Naman Goyal
Ph.D STUDENT
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RESEARCH INTERESTS My interests lie in two very broad fields that operate at different scales but are interactive in their nature – Ecology and Biogeography. I have had various opportunities to work on different species across varied landscapes that have helped me in shaping my interests. Having worked on Black Kites in an urban landscape as an undergrad on one hand, and diverse avian community in Andes as a volunteer on the other; I got to explore how species’ interactions with their biotic and abiotic environment determine their distribution and abundance. Further, I had a chance to study the distribution of birds on Nicobar islands for my masters, where I observed how size and isolation of an island influences the diversity of species that occur on it. Currently, I am interested in studying the processes of speciation and extinction and how species’ ecology interacts with these evolutionary processes to generate the patterns in biodiversity that we observe across large landmasses. I am examining the origin of diversity and distribution of birds across peninsular India for my PhD. The Indian peninsula provides a perfect opportunity to understand how past geo-climatic events and species’ ecology have possibly interacted to result in the patterns that we currently observe. I believe that insights into these patterns can inform us about broader patterns of speciation and extinction that have occured on the peninsula. Projects Involved: Peninsular Birds PERSONAL AND OTHER INTERESTS
My research interests stem from a personal interest, which is to be outdoors to explore nature. I have a broad interest in natural history and like observing varied taxa, I particularly love observing and documenting fish diversity (and occasionally eat them) whenever I get a chance. Other than that, I enjoy playing basketball and guitar in my free time. |
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PUBLICATIONS
- Goyal, N., Singh, P., Sivakumar, K., & Nair, M.V. 2019. Patterns in spatial segregation between the endemic Nicobar Bulbul and the introduced Red-whiskered Bulbul on two islands of Central Nicobars. Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 131(3): 650-658. https://doi.org/10.1676/18-145.
- Goyal, N. & Sood, S. 2018. Observations on the nesting of Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus in the urban landscape of Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. BirdingASIA 29: 42-43.
- Goyal, N. & Saxena, A.2018. Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris hunts an adult Common Myna Acridotheres tristis. IndianBIRDS 14(4):119.
- Bhandari, A. & Goyal, N. 2018. Changeable Hawk Eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus scavenging. IndianBIRDS 14(5): 159.
