Dr Leah Williams

I am a conservation scientist with a broad range of interests and I lead on the population-level research Chester Zoo is involved in, working across both in-situ and ex-situ projects. The projects I am involved in currently include designing effective post-release monitoring methods of Bermuda skinks and Bermuda snails, using bioacoustics to monitor populations and behaviour, and reproduction and management of Southern cassowary across EAZA Zoos.

My background is in ornithology focusing on behavioural ecology and conservation. My previous work at Chester Zoo focused on animal behaviour and welfare, primarily of birds, lower vertebrates and invertebrates.  Prior to working at Chester Zoo, I was a Conservation Scientist at RSPB working on seabirds. My PhD research focused on personality traits and social behaviour of Gouldian finches at Liverpool John Moores University. My past research projects include the impact of blood parasites on the immune response in yellowhammers, and the influence of selective logging on understory forest birds in Malaysian Borneo as part of my Master of Research at the University of Leeds.

I supervise a number of students at undergraduate, Masters and PhD level who are undertaking research in collaboration with Chester Zoo with a focus on population biology. I also deliver lectures and training for a number of universities and industry bodies.

Key publications

Williams, L. J., Richardson, K., Postlethwaite, C., Garcia, G., Wright, N. & Griffiths, R. A. (2022) Activity patterns and reproductive behaviour of the Critically Endangered Bermuda skink. Zoo Biology, Early view

Finch, K., Waterman, J. O., Cowl, V. B., Marhsall, A., Underwood, L. Williams, L. J., Davies, N., & Holmes, L. (2022) Island life: Use of activity budgets and visibility to evaluate a multi-species within-zoo exhibit move. Animals, 12(16), 2123

Finch, K., Leary M., & Williams, L. J. (2022) Zoo closure does not affect behaviour and activity patterns of Palawan binturong (Arctictis binturong whitei). Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, 3, 398-408

Cook, M., Williams, L. J., Gill, I. (2022) Reproductive husbandry of the rat snake Elaphe moellendorfii, The Herpetological Bulletin, 159, 1-5

Williams, L. J., Finch, K., Agnew, R. & Holmes, L. (2021) Effects of nearby construction work on the behaviour of Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica), Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, 2(1) 66-74

Finch, K., Williams, L. J. & Holmes, L., (2020) Using longitudinal data to evaluate the behavioural impact of a switch to carcass feeding on an Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica). Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research, 8(4), 283-287

Lewis, R. N., Williams, L. J. & Gilman, R. T. (2020) The uses and implications of avian vocalizations for conservation planning. Conservation Biology, 35(1), 50-63

Gove, B., Williams, L. J., Beresford, A. E., Roddis, P., Campbell, C., Teuten, E., Langston, R. H. W., & Bradbury, R. B. (2016) Reconciling Biodiversity Conservation and Widespread Deployment of Renewable Energy Technologies in the UK. PLoS ONE, 11 (5): e0150956

King, A. J., Williams, L. J. & Mettke-Hofmann, C. (2015) The effects of social conformity on Gouldian finch personality. Animal Behaviour, 99 (1), 25-31

Williams, L. J., King, A. J. & Mettke-Hofmann, C. (2012) Colourful characters: Head colour reflects personality in a social bird, the Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae). Animal Behaviour, 84 (1), 159-165