About Me
I studied biology at Hasselt University (BSc) and the University of Antwerp (MSc), graduating in 2019 with a specialisation in biodiversity conservation and restoration. During my doctoral research at Hasselt University and the University of Namur, I combined movement ecology and spatial modelling to investigate the migration and habitat selection of European Nightjars and their responses to anthropogenic environmental change.
Since 2023, I have been a researcher in the Wildlife Management and Coexistence team at INBO, where I apply my background in avian ecology to human–wildlife interactions. My current work mainly focuses on corvids (“crows”), including topics such as agricultural damage and predation on threatened species.
I combine field research with innovative monitoring techniques, e.g. passive acoustic monitoring and biologging, alongside species distribution and population modelling. Through this work, I aim to understand how birds interact with changing environments and how this in turn affects us, providing a scientific basis for their conservation and management.
Research Interests
- Human-wildlife interactions
- Movement ecology
- Distribution modelling
- Passive acoustic monitoring
- Biologging
Highlighted publications
Lathouwers, M., Beenaerts, N., Evens, R., Artois, T., Conway, G., Henderson, I., Shewring, M., Cross, T., Ulenaers, E., & Dendoncker, N. (2025). Impact of future climate change and land-use change on habitat suitability for a long-distance avian migrant under diverse socioeconomic-emission scenarios. Global Ecology and Conservation, 62, e03777. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03777
Lathouwers, M., Dendoncker, N., Artois, T., Beenaerts, N., Conway, G., Henderson, I., Shewring, M., Cross, T., Ulenaers, E., & Evens, R. (2023). Multi-scale habitat selection throughout the annual cycle of a long-distance avian migrant. Ecological Indicators, 156, 111099. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.11109
Evens, R., Lathouwers, M., Pradervand, J. N., Jechow, A., Kyba, C. C. M., Shatwell, T., Jacot, A., Ulenaers, E., Kempenaers, B., & Eens, M. (2023). Skyglow relieves a crepuscular bird from visual constraints on being active. Science of the Total Environment, 900, 165760. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165760
Lathouwers, M., Artois, T., Dendoncker, N., Beenaerts, N., Conway, G., Henderson, I., Kowalczyk, C., Davaasuren, B., Bayrgur, S., Shewring, M., Cross, T., Ulenaers, E., Liechti, F., & Evens, R. (2022). Rush or relax: migration tactics of a nocturnal insectivore in response to ecological barriers. Scientific Reports, 12, 4964. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-09106-y
Dufour, P., et al. (2026). Multi-sensor tracking reveals the extent of nocturnal migration in landbirds. Current Biology, 36(14), 3697–3706.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.06.030
Collaborators, Partners & Funders
- INBO (Research Institute for Nature and Forest): host institution
- Hasselt University: partner institution - Centre for Environmental Sciences (Prof. Dr. Natalie Beenaerts)
- UCLouvain: partner institution - Earth and Life Institute (Prof. Dr. Ruben Evens)