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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber
@thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
570 followers 410 following 380 posts

Executive Director at CUNY ASRC, comparative psychology professor at GC CUNY with an eye on brood parasites; Nat Geo Explorer, married 🏳️‍🌈; I post my own mind. www.cowbirdlab.org

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Mark Erno Hauber is an American ornithologist and Endowed Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research considers the development of avian recognition systems. .. more

Environmental science 35%
Biology 30%
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 5h
journals.plos.org/plosbiology/... another impressive 6 continent collaborative behavioral study!
A large-scale study across the avian clade identifies ecological drivers of neophobia
Neophobia (the aversive response to novelty) varies considerably across species and individuals, and can impact adaptability and survival. This study assesses neophobia in 1400 subjects from 136 bird ...
journals.plos.org
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Reposted by Márk E. Hauber

biotay.bsky.social
Tay (Antonio J. Osuna Mascaró) @biotay.bsky.social · 7h
Neophobia compared in 1,439 birds of 136 species

Specialised diets and migration are associated with greater fear of new objects. Surprisingly, witnessing such objects in groups is also associated with greater fear.

(paper) journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
(blog) phys.org/news/2025-10...
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Reposted by Márk E. Hauber

gillianrbrown1.bsky.social
Prof. Gillian Brown @gillianrbrown1.bsky.social · 11h
📢 Our new article on relationship between height preferences and endorsement of gender norms.📢

We investigated whether adherence to the 'male taller norm' varied according to gender norm attitudes (heterosexual UK-based participants).

🧵1/5

🧪 #ehbea #psychscisky

link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Relationship between Height Preferences and Endorsement of Gender Norms - Human Nature
Height preferences when choosing a partner might reflect adaptive mating strategies, whereby tall men are deemed attractive to potential partners due to links with health and resource acquisition. How...
link.springer.com
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Reposted by Márk E. Hauber

animal-prattle.bsky.social
animal prattle @animal-prattle.bsky.social · 12h
Nice piece from @hollyasmith.bsky.social on this from @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social et al. in @natecoevo.nature.com

🐦 Did learned vocal signals evolve from innate?
🐦 Authors study this in 21 avian hosts of brood parasites

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

#prattle 💬
#bioacoustics

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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 14h
www.nature.com/articles/d41... highlighting our work!
Birds’ intruder alert hints at how sounds took on new meanings
Diverse bird species recognize the same vocalization to rally neighbours against invading cuckoos. The finding plays into a broader debate about the emergence of language.
www.nature.com
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 22h
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Adjustment of paternal care in response to experimental variation in extra-pair mating opportunity in male zebra finches
Extra-pair paternity is prevalent in socially monogamous bird species with biparental care. Male extra-pair matings may coincide with paternal care pr…
www.sciencedirect.com
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 1d
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Metabarcoding Close to Home: Songbird Nests as eDNA Aggregators for Trophic Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
We present a novel method for extracting eDNA from whole bird nests and a LNA blocking oligonucleotide designed to reduce metabarcoding reads from nest building sparrows. Metabarcoding of 22 nests fr...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
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Reposted by Ben Bond‐Lamberty, Márk E. Hauber

ardemp.bskyverified.social
Ardem Patapoutian @ardemp.bskyverified.social · 1d
During these uncertain times, I’m very happy to see that my institution, @scripps.edu has an open tenure-track Assistant Professor position. Any field in Chemistry or Biology is welcome. I’d especially love to see fellow neuroscientists apply. Please repost!

apply.interfolio.com/174756
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
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Reposted by Márk E. Hauber

asrc-gc.bsky.social
Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center @asrc-gc.bsky.social · 1d
How do young parasites recognize their own species, and why do some, but not other, hosts accept foreign eggs in their nests? Explore this mystery with Dr Mark E Hauber, executive director of the CUNY ASRC, on Oct. 20 at our latest “Interdisciplinary Seminar Series" talk. https://bit.ly/48u1QTH
Poster for a seminar featuring Dr. Mark Hauber on brood parasitic birds with event details and a nest image.
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 1d
www.birdscaribbean.org/2025/10/call...
Call for 2026 Proposals Now Open: BirdsCaribbean’s Grants for Research and Conservation
BirdsCaribbean is pleased to release a Call for Proposals for projects beginning in 2026. This call involves three existing funds: the David S. Lee Fund for the Conservation of Caribbean Birds, Bet…
www.birdscaribbean.org

Reposted by Ana S. L. Rodrigues, Ben Bond‐Lamberty, Robin J. Pakeman , and 2 more

bjenquist.bsky.social
Brian J. Enquist @bjenquist.bsky.social · 1d
Postdoc Opportunity - Interested in plant scaling, quantitative botany, or theoretical plant biology? join our group to explore how plant form, function & scaling principles connect across levels of organization
www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/simons-postdoctoral-fellowships-in-plant-biology🧪🌾🌐
Simons Postdoctoral Fellowships in Plant Biology
Simons Postdoctoral Fellowships in Plant Biology on Simons Foundation
www.simonsfoundation.org
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 2d
academic.oup.com/condor/advan...
A blessing and a curse: Human resources are beneficial but human presence is detrimental for the growth and development of Argya squamiceps (Arabian Babbler)
Abstract. Human modifications to the environment are having a dramatic effect on biodiversity, but in desert habitats the high abundance of resources near
academic.oup.com

thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 2d
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Quantitative analysis of stem-palaeognath flight capabilities sheds light on ratite dispersal and flight loss | Biology Letters
Lithornithids are an assemblage of Palaeogene fossil birds thought to represent stem-group members of Palaeognathae. Among extant palaeognaths, which include flightless ratites such as ostriches, only...
royalsocietypublishing.org
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 2d
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Brood parasites may facilitate horizontal transmission of feather mites: evidence from brown-headed cowbirds - Evolutionary Ecology
For small symbiotic organisms, dispersal is a fundamental process that shapes their ecological and coevolutionary dynamics. Ectosymbiotic feather mites lack a dedicated dispersal stage and are primarily transmitted vertically (from parent to offspring) at the nest, resulting in high host specificity and limited opportunities for host-switching. However, feather mites switch hosts more often than expected, given their biology. One potential mechanism for this unexpected pattern is brood parasitism, which offers a unique opportunity for feather mites to disperse across host species. Here, we introduce the Brood Parasite Facilitation Hypothesis (BPFH), which proposes that brood parasites act as temporary dispersal vectors for symbionts, facilitating their transmission between host species. We demonstrate proof of concept of the initial step of the BPFH in feather mites: dispersal to a new host species. Using both morphological and molecular evidence, we show that brood parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) harbor feather mites acquired from their foster parents (Prothonotary Warblers; Protonotaria citrea), both in the nest and after fledging. These data support the occurrence of nest-based horizontal transmission, but how frequently this occurs and whether foster-acquired mites persist into host adulthood and ultimately transmit between species remain open questions, in addition to identifying the factors that limit or promote long-term establishment on novel hosts. Overall, our findings highlight the role of dispersal in shaping host-symbiont associations and raise key questions about the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms driving host-switching events in symbiotic systems.
link.springer.com
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 5d
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Great expectations: altricial developmental strategies are associated with more flexible evolution of limb skeleton proportions in birds | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Birds have repeatedly evolved diverse developmental strategies, including multiple origins of sophisticated parental care, making them a model system to explore the consequences of developmental strat...
royalsocietypublishing.org
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 5d
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Movement Ecology of Adult Male Threatened Katipō (Latrodectus katipo) and Invasive False Katipō (Steatoda capensis)
Locomotor performance influences an animal's ability to find resources, including new habitats or mates. We compared the movement and exploration behaviours of adult male endemic katipō (Latrodectus ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 5d
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
The origins and functions of bowers in the Bowerbirds: a review and synthesis
Bowerbirds (Aves: Ptilonorhynchidae) are unique among birds in that males build unusual structures called ‘bowers’ which function exclusively for sexual signalling. Research suggests that bowers ar...
www.tandfonline.com
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Reposted by Márk E. Hauber, Hugo Mercier, Philip N. Cohen , and 2 more

jessicacalarco.com
Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 6d
I have to fan-girl for a minute here. My friend @rosvall-lab.bsky.social built an app to gather data on bird behavior during the 2024 solar eclipse. 10,000+ citizen scientists contributed (including my kids), and the resulting paper was published in Science today!

www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Total solar eclipse triggers dawn behavior in birds: Insights from acoustic recordings and community science
On 8 April 2024, a total solar eclipse disrupted light-dark cycles for North American birds during the lead-up to spring reproduction. Compiling more than 10,000 community observations and artificial ...
www.science.org
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 6d
What the Solar Eclipse did for the birds: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Total solar eclipse triggers dawn behavior in birds: Insights from acoustic recordings and community science
On 8 April 2024, a total solar eclipse disrupted light-dark cycles for North American birds during the lead-up to spring reproduction. Compiling more than 10,000 community observations and artificial ...
www.science.org
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 6d
More coverage of the 6 continent comparative host-parasite paper by Will Feeney and team: www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/b...
Birds Make an Alarm Call That Spans Species and Continents—and May Offer Insight Into the Evolution of Human Language
More than 20 species make a nearly identical noise to warn nearby birds of brood parasites, a behavior that bridges the “sharp division between animal communication systems and human language”
www.smithsonianmag.com
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 7d
zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu/zuckerman-in...
Zuckerman Institute’s Ishmail Abdus-Saboor Wins NIH Director's Pioneer Award
zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu

thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 7d
Saying farewell to Mande Holford, a frequent @asrc-gc.bsky.social coauthor!
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Reposted by Márk E. Hauber

zuckermanbrain.bsky.social
Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute @zuckermanbrain.bsky.social · 7d
Congratulations to @ishmailsaboor.bsky.social on receiving the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, celebrating “scientists with outstanding records of creativity.” His lab will explore how the sense of touch can help build relationships. 🫶🧠💡

See zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu/zuckerman-in...
Ishmail Abdus-Saboor
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Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Márk E. Hauber

wiringthebrain.bsky.social
Kevin Mitchell @wiringthebrain.bsky.social · 7d
Is there anything Aristotle *didn't* already think about?
inverting-vision.bsky.social
Danny Robb @inverting-vision.bsky.social · 13d
Aristotle noticed that when bees returned to the hive, they shook or "danced" in front of a group. Millennia later, scientists debated whether it was a form of "language" amid shifts in scientific methods and philosophies in the 20th century.

#histsci 🗃️ #bees

daily.jstor.org/the-bee-danc...
The Bee Dance Debate - JSTOR Daily
Can insects communicate? In the middle of the twentieth century, scientists disagreed on whether bees could possess a “language” expressed through motion.
daily.jstor.org
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 8d
Reading it now!
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 8d
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Sexual selection drives sex difference in adult life expectancy across mammals and birds
Sexual size dimorphism and mating system contribute to male and female life-span differences across wild and zoo populations.
www.science.org
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Reposted by Márk E. Hauber

filiphusnik.bsky.social
Filip Husnik @filiphusnik.bsky.social · 8d
OIST is seeking up to four tenure-track or tenured faculty in Ecology, Environmental Science, Earth Science, and Oceanography. Application deadline: Oct 15. Please share. Thx!
www.oist.jp/careers/facu...
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thecowbirdlab.bsky.social
Dr Mark E Hauber @thecowbirdlab.bsky.social · 9d
southwest.audubon.org/news/meet-we...
This Dove-sized Bird Travels Five Thousand Miles for a Mate
Meet the Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo
southwest.audubon.org
1

Reposted by Márk E. Hauber

xaviermouy.bsky.social
Xavier Mouy @xaviermouy.bsky.social · 9d
🧪🐟🔉WHOI's Postdoctoral Scholars Program is now accepting applications.

Application deadline: December 1, 2025.

If you’re interested in bioacoustics, signal processing, AI/ML, or low-cost instrumentation, and are considering applying, feel free to get in touch with me.

www.whoi.edu/what-we-do/e...
Postdoctoral Scholar Program - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Eighteen-month Postdoctoral Scholar awards are offered to recipients of new or recent doctorates in the fields of chemistry, engineering, geology, geophysics, mathematics, meteorology, physics, and bi...
www.whoi.edu
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Reposted by Márk E. Hauber

nicolasmathevon.bsky.social
Nicolas Mathevon @nicolasmathevon.bsky.social · 9d
Ultrasonic signals support a large-scale communication landscape in wild mice. See our paper here:
www.cell.com/current-biol...
@currentbiology.bsky.social #bioacoustics
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