One week in, 149 birds have been registered. Among them is 25-yr-old Roy, currently the oldest bird of the population, after most other elderly terns died during the HPAI outbreaks of 2022 and 2023.
Artificial selection for increased reproductive effort accelerates actuarial senescence and reduces lifespan in a precocial bird doi.org/10.1098/rspb... | #ProcB #Evolution
We are looking for a full-time, permanent, animal caretaker in Wilhelmshaven.
Work with songbirds & quail in an international research team:
- Bird care & welfare
- Breeding programs
- Hand-rearing chicks
- Husbandry & hygiene
- Data records
More info: ifv-vogelwarte.de/en/institute...
Out now in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment: a study in which we assessed whether mercury levels vary among feather types within individual terns, how feather mercury levels relate to those in blood, and whether all levels vary with sex and age in a similar way: doi.org/10.1007/s106...
New paper out: Artificial selection for increased reproductive effort accelerates actuarial senescence and reduces lifespan in a precocial bird url: royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article... @uniexecec.bsky.social @erikpostma.bsky.social @joelpick.bsky.social y.social @oscarvedder.bsky.social
Wow, after 8 birds arrived on the 12th of April, 57 more arrived on the 13th! I've not seen an 'arrival-explosion' like it. The birds seem excited about it too, wasting no time between arrival, courtship and the start of 'nest building'.
In other lovely news: the first gull-billed terns have returned over the weekend too. You can follow their stories on the blog of @gullbilledterns-de.bsky.social's website:
gelochelidon.de/blog/gull-bi...
As an update: 6 more birds were registered by the system yesterday, such that 8 birds are known to have arrived in total, with more spotted today. Synchronous, but not early, as the first-arrival summary-graph for the years 1994-2026 shows:
Live from the field: they’re here! The first two registrations of the 2026 season are a fact and go to Calderon and Pricilla. ❤️
The museum we designed and built at the field site, to share both our view on, and growing knowledge of, the Banter See common terns now has a sign, and is open for business. Opening times can be found here: www.wattenmeer-besucherzentrum.de/flussseeschw...
🧬 New study!
How do mitochondria change across life? We tracked mtDNAcn within Zebra finches and found early-life decline and links of mtDNAcn to late-life flight performance
#Ornithology #Physiology #Mitochondria
@sbohvm.gla.ac.uk @ifv-whv.bsky.social
🔗 royalsocietypublishing.org/rsbl/article...
Among 480 (!!) birds caught by #TeamSAFRINGSénégal last night, there were 4 Banter See birds, including 5-yr old Piccolo, who prospected in 2023 and bred in 2024 and 2025, receiving a geolocator in 2025. After a quick check, he is now on his way to us! ❤️ Thanks to Bruno Portier for the photo!
A fascinating plenary at #EOU26 by Miriam Liedvogel (@genmig.bsky.social)
Uncovering the mysteries of migration through work on blackcaps, and ending with an important reminder: the need for outreach and communication beyond academia, especially with children.
Inspiring on many levels.
New publication alert! 🥳🍾 With Prof. Dr. Kraiczy's lab, we asked how natural genetic variation affects the function of immune modulatory Borrelia proteins and if this could influence how pathogenic the populations are to humans. Out now in Scientific Reports:
doi.org/10.1038/s415...
Help us find ticks in Germany! NABU has launched a nation wide effort to understand the range expansion of ticks in Germany. With changing climates, tick species have been able to extend their ranges. You can help by reporting tick images as explained below:
www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pf...
The observation huts and rat protection are up. It's beginning to look a lot like the breeding season of 2026. Thanks to yet another dreamteam this season!❤️
Members of the Institute of Avian Research, dressed in purple to celebrate 'Dress for STEM' day.
Today we celebrate ‘Dress for STEM Day’, and wear purple clothes to celebrate all women in #STEM (#science, #technology, #engineering, #mathematics) and raise awareness to the underrepresentation of women in these fields.
Special issue flyer. Photo shows bar-tailed godwits (image: iStock)
Editorial team behind the special issue: Tiia Kärkkäinen, Pablo Salmón and Barbara Helm
Figure from the editorial: Features and topics of the studies included in the Special Issue. (A) Global distribution of studies with Flyway System boundaries and names defined according to BirdLife International. The circle size represents the number of studies per country. (B) Taxonomic composition of studies grouped into broad species categories. (C) Distribution of studies across physiological domains addressed in this issue. Each category represents a primary focus, although several studies span multiple topics.
✨ Editorial: a summary and synopsis of the studies included in the special issue on migration physiology written by the editorial team @pablosalmon.bsky.social @barbarahelm.bsky.social #TiiaKärkkäinen
➡️ vist.ly/4ucex
#ornithology #birds #migration #physiology
🔈Really happy to see this one ⬇️ out! 🎉
Great to see this compilation of studies finally published. Thanks to all the authors, reviewers and the team @avianbiology.bsky.social who made this possible!
Editorial: nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
#Ornithology #Physiology #Migration
female blackcap with its characteristic brown cap
happy international women's day
(c) of the beautiful female blackcap @co-la.bsky.social
Early morning start 😴 but on my way to the joint ringers conference between Radolfzell and Helgoland to present some results about bird-tick interactions won through standardized monitoring of breeding birds ☺️
📢 Hiring: Tenure Track Professor of Flyway Ecology & Scientific Director of BirdEyes, the Centre for Global Ecological Change
Apply before 31 Mar 👇
werkenbij.rug.nl/vacature/ten...
#Hiring #Vacancy #ScienceJobs #SciComm
Oral Presentation and Poster submission is now open!
Our upcoming annual meeting will take place from 16–20 September at the University of Mainz. The main topics are #LifeHistory, #BehaviouralEcology, #MovementEcology, and environmental endocrinology.
www.do-g.de/veranstalten...
This week's EGI seminar will be given by Prof Hanna Kokko @kokkonut.bsky.social from Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz @unimainz.bsky.social on the role of time in avian trade-offs. All welcome in person in LT1 in LaMB @biology.ox.ac.uk 3.30pm on 6 March. Also live-streamed: details available ⬇️
a chaffinch staring at the photographer
New paper led by @alperyelimlies.bsky.social with @caglaonsal.bsky.social where we examine the repeatability of aggression in urban and rural chaffinches. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
I’m so over-the-moon happy to share that our lovely @mjgarciabianco.bsky.social, so far with us as a fellow funded by @sfb1372.bsky.social, will be able to continue her work in the common tern team as a PhD student, co-funded by ANID and the @daadworldwide.bsky.social.
DOG Online Symposium: Parrots on Facades and Seagulls on Roofs
Join us on March 6th (15:00-18:00) for our inaugural online symposium. Dive into the world of urban nesting birds. Don’t miss this chance to enhance your understanding of these unique species!
A comparison of methods to assess selective disappearance and quantify ageing
doi.org/10.32942/X2Q...
⌛Last change to register for #EOU26!
Don't miss the opportunity to join us in Gdańsk and meet our inspiring plenary speakers and round table participants!
🔗Register now: eou-fledglings.github.io/2026/registr...
@biologists.bsky.social #Ornithology
