The effects on migratory birds of the seasonal transition between wet and dry in West Africa are not well understood. Using a long-term ringing dateset from Nigeria, we determine whetherbody reserves vary as a funtion of local rainfall and NDVI. doi.org/10.1098/rspb...

To evaluate the impact of the influenza virus (HPAIV) in the Peregrine Falcon, Integrated Population Modelling was used. The analyses revealed drastic declines in adult survival, suggesting a shift in HPAIV dynamics compared to the previous epizootics. Read more: doi.org/10.1111/1365...

For birds migrating at night, the consequences of artificial light can be fatal. @barbarahelm.bsky.social @baptischmi.bsky.social and co-authors found evidence for attraction towards light pollution of sea-crossing birds using ornithological radars along the Croatian coast. doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...

Using passive acoustic monitoring, our team and our parners in Africa found that species richness and occurence probability is hihgher in grazing exclusion - a measure to restore degraded habitats - compared to control sites. Read more here doi.org/10.1002/eap....

🚨 PhD offer (please share) Fascinated by bird migration and movement ecology? 🦜🌍 Join us at @vogelwarte.bsky.social to study annual cycle energetics with multi-sensor loggers in multiple species Deadline: 20 Feb 2026 Starting: June 2026 Supervision: Martins Briedis & me Info: tinyurl.com/2dbv9nzh

Happy to share our new paper published in @cp-iscience.bsky.social We deployed 300+ multi-sensor loggers across 17 species to investigate how different species adapt their flight strategies when crossing deserts and marine areas during migration. tinyurl.com/2c8y8xvf #ornithology #birds

Swiss Breeding Bird Monitoring dataset is now openly accessible! The team from @vogelwarte.bsky.social made the long-term dataset of the Swiss CBM program (“Monitoring Häufige Brutvögel”, MHB) freely available under CC-BY 4.0 licence. esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

NEW JOB in #ornithology with @vogelwarte.bsky.social to unravel the demographic drivers of population change in Alpine #swifts in #Switzerland: buff.ly/crV1rT8

House Martins are declining in Switzerland. To help them, our team conducted a study and recommend installing artificial nests withing 500m of occupied sites and using playback of conspecific vocalizations. doi.org/10.1111/csp2...

On 1 January 2026, Stephanie Michler and Hubert Schürmann will take over the conservation department at the Swiss Ornithological Institute and represent it as part of the institute's directorate. They succeed Peter Knaus, who leaves the Institute after 25 years. www.vogelwarte.ch/en/protection/

Winter means.. communal roosts! 🦅🐦🦜 But why do birds form such roosts? In red kites, young single males are the most frequent visitors. Once paired, birds roost more solitarily, often together as a pair. 📢 Now online: tinyurl.tools/98e9279e @animalecology.bsky.social @vogelwarte.bsky.social

Can high biodiversity and agricultural productivity be reconciled? A community model of the bird–arthropod food web in African cocoa agroforestry indicates that low-intensity farming practices favour certain bird species and enhance the abundance of potential pollinators. doi.org/10.1002/eap....

New study on factors influencing collisions of Red Kite Milvus milvus with wind turbines: findings suggest that turbines with rotor diameters <90m and clearances > 60m may pose a lower relative threat to Red Kites. Read more here: doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...

A study by the WSL and @vogelwarte.bsky.social using long-term data has shown that bark beetles are good for woodpeckers🪲🐦: woodpeckers use the dead wood produced by bark beetle infestations as shelter and nesting sites🪵. WSL-News: www.wsl.ch/en/news/why-... #Biodiversity #Woodpecker #DeadWood

Our team analysed the correlation of N deposition with numbers of territories of 112 Swiss breeding birds species. Insectivous and herbivorous species were more negatively associated with N deposistion, as well as ground-nesting species. Read more here: doi.org/10.1111/cobi...

Very happy to finally have this out! 🎉 A review of the diets of European insectivorous birds. Huge thanks to Klaus Birkhofer, @johanekroos.bsky.social, @henrikgsmith.bsky.social and all co-authors! 🙏 #ornithology @biologylu.bsky.social @vogelwarte.bsky.social @helsinki.fi doi.org/10.1016/j.bi...

NEW PAPER: LiDAR-based habitat mapping shows that nightingales prefer dense mid-level vegetation and tall canopies. The study showcases how remote sensing can inform habitat restoration and biodiversity conservation. ➡️ vist.ly/4bjs6 #ornithology #birds @vogelwarte.bsky.social 🪶

🚨New paper out Our study reveals how barn owl parents coordinate nightly chick feeding. Females step up when males underperform & pairs that meet more often at the nest share work more equally boosting chick survival🦉 doi.org/10.1016/j.is... @unil.bsky.social @vogelwarte.bsky.social #movementecology

Exciting science news on plumage colouration and genetic variation from our colleagues!

1/9 New in @science.org www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ado8005 How does genetic architecture constrain evolutionary trajectories? To address this question, we inferred the genetic architecture of convergent plumage coloration and its evolutionary history in wheatears.

🚨 Master’s project! Curious how birds find their way? 🧭🐦 Analyze decades of ringing data to study abnormal migratory routes and uncover what these deviations can reveal about the mechanisms guiding birds on their journeys. Drop me an email for details! #ornithology www.vogelwarte.ch/de/wir/mitar...

More Skylark science: a study with @agroscope.bsky.social tested whether Skylark strips in intensive winter cereal fields improved habitat quality for the species. Short answer: yes! The odds for nest being successful were 12.5 times that of control fields. doi.org/10.1111/csp2...

In Europe, the Skylark Alauda arvensis has shown some sever declines. Populations are more stable in the Swiss Alps. To better inform conservation management, our team studied the limiting factors for these populations. Read more here: doi.org/10.1111/ibi....

NEW PAPER: Parental anti-predator investment in red kites shifts with food conditions, reflecting both offspring vulnerability and reproductive value, with their relative importance changing across nestling age. ➡️ vist.ly/45uxb #ornithology #birds #RaptorResearch @vogelwarte.bsky.social

#EOU2025 Come and join us for the symposium on the importance of vagrancy in ecology and evolution. Lots of great results in the talks from the different speakers! LR4 - Friday 22 - 10:30 @alexanderlees.bsky.social @joewynnbirds.bsky.social #ornithology @vogelwarte.bsky.social

Excellent talk from @carladreon.bsky.social @vogelwarte.bsky.social in the life history & development #ornithology plenary @eounion.bsky.social evidencing lay date plasticity in alpine swifts with warming temperatures - a heritable adaptation that boosts individual reproductive success. #EOU2025

#EOU2025 #ALAN #migration #policy symposium - LR3 - Tuesday 19 - 11:30h Then, Simon Hirschhofer will show how light pollution is impacting migratory bird flights at the Adriatic coast. @vogelwarte.bsky.social @barbarahelm.bsky.social #ornithology #aeroecology #movementecology #lightpollution

#EOU2025 Come and join us for the symposium on #bird #migration and #ALAN, aiming to discuss fundamental research and policy. LR3 - Tuesday 19 - 10:30h @baptischmi.bsky.social @carburt.bsky.social @jlyr.bsky.social @vogelwarte.bsky.social #ornithology #aeroecology #movementecology #lightpollution

#EOU2025 is starting in #Bangor (Wales, UK). Come to see my poster on nocturnal bird migration at the Mediteranean coast in France. #migraLion #aeroecology #ornithology @vogelwarte.bsky.social

Have you ever wondered why parents react stronger to danger with small than with older children? Because they are more vulnerable! This seems to be less the case when children are well fed - at least in red kites 😉 Check out our new paper in #ornithology @vogelwarte.bsky.social tinyurl.com/322wpbp6

"Conspecific vocalisations as a Wryneck conservation tool: if you play it, will they settle?" The Applied Ecologist has published a blog featuring our new publication @aer-ese-bes.bsky.social Enjoy reading! tinyurl.com/d3cvh9p8

🔈New Blog Post - Conspecific vocalisations as a Wryneck conservation tool: if you play it, will they settle? appliedecologistsblog.com/2025/08/08/c... Check out our research summary blogs for more details behind the research ⭐

Combining high-resolution atmospheric analysis and global positioning system tracking data, @matthiastschumi.bsky.social and his team explored the role of gravity waves in soaring golden eagles, with results supporting the regular use of these waves. Read more here: doi.org/10.1098/rsif...

Using data of 49 radio-tracked White-back Woodpeckers, A. Ettwein, M. Lanz & G. Pasinelli provide the first estimates for seasonal and total home-range size of the species. For its conservation, at least 116-350 ha of forest should be present for one breeding pair. doi.org/10.1007/s103...

Croatia serves as a connection point for the 3 flyways in the African-Palearctic bird migration system. Using radar data, @baptischmi.bsky.social @barbarahelm.bsky.social et al. provide quantitative evidence that migratory birds cross the region in a variety of directions. doi.org/10.1186/s404...

Together with @wslresearch.bsky.social & @ethz.ch, we looked at the relation between resource pulses and woodpecker density. Our findings showed a strong increase of woodpecker density with the pulse of deadwood, rather than the pulse of bark beetles. Read more here: doi.org/10.1111/1365...

Our latest nutcracker paper is out! In a collaborative effort between @sgn.one and @vogelwarte.bsky.social we show how bird age can affect seed dispersal 🐥🌱 #ProcB @royalsocietypublishing.org Avian seed dispersal function is age dependent doi.org/10.1098/rspb... @matthiastschumi.bsky.social

The #EditorsChoice article for the issue discusses how #moth communities are shaped by season, weather, elevation, and landscape composition doi.org/10.1111/icad.12835 #Biodiversity #InsectCommunities @felixneff.bsky.social @agroscope.bsky.social @vogelwarte.bsky.social Photo credit: Felix Neff

Today is #WorldChocolateDay. Did you know that Swiss people eat the most chocolate per capita? Therefore, we take responsability in making cocoa plantations better for birds. Our project in Africa promotes sustainable cocoa agriculture - for birds and for people. shorturl.at/yg5pp

To estimate survival, a key parameter in population dynamics, ecologists use different statistical models to account for imperfect detection of living and dead individuals. M. Schaub and @jaumebadiaboher.bsky.social studied the performance of these models. Read more here: doi.org/10.1002/ece3...

Combining weather radar data with environmental data, @birgenhaest.bsky.social and co-authors found that peak roosting phenology of migrating martins and swallows in the Great Lakes region is paced by both local and distant conditions. Read more on doi.org/10.1111/geb....

Bird migration forecast models help mitigate the impact of human activity on avifauna. Using weather dynamics at various spatial and temporal scales, these models can be enhanced, as a new study shows: doi.org/10.1007/s004... @baptischmi.bsky.social

«Mit einer einzigen Massnahme könnten wir zehn Arten von der Roten Liste streichen» @vogelwarte.bsky.social www.tagesanzeiger.ch/vogelschutz-...

Ever heard of the Worldwide Soundscapes project? It's a collaborative network and growing database which contains metadata from more than 400 datasets from passive acoustic monitoring projects across all realms. Read more about it on doi.org/10.1111/geb....

A playback experiment on Wrynecks Jynx torquilla shows that both personal and social information seem to affect habitat selection, but that food availability is the main cue for settlement. More on doi.org/10.1002/2688...

Using blood samples from passerine birds caught at our ringing station Col de Bretolet, Susanne Jenni-Eiermann & Lukas Jenni analyzed whether migration strategy and diet during energy deposition are related to the metabolic profile during migratory flight. More on doi.org/10.1002/ece3....

In a new study using down feathers and regurgitated pellets from nestling barn owls from our population monitoring program, mercury accumulation and biomagnification were investigated. Results show that prey composition significantly influenced fur THg levels. More on doi.org/10.1016/j.jh... .

A new article in #RESInsectConsDiv shows moth communities are shaped by season, weather, elevation & landscape composition - a dataset of unusually large spatial & temporal extent Read the article now🔽 doi.org/10.1111/icad.12835 @felixneff.bsky.social @agroscope.bsky.social @vogelwarte.bsky.social

New paper! #Goldeneagles ride the wind – literally! Soaring birds use invisible lifts in the air- so-called thermals and orographic lifts. Our latest research uncovers another source of uplift that golden eagles use: #gravitywaves (c) T. Thusholt @vogelwarte.bsky.social @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social

nice paper by Michael #Schaub & @jaumebadiaboher.bsky.social @vogelwarte.bsky.social in @ecol-evol.bsky.social on #CMR models in #bayesian framework to estimate #survival #rstat #ecology 🧪🌍 #openaccess ! doi.org/10.1002/ece3...