Sabine Tebbich

Sabine Tebbich serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology at the University of Vienna, where she teaches courses including Introduction to Animal Behavior, Methods in Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, and PhD Seminars in Cognition and Communication for the 2024W, 2025S, and 2025W academic terms. Her academic affiliation also extends to the Environment and Climate Research Hub at the university.

Dr. Tebbich's research centers on Animal Behavior and Cognitive Biology, with specific expertise in avian cognition, behavioral ecology, and conservation. She investigates topics such as tool use in birds (e.g., Goffin's cockatoos and Darwin's finches), behavioral flexibility, neophilia, and the impacts of invasive species on native bird populations in the Galapagos Islands. Her work integrates field observations with experimental approaches to understand how environmental pressures shape cognitive and behavioral adaptations, particularly in response to parasitism and habitat degradation.

Analysis of her recent publications (2023-2025) indicates a strong focus on the conservation challenges facing Galapagos birds, particularly the effects of the invasive parasitic fly Philornis downsi and habitat degradation. Her research spans behavioral studies of Darwin's finches, development of mitigation strategies for parasitism (including nest spritzing and self-fumigation techniques), and habitat restoration efforts for endangered species like the Little Vermilion Flycatcher. This body of work demonstrates interdisciplinary collaboration between behavioral ecology, parasitology, and conservation science to address urgent biodiversity threats.

No scientific awards were mentioned in the available information.

Through her teaching and PhD seminar leadership, Dr. Tebbich mentors graduate students in animal behavior and cognitive biology, though specific student names and grant details were not provided. Her research is conducted within the Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology and the Environment and Climate Research Hub, contributing to both theoretical understanding and practical conservation solutions for threatened avian species.

Her laboratory and field work primarily focuses on Galapagos bird species, with particular attention to the behavioral responses of Darwin's finches to environmental change and parasitism. Current projects include evaluating volatile plant compounds as repellents against Philornis downsi and studying the cognitive mechanisms underlying innovation in tool-using birds, with implications for understanding evolutionary adaptations in rapidly changing ecosystems.