherbunin R.V., Anashina A., Kavokin K.V., Chernetsov N., Firsov M.L. 2020. Searching for magnetic compass mechanism in pigeon retinal photoreceptors. PLOS ONE 15 (3): e0229142. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229142

Chernetsov N., Pakhomov A., Davydov A., Cellarius F., Mouritsen H. 2020. No evidence for the use of magnetic declination for migratory navigation in two songbird species. PLOS ONE 15 (4): e0232136. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232136

Payevsky V.A. 2018. Etymology of the names of Palearctic birds. Moscow-St. Petersburg: KMK Scientific Press Ltd. 289 p. [Russian]

Khrabryi V.M. 2016. Game animals of the Leningrad Region. St. Petersburg: SBSU. 328 p. [Russian]

Khrabryi V.M. 2015. Game birds of the Leningrad Region. Field guide. St. Petersburg: Amphora. 222 p. [Russian]

Khrabryi V.M. 2015. Birds of St Petersburg. Illustrated reference book. St. Petersburg: Amphora. 463 p. [Russian]

Payevsky V.A. 2015. True finches of the world. Moscow: KMK Scientific Press Ltd. 304 p. [Russian]