10th Marcin Antczak Award for Adriana Cibik Holoskova
18/10/25 19:21
The 10th Marcin Antczak Award for the most inspiring ornithological papers published in 2024 in a peer-reviewed journal by a young scientist from Poland, the Czech Republic, or Slovakia goes to Adriana Cíbik Hološková from the Faculty of Science at Charles University, who is originally from Slovakia.
The International Board of Marcin Antczak Award appointed by the Dean of the Faculty of Biology of Adam Mickiewicz University, decided that the most inspiring ornithological papers of the last year are:
Hološková A, Cíbik J, Reif J (2024) Why do open-farmland specialist birds prefer small fields? The evaluation of mechanisms using a cross-border study. Global Ecology and Conservation 56:e03327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03327
Hološková A, Kadlec T, Reif J (2024) Synergic effects of vegetation structure and food supply underlie higher abundance of a farmland specialist bird in organic than in conventional arable fields. Global Ecology and Conservation 51:e02912.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e02912
Hološková A, Reif J (2024) Factors shaping insectivorous farmland bird abundance in intensively cultivated arable fields: Insights through the former Iron Curtain. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 360:108772.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2023.108772
Adriana Cíbik Hološková’s research has brought new perspectives by focusing on Slovakia, where farmland is dominated by exceptionally large fields – a legacy of agricultural collectivisation. This unique context, distinct from the small-scale mosaic landscapes of Western Europe, offers crucial insights into the drivers of farmland bird declines. Her studies showed that in such oversized fields, the suitability of crops and vegetation structure, rather than food supply alone, determines breeding success of species like the Yellow Wagtail. She also demonstrated that organic farming, even within vast monocultures, supports higher Skylark abundance through richer invertebrate communities and more favourable vegetation. A cross-border comparison with Austria revealed that small, diverse fields consistently host more Skylarks, underlining the importance of crop diversity and landscape heterogeneity. By exposing the ecological risks of large-scale fields, her work directly informs debates on the Common Agricultural Policy in Slovakia, underpinning proposals for buffer strips, crop diversification, and measures tailored to Central and Eastern European farming systems.
Dr. Adriana Cíbik Hološková is an ornithologist specialising in the agroecology and conservation of farmland birds in Central and Eastern Europe. She earned her PhD in Environmental Science at Charles University in Prague as part of the prestigious STARS programme, focusing on the factors driving changes in farmland bird populations in intensively cultivated landscapes. Besides her research, she is actively involved in policy work as a member of the BirdLife Europe Agriculture Task Force. Nationally, she works within the Slovak Ornithological Society/BirdLife Slovakia on agricultural policy, advocating for biodiversity-friendly reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy and the inclusion of farmland conservation targets. She has also taken part in several international and national conservation projects, including the LIFE Steppe on Border initiative, which aims at habitat restoration for steppe birds. Through this blend of research, policy, and conservation efforts, she helps link ecological science with practical solutions for sustainable agriculture.
Initially, the International Board of the Marcin Antczak Award screened over six hundred papers and, after an initial selection, considered 19 individuals and their articles published last year. The process took over three months, and by the end, we had considered, in addition to the awarded Dr. Adriana Cíbik Hološková, the Board also wishes to recognise Dominika Winiarska from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland, for her papers on passive acoustic monitoring in European and African birds, published in Ecological Indicators, Scientific Reports, Emu, and the African Journal of Ecology; and Ondrej Fišer from the University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic, for his experimental study on how manipulated body size of potential predators affects nest predator recognition by potential targets, breeding red-backed shrikes, published in Animal Behaviour.
MARCIN ANTCZAK AWARD FOR THE MOST INSPIRING ORNITHOLOGICAL PAPER PUBLISHED IN 2024
The Marcin Antczak Award is given annually for an outstanding and inspiring ornithological paper(s) published in the previous year in a peer-reviewed journal. The prize is aimed at young ornithologists from Poland, the Czech Republic, or Slovakia, or from any other country if the research underlying the paper was conducted in one of these countries. Candidates can be amateurs or pre-doctoral researchers, or individuals who obtained their doctoral degree within the last seven years. For the benefit of nominees, maternity, paternity, or illness leaves are recognised, with the principle that such leaves can extend the age limit by a minimum of one year. The ideas presented in the awarded paper must be strongly related to the field of ornithology; studies on challenging and charismatic species (or topics) will be favoured. The nominee must be the sole author, or the leading (the first and corresponding) author of a multi-author paper and should have played a prominent role in shaping the publication.
This award comes with a diploma, a unique, hand-made silver shrike badge, as well as a cash prize. The awarded Author must agree to give a lecture in Poznań (Poland); the inviting institution will cover costs. Details about the award will be published in Acta Ornithologica.
Between 2024 and 2028, the International Board of the Marcin Antczak Award consists of Dr Peter Adamík (Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic), Dr Thorsten J.S. Balsby (Aarhus University, Denmark), Prof. Tomasz S. Osiejuk (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland), Prof. Svein Dale (Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway), Dr Martin Korňan (Technical University in Zvolen, Slovakia), Prof. Tomasz D. Mazgajski (Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw), Prof. Piotr Minias (University of Łódź, Poland), Prof. Jiří Reif (Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic), Dr Katerina Sam (Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice), Dr Jakub Szymkowiak (Forest Biology Center, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland), Dr Michal Šulc (Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno), Prof. Piotr Tryjanowski (University of Life Sciences in Poznań, Poland / Institute of Advanced Study TUM, Garching, Germany & Chair of Ecoclimatology, TUM, Freising, Germany), and Prof. Katarzyna Wojczulanis-Jakubas (University of Gdańsk, Poland).
Current information about the Award can be found at https://www.behaecol.web.amu.edu.pl/MAA/
On behalf of the Board,
Tomasz S. Osiejuk
The International Board of Marcin Antczak Award appointed by the Dean of the Faculty of Biology of Adam Mickiewicz University, decided that the most inspiring ornithological papers of the last year are:
Hološková A, Cíbik J, Reif J (2024) Why do open-farmland specialist birds prefer small fields? The evaluation of mechanisms using a cross-border study. Global Ecology and Conservation 56:e03327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e03327
Hološková A, Kadlec T, Reif J (2024) Synergic effects of vegetation structure and food supply underlie higher abundance of a farmland specialist bird in organic than in conventional arable fields. Global Ecology and Conservation 51:e02912.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2024.e02912
Hološková A, Reif J (2024) Factors shaping insectivorous farmland bird abundance in intensively cultivated arable fields: Insights through the former Iron Curtain. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 360:108772.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2023.108772
Adriana Cíbik Hološková’s research has brought new perspectives by focusing on Slovakia, where farmland is dominated by exceptionally large fields – a legacy of agricultural collectivisation. This unique context, distinct from the small-scale mosaic landscapes of Western Europe, offers crucial insights into the drivers of farmland bird declines. Her studies showed that in such oversized fields, the suitability of crops and vegetation structure, rather than food supply alone, determines breeding success of species like the Yellow Wagtail. She also demonstrated that organic farming, even within vast monocultures, supports higher Skylark abundance through richer invertebrate communities and more favourable vegetation. A cross-border comparison with Austria revealed that small, diverse fields consistently host more Skylarks, underlining the importance of crop diversity and landscape heterogeneity. By exposing the ecological risks of large-scale fields, her work directly informs debates on the Common Agricultural Policy in Slovakia, underpinning proposals for buffer strips, crop diversification, and measures tailored to Central and Eastern European farming systems.
Dr. Adriana Cíbik Hološková is an ornithologist specialising in the agroecology and conservation of farmland birds in Central and Eastern Europe. She earned her PhD in Environmental Science at Charles University in Prague as part of the prestigious STARS programme, focusing on the factors driving changes in farmland bird populations in intensively cultivated landscapes. Besides her research, she is actively involved in policy work as a member of the BirdLife Europe Agriculture Task Force. Nationally, she works within the Slovak Ornithological Society/BirdLife Slovakia on agricultural policy, advocating for biodiversity-friendly reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy and the inclusion of farmland conservation targets. She has also taken part in several international and national conservation projects, including the LIFE Steppe on Border initiative, which aims at habitat restoration for steppe birds. Through this blend of research, policy, and conservation efforts, she helps link ecological science with practical solutions for sustainable agriculture.
Initially, the International Board of the Marcin Antczak Award screened over six hundred papers and, after an initial selection, considered 19 individuals and their articles published last year. The process took over three months, and by the end, we had considered, in addition to the awarded Dr. Adriana Cíbik Hološková, the Board also wishes to recognise Dominika Winiarska from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland, for her papers on passive acoustic monitoring in European and African birds, published in Ecological Indicators, Scientific Reports, Emu, and the African Journal of Ecology; and Ondrej Fišer from the University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic, for his experimental study on how manipulated body size of potential predators affects nest predator recognition by potential targets, breeding red-backed shrikes, published in Animal Behaviour.
MARCIN ANTCZAK AWARD FOR THE MOST INSPIRING ORNITHOLOGICAL PAPER PUBLISHED IN 2024
The Marcin Antczak Award is given annually for an outstanding and inspiring ornithological paper(s) published in the previous year in a peer-reviewed journal. The prize is aimed at young ornithologists from Poland, the Czech Republic, or Slovakia, or from any other country if the research underlying the paper was conducted in one of these countries. Candidates can be amateurs or pre-doctoral researchers, or individuals who obtained their doctoral degree within the last seven years. For the benefit of nominees, maternity, paternity, or illness leaves are recognised, with the principle that such leaves can extend the age limit by a minimum of one year. The ideas presented in the awarded paper must be strongly related to the field of ornithology; studies on challenging and charismatic species (or topics) will be favoured. The nominee must be the sole author, or the leading (the first and corresponding) author of a multi-author paper and should have played a prominent role in shaping the publication.
This award comes with a diploma, a unique, hand-made silver shrike badge, as well as a cash prize. The awarded Author must agree to give a lecture in Poznań (Poland); the inviting institution will cover costs. Details about the award will be published in Acta Ornithologica.
Between 2024 and 2028, the International Board of the Marcin Antczak Award consists of Dr Peter Adamík (Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic), Dr Thorsten J.S. Balsby (Aarhus University, Denmark), Prof. Tomasz S. Osiejuk (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland), Prof. Svein Dale (Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway), Dr Martin Korňan (Technical University in Zvolen, Slovakia), Prof. Tomasz D. Mazgajski (Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw), Prof. Piotr Minias (University of Łódź, Poland), Prof. Jiří Reif (Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic), Dr Katerina Sam (Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice), Dr Jakub Szymkowiak (Forest Biology Center, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland), Dr Michal Šulc (Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno), Prof. Piotr Tryjanowski (University of Life Sciences in Poznań, Poland / Institute of Advanced Study TUM, Garching, Germany & Chair of Ecoclimatology, TUM, Freising, Germany), and Prof. Katarzyna Wojczulanis-Jakubas (University of Gdańsk, Poland).
Current information about the Award can be found at https://www.behaecol.web.amu.edu.pl/MAA/
On behalf of the Board,
Tomasz S. Osiejuk
Fast and extremely precise singer
31/07/25 12:26
Paper entitled "Rhythmic coordination in rapid duets of little crakes: cooperative signalling without shared experience" and published by Jan Jedlikowski and Paweł Ręk (from our lab) in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences attracts media attention (see here). We have some of the fastest duet singers in the country.
Details in the paper:
Jedlikowski J, Ręk P(2025) Rhythmic coordination in rapid duets of little crakes: cooperative signalling without shared experience. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 292(2051):20251100. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.1100
Details in the paper:
Jedlikowski J, Ręk P(2025) Rhythmic coordination in rapid duets of little crakes: cooperative signalling without shared experience. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 292(2051):20251100. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2025.1100
Research, teaching and finally...vacation!!!
06/07/25 20:52
The exceptionally long season of fieldwork is nearly over. Department staff and students conducted research in Poland, Uganda, and Australia. Finally, at the very end, we still participated in exceptional teaching activities. Pawel Szymanski organised a Tropical Biology Course for our students in Ghana (Mole and Kakum National Parks), Tomasz Osiejuk taught bioacoustics to Ghanaian students (also in Mole NP, as part of Erasmus+), and Michal Budka conducted similar Erasmus+ classes for students from Madagascar at Université d'Antananarivo.
EARTH, ENVIRONMENT and ECOLOGY TOP 100 of 2024
10/03/25 19:28
Published 1 year ago paper Winiarska D, Szymański P, Osiejuk TS (2024) Detection ranges of forest bird vocalisations: guidelines for passive acoustic monitoring. Scientific Reports 14: 894. DOI 10.1038/s41598-024-51297-z was just mentioned among EARTH, ENVIRONMENT and ECOLOGY TOP 100 of 2024
Wildlife Acoustics grant for our student
20/01/25 19:56
Marcin Winiarek, a student of Michał Budka, has received a grant from Wildlife Acoustics to study 'Soundscape as an Indicator of Forest Recovery'. Congrats Marcin!
