So far, this is my favourite pied currawong photo that I have taken thus far. Lamington National Park, QLD. But I also find the "corvid-like" birds of Australia fascinating. #birding#birds#ornithology#wildOz
For the benefit of anyone who started following me recently, I am a biologist based in Canada that works on bird brains and behaviour. I often post photos of birds and other wildlife, but sometimes also brains and our lab's research. #neuroscience#ornithology#birds#brains#anatomy#academia
Looking for something fun in your retirement? I took up backyard birding! Read all about it - "FOR THE BIRDS!" a humorous foray into the world of ornithology. jjcunis.com #birdwatching#ornithology#humor#philosophy
As we're heading towards the end of the swift season I finally got round to reading this. It's an interesting read and at its most engaging when the author is meeting passionate conservationists from across Europe on their home ground, in places like Switzerland, Northern Ireland and Spain.
I did occasionally feel that it could have done with a tighter structure but it's a good introduction to the birds and the challenges they face.
Hello, I am new here, and determined to make this my #ornithology outpost.
I am an ecologist interested in the behaviour of birds. I am particularly interested in how birds broadly communicate information - including social behaviours, visual (feathers!) and vocal signals, and the influence of the environment.
I also work on survey methods and species conservation. #introduction
The latest episode of #TheMemoryPalace is an absolute stunner. It's a re-upload from 2015, but the beauty of that podcast is that it doesn't matter. They're not chronological, each episode is self-contained.
Do yourself a favour and allow yourself 17 minutes to sit back and listen.
some more pictures from my bugs and #birds day in the garden! nothing too exotic but lots of familiar faces* in the garden today. i was joined by my house #sparrow neighbours (they nest in the tree at the end of the garden), some #pigeons and a #magpie 🐦⬛ of course, a day in north wales wouldn't be complete without some #seagulls too (not pictured)
bonus "spot the sparrow" in the fourth pic (description in the alt text)
Cracticines, the "corvid-like" birds of Australia and New Guinea, are highly under-rated. These two, the Australian magpie and pied currawong are very common in suburban areas, very vocal, but have very different personalities. Magpies are more bold, becoming aggressive during breeding season. Currawongs are more skittish and tend to be more neophobic. Great to see them both again after many years away. #wildOz#ornithology#birds#birding
"When Smith pulled these estimates together and adjusted each for its degree of certainty, the findings came down to a single ski slope of a chart. It showed a precipitous drop in nearly all these species in every part of the continent. At the bottom sat four lone digits—2.913. That’s the number of breeding birds in billions that had disappeared since the early 1970s."
Nightingales are great singers, but how well can they hit the tone? 🎶 Scientists from Daniela Vallentin’s group at our institute found that nightingales can imitate the pitch of whistles in real time! Read more: https://www.bi.mpg.de/news/2023-07-vallentin
I was a member of a birding group on another social media platform that I have now left for the reason described below. A member of the group shared a photo of what he asserted was an overheated oriole that he found on a paved road. He took the bird into his air-conditioned car, cooled it down, and then released it. I commented that it was an example of how birds can be adversely affected by climate change as documented in some journal articles. Shortly thereafter, my comment was removed. I sent a note to one of the group administrators, a past president of a statewide ornithological group, and was told my comment was removed because the group prohibits political statements. I guess we live in a time when a widely accepted position of scientists can be considered political, and censoring that position can be considered apolitical. 🤷♂️
Australian magpies are highly under-rated birds. Amazing plumage, highly inquisitive and one of the best songs produced by a songbird, in my humble opinion. #wildOz#birds#birding#ornithology
Do you participate in Cornell University's ornithology programs? Do you use the eBird database? Do you use the eBird or Merlin apps? If so I want to follow you and build a list of fellow eBirders so we can share knowledge, experiences, photos, etc.
Copypasta from USFWS on bird site ... there is a feather atlas that exists
"Hey, what feather is this? Sometimes it's necessary to know what feather belongs to what bird in order to solve a wildlife crime. Our law enforcement personnell use the Feather Atlas, and you can too:"
Do you participate in Cornell University's ornithology programs? Do you use the eBird database? Do you use the eBird or Merlin apps? If so I want to follow you and build a list of fellow eBirders so we can share knowledge, experiences, photos, etc.
The bird population in the U.S. is down about 3 billion breeding birds since 1970. Around a billion birds are killed in the U.S. each year by flying into windows. Around 2.5 billion birds are killed by feral cats. Learn what you can do to help birds.
Are you a scientist who's active on Mastodon and does research in #ornithology, #ecology, #naturalhistory, or a related field? I want to follow you - please reply and introduce yourself! (And please share so this reaches more people!)