Cillian O’Brien

BSc

Cillian is an Ecologist with Flynn Furney Environmental Consultants, where he began working full-time in September 2025. He holds a BSc in Ecology and Environmental Biology from University College Cork.

For his thesis, Cillian studied the seasonal variation in the diets of Herring Gulls and Lesser Black-backed Gulls on the Saltee Islands, Co. Wexford. This research examined differences between the breeding season and the non-breeding season and involved extensive fieldwork collecting gull pellets, followed by detailed laboratory analysis. Through this work, he developed strong skills in species identification, ecological data analysis and GIS.

At UCC, Cillian gained practical field experience both in Ireland and abroad. He further developed his ecological skills through two years of botanical work in a nursery and by completing an internship in Belize, Central America, where he gained experience in wildlife rehabilitation and species identification.

With Flynn Furney, Cillian assists in delivering a range of ecological services, including winter and breeding bird surveys, habitat assessments, invasive alien plant species (IAPS) surveys, bat emergence surveys, appropriate assessments and electrofishing support.

Cillian is an active member of BirdWatch Ireland and BTO and regularly participates in surveys, including winter/breeding bird surveys and I-WeBS counts. He has a strong interest in Irish bird identification and is beginning his bird-ringing training with the NPWS.