Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
@raccoonologist.bsky.social
PhD researching cockatoo cognition at Uni Vetmed Vienna. Master of Raccoons. Urban wildlife nerd & bin animal aficionado. She/her. Manages @asab.org
Highlight of my day: Steve Novella from my fave podcast @theskepticsguide.bsky.social saw right through this immediately. The issue here is definitional and you can almost claim any object is tool use with the current definitions - which is why ”tooling“ is a better framework to study the phenomenon
This is super cool object-related problem solving, but it is not actually tool use, the meaning of which I covered extensively IN THE PHD THESIS I JUST HANDED IN 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
globalnews.ca/news/1153034...
globalnews.ca/news/1153034...
Cameras capture B.C. sea wolf raiding crab traps in first possible ‘tool use’ | Globalnews.ca
'Our crews came in and said that, you know, something had been pulling our crab traps and taking the bait,' William Housty told Global News.
globalnews.ca
November 28, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Highlight of my day: Steve Novella from my fave podcast @theskepticsguide.bsky.social saw right through this immediately. The issue here is definitional and you can almost claim any object is tool use with the current definitions - which is why ”tooling“ is a better framework to study the phenomenon
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
Just saw this in my inbox. It seems to make a claim for biologically predisposed (due to natural selection) anatomy for nutcracking using hammers with power grips in west African chimpanzees.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Morphological variation in the manual distal phalanges of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in relation to tool-use behavior
www.sciencedirect.com
November 28, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Just saw this in my inbox. It seems to make a claim for biologically predisposed (due to natural selection) anatomy for nutcracking using hammers with power grips in west African chimpanzees.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
American thanksgiving is at a stupid time of year. That’s right, I said, us Canadians have it the correct way. 4 weeks before Christmas? Get out of here. A harvest festival so long after harvest it’s snowing half the time? Pah. Space out your feasts properly 🇨🇦
a woman wearing a plaid shirt with a canadian maple leaf on the bottom right
Alt: a woman wearing a plaid shirt with a canadian maple leaf on the bottom right shrugging mouthing sorry
media.tenor.com
November 27, 2025 at 6:42 PM
American thanksgiving is at a stupid time of year. That’s right, I said, us Canadians have it the correct way. 4 weeks before Christmas? Get out of here. A harvest festival so long after harvest it’s snowing half the time? Pah. Space out your feasts properly 🇨🇦
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
Vienna dog owners! Clever Dog Lab researchers and I have new study for your pups to participate in😊
Only need one visit to the lab to play with their favorite toy😍
Email to participate today! [email protected]
@asommese.bsky.social
Only need one visit to the lab to play with their favorite toy😍
Email to participate today! [email protected]
@asommese.bsky.social
November 25, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Vienna dog owners! Clever Dog Lab researchers and I have new study for your pups to participate in😊
Only need one visit to the lab to play with their favorite toy😍
Email to participate today! [email protected]
@asommese.bsky.social
Only need one visit to the lab to play with their favorite toy😍
Email to participate today! [email protected]
@asommese.bsky.social
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
it's great that convergent evolution made sure we have the "evil muppet lurking in the swamp" niche covered on multiple continents
November 25, 2025 at 10:47 PM
it's great that convergent evolution made sure we have the "evil muppet lurking in the swamp" niche covered on multiple continents
Glad Nessie O‘Neill is already debunking that ”raccoons are domesticating themselves“ paper that’s being reported everywhere, I haven’t had the chance to look into it myself yet but I was already suspicious based on the references to Balyaev 🦊…
www.tiktok.com/@lochnessoff...
www.tiktok.com/@lochnessoff...
This is what happens when you have bunch of folks who have no knowledge of raccoon biology run a study like this. Not to mention the fact that the professor who led the study (again, who has no real k...
TikTok video by Nessie
www.tiktok.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Glad Nessie O‘Neill is already debunking that ”raccoons are domesticating themselves“ paper that’s being reported everywhere, I haven’t had the chance to look into it myself yet but I was already suspicious based on the references to Balyaev 🦊…
www.tiktok.com/@lochnessoff...
www.tiktok.com/@lochnessoff...
This is super cool object-related problem solving, but it is not actually tool use, the meaning of which I covered extensively IN THE PHD THESIS I JUST HANDED IN 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
globalnews.ca/news/1153034...
globalnews.ca/news/1153034...
Cameras capture B.C. sea wolf raiding crab traps in first possible ‘tool use’ | Globalnews.ca
'Our crews came in and said that, you know, something had been pulling our crab traps and taking the bait,' William Housty told Global News.
globalnews.ca
November 18, 2025 at 5:30 PM
This is super cool object-related problem solving, but it is not actually tool use, the meaning of which I covered extensively IN THE PHD THESIS I JUST HANDED IN 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
globalnews.ca/news/1153034...
globalnews.ca/news/1153034...
My brother is visiting, took him to see the amazing view from the Aggstein ruins
November 15, 2025 at 8:49 PM
My brother is visiting, took him to see the amazing view from the Aggstein ruins
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
Excited to share our newly published study on object neophobia and how it relates to problem-solving in #GoffinsCockatoos #TanimbarCorella!
@auersperga.bsky.social @mohara.bsky.social @bmioduszewska.bsky.social @plosone.org
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
@auersperga.bsky.social @mohara.bsky.social @bmioduszewska.bsky.social @plosone.org
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Seizing opportunities: Object neophobia as a factor mediating technical innovation in Goffin´s cockatoos?
Most studies find substantial inter-individual differences in problem-solving performance within a species, which can drastically influence an individual´s fitness. It has been suggested that innovati...
doi.org
November 12, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Excited to share our newly published study on object neophobia and how it relates to problem-solving in #GoffinsCockatoos #TanimbarCorella!
@auersperga.bsky.social @mohara.bsky.social @bmioduszewska.bsky.social @plosone.org
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
@auersperga.bsky.social @mohara.bsky.social @bmioduszewska.bsky.social @plosone.org
doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
1/7 Vocal mimicry, robots, and music
The ability to mimic sounds could be extremely common among corvids. Here, it has been found in 39 species (30%), but it is predicted that it could be present in around 82% of them.
(paper) link.springer.com/article/10.1...
The ability to mimic sounds could be extremely common among corvids. Here, it has been found in 39 species (30%), but it is predicted that it could be present in around 82% of them.
(paper) link.springer.com/article/10.1...
November 10, 2025 at 7:25 PM
1/7 Vocal mimicry, robots, and music
The ability to mimic sounds could be extremely common among corvids. Here, it has been found in 39 species (30%), but it is predicted that it could be present in around 82% of them.
(paper) link.springer.com/article/10.1...
The ability to mimic sounds could be extremely common among corvids. Here, it has been found in 39 species (30%), but it is predicted that it could be present in around 82% of them.
(paper) link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
BehaveAI is live!
Our biologically inspired video analysis tool sees motion as colour. Track animals or objects, classify their behaviour, and handle complex natural scenes with ease.
Semi-supervised annotation, no GPUs required, user-friendly, free & open source.
Pre-print tinyurl.com/BehaveAI
Our biologically inspired video analysis tool sees motion as colour. Track animals or objects, classify their behaviour, and handle complex natural scenes with ease.
Semi-supervised annotation, no GPUs required, user-friendly, free & open source.
Pre-print tinyurl.com/BehaveAI
November 6, 2025 at 10:09 AM
BehaveAI is live!
Our biologically inspired video analysis tool sees motion as colour. Track animals or objects, classify their behaviour, and handle complex natural scenes with ease.
Semi-supervised annotation, no GPUs required, user-friendly, free & open source.
Pre-print tinyurl.com/BehaveAI
Our biologically inspired video analysis tool sees motion as colour. Track animals or objects, classify their behaviour, and handle complex natural scenes with ease.
Semi-supervised annotation, no GPUs required, user-friendly, free & open source.
Pre-print tinyurl.com/BehaveAI
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
1/3 Cooperative hunting in ravens
Brown-necked ravens (C. ruficollis) work together to prevent lizards (U. aegyptia) from entering and blocking their burrow by inflating their bodies using their pointed tails to obstruct the entrance.
(paper; 2010) link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Brown-necked ravens (C. ruficollis) work together to prevent lizards (U. aegyptia) from entering and blocking their burrow by inflating their bodies using their pointed tails to obstruct the entrance.
(paper; 2010) link.springer.com/article/10.1...
November 7, 2025 at 7:56 PM
1/3 Cooperative hunting in ravens
Brown-necked ravens (C. ruficollis) work together to prevent lizards (U. aegyptia) from entering and blocking their burrow by inflating their bodies using their pointed tails to obstruct the entrance.
(paper; 2010) link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Brown-necked ravens (C. ruficollis) work together to prevent lizards (U. aegyptia) from entering and blocking their burrow by inflating their bodies using their pointed tails to obstruct the entrance.
(paper; 2010) link.springer.com/article/10.1...
“It’ll be such an accomplishment to have your PhD thesis done!”
Yeah, but have you considered that @milliejohnston.bsky.social and I tested and ranked all 10 of the McDonalds inside Vienna’s Gürtel? Now THAT is an accomplishment.
Yeah, but have you considered that @milliejohnston.bsky.social and I tested and ranked all 10 of the McDonalds inside Vienna’s Gürtel? Now THAT is an accomplishment.
November 6, 2025 at 7:44 PM
“It’ll be such an accomplishment to have your PhD thesis done!”
Yeah, but have you considered that @milliejohnston.bsky.social and I tested and ranked all 10 of the McDonalds inside Vienna’s Gürtel? Now THAT is an accomplishment.
Yeah, but have you considered that @milliejohnston.bsky.social and I tested and ranked all 10 of the McDonalds inside Vienna’s Gürtel? Now THAT is an accomplishment.
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
1/11 Play in cold-blooded animals
Review of evidence of play in fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
It is less common than in mammals, but it does exist.
Here are some examples and descriptions of how the authors explain it.
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Review of evidence of play in fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
It is less common than in mammals, but it does exist.
Here are some examples and descriptions of how the authors explain it.
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
November 3, 2025 at 7:48 PM
1/11 Play in cold-blooded animals
Review of evidence of play in fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
It is less common than in mammals, but it does exist.
Here are some examples and descriptions of how the authors explain it.
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Review of evidence of play in fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
It is less common than in mammals, but it does exist.
Here are some examples and descriptions of how the authors explain it.
(paper) www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
November 3, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching
I know it’s a bit of a tired joke but I don’t care, I dressed up as the scariest thing I could think of 🎃
October 31, 2025 at 10:11 PM
I know it’s a bit of a tired joke but I don’t care, I dressed up as the scariest thing I could think of 🎃
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
The use of tools by pandas
This is the first evidence of this behavior (n 18; captive environment). They use branches, bamboo, and other objects to scratch themselves, especially the young ones. Interestingly, they use their false thumb for this.
(paper) www.cell.com/current-biol...
This is the first evidence of this behavior (n 18; captive environment). They use branches, bamboo, and other objects to scratch themselves, especially the young ones. Interestingly, they use their false thumb for this.
(paper) www.cell.com/current-biol...
October 28, 2025 at 6:47 PM
The use of tools by pandas
This is the first evidence of this behavior (n 18; captive environment). They use branches, bamboo, and other objects to scratch themselves, especially the young ones. Interestingly, they use their false thumb for this.
(paper) www.cell.com/current-biol...
This is the first evidence of this behavior (n 18; captive environment). They use branches, bamboo, and other objects to scratch themselves, especially the young ones. Interestingly, they use their false thumb for this.
(paper) www.cell.com/current-biol...
Today we answered the question of “Who the heck would go to a cat museum?” 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️
October 26, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Today we answered the question of “Who the heck would go to a cat museum?” 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
🧪For those of us who do complex collaborations with multiple corresponding authors this is terrible . I suspect it will also hit female authors disproportionately as they tend to have more collaborations across fields…https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03281-4
Google Scholar tool gives extra credit to first and last authors
Researchers welcome the initiative, but say it doesn’t go far enough to capture the nuance of researcher productivity and impact.
www.nature.com
October 25, 2025 at 7:05 PM
🧪For those of us who do complex collaborations with multiple corresponding authors this is terrible . I suspect it will also hit female authors disproportionately as they tend to have more collaborations across fields…https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03281-4
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
Another new metric to measure something that yet again reduces the contribution of researchers to the arbitrary standards set by the armchair critics of academia.
And wait for it: this one is called a Sh-index 💩
And wait for it: this one is called a Sh-index 💩
Google Scholar has introduced a 'Sh-index' metric that scores papers higher if you are first or last author. Apart from the fact metrics are generally bad, this one explicitly punishes PIs who often collaborate, publishing with 2 or 3 equal PIs at the end of the list.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Google Scholar tool gives extra credit to first and last authors
Researchers welcome the initiative, but say it doesn’t go far enough to capture the nuance of researcher productivity and impact.
www.nature.com
October 26, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Another new metric to measure something that yet again reduces the contribution of researchers to the arbitrary standards set by the armchair critics of academia.
And wait for it: this one is called a Sh-index 💩
And wait for it: this one is called a Sh-index 💩
I refuse to believe the Germans are oblivious to this, they should just go all in and make him a superhero 🦸
October 25, 2025 at 7:52 AM
I refuse to believe the Germans are oblivious to this, they should just go all in and make him a superhero 🦸
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
Rather feels like reading my obituary! 😬
But thanks Jen and Sophia for putting that together👍 I really enjoyed working with the ASAB team and recommend any AB folk consider joining and contributing. Looking forward to Edinburgh for the winter meeting. See you there.
But thanks Jen and Sophia for putting that together👍 I really enjoyed working with the ASAB team and recommend any AB folk consider joining and contributing. Looking forward to Edinburgh for the winter meeting. See you there.
Our inaugural #MeetASAB features someone you've all seen if you've been to a meeting in the last 7 years: Joah Madden (@pec-exeter.bsky.social)
Our former Meetings Secretary just finished a very long term, seeing us through the turbulence of lockdown to the first Behaviour mtg outside Europe... 1/
Our former Meetings Secretary just finished a very long term, seeing us through the turbulence of lockdown to the first Behaviour mtg outside Europe... 1/
October 20, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Rather feels like reading my obituary! 😬
But thanks Jen and Sophia for putting that together👍 I really enjoyed working with the ASAB team and recommend any AB folk consider joining and contributing. Looking forward to Edinburgh for the winter meeting. See you there.
But thanks Jen and Sophia for putting that together👍 I really enjoyed working with the ASAB team and recommend any AB folk consider joining and contributing. Looking forward to Edinburgh for the winter meeting. See you there.
I really had no plans for my birthday this year (I feel a bit blue about my age, having been raised so religious, I had a late start in actually living my life).
Yet thanks to my lovely friends, I somehow ended up with three celebrations? I’m pretty lucky.
Yet thanks to my lovely friends, I somehow ended up with three celebrations? I’m pretty lucky.
October 20, 2025 at 5:58 AM
I really had no plans for my birthday this year (I feel a bit blue about my age, having been raised so religious, I had a late start in actually living my life).
Yet thanks to my lovely friends, I somehow ended up with three celebrations? I’m pretty lucky.
Yet thanks to my lovely friends, I somehow ended up with three celebrations? I’m pretty lucky.
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
Our inaugural #MeetASAB features someone you've all seen if you've been to a meeting in the last 7 years: Joah Madden (@pec-exeter.bsky.social)
Our former Meetings Secretary just finished a very long term, seeing us through the turbulence of lockdown to the first Behaviour mtg outside Europe... 1/
Our former Meetings Secretary just finished a very long term, seeing us through the turbulence of lockdown to the first Behaviour mtg outside Europe... 1/
October 17, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Our inaugural #MeetASAB features someone you've all seen if you've been to a meeting in the last 7 years: Joah Madden (@pec-exeter.bsky.social)
Our former Meetings Secretary just finished a very long term, seeing us through the turbulence of lockdown to the first Behaviour mtg outside Europe... 1/
Our former Meetings Secretary just finished a very long term, seeing us through the turbulence of lockdown to the first Behaviour mtg outside Europe... 1/
Reposted by Jen Colbourne 🇨🇦🏳️🌈
Social relationships are powerful predictors of fitness across social animals. But *why*?
In our new @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social paper, we outline testable predictions for why relationship quality and quantity adaptively vary across socio-ecological contexts.
tinyurl.com/55dnkeh7
In our new @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social paper, we outline testable predictions for why relationship quality and quantity adaptively vary across socio-ecological contexts.
tinyurl.com/55dnkeh7
October 16, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Social relationships are powerful predictors of fitness across social animals. But *why*?
In our new @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social paper, we outline testable predictions for why relationship quality and quantity adaptively vary across socio-ecological contexts.
tinyurl.com/55dnkeh7
In our new @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social paper, we outline testable predictions for why relationship quality and quantity adaptively vary across socio-ecological contexts.
tinyurl.com/55dnkeh7