This is me in a nutshell
Research
Publications
CV
 

Ao. Prof. Dr. Kurt Kotrschal

kurt.kotrschal@klf.ac.at

kurt.kotrschal@univie.ac.at

office@klf.ac.at

I was born as a biologist, reportedly collecting bugs and slugs from very early age. Clearly, there was no other option for me than study biology. The University of Salzburg was a good choice, because in the 1970ies and 1980ies it provided a degree of freedom and support to an ambitious and interested student, which allowed early scientific development, supported and supervised by Prof. H. Adam and Prof. A. Goldschmid.

 This kind of academic freedom continued after my PhD, 1981 and allowed productive research in functional comparative vertebrate anatomy (fish jaws and fish chemosensory systems), at the University of Salzburg and in the course of two post docs in the USA (UA, Tucson and UCHSC, Denver). Of course, all this would not have been possible without the supportive participation of my wife Rosemarie.

 1990 I was hired as an Assistant Prof at the University of Vienna, Department of Behavioural biology (headed by Prof. John Dittami), to run the KLF. In fact, John caught me during my post doc period in Denver. When the phone rang at 3 o´clock in the morning I was immediately decided to take this opportunity.

 Over the years and with the help of Dr. J. Hemetsberger and many productive and creative masters and PhD students and PostDocs, we developed the KLF from a local institution into a known factor in international behavioural biology and cognition research. Now well acknowledged young researchers, such as Dr. Thomas Bugnyar or Dr. Isabella Scheiber maintain work groups of their own at the KLF. Most recently, the KLF in collaboration with Dr. F. Range, Dr. Z. Viranyi, the University of Vienna and the Cumberland Game Park sprouted a new Wolf Science Center.

 The positive development of the KLF is reflected by both, scientific output and by our competence to win competitive grants necessary to support this level of research. This allows state-of-the-art work within a network of national and international collaborations. Most importantly, we increasingly attract an international crowd of bright and dedicated students and scholars.

 At any time now, the KLF hosts 12-20 students (from the Univ. Vienna and other European Universities) and research fellows who are mainly funded by grants held by myself and increasingly, also by grants held by associated post docs and research fellows. My continuing responsibility is the strategic positioning of the KLF. This includes making the best of the opportunity to work comparatively with a variety of model birds. At present, for example, the KLF is the only institution worldwide where experimental work with ravens, the bird equivalents of chimpanzees, is possible. In spring 2008, the range of model systems is extended to wolves (cognition and cooperation).

 Together with a crowd of able students and collaborators we have developed KLF research at the interface between behavioural functions and its proximate causes and towards linking social organization and cognition. This resulted in more than 100 publications in peer reviewed journals (as a first or last author) and handbooks in the last 10 years. The career of a fair number of internationally successful PhD and postdoctoral students (including T. Bugnyar, I. Scheiber, K. Hirschenhauser) is based on the research opportunities created at the KLF.

 In parallel to pure science, I am keenly interested in the societal embedding of science and in the relationships between science, humanities and religion. Not the least, I consider it important and challenging communicating science to the public. Hence, media appearances of myself and a number of collaborators and newspaper articles and commentaries, notably my regular comment column in the newspaper “Die Presse”.

Social Mechanisms
Social Energetics
Social Complexity and Cognition
Hormones and Behaviour
Behavioural Phenotypes
Human-Animal Companionship
Research Models: Fish, Birds (Greylag Geese, Corvids, Northern Bald Ibis), Mammals (Cats, Dogs, Wolves Humans).

KOTRSCHAL, K., BUGNYAR, T. & STÖWE, M. (2001): Kognition und Neophobie bei Raben. Charadrius 37, 127-134

KOTRSCHAL, K., MÜLLER, G. & WINKLER, H. (Hrsg.) (2001): Konzepte der Verhaltensforschung (Concepts of Ethology). Konrad Lorenz und die Folgen. Filander Verlag Fürth, 250pp, ISBN 3-930831-33-3

FRITZ, J. & KOTRSCHAL, K.  (2002): On avian imitation: Cognitive and ethological perspectives. Invited Contribution in: (K. Dauterhahn & C.L. Nehaniv eds.) Imitation in Animals and artefacts.pp. 133-156. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press

PFEFFER, K., J. FRITZ & K. KOTRSCHAL (2002): Hormonal correlates of being an innovative greylag goose. Animal Behaviour  63, 687-695  

FRIGERIO, D., WEISS, B.M., DITTAMI, J. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2003): Social allies modulate corticosterone excretion and increase success in agonistic interactions in juvenile hand-raised greylag geese (Anser anser). Canadian Journal of Zoology 81: 1746- 1754

KOTRSCHAL, K. & ORTBAUER, B. (2003): Behavioural effects ot the presence of a dog in the classroom. Anthrozoös 16: 147-159

BUGNYAR, T. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2004): Leading a conspecific away  from food in ravens, Corvus corax? Animal Cognition 7, 69-76

FRIGERIO, D., HIRSCHENHAUSER, K., MÖSTL, E., DITTAMI, J. & K. KOTRSCHAL (2004): Experimentally elevated testosterone increases status signalling in male Greylag Geese (Anser anser). Acta Ethologica 7: 9-18

KOTRSCHAL, K., BROMUNDT, V. & FÖGER, B. (2004): Faktor Hund - Hund. Eine sozio-ökonomische Bestandsaufnahme der Hundehaltung in Österreich. Czernin Verlag, Wien , ISBN 3-7076-0199-4

WEISS, B. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2004): Effects of passive social support in juvenile greylag geese (Anser anser): A study from fledging to adulthood. Ethology, 110: 429-444

DAISLEY, J.N., BROMUNDT, V., MÖSTL, E. & K. KOTRSCHAL (2005): Enhanced yolk testosterone influences behavioural phenotype independent of sex in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix Japonica). Hormones and Behaviour 47: 185-194

SCHEIBER, I.B.R., KRALJ, S. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2005): Sampling effort/frequency necessary to infer individual acute stress responses from fecal analysis in greylag geese (Anser anser). In: (W. Goymann, S. Jenni-Eiermann and U. Bauchinger eds.). Annals of the N.Y. Academy of Science 1046: 1-14

SCHEIBER, I.B.R., WEISS, B.M., FRIGERIO, D. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2005): Active and passive social support in families of Greylag geese (Anser anser). Behaviour 142: 1535-1557

KOTRSCHAL, K., HEMETSBERGER, J. & WEIß, B.M. (2006): Homosociality in greylag geese. Invited Contribution in: (P. Vasey & V. Sommer, eds.) Homosexual behaviour in animals: An evolutionary perspective. Cambridge University Press Pp. 45-76

RANGE, F., BUGNYAR, T., SCHLOEGL, C. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2006): Individual and sex differences in learning abilities of ravens. Behavioural Processes 73, 100-106

STOEWE, M., BUGNYAR, T., LORETTO, M.-C., SCHLOEGL, C., RANGE, F. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2006):  Novel object exploration in ravens (Corvus corax): effects of social relationships. Behavioural Processes 73: 68-75

WASCHER, C.A.F., S. KRALJ, I.B.R SCHEIBER & K. KOTRSCHAL (2006): Heart rate and coping style in greylag geese. Journal of Ornithology 147: 269-270     

BUGNYAR, T., SCHWAB, C., SCHLOEGL, C., KOTRSCHAL, K. & B. HEINRICH (2007): Ravens judge competitors through experience with play caching. Current Biology 17, 1804-1808

KOTRSCHAL, K. (2007): Geistige Umweltverschmutzung. In: Macht um Welt. Pp. 27-37. BAWAG P.S.K.-Ed. Lit. ISBN 978-3-8000-7332-0. Ueberreuter (2007)

KOTRSCHAL, K., SCHLOEGL, C. & BUGNYAR, T. (2007): Lektion von Rabenvögeln und Gänsen. Instinkt oder Verstand? Biol. Uns. Zeit, 6, 366-374

KRALJ-FIŠER, S., SCHEIBER, I.B.R., BLEJEC, A., E. MÖSTL & K. KOTRSCHAL (2007): Individualities in a flock of free-ranging greylag geese: A test of behavioural and physiological consistency over time and across situations. Hormones & Behaviour, 51, 239-248 (request pdf)

SCHLOEGL, C., KOTRSCHAL, K. & BUGNYAR, T. (2007): Gaze following in Common ravens Corvus   corax: ontogeny and habituation. Animal Behaviour, 74, 769-778

STÖWE, M.& KOTRSCHAL, K. (2007): Behavioural phenotypes may determine whether social context facilitates or delays novel object exploration in ravens. Journal of Ornithology, 148 (Suppl 2), S179-184

ZOUFAL, K., FRITZ, J., BICHLER, M., KIRBAUER, M., MARKUT, T., MERAN, I., WOLF, A. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2007) Feeding ecology of the Northern Bald Ibis in different habitat types: an experimental field study with handraised individuals. Report of the 2nd IAGNBI Meeting 2nd IAGNBI Meeting, Vejer 2006, C. Böhm, C. Bowden (Eds.), pp. 77-84.

BERTIN, A., RICHARD-YRIS, M.-A., HOUDELIER, C., LUMINEAU, S., MÖSTL, E., KUCHAR, A., HIRSCHENHAUSER, K. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2008): Habituation to humans affects yolk steroid levels and offspring phenotype in quail. Hormones and Behavior, 54, 396-402

KOTRSCHAL, K. (2008):  Angepasst woran? Vom Mängel- zum Konfliktwesen. Pp. 55-65. In: Der Mensch – Ein Mängelwesen? Endlichkeit-Kompensation-.Entwicklungen. (H. Schmidinger & C. Sedmak, eds.) Darmstadt: WBG

KOTRSCHAL, K. (2008):Menschen und Tiere: Eine evolutionäre Schicksalsgemeinschaft. In: Was ist der Mensch? Montagsakad. Bd. 4, pp. 125-135. Leykam Graz

RANGE, F., BUGNYAR, T. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2008): The performance of ravens on simple discrimination tasks: a preliminary study. Acta Ethologica, 11, 34-41

SCHEIBER, I.B.R.  WEIß, B. M., HIRSCHENHAUSER, K.., WASCHER, C. A. F., NEDELCU, I. T., KOTRSCHAL, K. (2008): Does 'Relationship Intelligence' Make Big Brains in Birds? The Open Biology Journal, 1, 6-8

SCHLOEGL, C., KOTRSCHAL, K. & BUGNYAR, T. (2008): Do common ravens (Corvus corax) rely on human or conspecific gaze cues to detect hidden food? Animal Cognition, 11, 231-241

SCHLOEGL, C., KOTRSCHAL, K. & BUGNYAR, T. (2008): Modifying the object-choice task: Is the way you look important for ravens? Behavioural Processes, 77(1), 61-65 (request pdf)

SCHLOEGL, C., SCHMIDT, J., SCHEID, C., KOTRSCHAL, K. & BUGNYAR, T. (2008): Gaze following in non-human animals: The corvid example. in: Animal Behaviour: New Research (ed. E. A. Weber & L. H. Krause), New York: Nova Science Publishers; pp. 73-92

SCHOLL, S. GRALL, G., PETZL, V., RÖTHLER, M., SLOTTA-BACHMAYR, L. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2008): Behavioural effects of goats on disabled persons. Therap. Comm. 2008

SCHWAB, C.,  BUGNYAR, T. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2008): Preferential learning from non-affiliated individuals in jackdaws (Corvus monedula). Behavioural Processes, 79(3), 148-155 (request pdf)

SCHWAB, C., BUGNYAR, T., SCHLOEGL, C. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2008): Enhanced social learning between siblings in common ravens, Corvus corax. Animal Behaviour, 75, 501-508

STOEWE, M., BUGNYAR, T., SCHLOEGL, C., KOTRSCHAL, K. & HEINRICH, B. (2008): Corticosterone excretion patterns and affiliative behaviour over development in ravens (Corvus corax). Hormones & Behaviour, 53, 208-216 (request pdf)

WASCHER, C.A.F., ARNOLD, W. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2008): Heart rate modulation by social contexts in greylag geese (Anser anser). Journal of Comparative Psychology 122, 100-107

WASCHER, C.A.F., SCHEIBER, I.B.R. & KOTRSCHAL, K.: Heart rate modulation in bystanding geese watching social and non-social events. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, 275, 1653-1659  

WEIß, B.M., KOTRSCHAL, K., FRIGERIO, D., HEMETSBERGER, J. & SCHEIBER, I. B. R. (2008): Birds of a feather stay together: extended family bonds, clan structures and social support in greylag geese (Anser anser). in: Family relations: behavioral, psychological and sociological aspects (ed. Columbus, F.), New York: Nova Science Publishers; 69-88

BERTIN, A., HIRSCHENHAUSER, K. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2009): Trans-generational influence of human disturbances in Japanese quail: egg quality influences male social and sexual behavior. Ethology; 115, 879-887

BERTIN, A., RICHARD-YRIS, M.A., HOUDELIER, C., RICHARD, S., LUMINEAU, S., KOTRSCHAL, K. & MÖSTL, E. (2009): Divergent selection for inherent fearfulness leads to divergent yolk steroid levels in quails. Behaviour; 146(6), 757-770

DAY, J.E.L., KERGOAT, S. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2009): Do pets influence the quantity and choice of food offered to them by their owners: lessons from other animals and the pre-verbal human infant? CAB Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources, 4, 42, 1-12

KOTRSCHAL, K. (2009): Die evolutionäre Theorie der Mensch-Tier-Beziehung. In: Gefährten - Konkurrenten - Verwandte. Die Mensch-Tier-Beziehung im wissenschaftlichen Diskurs (ed. by. C. Otterstedt & M. Rosenberger). Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht

KOTRSCHAL, K., BAUER, B., SCHÖBERL, I. & WEDL, M. (2009): Towards the Nature of the Human-Dog Social Bond. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 4 (2), 91-92 (published abstract)

KOTRSCHAL, K., SCHÖBERL, I., BAUER, B., THIBEAUT, A.-M. & WEDL, M. (2009): Dyadic relationships and operational performance of male and female owners and their male dogs. Behavioural Processes, 81, 383-391 (request pdf)

SCHEIBER, I.B.R., KOTRSCHAL, K. & WEIß, B.M. (2009): Benefits of family reunions: Social support in secondary greylag goose families. Hormones & Behavior 55, 133 – 138 (request pdf)

SCHEIBER, I. B. R., KOTRSCHAL, K. & WEIß, B. M. (2009). Serial agonistic attacks by greylag goose families (Anser anser) against the same target. Animal Behaviour, 77, 1211-1216

SCHLOEGL, C., DIERKS, A., GAJDON, G.K., HUBER, L., KOTRSCHAL, K. & BUGNYAR, T. (2009): What you see is what you get? Exclusion performances in ravens and keas; PLoS One, 4(8), e6368

SCHÖBERL, I., BAUER, B., DITTAMI, J., MÖSTL, E., WEDL, M. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2009): Effects of Owner Gender and Interaction Style on Stress Coping in Human-Dog Dyads. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 4 (2), 91 (published abstract)

WASCHER, C.A.F., SCHEIBER, I.B.R., WEIß, B.M. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2009). Heart rate responses to agonistic interactions in greylag geese, Anser anser. Animal Behaviour, 77, 955-961

WEDL, M., BAUER, B., DITTAMI, J., SCHÖBERL, I. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2009): Effects of Personality and Sex on Behavioral Patterns in Human-Dog Dyads. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 4 (2), 88-89 (published abstract)

WEDL, M. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2009): Social and Individual Components of Animal Contact in Preschool Children; Antrozoös; 22(4), 383-396 (request pdf)

WEIß, B. M., KOTRSCHAL, K., MÖSTL, E. & HIRSCHENHAUSER, K. (2009): Social and life-history correlates of hormonal partner-compatibility in Greylag geese (Anser anser). Behavioral Ecology, 21, 138-143 (journal link) or (request pdf)

HIRSCHENHAUSER, K., WEIß, B.M., HABERL, W., MÖSTL, E. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2010): Female androgen patterns and within-pair testosterone compatibility in domestic geese (Anser domesticus). General and Comparative Endocrinology, in press

KRALJ-FISER, S., WEIß, B.M. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2010): Behavioural and physiological correlates of personality in greylag geese (Anser anser). Journal of Ethology, in press

KOTRSCHAL, K., SCHEIBER, I.B.R. & HIRSCHENHAUSER, K. (2010): Individual performance in complex social systems. In: Animal Behaviour: Evolution & Mechanism (ed. by P. Kappeler). Heidelberg: Springer Verlag, pp. 121-148

WEIß, B.M., KOTRSCHAL, K., MÖSTL, E. & HIRSCHENHAUSER, K. (2010): Social and life-history correlates of hormonal partner-compatibility in Greylag geese (Anser anser). Behavioral Ecology, 21, 138-143 (journal link) or (request pdf)

HEMETSBERGER, J., SCHEIBER, I.B.R., WEIß, B.M., FRIGERIO, D. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2010): Influences of socially involved hand-raising on life history and stress responses in greylag geese. Interaction studies; 11 (3), 380-395

KRALJ-FISER, S., SCHEIBER, I.B.R., KOTRSCHAL, K., WEIß, B.M. & WASCHER, C.A.F. (2010): Glucocorticoids enhance and suppress heart rate and behaviour in time dependent manner in greylag geese (Anser anser). Physiology and Behaviour; 100, 394-400 (request pdf)

WEDL, M., SCHÖBERL, I., BAUER B., DAY, J. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2010): Relational factors affecting dog social attraction to human partners. Interaction studies; 11(3), 482-503

WEDL, M., BAUER, B., GRABMAYER, C., GRACEY, D., SPIELAUER, E., DAY, J. & KOTRSCHAL, K. (2010): Factors influencing the temporal patterns of dyadic behaviours and interactions between domestic cats and their owners. Behavioural Processes; in press (request pdf)

BEETZ, A., KOTRSCHAL, K., TURNER, D., HEDIGER, K., UVNÄS-MOBERG, K., & JULIUS, H.: The effect of social support by a dog in insecurely attached children: An exploratory study. Anthrozoös, in press

Weiß, B. M., Kotrschal, K. & Foerster, K. (2011): A longitudinal study of dominance and aggression in greylag geese (Anser anser). Behav. Ecol., 22(3): 609-615.

Wascher, C.A.F., Scheiber, I.B.R., Braun, A. & Kotrschal, K. (2011): Heart Rate Responses to Induced Challenge Situations in Greylag Geese (Anser anser). J. Comp. Psychol. 125/1, 116-119.(request pdf)

Schmidt, J., Scheid, C., Kotrschal, K., Bugnyar, T. & Schloegl, C.(2011): Gaze direction - A cue for hidden food in rooks (Corvus frugilegus)?, Behavioural Processes, in press.

Scheiber, I.R.B., Hohnstein, A., Kotrschal, K. &, Weiß, B.M. (2011): Juvenile Greylag Geese (Anser anser) discriminate between individual siblings. PLoS ONE 6(8): e22853. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0022853 (journal link).