Dr Claire Branston
- Research Associate in Urban Ecology (Physiology Ageing & Welfare)
email:
Claire.Branston@glasgow.ac.uk
pronouns:
She/her/hers
Research interests
Research groups
Publications
2026
Branston, Claire J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Capilla-Lasheras, Pablo
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Haugh, Connor, Baker, Paul J., Reid, Rachel
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1869-9676, Griffiths, Kate, White, Stewart and Dominoni, Davide M.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955
(2026)
Native trees are related to advanced bird breeding phenology and increased reproductive success along an urban gradient.
Ecology and Evolution, 107(1),
e70294.
(doi: 10.1002/ecy.70294)
(PMID:41545193)
2025
Navarro, Ana B., McGill, Rona A.R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0400-7288, Newton, Jason
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7594-3693, Branston, Claire J.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Capilla-Lasheras, Pablo
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Silveira, Luis F. and Dominoni, Davide
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955
(2025)
Urbanisation is associated with changes in stable isotopes across multiple trophic levels.
Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies,
(doi: 10.1080/10256016.2025.2546139)
(Early Online Publication)
Reid, Rachel R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1869-9676, Dawson, Neal
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5389-8692, Duncan, Eleanor, Gillespie, Robert, Mitchell, Christopher, Branston, Claire J.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Capilla-Lasheras, Pablo
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Boonekamp, Jelle and Dominoni, Davide M.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955
(2025)
Partial night lighting may reduce the physiological impact of artificial light at night on captive zebra finches.
Frontiers in Physiology, 16,
1592407.
(doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1592407)
(PMID:40519783)
(PMCID:PMC12162287)
Capilla-Lasheras, Pablo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Branston, Claire J.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Baker, Paul, Cochrane, Cara, Helm, Barbara and Dominoni, Davide
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955
(2025)
Urban effects on timing and variability of diel activity differ across passerine species and seasons.
Journal of Animal Ecology, 94(5),
pp. 1088-1100.
(doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.70038)
(PMID:40202257)
(PMCID:PMC12056343)
Roy, Joseph, Branston, Claire, Capilla Lasheras, Pablo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Baker, Paul J. and Dominoni, Davide M.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955
(2025)
Nest composition of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) along an urban gradient.
Avocetta, 49,
(doi: 10.30456/avo.28965)
Pitt, Mark D., Alhowiti, Norah S. S., Branston, Claire J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Carlon, Eugenio, Boonekamp, Jelle
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1900-627X, Dominoni, Davide
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955 and Capilla Lasheras, Pablo
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089
(2025)
Environmental constraints can explain clutch size differences between urban and forest blue tits: insights from an egg removal experiment.
Journal of Animal Ecology, 94(3),
pp. 368-378.
(doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.14171)
(PMID:39219149)
(PMCID:PMC11880655)
Capilla Lasheras, Pablo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Womack, Robyn J., McGlade, Ciara L.O., Branston, Claire J., Dominoni, Davide M.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955 and Helm, Barbara
(2025)
It pays to sit tight: stable night-time incubation increases hatching success in urban and forest great tits, Parus major.
Zoological Science, 42(1),
pp. 144-152.
(doi: 10.2108/zs240063)
(PMID:39932760)
2024
Branston, Claire J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Whittingham, Mark J., Phillimore, Albert B., Leech, Dave and Willis, Stephen G.
(2024)
The phenology and clutch size of UK Blue Tits does not differ with woodland composition.
IBIS, 166(2),
pp. 487-503.
(doi: 10.1111/ibi.13248)
2022
Capilla Lasheras, Pablo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Thompson, Megan J., Sánchez-Tójar, Alfredo, Haddou, Yacob, Branston, Claire J.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Réale, Denis, Charmantier, Anne and Dominoni, Davide M.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955
(2022)
A global meta-analysis reveals higher variation in breeding phenology in urban birds than in their non-urban neighbours.
Ecology Letters, 25(11),
pp. 2552-2570.
(doi: 10.1111/ele.14099)
(PMID:36136999)
2021
Branston, Claire J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Capilla Lasheras, Pablo
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Pollock, Christopher J., Griffiths, Kate, White, Stewart
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3777-3181 and Dominoni, Davide M.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955
(2021)
Urbanisation weakens selection on the timing of breeding and clutch size in blue tits but not in great tits.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 75(11),
155.
(doi: 10.1007/s00265-021-03096-z)
Dominoni, Davide M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955, Teo, Dylon, Branston, Claire J.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Jakhar, Aryan, Albalawi, Bedur Faleh A. and Evans, Neil P.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7395-3222
(2021)
Feather, but not plasma, glucocorticoid response to artificial light at night differs between urban and forest blue tit nestlings.
Integrative and Comparative Biology, 61(3),
pp. 1111-1121.
(doi: 10.1093/icb/icab067)
(PMID:34272860)
(PMCID:PMC8490687)
Articles
Branston, Claire J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Capilla-Lasheras, Pablo
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Haugh, Connor, Baker, Paul J., Reid, Rachel
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1869-9676, Griffiths, Kate, White, Stewart and Dominoni, Davide M.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955
(2026)
Native trees are related to advanced bird breeding phenology and increased reproductive success along an urban gradient.
Ecology and Evolution, 107(1),
e70294.
(doi: 10.1002/ecy.70294)
(PMID:41545193)
Navarro, Ana B., McGill, Rona A.R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0400-7288, Newton, Jason
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7594-3693, Branston, Claire J.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Capilla-Lasheras, Pablo
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Silveira, Luis F. and Dominoni, Davide
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955
(2025)
Urbanisation is associated with changes in stable isotopes across multiple trophic levels.
Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies,
(doi: 10.1080/10256016.2025.2546139)
(Early Online Publication)
Reid, Rachel R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1869-9676, Dawson, Neal
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5389-8692, Duncan, Eleanor, Gillespie, Robert, Mitchell, Christopher, Branston, Claire J.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Capilla-Lasheras, Pablo
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Boonekamp, Jelle and Dominoni, Davide M.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955
(2025)
Partial night lighting may reduce the physiological impact of artificial light at night on captive zebra finches.
Frontiers in Physiology, 16,
1592407.
(doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1592407)
(PMID:40519783)
(PMCID:PMC12162287)
Capilla-Lasheras, Pablo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Branston, Claire J.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Baker, Paul, Cochrane, Cara, Helm, Barbara and Dominoni, Davide
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955
(2025)
Urban effects on timing and variability of diel activity differ across passerine species and seasons.
Journal of Animal Ecology, 94(5),
pp. 1088-1100.
(doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.70038)
(PMID:40202257)
(PMCID:PMC12056343)
Roy, Joseph, Branston, Claire, Capilla Lasheras, Pablo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Baker, Paul J. and Dominoni, Davide M.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955
(2025)
Nest composition of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) along an urban gradient.
Avocetta, 49,
(doi: 10.30456/avo.28965)
Pitt, Mark D., Alhowiti, Norah S. S., Branston, Claire J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Carlon, Eugenio, Boonekamp, Jelle
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1900-627X, Dominoni, Davide
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955 and Capilla Lasheras, Pablo
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089
(2025)
Environmental constraints can explain clutch size differences between urban and forest blue tits: insights from an egg removal experiment.
Journal of Animal Ecology, 94(3),
pp. 368-378.
(doi: 10.1111/1365-2656.14171)
(PMID:39219149)
(PMCID:PMC11880655)
Capilla Lasheras, Pablo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Womack, Robyn J., McGlade, Ciara L.O., Branston, Claire J., Dominoni, Davide M.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955 and Helm, Barbara
(2025)
It pays to sit tight: stable night-time incubation increases hatching success in urban and forest great tits, Parus major.
Zoological Science, 42(1),
pp. 144-152.
(doi: 10.2108/zs240063)
(PMID:39932760)
Branston, Claire J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Whittingham, Mark J., Phillimore, Albert B., Leech, Dave and Willis, Stephen G.
(2024)
The phenology and clutch size of UK Blue Tits does not differ with woodland composition.
IBIS, 166(2),
pp. 487-503.
(doi: 10.1111/ibi.13248)
Capilla Lasheras, Pablo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Thompson, Megan J., Sánchez-Tójar, Alfredo, Haddou, Yacob, Branston, Claire J.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Réale, Denis, Charmantier, Anne and Dominoni, Davide M.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955
(2022)
A global meta-analysis reveals higher variation in breeding phenology in urban birds than in their non-urban neighbours.
Ecology Letters, 25(11),
pp. 2552-2570.
(doi: 10.1111/ele.14099)
(PMID:36136999)
Branston, Claire J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Capilla Lasheras, Pablo
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-7089, Pollock, Christopher J., Griffiths, Kate, White, Stewart
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3777-3181 and Dominoni, Davide M.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955
(2021)
Urbanisation weakens selection on the timing of breeding and clutch size in blue tits but not in great tits.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 75(11),
155.
(doi: 10.1007/s00265-021-03096-z)
Dominoni, Davide M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2063-9955, Teo, Dylon, Branston, Claire J.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4416-0984, Jakhar, Aryan, Albalawi, Bedur Faleh A. and Evans, Neil P.
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7395-3222
(2021)
Feather, but not plasma, glucocorticoid response to artificial light at night differs between urban and forest blue tit nestlings.
Integrative and Comparative Biology, 61(3),
pp. 1111-1121.
(doi: 10.1093/icb/icab067)
(PMID:34272860)
(PMCID:PMC8490687)
Grants
Grants and Awards listed are those received whilst working with the University of Glasgow.
- Effects of ectoparasites prevalence on the fitness and development of Sand Martin's (Riparia riparia) nesting in artificial nesting banks.
British Ornithologists' Union
2023 - 2024