Wilson Ornithological Society
@wilsonornithsoc.bsky.social
News and updates from the Wilson Ornithological Society, an international scientific society for professional and amateur bird nerds. 🐦
https://wilsonsociety.org/
https://wilsonsociety.org/
Here's your Friday bird break: Read about how scientists taught parrots and starlings to copy the beeps and boops of R2-D2 to study how accurately different types of birds can mimic sounds. #ornithology
These Birds Learned to Tweet Like R2-D2. Listen to the Uncanny Results
The lovable Star Wars droid is helping to shed light on why some bird species are better at mimicking sounds than others
www.scientificamerican.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Here's your Friday bird break: Read about how scientists taught parrots and starlings to copy the beeps and boops of R2-D2 to study how accurately different types of birds can mimic sounds. #ornithology
Reposted by Wilson Ornithological Society
🪁 Meet our sky-surfing bird of the week: the Mississippi Kite — a gray raptor w/ red eyes & wings built to hover mid-air.
🦗 Also called the “hovering kite” and “locust eater,” they feed on flying insects & are vulnerable to pesticides.
Hear their call:
bit.ly/4if1bbE
🦗 Also called the “hovering kite” and “locust eater,” they feed on flying insects & are vulnerable to pesticides.
Hear their call:
bit.ly/4if1bbE
November 21, 2025 at 2:59 PM
🪁 Meet our sky-surfing bird of the week: the Mississippi Kite — a gray raptor w/ red eyes & wings built to hover mid-air.
🦗 Also called the “hovering kite” and “locust eater,” they feed on flying insects & are vulnerable to pesticides.
Hear their call:
bit.ly/4if1bbE
🦗 Also called the “hovering kite” and “locust eater,” they feed on flying insects & are vulnerable to pesticides.
Hear their call:
bit.ly/4if1bbE
Reposted by Wilson Ornithological Society
hey that's my paper! With Cheyenne Beach and Jen Koop!
Yay scaup!
Yay scaup!
From the current WJO issue: Effects of surgically implanted intra-abdominal transmitters with external antennae on egg laying and behavior of captive-reared Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis). #ornithology doi.org/10.1080/1559...
November 20, 2025 at 8:05 PM
hey that's my paper! With Cheyenne Beach and Jen Koop!
Yay scaup!
Yay scaup!
Reposted by Wilson Ornithological Society
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....
From the current WJO issue: Call mimicry by White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) and implications for call learning in the Passerellidae. #ornithology doi.org/10.1080/1559...
November 21, 2025 at 1:02 PM
From the current WJO issue: Call mimicry by White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) and implications for call learning in the Passerellidae. #ornithology doi.org/10.1080/1559...
From the current WJO issue: Effects of surgically implanted intra-abdominal transmitters with external antennae on egg laying and behavior of captive-reared Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis). #ornithology doi.org/10.1080/1559...
November 20, 2025 at 8:02 PM
From the current WJO issue: Effects of surgically implanted intra-abdominal transmitters with external antennae on egg laying and behavior of captive-reared Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis). #ornithology doi.org/10.1080/1559...
Reposted by Wilson Ornithological Society
After being declared extinct twice(!), it was on this day in 1948 that the Takahē (Porphyrio hochstetteri) was rediscovered again. Thanks to intensive conservation work there are now more than 500. www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/tak...
The incredible takahē story
Thought to be extinct not once but twice, the takahē's remarkable story of survival and rediscovery is a testament to the resilience of nature.
www.doc.govt.nz
November 20, 2025 at 3:10 PM
After being declared extinct twice(!), it was on this day in 1948 that the Takahē (Porphyrio hochstetteri) was rediscovered again. Thanks to intensive conservation work there are now more than 500. www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/tak...
Reposted by Wilson Ornithological Society
Spotlight on #S2O pilot partner Waterbirds from @waterbirdsociety.bsky.social, which specializes in the #biology, status, #ecology, management #and conservation of all #waterbird species worldwide.
Discover more: bio-one.co/cowa
Learn about S2O: bio-one.co/s2o
#AcademicSky #BirdSky #Ornithology
Discover more: bio-one.co/cowa
Learn about S2O: bio-one.co/s2o
#AcademicSky #BirdSky #Ornithology
November 20, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Spotlight on #S2O pilot partner Waterbirds from @waterbirdsociety.bsky.social, which specializes in the #biology, status, #ecology, management #and conservation of all #waterbird species worldwide.
Discover more: bio-one.co/cowa
Learn about S2O: bio-one.co/s2o
#AcademicSky #BirdSky #Ornithology
Discover more: bio-one.co/cowa
Learn about S2O: bio-one.co/s2o
#AcademicSky #BirdSky #Ornithology
WOS members: Have you renewed your membership for 2026 yet? If not, check your email (including your spam filter) for a reminder and renewal instructions!
November 20, 2025 at 4:02 PM
WOS members: Have you renewed your membership for 2026 yet? If not, check your email (including your spam filter) for a reminder and renewal instructions!
"Many of the landscapes [migrating shorebirds] once relied on to rest and refuel have been transformed. Living in the Midwest, I have witnessed some of these changes just within my lifetime. These experiences have inspired me to conserve the remaining habitats for birds and other wildlife."
Guest Post – From Farm to Feather: How Agriculture Impacts Migratory Shorebirds
“Should I stay, or should I go?” This is a question that every migratory bird has when deciding how long to stay at a site to rest and refuel.
wilsonsociety.org
November 19, 2025 at 11:02 PM
"Many of the landscapes [migrating shorebirds] once relied on to rest and refuel have been transformed. Living in the Midwest, I have witnessed some of these changes just within my lifetime. These experiences have inspired me to conserve the remaining habitats for birds and other wildlife."
Reposted by Wilson Ornithological Society
There’s such beauty in variety – and the eggs laid by our terns show it too. In our newest paper we try to find patterns in this variety and test how female identity and age, as well as laying order, affect the colour, spottiness, shape, and size of eggs: doi.org/10.1002/ece3...
November 19, 2025 at 2:26 PM
There’s such beauty in variety – and the eggs laid by our terns show it too. In our newest paper we try to find patterns in this variety and test how female identity and age, as well as laying order, affect the colour, spottiness, shape, and size of eggs: doi.org/10.1002/ece3...
Reposted by Wilson Ornithological Society
Best practice guidance for recreational and professional drones near colonial breeding birds | journals.plos.org/pl... | PLOS One | #ornithology 🪶
November 19, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Best practice guidance for recreational and professional drones near colonial breeding birds | journals.plos.org/pl... | PLOS One | #ornithology 🪶
From the current WJO issue: Estimating Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) occupancy with camera traps. #ornithology doi.org/10.1080/1559...
November 19, 2025 at 3:03 PM
From the current WJO issue: Estimating Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) occupancy with camera traps. #ornithology doi.org/10.1080/1559...
From the current WJO issue: Patterns and demography of Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) vagrancy in the 21st century United States. #ornithology doi.org/10.1080/1559...
November 18, 2025 at 10:01 PM
From the current WJO issue: Patterns and demography of Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) vagrancy in the 21st century United States. #ornithology doi.org/10.1080/1559...
Reposted by Wilson Ornithological Society
A quiet flutter breaks the stillness, reminding the woods that life is always moving, even when we aren’t watching.
📷 Frank.Cruz
#Photography #Nature #Birds
📷 Frank.Cruz
#Photography #Nature #Birds
November 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM
A quiet flutter breaks the stillness, reminding the woods that life is always moving, even when we aren’t watching.
📷 Frank.Cruz
#Photography #Nature #Birds
📷 Frank.Cruz
#Photography #Nature #Birds
Reposted by Wilson Ornithological Society
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....
Research aimed at reducing conflict between humans and gulls has shown that Herring Gulls recognize and react to angry, raised voices. #ornithology
Yes, shouting at seagulls actually works, scientists confirm
This is one of the few times shouting might actually help.
theconversation.com
November 18, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Research aimed at reducing conflict between humans and gulls has shown that Herring Gulls recognize and react to angry, raised voices. #ornithology
One of the most frequent questions we get from members is "How do I access the journal online for free?" The easiest way is to bookmark our online member portal at wilson.wildapricot.org — just log in, click on "Publications," and follow the links from there!
Wilson Ornithological Society - Home
wilson.wildapricot.org
November 17, 2025 at 9:00 PM
One of the most frequent questions we get from members is "How do I access the journal online for free?" The easiest way is to bookmark our online member portal at wilson.wildapricot.org — just log in, click on "Publications," and follow the links from there!
Reposted by Wilson Ornithological Society
Here's the clue for this week's #BitOBird game! Can you ID this bird from just this little bit? (Note: we stick to North American birds, if not we’ll tell you.) 1st to reply w/ the correct answer gets bird nerd bragging rights. If you're stumped, we'll post the answer in 2 hrs 🪶
November 17, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Here's the clue for this week's #BitOBird game! Can you ID this bird from just this little bit? (Note: we stick to North American birds, if not we’ll tell you.) 1st to reply w/ the correct answer gets bird nerd bragging rights. If you're stumped, we'll post the answer in 2 hrs 🪶
Reposted by Wilson Ornithological Society
NEW on #theBOUblog from Anya Shackleton-Jones
A Seabird Success Story? Temporal Monitoring of Kittiwakes and Fulmars in East Iceland
bou.org.uk/blog-shac...
#ornithology 🪶
A Seabird Success Story? Temporal Monitoring of Kittiwakes and Fulmars in East Iceland
bou.org.uk/blog-shac...
#ornithology 🪶
November 17, 2025 at 9:40 AM
NEW on #theBOUblog from Anya Shackleton-Jones
A Seabird Success Story? Temporal Monitoring of Kittiwakes and Fulmars in East Iceland
bou.org.uk/blog-shac...
#ornithology 🪶
A Seabird Success Story? Temporal Monitoring of Kittiwakes and Fulmars in East Iceland
bou.org.uk/blog-shac...
#ornithology 🪶
Reposted by Wilson Ornithological Society
Please check this out if you mentor UGs or are a UG researcher yourself. I chair the committee, so feel free to reach out with any questions.
In case you missed it: We are accepting applications for our Burtt Undergraduate Mentoring Grants now through February 1! Please help us spread the word about this #ornithology opportunity. wilsonsociety.org/awards/jed-b...
November 14, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Please check this out if you mentor UGs or are a UG researcher yourself. I chair the committee, so feel free to reach out with any questions.
From the current WJO issue: Does acrobat ant presence affect Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Dryobates borealis) foraging tree selection? #ornithology doi.org/10.1080/1559...
November 17, 2025 at 1:01 PM
From the current WJO issue: Does acrobat ant presence affect Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Dryobates borealis) foraging tree selection? #ornithology doi.org/10.1080/1559...
From the current WJO issue - Estimation of molt phenology under molt- and date-dependent sampling bias: a comparison of conventional and recapture-based methods. #ornithology doi.org/10.1080/1559...
November 14, 2025 at 8:01 PM
From the current WJO issue - Estimation of molt phenology under molt- and date-dependent sampling bias: a comparison of conventional and recapture-based methods. #ornithology doi.org/10.1080/1559...
Reposted by Wilson Ornithological Society
The largest native waterfowl in North America, the trumpeter swan, captured mid-migration. Wingspans up to 10 feet, yet they move with incredible precision.
#trumpeterswans #migrationseason #ontariowildlife #CambridgeON #HespelerMillPond #birdphotography #naturecanada #sonyalpha #a6700 #GRIPSKW
#trumpeterswans #migrationseason #ontariowildlife #CambridgeON #HespelerMillPond #birdphotography #naturecanada #sonyalpha #a6700 #GRIPSKW
November 14, 2025 at 4:49 PM
The largest native waterfowl in North America, the trumpeter swan, captured mid-migration. Wingspans up to 10 feet, yet they move with incredible precision.
#trumpeterswans #migrationseason #ontariowildlife #CambridgeON #HespelerMillPond #birdphotography #naturecanada #sonyalpha #a6700 #GRIPSKW
#trumpeterswans #migrationseason #ontariowildlife #CambridgeON #HespelerMillPond #birdphotography #naturecanada #sonyalpha #a6700 #GRIPSKW
Reposted by Wilson Ornithological Society
That face you make when you get busted for murdering a vole and the evidence is splattered all over your bill but you’re so drunk with blood lust you don’t even care
(Northern Saw-whet Owl)
(Northern Saw-whet Owl)
November 14, 2025 at 3:17 PM
That face you make when you get busted for murdering a vole and the evidence is splattered all over your bill but you’re so drunk with blood lust you don’t even care
(Northern Saw-whet Owl)
(Northern Saw-whet Owl)