Paul van Els

I am an independent researcher, my research interests include the life history, evolution, and systematics of particularly Neotropical birds.

I am involved with the 2022/2023 update of the Howard & Moore Checklist of Birds of the World, as an adviser on Neotropical avian systematics and Trustee to the Trust for Avian Systematics (TAS).

Together with Heraldo Norambuena (U. Santo Tomas, Chile) I have also been focusing on the systematics and life history of Neotropical pipits (Anthus, Motacillidae) and with Luis Valente (Naturalis) and Jente Ottenburghs (WUR) I am studying a hybrid zone between two species of meadowlark (Leistes, Icteridae).

Short-billed Pipit (Anthus furcatus), Ondores, Junin, Peru, June 2013, photo by Paul van Els. The species is divided into two distinct genetic groups; one in the southern South American lowlands, one in the Andes.