Sabine Hille

Priv.-Doz. Dr.rer.nat Sabine Hille is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). Her research focuses on alpine bird ecology, particularly snowfinches and great tits, examining population dynamics, behavioral adaptations, and climate change impacts.

• Education:
  • B.Sc. in Biology and Geography (1995), University of Ulster and University of Gießen
  • Ph.D. (2002), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
  • Habilitation (2014) in Wildlife Ecology

Research Interests include behavioural ecology, evolutionary biology, and conservation of cold-adapted species. Her work investigates how global warming alters breeding phenology, nest site selection, and survival strategies in high-elevation ecosystems. Key projects involve climate change effects on alpine birds, evolutionary adaptation, and ecosystem service interactions in viticultural landscapes.

Publications span evolutionary genetics, climate-phenology relationships, and conservation strategies. Recent studies analyze genomic variation in snowfinches, thermal breeding constraints, and seasonal data bias in ecological modeling. Her supervised theses explore habitat preferences, nest composition, and climate-driven reproductive success.

• Scientific Engagement
  • Reviewer for Molecular Ecology, Journal of Ornithology, and Proceedings of the Royal Society B
  • 2022: Advisor to Austrian Animal Welfare Committee
  • 2009: Member of Biodiversity Platform Austria