James works as is a senior postdoctoral researcher at the University of East Anglia. James completed his PhD in 2007, studying the ecology and conservation of yellow wagtails in British farmland.

Since then, he has led numerous research projects around the world, including biodiversity assessments in the Colombian Andes and endangered species recovery programs in the Florida Everglades. His current work focuses on how long-distance migratory birds are responding to climate change. James has extensive experience conducting ecological surveys in a wide range of habitats and is an accomplished quantitative ecologist and modeller.