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...

Individual routes of common terns Sterna hirundo are adaptive: they can be flexibly adjusted to environmental variation, as shows Kürten et al. in a new paper based on data from light-level geolocators. Read more on doi.org/10.1098/rspb... . @birgenhaest.bsky.social

Did you ever want to start with Bayesian statistics but didn't know how to start? Then we encourage you to read "Ten quick tips to get you started with Bayesian statistics": doi.org/10.1371/jour... with co-authored by our Marc #Kery.

🐦Master Thesis Opportunity at Swiss Ornithological Institute @vogelwarte.bsky.social Explore the drivers of natal dispersal timing in birds through a meta-analysis. Ideal for students skilled in R and interested in avian ecology. www.vogelwarte.ch/en/about-us/...

Playback can be used as a conservation tool to attract wrynecks - given that habitat quality is high! Check out our new paper @aer-ese-bes.bsky.social @britishecologicalsociety.org @vogelwarte.bsky.social #ornithology #conservation tinyurl.com/ysa8ay8y

We studied the population dynamics of the Boreal Owl in the Jura using data collected by Pierre-Alain Ravussin's group over a period of 30 years. This population is characterised by strong fluctuations.

Another birding paper! 🐦Where do the Nearctic landbirds that show up in Europe each autumn come from? We usually assume they come from NE populations, pushed off course by bad weather - but is that the whole story? #ornithology 1/3 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Panter et al. introduce the LIFE EUROKITE Assessment Protocol (LEAP), a framework for determining the timing, locations, and causes of mortality in GPS-tagged birds. LEAP has sufficient potential to improve research on avian mortality and to inform conservation actions. doi.org/10.1002/ece3...