Post-doc, assistant research fellow
Biography:
– 2020 – present: assistant research fellow in HUN-REN-PE (formerly ELKH-PE; MTA-PE) Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, University of Pannonia, Veszprém
– 2025: PhD graduation (see dissertation: HERE)
– 2022.9.18 – 2022.12.12: research assistant intern in South Africa, Greater Kruger Area, Balule Game Reserve
– 2018 – present: PhD student, Eötvös Loránd University, Animal Social Networks, Ecological Networks topic
– 2016 – 2018: MSc student of Eötvös Loránd University, Environmental Science/ applied ecology. Thesis topic: Animal Social Networks
– 2011-2016: BSc student of Eötvös Loránd University, Environmental Science/ applied ecology. Thesis topic: Mating behavior of white collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis)
Contact:
Room N-14, Building N, University of Pannonia,
Wartha Vince street 1, Veszprém, Hungary
Pf. 158, H-8201, Veszprém, Hungary
Tel: +36 88 624773
balintkovacs.elte[at]gmail.com
kovacs.balint[at]mk.uni-pannon.hu
Current projects and research interests:
1) Zoo- Housed African penguins (Spheniscus demersus). I study the social lives and dominance relationships of African penguins via social networks. Through my work, I aim to reveal how early-life experiences and personality shape social integration, network topology, and group harmony. Currently, I am working on two sites (zoos): Budapest and Veszprém.
2) Wild great tit (Parus major):
Social Networks: My research focuses on aggression and pairbond networks in great tits. I aim to understand how individual traits and pair-bond dynamics shape the group dynamics and stability of social structure of this species
Population Dynamics and Demography:I model long-term population dynamics of great tits (Parus major) using multi-year demographic data. By analysing variation in survival and reproduction through Life Table Response Experiments (LTRE), I aim to identify the key factors driving changes in population growth.
3) Data Science
I am responsible for managing and maintaining the research group’s central database, OpenBioMaps (https://openbiomaps.org), which stores all field-collected data from our long-term ecological projects. My work focuses on developing and maintaining data workflows using SQL and R Studio, ensuring data quality, consistency, and accessibility for analyses.
Publications:
Peer reviewed papers:
Ágh, N., Bánlaki, Z., Horváth, O., Árpási, Z., Vincze, E., Seress, G., Mihalik, B., Kovács, B., Bukor, B., Pipoly, I., Barna, J., Rónai, Z., and Liker, A. (2025), Variation in DRD4 gene methylation in wild great tits is associated with behavioural tolerance to human disturbance but not with habitat urbanization. J Avian Biol, 2025: e03478. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jav.03478.
Kovács, B., and F. Jordán. (2024). Emergence of keystone individuals in the social networks of the ant Camponotus fellah. Insectes Sociaux. 1-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-024-00963-6.
Vincze, E. & Kovács, B. (2022). Urbanization’s effects on problem solving abilities: a metaanalysis. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.834436.
Jordán, F., Kovács, B., & Verdolin, J. L. (2021). Resource availability influences global social network properties in Gunnison’s prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni). Behaviour, 159(3-4), 321-338. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/1568539X-bja10118.
