Ledi Selgjekaj

Current Focus

My PhD focuses on waterbird populations in Albanian wetlands and the effects of climate change. The project involves analyzing distribution data for breeding and wintering waterbirds from international databases, with a particular emphasis on the Pied avocet in Narta Lagoon, the largest breeding site for this species in Albania and part of the Vjosa-Narta Protected Area.

The research will investigate the Pied avocet's breeding biology, behavior, and nesting populations, using GPS tagging to track habitat selection and movements. This data will help identify critical habitats, migration corridors, and stopover sites in southeastern Europe. By comparing the results with historical data and environmental variables, the study aims to detect shifts in migration patterns due to climate change. This is the first comprehensive investigation of the Pied Avocet’s ecology in Albania, addressing key gaps in the species knowledge in southeastern Europe.

Previous Research and Other Interests

I have over five years of experience working with PPNEA, a nature conservation organization within the BirdLife global partnership, where I manage bird conservation programs. My work has focused on tackling the Illegal Killing of Birds (IKB) in Albania, aiming to reduce poaching, capture, and trade as well as addressing poisoning, a major threat to the endangered Egyptian vulture, the only breeding vulture in Albania.

In addition to working with birds of prey, I have conducted studies on breeding birds in key wetlands across the country and coordinated the International Waterbird Census in important biodiversity areas. I've also lectured on Bird Identification courses to train young people in bird identification through images, sounds, and methodologies to study birds. Lastly, in 2021, I participated in shorebird behavior training in Albania conducted by the ELVONAL shorebird group.

LINKS

Curriculum Vitae

Education

  • 2024-current: PhD in Biology, University of Debrecen, Hungary

  • 2018-2020: MSc in Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Albania

  • 2015-2018: BSc in Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Albania

Appointments

  • 2019-current: Project manager at Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA), Nature Conservation Organization, NGO.

Publications

Oppel, S., Dobrev, V., Arkumarev, V., Saravia‐Mullin, V., Bashmili, K., Bino, T.,  Bounas, A., Chardin, A., Dobrev, D., Duro, K., Kapsalis, E., Kret, E., Marchant, M.-P., Nakev, S., Petrovski, N., Papaioannou, H., Popgeorgiev, H., Selgjekaj, L., Skartsi, T., Stamenov, A., Stoychev, S., Topi, M., Vavylis, D., Velevski, M., Vorpsi, Z., Weston, J., Xeka, E., Xherri, X., Yordanov E. & Nikolov, S. C. (2024). Long‐term conservation efforts at flyway scale can halt the population decline in a globally endangered migratory raptor. Animal Conservation, 27(3), 374-385. DOI: doi.org/10.1111/acv.1291 📄

Dobrev, V., Topi, M., Hallmann, B., Dobrev, D., Arkumarev, V., Saravia-Mullin, V., Bounas, A., Pappaionnou, H., Bino, T., Duro, K., Xherri, X., Vorpsi, Z., Selgjekaj, L., Xeka, E., Sevo, B., Loce, E., Saliaj, O., Ziu, D., Oppel, S., Popgeorgiev, G. S. & Nikolov, S. C. (2022). Status and Threats for the Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Albania. In Proceedings of the Egyptian Vulture Conference (Vol. 8, p. 9). 📄

Topi, M., Vorpsi, Z., Selgjekaj, L., & Mladenov, V. (2022). Population status of the Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola in Albania. Ornithologische Beobachter, 119(4). 📄

Xherri, X., & Selgjekaj, L. (2022). Si të shijoni kacavarjen pa shqetësuar shpendët.  National Library Tirane. ISBN 978-9928-294-87-6. URL

Bego, F., & Selgjekaj, L. (2022). On the colonial breeding waterbirds in the lagoonary complex of Kune-Vaini. Journal of Natural and Technical Sciences, 53(XXVI), 227. 📄