Adrian R. Surmacki

Main Interests

• animal coloration
• spetrophotometry
• visual ecology
• camouflage
• ecology of birds

Projects

• Impact of natural light on cavity-nesting birds
• The role of eggshell coloration in sexual selection of Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio)
• Signaling function of birds’ coloration

For more information, visit my website. 

CV

Education and appointments:

• 2018 - present: associate professor
• 2012: Habilitation in Ecology, Adam Mickiewicz University
• 2003 – 2018: assistant professor, Adam Mickiewicz University
• 2002: lecturer, Adam Mickiewicz University
• 2002: PhD of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University
• 1997: BSc of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University

Scientific awards and honors:

• 2023: The 2^nd Degree Individual Award for scientific achievements (Rector of Adam Mickiewicz University)
• 2017: The 2^nd Degree Team Award for teaching achievements (Rector of Adam Mickiewicz University)
• 2012: The 3^rd Degree Individual Award for scientific achievements (Rector of Adam Mickiewicz University)
• 2010: Post-doc scholarship at Geoffrey Hill Lab (Auburn University, Auburn AL, USA; Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education)
• 2008: Conference Scholarship (Foundation for Polish Science)
• Post-dos scholarship at University of Wrocław (Poland; Foundation for Polish Science)
• 2008 – present: Editorial Board of Biological Letters journal

Publications

2020 -

• Surmacki A., Siefferman L., Plackowska A. 2023. Avian nuptial plumage coloration changes differently when exposed to urban and rural

  areas. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology (in press)

• Stępniewski J., Surmacki A. 2023. The first case of bilateral gynandromorphic plumage type in the bearded reedling Panurus biarmicus, The European Zoological Journal, 90: 643-647. 
• Kaczmarek Ł., Rutkowski T., Zacharyasiewicz Z., Surmacki A., Osiejuk T.S., Kayastha P. 2023. New species of Macrobiotidae (Eutardigrada) from Cameroon (Africa), characteristics of Macrobiotus morpho-groups and a dichotomous key to the nelsonae characteristics of Macrobiotus morpho-groups and a dichotomous key to the nelsonae group. Annales Zoologici, 73: 1-15.
• Budka M., Piasecka M., Białas J.T., Kokociński P., Podkowa P., Surmacki A., Szymański P., Sobczyńska U., Osiejuk T.S. 2023. Frequent duets, rare choruses, and extremely rare solos – year-round singing behavior in Chubb’s cisticola. Journal of Ornithology 164: 547–559.
• Podkowa P., Surmacki A. 2022. The effect of daylight exposure on the immune response and body condition of Great Tit nestlings. Journal of Ornithology 164: 203-216.
• Surmacki A., Zduniak P., Dylewski Ł., Nowakowska P., Myczko Ł. 2022. No evidence for potential sexual information from a monochromatic carotenoid trait in a dichromatic woodpecker species. Journal of Ornithology 163: 967-975.
• Surmacki A., Podkowa P. 2022. An extreme type of brood overlapping in wild-living birds. The European Zoological Journal 89: 527-534.
• Surmacki A., Podkowa P. 2022. The use of trail cameras to monitor species inhabiting artificial nest boxes. Ecology & Evolution 12: e8550.
• Wheeldon A., Szymański P., Surmacki A., Osiejuk T. S. 2021. Song type and song type matching are important for joint territorial defense in a duetting songbird. Behavioral Ecology 32: 883-894.
• Surmacki A., Minias P., Kudelska K. 2021. Occurrence and function of melanin‐based grey coloration in Western Palaearctic songbirds (Aves: Passeriformes). Ibis 163: 390-406.

2010 - 2019

• Podkowa P., Malinowska K., Surmacki A. 2019. Light affects parental provisioning behaviour in a cavity-nesting Passerine. Journal of Avian Biology 50: e02254
• Minias P., Surmacki A., Kudelska K., Podlaszczuk P., Kamiński M., Kaczmarek K., Włodarczyk R., Janiszewski T. 2018. Variation in melanin pigmentation of a sexually selected plumage trait and its adaptive value in the Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago. Ibis: 160: 101-111.
• Podkowa P., Surmacki A. 2017. The importance of illumination in nest site choice and nest characteristics of cavity nesting birds. Scientific Reports, 7: 1329.
• Indykiewicz P., Podlaszczuk P., Surmacki A., Kudelska K., Kosicki J., Kamiński M., Minias P. 2017. Scale-of-choice effect in the assortative mating by multiple ornamental and non-ornamental characters in the black-headed gull. Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology 71: 183.
• Kudelska, K., Podkowa, P., Karaśkiewicz, K., Surmacki, A. 2017. Importance of nest boxes for breeding birds in forest areas -The wielkopolski national park case study. Sylwan 161: 949-957. [In Polish with English summary]  
• Surmacki A., Ragan A., Kosiński Z., Tobółka M., Podkowa P. 2016. How to reduce the costs of ornaments without reducing their effectiveness? An example of a mechanism from carotenoid-based plumage. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 70: 695-700.
• Surmacki A., Stępniewski J., Stępniewska, M. 2015. Juvenile sexual dimorphism, dichromatism and condition-dependent signaling in a bird species with early pair bonds. Journal of Ornithology 156: 65-73.
• Minias P., Włodarczyk R., Surmacki A., Iciek T. 2015. Silver spoon effects on plumage quality in a passerine bird. Royal Society Open Science 2: 140459.
• Surmacki A., Hill G.E. 2014. Coccidial infection does not influence preening behavior in American goldfinches. Acta Ethologica 17: 107-111. 
• Zduniak P., Surmacki A., Erciyas-Yavuz K., Chudzińska M., Barałkiewicz D. 2014. Are there different requirements for trace elements in eumelanin- and pheomelanin-based color production? A case study of two passerine species. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part A : Molecular and Integrative Physiology 175: 96-101.
• Surmacki A., Ożarowska-Nowicka A., Rosin M. Z. 2013. Color polymorphism in land snail Cepaea nemoralis (Pulmonata: Helicidae) as viewed by potential avian predators. Naturwissenschaften 100: 533-540.
• Surmacki A., Liu M., Mercadante A., Hill G. E. 2011. Effect of feather abrasion on structural coloration in male eastern bluebirds Sialia sialis. Journal of Avian Biology 42: 514-521. 
• Surmacki A. 2011. Natural soiling has a small effect on structurally-based plumage coloration. Animal Biology 61: 441-455. 
• Surmacki A., Siefferman L., Hsiao-Wei Y. 2011. Effects of sunlight exposure on carotenoid and structural coloration of the Blue-tailed Bee-eater. Condor 113: 590-596. 
• Rosin Z. M., Olborska P., Surmacki A., Tryjanowski P. 2011. Differences in predatory pressure on terrestrial snails by birds and mammals. Journal of Biosciences 36: 691-699. 

2000 - 2009

• Surmacki A., Kosicki J.Z. (2009): Condition-dependent leg colour of nestling White Storks Ciconia ciconia. Ibis 151: 762 - 765.
• Surmacki A. 2008. Preen waxes do not protect carotenoid plumage from bleaching by sunlight. Ibis 150: 335-341. 
• Surmacki A., Nowakowski J.K. 2007. Soil and preen waxes influence the expression of carotenoid-based plumage coloration. Naturwissenschaften 94: 829-835. 
• Surmacki A., Stepniewski J. 2007. Do weather conditions affect the dynamics of bearded tit Panurus biarmicus populations throughout the year? A case study from western Poland. Annales Zoologici Fennici 44: 35-42. 
• Stępniewski J., Surmacki A. 2006. Untypical food of the Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus. Notatki Ornitologiczne 47: 207-208. [In Polish with English summary]  
• Surmacki A., Kuczyński L., Tryjanowski P., 2006. Eggshell patterning in Red backed shrike Lanius collurio: relation to egg size and potential function. Acta Ornithologica 41: 145-151.  
• Surmacki A. 2005. Habitat use by three Acrocephalus warblers in an intensively used farmland area: the influence of breeding patch and its surroundings. Journal of Ornithology 146: 160-166. 
• Surmacki A. 2005. What do data from birdwatchers notepads tell us? The case study of the Bearded Tit (Panurus biarmicus) occurrence in western Poland. The Ring 27: 79-85. 
• Surmacki A., Gołdyn B., Tryjanowski P. 2005. Location and habitat characteristics of the breeding nests of the harvest Mouse (Micromys minutus) in the red-beds of an intensively used farmland. Mammalia 69: 5-9. 
• Surmacki A. 2005. Do dense and fast growing crops provide foraging habitats for insectivorous birds? Polish Journal of Ecology 53: 129-133. 
• Tryjanowski P., Surmacki A., Bednorz J. 2005. Effect of prior nesting success on future nest occupation in raven Corvus corax. Ardea 92: 251-254.
• Surmacki A. 2004. Habitat use by Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus in an intensively used farmland in Western Poland. Ornis Fennica 81: 137-143. 
• Surmacki A. 2003. Use of playback in estimating numbers of Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus outside the breeding season. Ornis Hungarica 12-13: 303-305.  
• Gołdyn B., Hromada M., Surmacki A., Tryjanowski P. 2003. Habitat use and diet of red fox Vulpes vulpes in an agricultural landscape in Poland. Zeitschrift für Jagdwissenschaft 49: 191-200. 
• Surmacki A., Stępniewski J. 2003. A survey of the Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus during the non-breeding season in a landscape of Western Poland. Acta Ornithologica 38: 53-58. 
• Surmacki A., Stępniewski J., Zduniak P. 2003. Repeatability of egg dimensions within the clutches of Bearded Tit Panurus biarmicus. Acta Ornithologica 38: 123-127. 
• Tryjanowski P., Gołdyn B., Surmacki A. 2002. Influence of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes, Linnaeus 1758) on the distribution and number of breeding birds in an intensively used farmland. Ecological Research 17: 395-399. 
• Surmacki A. 2001. Foraging behaviour of the Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus breeding in a farmland - a preliminary results. In: Tryjanowski P., Osiejuk T. S., Kupczyk M. (Eds.). Bunting studies in Europe, Bogucki Wyd. Nauk., Poznań, pp. 89-95. 

1995 - 1999

• Surmacki A., Tryjanowski P. 1999. Efficiency of line transept and point count methods in agricultural landscape of western Poland. Vogelwelt 120, Suppl: 201-203. 
• Surmacki A., Lorek G., Tryjanowski P. 1999. Communal roosting of Linnets (Carduelis cannabina) and Blue-headed Wagtails (Motacilla flava) at post-breeding period in Western Poland. Vogelwarte 40: 146-148. 
• Surmacki A. 1998. Threats to small field water bodies in West Pomerania. Chrońmy Przyrodę Ojczystą 54: 61-67. [In Polish with English summary] 
• Surmacki A. 1998. Breeding avifauna of small mid-field pounds In North-western Poland. Acta Ornithiologica 33: 149-157. 
• Surmacki A. 1997. Breeding birds of little field ponds in the Western Pomerania preliminary results. Przegląd Przyrodniczy 8: 193-198. [In Polish with English summary]
• Surmacki A. 1996. A Mullein, Verbascum blattaria, site on the  Western Pomerania. Przegląd Przyrodniczy 7: 77-78. [In Polish with English summary]
• Bąkowski M., Surmacki A. 1995. A new record of Synanthedon mesiaeformis (HERRICH - SCHÄFFER, 1846) (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae) from Poland. Wiadomości Entomologiczne 14: 60. [In Polish with English summary]