Eliot Miller
@eliotmiller.bsky.social
BirdsPlus Index. American Bird Conservancy. Dad. Natural history. Ecology and evolution, conservation, acoustics, and occasionally politics.
Reposted by Eliot Miller
I mean, the title says it all: Genetic confirmation of an “uncommon mourningthroat” (Geothlypis philadelphia × G. trichas): A rare but persistent hybrid warbler. Fun stuff with @kevinfpbennett.bsky.social and Kurt Gielow, OA in @wilsonornithsoc.bsky.social!
🦉 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
🦉 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
November 21, 2025 at 2:34 PM
I mean, the title says it all: Genetic confirmation of an “uncommon mourningthroat” (Geothlypis philadelphia × G. trichas): A rare but persistent hybrid warbler. Fun stuff with @kevinfpbennett.bsky.social and Kurt Gielow, OA in @wilsonornithsoc.bsky.social!
🦉 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
🦉 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Eliot Miller
How are Pacific NW mountain birds responding to climate change?
I got up at 4:00 am for a month to find out.
but first the backstory, or "how I spent seven years telling everyone this project wasn't possible"
new paper here:
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
I got up at 4:00 am for a month to find out.
but first the backstory, or "how I spent seven years telling everyone this project wasn't possible"
new paper here:
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
November 12, 2025 at 4:22 PM
How are Pacific NW mountain birds responding to climate change?
I got up at 4:00 am for a month to find out.
but first the backstory, or "how I spent seven years telling everyone this project wasn't possible"
new paper here:
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
I got up at 4:00 am for a month to find out.
but first the backstory, or "how I spent seven years telling everyone this project wasn't possible"
new paper here:
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Going through some old pix. This remains the highlight of my engineering career. Successfully foiled Adirondack black flies and mosquitoes for a few hours.
November 13, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Going through some old pix. This remains the highlight of my engineering career. Successfully foiled Adirondack black flies and mosquitoes for a few hours.
Competition shapes the urban distribution of chickadee species
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Unifying species distributions, community science and the ‘natural removal experiment' to explore species interactions at broad geographic scales
To understand the distribution of avian biodiversity, it is crucial to understand the interspecific interactions present in avian communities. The ‘natural removal experiment', which explores pattern...
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Competition shapes the urban distribution of chickadee species
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
In all honesty, I wasn’t liking where this was headed at the start, but he turned it around pretty quickly there
“The system is, by definition, us. We make these rules up and then choose to treat them like immutable laws of nature. They’re not.”
“The system is, by definition, us. We make these rules up and then choose to treat them like immutable laws of nature. They’re not.”
October 24, 2025 at 12:24 AM
In all honesty, I wasn’t liking where this was headed at the start, but he turned it around pretty quickly there
“The system is, by definition, us. We make these rules up and then choose to treat them like immutable laws of nature. They’re not.”
“The system is, by definition, us. We make these rules up and then choose to treat them like immutable laws of nature. They’re not.”
Reposted by Eliot Miller
Out now on the cover of @journal-evo.bsky.social!
Led by Sarah Khalil, we took a genomic approach to investigate the hybrid zone between different-colored Red-backed Fairywren subspecies. We found some interesting candidate genes under selection. Check it out! academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Led by Sarah Khalil, we took a genomic approach to investigate the hybrid zone between different-colored Red-backed Fairywren subspecies. We found some interesting candidate genes under selection. Check it out! academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
October 18, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Out now on the cover of @journal-evo.bsky.social!
Led by Sarah Khalil, we took a genomic approach to investigate the hybrid zone between different-colored Red-backed Fairywren subspecies. We found some interesting candidate genes under selection. Check it out! academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Led by Sarah Khalil, we took a genomic approach to investigate the hybrid zone between different-colored Red-backed Fairywren subspecies. We found some interesting candidate genes under selection. Check it out! academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Reposted by Eliot Miller
A long and busy week ended on a high yesterday. So proud of Dr @jyang19.bsky.social for sailing through her PhD viva, the final step of a long journey in my lab from a Silwood masters degree to a doctorate. 💪
Big thanks to Profs Cris Banks-Leite and Gavin Thomas for examining.
Big thanks to Profs Cris Banks-Leite and Gavin Thomas for examining.
October 18, 2025 at 10:58 AM
A long and busy week ended on a high yesterday. So proud of Dr @jyang19.bsky.social for sailing through her PhD viva, the final step of a long journey in my lab from a Silwood masters degree to a doctorate. 💪
Big thanks to Profs Cris Banks-Leite and Gavin Thomas for examining.
Big thanks to Profs Cris Banks-Leite and Gavin Thomas for examining.
Using automated acoustic monitoring, citizen science, and centuries of ornithological research and understanding to quantify ecological integrity at scale.
The BirdsPlus Index, a novel method for assessing site-level conservation values.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The BirdsPlus Index, a novel method for assessing site-level conservation values.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
October 16, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Using automated acoustic monitoring, citizen science, and centuries of ornithological research and understanding to quantify ecological integrity at scale.
The BirdsPlus Index, a novel method for assessing site-level conservation values.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The BirdsPlus Index, a novel method for assessing site-level conservation values.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
This is one of those, "well of course" sorts of papers that is actually *super* important and needed to be done. Well done @louisbackstrom.bsky.social @ali--johnston.bsky.social, excited to have a proper read!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Detections of Rare Species Lead Citizen Scientists to Initiate Data Recording
Aim Citizen science data are increasingly used to monitor biodiversity but come with several challenges that can impair accurate ecological conclusions. We explore how observers' preferences for cer...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 16, 2025 at 3:52 PM
This is one of those, "well of course" sorts of papers that is actually *super* important and needed to be done. Well done @louisbackstrom.bsky.social @ali--johnston.bsky.social, excited to have a proper read!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Eliot Miller
Super proud of Dr. Dan Nesbit @dannesbit.bsky.social, who passed his viva today (with no corrections!). Thanks to @josephtobias.bsky.social and Sally Street for examining! 🥳
October 16, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Super proud of Dr. Dan Nesbit @dannesbit.bsky.social, who passed his viva today (with no corrections!). Thanks to @josephtobias.bsky.social and Sally Street for examining! 🥳
Reposted by Eliot Miller
Although they seem to be going to sleep, temperate trees are very busy right now. Fine roots are growing, and inside the buds, next years leaves, stems, and flowers are being formed. That means that autumn weather determines some or all of next year's growth. Read about it at Our Trees.
Tom Kimmerer (@tomkimmerer)
It is autumn, when the trees go to sleep. Right? Not quite. This time of year is a very busy one in the life of a temperate tree. Yes, they are preparing for the dormant season by carefully moving nu...
substack.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Although they seem to be going to sleep, temperate trees are very busy right now. Fine roots are growing, and inside the buds, next years leaves, stems, and flowers are being formed. That means that autumn weather determines some or all of next year's growth. Read about it at Our Trees.
Reposted by Eliot Miller
My lab is hiring a 2-yr hummingbird evolution and genomics postdoc and a 1-yr salaried research and lab tech. Both with full U. Wyoming benefits. Please spread the word! Info below. Best consideration date Nov 1, start dates early Spring 2026.
October 14, 2025 at 8:08 PM
My lab is hiring a 2-yr hummingbird evolution and genomics postdoc and a 1-yr salaried research and lab tech. Both with full U. Wyoming benefits. Please spread the word! Info below. Best consideration date Nov 1, start dates early Spring 2026.
Remember how viewing big phylogenies in your browser used to be hard? Got something to share with you all in a few weeks. My bird nerd tanks are so full right now, can't wait to share some with you all. @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social
October 14, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Remember how viewing big phylogenies in your browser used to be hard? Got something to share with you all in a few weeks. My bird nerd tanks are so full right now, can't wait to share some with you all. @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social
Reposted by Eliot Miller
Well, it's official. After our paper last year (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....), the Slender-billed Curlew is officially declared Extinct today.
Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology
Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology
October 10, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Well, it's official. After our paper last year (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....), the Slender-billed Curlew is officially declared Extinct today.
Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology
Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology
Reposted by Eliot Miller
Another massive movement of migratory birds underway tonight — nearly 1 Billion Birds! With the full moon, you might be able to see some silhouettes zipping by. You can make your own flow maps here (just hit record): aeroecolab.com/uslights
October 8, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Another massive movement of migratory birds underway tonight — nearly 1 Billion Birds! With the full moon, you might be able to see some silhouettes zipping by. You can make your own flow maps here (just hit record): aeroecolab.com/uslights
Reposted by Eliot Miller
Today was a hard day for Ph.D. students who found out that they can no longer apply for NSF's prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship Program. "Devastating“ was how one student described it to me. #GradSchool #NSFGRFP
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
‘Completely shattered.’ Changes to NSF’s graduate student fellowship spur outcry
The announcement comes months later than usual, leaving many would-be applicants stranded
www.science.org
September 26, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Today was a hard day for Ph.D. students who found out that they can no longer apply for NSF's prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship Program. "Devastating“ was how one student described it to me. #GradSchool #NSFGRFP
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Reposted by Eliot Miller
**PhD POSITIONS** I am recruiting 1-2 PhD students to work on sociality and cognition in Monk Parakeets, starting Fall 2026. Full ad is here: hobsonresearch.com/index.php/20... (please help spread the word!)
September 23, 2025 at 6:58 PM
**PhD POSITIONS** I am recruiting 1-2 PhD students to work on sociality and cognition in Monk Parakeets, starting Fall 2026. Full ad is here: hobsonresearch.com/index.php/20... (please help spread the word!)
I had no idea there used to be a marine-based mink species in eastern North America! Super interesting, also sad. Only recently pushed to extinction en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_mink
Sea mink - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
September 22, 2025 at 10:41 AM
I had no idea there used to be a marine-based mink species in eastern North America! Super interesting, also sad. Only recently pushed to extinction en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_mink
Reposted by Eliot Miller
How many species have been rediscovered? Which were surprising? What are the prospects for finding the remaining lost species? Learn more in a free webinar from @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social on Sept. 18 @ noon ET: birdsoftheworld.org/bow/news/sea.... #birds 🌎
Birds of the World - BOW Seminar: Lost & Found - The Race to Rediscover Lost Birds
Lost & Found – The Race to Rediscover Lost Birds Date/Time: 18 September 2025 – 12:00 pm ET Speakers: John Mittermeier (Search for Lost Birds Director) and Alex Berryman (Sr. Red List Officer, Birdlif...
birdsoftheworld.org
September 14, 2025 at 10:28 PM
How many species have been rediscovered? Which were surprising? What are the prospects for finding the remaining lost species? Learn more in a free webinar from @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social on Sept. 18 @ noon ET: birdsoftheworld.org/bow/news/sea.... #birds 🌎
We just pushed a new version of the global bird phylogeny to Github. Updated topology (v1.5), and now in the most recent Clements/eBird taxonomy. We'll push to CRAN soon too, but head over and grab the most recent clootl version now. @snacktavish.bsky.social github.com/eliotmiller/...
GitHub - eliotmiller/clootl
Contribute to eliotmiller/clootl development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
September 13, 2025 at 8:32 PM
We just pushed a new version of the global bird phylogeny to Github. Updated topology (v1.5), and now in the most recent Clements/eBird taxonomy. We'll push to CRAN soon too, but head over and grab the most recent clootl version now. @snacktavish.bsky.social github.com/eliotmiller/...
Reposted by Eliot Miller
The GRFP lives!! (due end of October)
www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
www.nsf.gov
September 8, 2025 at 6:23 PM
The GRFP lives!! (due end of October)
www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...
Reposted by Eliot Miller
Like woodpeckers? Or population genomics? Or three-species hybridization? Or selective sweeps?
Then this is for you!
The typeset version of "Evidence for ancient selective sweeps followed by differentiation among three species of Sphyrapicus sapsuckers" is published today:
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
Then this is for you!
The typeset version of "Evidence for ancient selective sweeps followed by differentiation among three species of Sphyrapicus sapsuckers" is published today:
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
September 8, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Like woodpeckers? Or population genomics? Or three-species hybridization? Or selective sweeps?
Then this is for you!
The typeset version of "Evidence for ancient selective sweeps followed by differentiation among three species of Sphyrapicus sapsuckers" is published today:
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
Then this is for you!
The typeset version of "Evidence for ancient selective sweeps followed by differentiation among three species of Sphyrapicus sapsuckers" is published today:
doi.org/10.1093/jeb/...
Reposted by Eliot Miller
Some validation for my recent efforts in uploading some old images of unidentified species to @inaturalist.bsky.social – turns out I photographed an undescribed poison-dart frog in the Western Amazon 18 years ago 🌎 🧪🐸🪶 #ornithology #herpetology 🧵1/21
September 5, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Some validation for my recent efforts in uploading some old images of unidentified species to @inaturalist.bsky.social – turns out I photographed an undescribed poison-dart frog in the Western Amazon 18 years ago 🌎 🧪🐸🪶 #ornithology #herpetology 🧵1/21
Reposted by Eliot Miller
our paper on how light pollution affects bird vocal behavior is out today in Science!!
w/ @brentpease.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
w/ @brentpease.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
August 21, 2025 at 11:01 PM
our paper on how light pollution affects bird vocal behavior is out today in Science!!
w/ @brentpease.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
w/ @brentpease.bsky.social
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...