Islamiat Abidemi Raji

I am a Rose Postdoctoral Fellow at the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. My research spans landscape and urban ecology, with broad interests in plant–animal interactions and the ecological and social impacts of urbanization and land-use change on bird communities in relation to human well-being.

At Cornell, I use an interdisciplinary approach that integrates bioacoustics, and community engagement to monitor biodiversity in rapidly changing urban landscapes. My current research investigates bird diversity on university campuses and in cities across multiple countries using autonomous acoustic recorders. I collaborate with local experts and students to record bird songs in these spaces to identify which species persist, which do not, and why. This helps us understand factors that shape urban bird populations and guides conservation planning. One of the exciting aspects of my work is the connection between nature and human wellbeing. I aim to develop conservation frameworks that support both ecological resilience and social well-being in urban settings.

Before joining the Cornell Lab, I was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Biology at Queen’s University in Canada, where I led a multi-country urban bird monitoring project. That work used passive acoustic recorders and community science methods to survey biodiversity across five cities, focusing on how urbanization affects bird diversity. My doctoral research at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa focused on frugivory and seed dispersal by birds, bats, and monkeys in urban mosaic landscapes, with a focus on the ecological role of Ficus species.

I enjoy working with students, community and local scientists to co-design participatory monitoring methods that are scalable, community-driven, and relevant to both science and society. I am passionate about mentorship, outreach, and interdisciplinary collaboration. If you are interested in contributing to our urban campus soundscape project or would like to explore related ideas, please feel free to reach out via email.