Journal of Avian Biology
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avianbiology.bsky.social
Journal of Avian Biology
@avianbiology.bsky.social
3.5K followers 42 following 250 posts
Open access outlet for innovative, hypothesis-driven research on the biology of birds, with a particular emphasis on ecological, evolutionary and behavioural studies. Nordic Society Oikos journal advocating fair, openly accessible and reproducible research
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avianbiology.bsky.social
📣CALL FOR PAPERS - NEW SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 30 JUNE 2026📣

Avian senescence: patterns, mechanisms and new perspectives

More info: vist.ly/4hgkh

Guest editors: @jj255.bsky.social #RoxanaTorres @brittheidinger.bsky.social @jaime-muriel.bsky.social @toblermichi.bsky.social

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CALL FOR PAPERS for a special issue on avian senescence in Journal of Avian Biology. Photo: Paul Jerem & Glasgow University, courtesy of Pat Monaghan
December 6, 2025 at 12:27 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW MINI-REVIEW: examining how non-breeding ecology and migration shape reproductive isolation and population structure, synthesizing recent findings on song variation, habitat effects, migration shifts, and hybrid fitness.

➡️ vist.ly/4hcqb

#ornithology #birds #speciation #moult 🪶
Fig. 1 from the article: Three potential processes resulting in two species with different nonbreeding strategies: (A) nonbreeding adaptive divergence arises after complete reproductive isolation. (B) Diverging lineages evolve nonbreeding divergence during a period of allopatry. Scenario (C) is a proposed model of sympatric speciation via the evolution of novel nonbreeding strategies. Alternatively, in scenario (D), divergence in nonbreeding strategies arises but does not precipitate reproductive isolation.
December 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: how bird diets and gut microbiomes shape each other: synthesizing how diet drives microbiome shifts, how microbes may steer diet choices, and outlining key questions and methods for studying diet–microbiome links.

➡️ vist.ly/4gjuw

#ornithology #birds 🪶
Fig. 1 from the article: Hypothesized bidirectional pathways connecting the gut microbiome and diet in wild birds. Fig. 2 from the article: Proposed methodology of DNA extraction, PCR, and amplicon sequencing to characterize aspects of avian diet and gut microbiome from the same fecal sample. Researchers can also use the same DNA extract for microbial metagenomics, and they can perform an RNA extraction on the same fecal sample for transcriptomics analysis.
November 30, 2025 at 12:27 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: In Medellín, Colombia, human activities and urban infrastructure strongly reduced bird richness and abundance, especially for low- and moderate-abundance species, while diverse vegetation and lower fragmentation supported higher diversity.

➡️ vist.ly/4fwr2

#ornithology #birds 🪶
Black-billed thrush. Photo: Félix Uribe, Wikimedia commons Fig. 2 from the article: Rank-abundance plot of Medellín's bird assemblage, differentiating highly-, moderately-, and lowly-abundant species.
November 25, 2025 at 2:34 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
📣CALL FOR PAPERS - NEW SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 30 JUNE 2026📣

Avian senescence: patterns, mechanisms and new perspectives

More info: vist.ly/4fn5i

Guest editors: @jj255.bsky.social #RoxanaTorres, @brittheidinger.bsky.social @jaime-muriel.bsky.social @toblermichi.bsky.social

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CALL FOR PAPERS: Avian senescence: patterns, mechanisms and new perspectives. Photo showing zebra finches of different ages. Photo: Paul Jerem & Glasgow University, courtesy of Pat Monaghan
November 23, 2025 at 12:04 AM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: Post-arrival and pre-migratory Hudsonian godwits showed similar baseline immunity, but pre-migratory birds displayed higher agglutination and bacterial killing, indicating immune upregulation before long-distance migration.

➡️ vist.ly/4fkdq

#ornithology #birds #migration 🪶
Hudsonian godwit. Photo: Jose Valdebenito Fig. 1 from the article: Body condition (a) and constitutive immune function (b)–(d) in post-arrival and pre-migratory Hudsonian godwits Limosa haemastica (n = 74) sampled within their non-breeding season in Chiloé.
November 22, 2025 at 12:27 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: Introduced house sparrows showed more numerous, larger, and more variable DNA-methylation changes after simulated infection than native birds, suggesting distinct epigenetic responses that may aid introduction success.

➡️ vist.ly/4eq4a

#ornithology #birds #plasticity #stress 🪶
Fig. 1 from the article: introduced house sparrows had more sites with significant change in DNA methylation and a larger magnitude of change in DNA methylation between 0- and 8-h after lipopolysaccharide injection.
November 16, 2025 at 2:04 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: how does urban noise, lights, and stress disrupt birds’ sleep? This review shows that our knowledge about this is fragmeneted and calls for direct tests linking disturbed sleep to bird behavior, fitness, and survival.

➡️ vist.ly/4e7dj

#ornithology #birds #urbanecology 🪶
Fig. 1 from the article: A representation of the state of research on the impacts of sleep disturbance on birds. The size of the arrows represents the relative abundance of studies between the connected concepts. Blue arrows indicate that data are available, with thicker arrows indicating a greater amount of data. The grey dotted line represents a relative lack of empirical data.
November 13, 2025 at 12:27 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: comparing two DNA methylation methods for building epigenetic clocks in chestnut-crowned babblers. Whole-genome enzymatic methyl sequencing yielded highly accurate age estimates, outperforming fragment-based approaches (epiRADseq).

➡️ vist.ly/4dity

#ornithology #birds #aging 🪶
Chestnut-crowned babbler. Photo: JJ Harrison, Wikimedia commons. Fig. 1 from the article: Epigenetic (predicted) versus chronological (known) age in the train (A) and test (B) datasets using WGEM-seq data as input using a 10-fold CV. The solid line shows the regression line. The dashed line indicates a perfect correlation (r = 1) between epigenetic and chronological age. Fig. 2 from the article: Epigenetic (predicted) versus chronological (known) age in the train (A) and test (B) datasets using epiRADseq data as input using a 10-fold CV.
November 9, 2025 at 12:27 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: As direct persecution declines, yellow-legged gulls abandon remote refuges for human-accessible habitats, driving new colony growth and fostering multispecies waterbird communities of unexpected conservation value.

➡️ vist.ly/4db9c

#ornithology #birds #colonisation 🪶
Yellow-legged gull. Photo: Nicolás Ron Arroyo Fig. 2 from the article: (A) Number of yellow-legged gull pairs over time (1976–2022), breeding in human-inaccessible sites (i.e. island cliffs). (B) Number of breeding pairs of yellow-legged gull over time (1976–2021) breeding in human-accessible islets. (C) Number of yellow-legged gull pairs over time (1977–2019) breeding in the urban area of Vigo city. Fig. 3 from the article: Timing of colonization of human-accessible islets by the three focal waterbird species (A) little egret (A.1 Pedregoso, A.2 Beiro) (B) Eurasian oystercatcher (B.1 Pedregoso, B.2 Areoso, B.3 Vionta) and (C) great black-backed gull (C.1 Pedregoso, C.2 Areoso, C.3 Vionta) in comparison with the timing of colonization of yellow-legged gulls. Fig. 4 from the article: Conceptual model that aims to show the process of colonization of human-accessible islets that were formerly empty due to anthropogenic disturbance
November 7, 2025 at 2:25 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
📣 🚨 NEW ISSUE ALERT: issue 5 of 2025 is now complete!

All content open access here: vist.ly/4cxmj

Cover depicting a rock partridge pair featuring Bernard-Laurent et al: vist.ly/4cxmn

Cover 📷 Jean Guillet

#ornithology #birds #research #ecology #evolution #behaviour #hypotheses
2025 issue 5 cover depicting a rock partridge pair. Photo by Jean Guillet.
November 5, 2025 at 8:30 AM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: Female wild turkeys produce fewer male offspring where hunting increases male mortality, suggesting adaptive adjustment of brood sex ratios to enhance reproductive success under harvest pressure.

➡️ vist.ly/4cff4

#ornithology #birds #adaptive #sexratio 🪶
Male wild tureky. Photo: Mcvoorhis, Wikimedia commons. Fig. 1 from the article: Proportion of male eastern wild turkey Meleagris gallopavo silvestris offspring in Georgia, southeast Louisiana, South Carolina, and west Louisiana, USA from 2020–2023. Fig. 2 from the article: Coefficient plot representing Bayesian logistic regression model estimating variation in offspring sex ratio of female eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) across the southeastern United States during 2020–2023.
October 31, 2025 at 5:22 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: Artificial nest boxes trap more heat than natural burrows, pushing little penguins beyond safe thermal limits. As temperatures increase, nest box design improvements are critical to prevent population declines.

➡️ vist.ly/4bz8w

#ornithology #birds #climate 🪶
Little penguin. Photo: JJ Harrison, Wkimedia commons. Fig. 2 from the article: Mean ± 95% CI hourly temperature recorded inside little penguin nests on Penguin Island and the corresponding mean ambient air temperature (± 95% CI), shown for days grouped by daily maximum temperature: (a) 20–24.9°C; (b) 25–29.9°C; (c) 30–34.9°C; and (d) ≥ 35°C. Fig. 6 from the article: (a) Full and conditional model averaged coefficient estimates for effect of nest attributes and local climatic conditions on hours of exposure to temperatures ≥ 35°C in natural nests. (b) Predictions from linear mixed models of the effect of bush wall depth on hours of exposure to temperatures ≥ 35°C
October 28, 2025 at 1:27 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
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 🪶
Fig. 1 from the article: Estimates of vegetation density from LiDAR for presences points and absences points at 25 m (lines). Fig. 2 from the article: (A) Response curves of univariate models (4000 times each) for the strata 0–1 m in red, 1–2 m in violet, 2–3 m in blue, 3–4 m in green, 4–5 m in yellow. (B) Response curve of univariate models for the canopy cover.
October 24, 2025 at 6:59 AM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: do common ravens show consistent boldness–shyness responses to risk? Reactions of individually marked ravens vary by age but not over time. Ravens fear bird-of-prey calls more than gunshots, suggesting flexible, not fixed, personalities.

➡️ vist.ly/4adpy

#ornithology #birds 🪶
Common raven. Photo by daniel Koch. Fig. 1 from the article: Experimental setup of the playback experiment. Fig. 3 from the article: Differences in (a) latency to resume feeding after stimulus between age groups and (b) frequency of anti-predator events between different audio stimuli. Fig. 4 from the article: Gardner–Altman estimation plot that shows the Hedges' g between (a) juveniles, and subadults and adults, and (b) bird of prey calls and gunshots.
October 14, 2025 at 2:25 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
🎤GUEST EDITOR INTERVIEW: read about the key takeaways, guest editor experience and the gaps in our understanding of the effects of human-induced changes on avian reproduction in the interview with Judith, Juan Diego and Elisa

➡️ vist.ly/4a4h5

#ornithology #birds #reproduction #humanchanges
Cover of the Special Issue 'Avian reproductive behaviours in the context of human-induced environmental change'. Cover credit: Violeta Caballero Lopez
October 11, 2025 at 12:27 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: do cavity-nesting birds use egg brightness (luminance) or nest light levels to recognize foreign eggs? In eastern bluebirds, 413 trials with altered blue model eggs, neither factor affected rejection, suggesting luminance doesn’t guide egg recognition

➡️ vist.ly/49v8m

#ornithology
Eastern Bluebird. Photo: Paul Danese, Wikimedia Commons Fig. 2 from the article: mean and standard error of three experimental eggs for perceived differences in color and luminance (in JND) between the natural bluebird eggs and each of the three experimental treatments: darker, regular, and lighter eggs.
October 9, 2025 at 3:05 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: Badgers, weather, and waders: badger predation on lapwing nests rise in cold conditions (below 4°C) and with high earthworm availability. Cold years see heavy losses, suggesting weather forecasts could guide management to protect waders

➡️ vist.ly/499u6

#ornithology #birds 🪶🧪
Lapwing. Photo credit: Max Wright Badger predating a lapwing nest: Photo credit: Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fig. 2 from the article: Relationship between the overall probability of badger predation on a lapwing clutch at Auchnerran farm, northeast Scotland, and (a) 7-day temperature, (b) earthworm abundance together with implications for the overall probabilities of other fates. Fig. 3 from the article: Annual 7-day temperature (°C) (immediately prior to lapwing nest outcome) across 2018–2023 at Auchnerran farm, northeast Scotland.
October 4, 2025 at 11:41 AM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: Nest mass in forest tits increases with elevation and decreasing body mass, promoting reproductive success.

➡️ vist.ly/48zub

#ornithology #birds #extendedphenotype #climate #adaptation
Coal tit. Photo credit: Marton Berntsen, Wikimedia commons Fig. 1 from the article: Observed nest masses [g] for three tit species, ordered by ascending mean species weights, as indicated by the values below the species names. Fig. 2a from the article: relationship between elevation and nest mass. Fig. 3 from the article: Visual representation of the analyzed paths between the variables in the piecewise structural equation models.
October 2, 2025 at 12:27 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
📣 CALL FOR PAPERS - SPECIAL ISSUE 📣

Avian senescence: patterns, mechanisms and new perspectives

More info: vist.ly/48ff2

Guest editors: Julia Schroeder, RoxanaTorres, Britt Heidinger, Jaime Muriel, Michi Tobler

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Avian senescence: patterns, mechanisms and new perspectives. Photo showing zebra finches of different ages. Photo: Paul Jerem & Glasgow University, courtesy of Pat Monaghan
September 28, 2025 at 8:19 AM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: Radar data from Alaska show birds shift to diurnal flights as nights shorten, but peak migration still clusters near solar midnight—highlighting strong stabilizing pressure on flight timing that overrides pressure to maintain nocturnality.

➡️ vist.ly/48ata

#ornithology #birds 🪶
Fig. 3 from the article: Average 24-hour cycle in migratory activity (quantified by reflectivity) relative to solar noon (a) or local dusk (b) across all days throughout the fall and spring migratory periods at each of the seven stations across Alaska, with the cycle corresponding to each station color-coded by longitude. Fig. 6 from the article: Fraction of cumulative migratory activity (η) within each sampling period falling between dusk and dawn versus night length.
September 26, 2025 at 4:22 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: Wild rock pigeons more than double grooming during peak molt, showing that the intensity of grooming parallels the intensity of molt throughout the molt cycle. Molt may be costlier than thought, as birds invest extra energy in feather care.

➡️ vist.ly/47pgr

#ornithology #birds 🪶
Photo of a rock pigeon. Source: Wikimedia commons (author: https://www.flickr.com/people/68466173@N02) Fig. 2 from the article: Timing of molt in relation to the grooming behavior of rock pigeons. (a) Mean date that each of the 10 primary feathers had dropped or had begun emerging, (b) number of body regions molting (‘molt intensity'), (c) time spent grooming during each four-week observation period.
September 22, 2025 at 3:01 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
📣 CALL FOR PAPERS 📣

We are happy to announce the third JAB Review Award competition!

Submit your mini-review by 30 April 2026

Who: early career researchers up to 8 yrs after completition of doctorate

More info: vist.ly/47j<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:xcdhjuzb7t6aqdy5ii5q275y" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky-mention">57

<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:xcdhjuzb7t6aqdy5ii5q275y" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky-mention">@NordicOikos.bsky.social
September 20, 2025 at 8:51 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
IN-DEPTH: Read the blogpost about how anti-predator behaviour in red kite parents changes in relation to food availability.

➡️ vist.ly/47a8p

#ornithology #birds #RaptorResearch #behaviour #reproduction 🪶
<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:6mho4ncjzhbzwzmybsmhn4r6" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky-mention">@vogelwarte.bsky.social
Portrait of a red kite. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons.
September 18, 2025 at 2:46 PM
avianbiology.bsky.social
NEW PAPER: Tracking devices (2.7–4.3% body mass) on banded dotterels showed no adverse effects on survival, breeding, or behavior. Based on this study, the authors suggest refining device limits by the species’ ability to carry additional weight and primary locomotion mode

➡️ vist.ly/46ydn
Fig. 1 from the article: (a) GPS-tracked banded dotterel (male RB-BR), (b) PTT-tracked banded dotterel (female RB-RL), (c) side and top views of 1.2-g GPS logger (left) and 1.8-g PTT tracker (right) with silicone leg-loop harness. Fig. 2 from the article: Effect of carrying a tracking device for banded dotterels on (a) changes in scaled body mass index between sequential captures, (b) the fate of breeding attempts, and (c) apparent survival and encounter probability.
September 16, 2025 at 12:27 PM