Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #shorebirds

Most recents (17)

The second field season of #TrophiChange was completed a few weeks ago. Here's a thread of what I was doing.
#ornithology #SciComm #waders #shorebirds #fieldwork
I am interested in linking #whimbrel chick growth to their food resources. To do that, I started in May by finding as many nests as possible. More nests = more chicks. This season that meant 110 nests.
#ornithology #TrophiChange #waders #shorebirds #fieldwork
But nests of several other species were found and surveyed too, to record laying dates and hatching success, as part of our centre's long term monitoring of breeding #waders in #Iceland.
Here's a golden plover nest, that successfully hatched. #TrophiChange #fieldwork
Read 23 tweets
Our paper (with @LeaGrie) on the functions of #bird #odour is out in Biological Reviews doi.org/10.1111/brv.12…

Don’t have time to read the full paper just yet? Here’s a summary thread 🧵 [1/14]

#olfactory #camouflage #communication #ornithology #avian #olfaction #crypsis
Preen oil is produced by the uropygial gland and birds use it to maintain and waterproof their plumage. But could it have other functions? 🤔 [2/14]
Over the past 20 years, researchers have explored whether preen oil plays a role in chemical defence & communication. Despite this growth in research, many functions of preen oil remain poorly understood 🧐 [3/14]
Read 14 tweets
14/21 #ISTC20 #Sesh9
There is much scope in combining Earth observations with Down-to-Earth observations of tracked #shorebirds. We developed a very satisfactory LAND USE INTENSITY metric based on @Sentinel1a explaining godwit distributions. besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.11… @ESA_EO @esa
15/21 #ISTC20 #Sesh9
We were able to show the value of both this new LAND USE INTENSITY metric as well as distribution of tagged godwits during hot dry summer of 2018, when much of what is now evergreen pasture turned brown. #climatechange #Dairy @RuthHowison @DairyCampus
16/21 #ISTC20 #Sesh9
Distribution of tagged black-tailed #godwits in early summer was better predictor of #drought damage than land use intensity. Interpretation: #grutto's select intact #soils with capillary connections with #groundwater. #meadowbirds #sentinels @WaderStudy
Read 8 tweets
1/21 #ISTC20 #Sesh9
Hi shorebird folks! 1more4U2go! Migratory shorebirds connect. Movements, presence & phenotypes signal the state of habitats. Let's develop tracked individual migratory birds as sentinels (of connected parts) of Earth. #ornithology #globalchange @WaderStudy
2/21 #ISTC20 #Sesh9
Recently, 100 units of fossil energy produced 104 energy units of food, thanks soil-based processes. Now, 100 units fossil energy yield 16 food units, the 84% loss equals release of CO2 & active nitrogen threatening climate & biodiversity. #globalchange #dairy
3/21 #ISTC20 #Sesh9
Looking at scale of a country then, steep decline of specialized #dairy #farmland #wader, black-tailed #godwit (#grutto) in Netherlands signals growth of unsustainable, climate & biodiversity threatening, practices in agriculture. #globalchange @WaderStudy
Read 14 tweets
1/6 #ISTC20 #Sesh8
Knowing where (how high) birds fly in the air is important in this changing world. Because we have windfarms, airplanes, and tall buildings, all of which have the potential to impact the flight altitude of avian migrants. #ornithology #ClimateChange
2/6 #ISTC20 #Sesh8
R.Q: What are the important drivers for flight altitude selection of avian migrants?

Studies (radar) suggest migrants select flight altitude to maximise wind support. However, a few have taken a quantitative approach. So, we tested these 4 hypothesis:
3/6 #ISTC20 #Sesh8
To test these hypotheses we used the GSM-GPS tracking data of far eastern curlew and whimbrel.

We compared weather conditions of altitude bins at which birds migrated with other altitude bins that birds did not choose to migrate, using 'coxph' model.
Read 6 tweets
1/6 We know very little about viruses in #shorebirds. They are important in the epidemiology of some viruses (influenza, coronavirus), but many viruses to be discovered in this host group
#ISTC20 #Sesh7
2/6 Shorebirds are a central reservoir host for low pathogenic avian influenza virus globally (these viruses don't cause disease).
Some species, like Ruddy Turnstone have high levels of seroprevalence. In Aus, varying levels of infection across shorebird species
#ISTC20 #Sesh7
3/6 #Shorebirds are important reservoirs for a diversity of coronaviruses (different from COVID). Prevalence in Aus is comparable to influenza. We have also described a new coronavirus, currently only found in Aus shorebirds
Review here: doherty.edu.au/news-events/ne…
#ISTC20 #Sesh7
Read 6 tweets
1/23 Thanks first to organizers of this new age conference, for inviting me to join in. I am very excited to be here with shorebird researchers from around the Twitter and real worlds #ISTC20 #SESH3 #ornithology #Waders
2/25 My tweets will explore the effects of extreme weather events on the demography of a small sub-arctic breeding shorebird: Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) #ISTC20 #SESH3
3/23 Much attention of climate research and birds has been on warming: mismatching phenology in particular. But we know extreme weather can have a major impact on pop’n. Deaths of these songbirds probably due to recent fires and drought in western USA #ISTC20 #SESH3
Read 23 tweets
1/3 This is the critically endangered eastern curlew. It calls the tidal flats of Port Hacking home. It also calls the sub arctic home, which is where it breeds. It spends 9mths of the year in Australia and 4 mths travelling almost to the north pole, breeds and returns, every yr.
2/3 I have a long lens, which allows me to give it the 100 metres of space it likes to keep between people and itself so it can feed happily, without disturbance, except for the pesky silver gulls. Nature throws enough problems at these birds, without me adding to their woes.
3/3 When visiting Port Hacking please keep an eye out for the birds on the tidal flats from falling to rising tide and sand island over high tide and give them a wide berth. @BirdlifeOz @ShorebirdOrg @WaderStudy @waderquest @EAAFP @GlobalFlyway @ForWaders #shorebirds #waders
Read 3 tweets
1/3 Showing again how crazy this year is, we have 1 more new eastern curlew today, so up to 7. Does not make sense being only 2 July. Wondering if anyone else is noticing unusual numbers in wrong locations for this time of year?
2/3 I need to work out how to start a campaign to get the NSW State Govt to give our birds here some greater protection, in line with the international obligations under CAMBA, JAMBA and ROKAMA. Particularly in regards to the too many off lead dogs.
Read 3 tweets
1/3 via @YouTube (This clip HAS SOUND) Another boring day at home, not! Wildlife on Port Hacking was out in abundance. The east/west migratory birds, double banded plovers, have been quite elusive this year.
2/3 I’ve mostly only seen footprints, but yesterday & today the whole flock of 16. I’ve finally found them & they are all in various stages of breeding colours, ready to go back home. But winter has just started!
Some happy whales & feral deer (which are a huge problem for our environment) with antlers decorated hoping to attract the ladies. Yeah. Boring day. @BirdlifeOz @ShorebirdOrg @WaderStudy @waderquest @EAAFP @GlobalFlyway @ForWaders @projectgodwit @SuthShireCncl #shorebirds #waders
Read 3 tweets
1 of 3. Weather bureau predicted new weather system today bringing storms & colder weather for Aust south east. I could hear thunder, see lightning, & went to look for godwits 1 hr before high tide at place they should be bathing & grabbing last snack before bed.
2 of 3 Only 1 godwit there. This clip from yesterday. It was to show how cheeky godwits are. One steals food from another, so it tries to steal from another, if that doesn’t work, pull their tail. Such busy feeders wonder how they survive on so little sleep.
Read 3 tweets
This may be a common catch in NZ but here in Australia 1st time I’ve captured both our summer & winter migratory birds together. There were 8 godwits on roost this AM, 9 this PM. Winter bird is double-banded plover when in Oz & banded dotterel (pohowera) in NZ.
I had an incorrect ID of this bird, not seen one before. It has been ID'd as a red-necked stint.
Read 3 tweets
All my #PhD #fieldwork is done.

I’ve been looking into Icelandic Whimbrels annual cycle and spent the breeding season in Iceland since 2015. While writing up I often miss my study sites. Decided to make a short thread summarising my #fieldwork there #phdlife #shorebirds #waders
Survey the breeding sites

Whimbrels are site faithful and territorial. I start the season by checking the area to see who’s back.
Here two males fight where their territories touch (I think; 10 MAY) #PhD #fieldwork #ornithology #waders #shorebirds #phdlife
Finding nests

As most #waders, Whimbrels usually lay 4 eggs. There is some colour variation between and within clutches (10 JUN; #Eyjafjallajökull in the background) #PhD #fieldwork #ornithology #oology #phdlife #shorebirds
Read 8 tweets

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