I have been enthralled by tropical nature from an early age. As an undergraduate, I studied natural sciences and took part in ornithological expeditions to the Peruvian Andes and the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. After graduating, I spent several months as a field assistant in India before starting my studies as a PhD student in Madagascar. These experiences completely rearranged my perception of life not least because they took place among some of the world's poorest people. I also learnt that tropical habitats were not only beautiful and diverse, but easily destroyed. After several months based in Peru during my first post-doc, I decided to make the South American avifauna the focus of my work. I am now developing a research group focusing on the evolutionary ecology, diversity and conservation of Neotropical birds.
Just so you know: at the risk of causing havoc, I use both my maiden name, Seddon, and my married name, Tobias, keeping the former for my research, and the latter for (almost) everything else.
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