Professor Joseph Waas

Qualifications: BSc (Hons) Trent PhD Cant

Contact Details

• Calling +64 7 838 4466  then enter the extension
• Extensions starting with 4 or 5 can also be direct dialed:
  • For extensions starting with 4: dial +64 7 838 extension
  • For extensions starting with 5: dial +64 7 858 extension
• Emailing username@waikato.ac.nz
• Using the campus map to locate their room

Research Interests

Research activities related to the behaviour and ecology of birds, fish and mammals including studies of:

animal communication;

the biology of aggression;

animal welfare;

social factors influencing reproductive physiology;

conservation biology;

social recognition systems; and

the ontogeny of social behaviour.

Students Supervised

PhD

• Bradley, David (in process). The function of song dialects in the North island Kokako.
• Valderrama, Sandra (in process). Spatio-temporal variation and the perception of song dialect in the North Island Kokako.
• Verbeek, Else (2011). Animal welfare objective measures research programme.
• Morgan, D (2006). Mechanisms for magpie aggression towards other birds in New Zealand.
• Day, T D (2004). The effects of colour and odour on bait acceptance by birds and mammalian pests in New Zealand.
• Miyazaki, M (2003). Acoustic communication and mate choice in little blue penguins.
• Ingram, J (2000). The activity and functioning of the hypothalamic pituitary Axis of the red deer stag (Cervus elaphus).
• Bramley, Gary (1999). Habitat Use and Responses to Odours by Rodents in New Zealand.

MSc

• Le Roux, Daniel (2010). Long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) activity patterns, microhabitat use and behaviourial response to environmental variables in Hamilton City, New Zealand.
• Hawke, Michelle (2010). Effects of early handling on play behaviour in dairy calves
• Guadarrama Maillot, Veronica (2009). The effect of a Pavlovian conditioning paradigm on stress and development of play-related behavious in early and normally weaned rats.
• Ninnes, Calum (2008). Behavioural endocrinology of breeding Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae).
• Tulloch, Bridget (2007). The effect of family versus familiarity on observational learning in rats.
• Wallace, Jess (2006). Comparison of vertical flight activity of short-tailed bats within podocarp and beech forests, New Zealand.
• Jellyman, Nathalia (2004). Acoustic conspecifics: Environmental enrichment for three captive species of NZ endemic birds and its impact on zoo visitors.
• Bright, A (2001). Bill colour and female mate choice in blackbirds.
• Landman, M (2001). The interaction between physical and emotional stress in rainbow trout.
• Roberts, N (2000). Social facilitation and the social stimulation of reproduction in goats.
• Stewart, M (2000). Behavioural and physiological responses of horses to air transport.

Expertise

Behaviour and ecology of birds, fish and mammals including animal communication; biology of aggression; social factors influencing reproductive physiology; conservation biology; social recognition systems and the ontogeny of social behaviour.

Recent Publications

• Schutz, K., Hawke, M., Waas, J., McLeay, L., Bokkers, E., van Reenen, C., Webster, J., Stewart, M. (2012) Effects of human handling during early rearing on the behaviour of dairy calves
  Refereed Journal Articles - Animal Welfare
• Mouterde, S., Duganzich, D., Molles, L., Helps, S., Helps, F., Waas, J. (2012) Triumph displays inform eavesdropping little blue penguins of new dominance asymmetries
  Refereed Journal Articles - Animal Behaviour
• Bradley, D., Molles, L., Valderrama, S., King, S., Waas, J. (2012) Factors affecting post-release dispersal, mortality, and territory settlement of endangered kokako translocated from two distinct song neighborhoods
  Refereed Journal Articles - Biological Conservation
• Bradley, D., Molles, L., Waas, J. (2011) Behavioural responses of endangered North Island Kokako to alien, local and mixed-dialect duets - implications for translocation success
  Conference - Oral Presentation - Department of Biological Sciences 3rd Annual PhD Conference

View All research publications by Joseph Waas

Science & Engineering - Creating the Future!