Rate My Professor Rachael Shaw

Shaw's research specializations centre on the causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive performance among wild New Zealand birds, including toutouwai (North Island robins) and kākā (parrots). Her work explores memory retention, tool use, learning, spatial cognition, and decision-making, often using innovative field experiments at sites like Zealandia ecosanctuary. Notable publications include 'Memory performance influences male reproductive decisions' in Current Biology (2019), which demonstrated how associative memory affects mate choice in toutouwai; 'Long-term memory for a learned behaviour in a wild bird' in Biology Letters (2020), revealing toutouwai's ability to remember cached food locations for up to 11 months; and 'Animal tool use: Many tools make light work for wild parrots' in Current Biology (2021), documenting efficient multi-tool use by kākā. These contributions have advanced understanding of cognitive evolution and ecology in free-living animals, garnering international media attention and influencing conservation strategies for endemic species. Shaw also supervises PhD students, teaches courses in behaviour and conservation ecology, and collaborates on interdisciplinary projects funded by national grants.