The Ornithologist
Bird science, migration, and conservation—told through thoughtful stories, research insights, and field observations. Independent & globally focused.
- American Oystercatchers are nesting on Florida rooftops as beaches disappear — an extraordinary but precarious response to coastal development. theornithologist.org/american-oys... #ornithology #TheOrnithologist #Shorebirds #Waders #ShorebirdConservation #Birds #Birding
- Listening to forests can change how habitat quality is understood. A Finnish study shows Crested Tits respond to fine-scale forest structure rather than forest age. theornithologist.org/fine-scale-h... #TheOrnithologist #Birds #Birding #ornithology
- Most people see birds. Few understand what they’re really doing. Discover the deeper stories behind birdlife at The Ornithologist. theornithologist.org
- When winter bites, survival becomes a question of access, not abundance. New research shows how Taiga Bean Geese rely on winter cereal fields during the harshest cold spells. theornithologist.org/habitat-shif... #ornithology #TheOrnithologist #birds #birding
- Reposted by The OrnithologistVoxpop request: Panurus biarmicus is the sole member of the family Panuridae, AviList uses Bearded Reedling (in use since the 19th century) as the English vernacular, BOURC maintains Bearded Tit even though they are more closely related to larks. Should we change the name? #Ornithology #UKBirding 🪶
- Genetic data from Mexico’s coastlines reveal that American Oystercatchers are far more anchored to place than their mobility suggests. theornithologist.org/genetics-and... #TheOrnithologist #ornthology #Shorebirds #birds #Birding
- Reposted by The OrnithologistNew research provides evidence that mercury and PFAS can influence mitochondrial function in free-living seabirds, highlighting bioenergetics as a sensitive mechanistic link between pollution exposure and organismal health. 🔗 Press release: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-01-hau
- Cormorants’ wettable feathers look like an evolutionary mistake, yet they form a brilliantly efficient diving strategy unlike ducks, loons or penguins. theornithologist.org/cormorants-e... #TheOrnithologist #ornithology #evolution #Birds #birding
- What happens to birds when the law designed to protect them is itself under threat? theornithologist.org/the-endanger... #ornithology #endangeredspeciesact #birdconservation #conservation #shorebirds #waders #birds #birding #PipingPlover #TheOrnithologist
- Check out our latest open access story at The Ornithologist.
- New logger data reveal how Western Orphean Warblers cross the Sahara: not in marathon flights, but in a sequence of short, high-altitude hops along a remarkably direct migration route. theornithologist.org/the-western-... #ornithology #TheOrnithologist #birds #birding #BirdMigration
- New logger data reveal how Western Orphean Warblers cross the Sahara: not in marathon flights, but in a sequence of short, high-altitude hops along a remarkably direct migration route. theornithologist.org/the-western-... #ornithology #TheOrnithologist #birds #birding #BirdMigration
- Reposted by The OrnithologistThe PatchBird website has been restructured and refocused for clearer purpose, clearer methods, and a renewed call for consistent bird surveys from everyday places. If you value repeatable data, quiet patches, and long-term insight, PatchBird is open to you. www.patchbird.org #birding #birds
- Female Ruffs are not the solitary nesters we thought. A new study shows they cluster nests near leks and neighbours, reshaping our understanding of their breeding strategy. theornithologist.org/female-ruffs... #ornithology #TheOrnithologist #birds #birding #shorebirds #waders
- A single tracked Bluethroat from central Siberia reveals a hidden migration route across Central Asia – and hints at a long-suspected migratory divide. theornithologist.org/tracking-a-s... #TheOrnithologist #Ornithology #Birds #Birding #ornithology
- Iceland’s role in the movement of avian influenza is clearer than ever – and Gyrfalcons are now testing positive. With numbers already declining, the species faces a changing risk landscape. theornithologist.org/icelandic-gy... #TheOrnithologist #birds #ornithology #birding #avianinfluenza
- The Caspian Gull’s westward expansion did not begin at the coast. Tracing its journey from Ukraine to the North Sea reveals how freshwater corridors reshaped Europe’s avian map. theornithologist.org/the-caspian-... #TheOrnithologist #ornithology #birds #birding
- You can now listen to selected articles on The Ornithologist. The first narrated piece, the Peregrine Falcon downlisting debate, is live. Try the new audio feature here: theornithologist.org/peregrine-fa... #Ornithology #TheOrnithologist #Conservation #Birds #Birding
- The proposal to downlist the Peregrine Falcon under CITES risks reopening the pressures that once drove it to collapse. Have we learned nothing from its recovery? theornithologist.org/peregrine-fa... #Ornithology #TheOrnitholohist #BirdsofPrey #Conservation
- A Pygmy Cormorant has attempted to breed in Poland for the first time, marking the northernmost event in its range. This event highlights the species’ northward expansion. theornithologist.org/northernmost... #TheOrnithologist #Ornithology #Birds #Birding
- Four decades after reintroduction, Griffon Vultures in France show remarkably high and stable survival. A model case in long-term conservation. theornithologist.org/a-generation... #ornithology #TheOrnithologist #vultureconservation #birds #birding
- New study maps the Scarlet Flycatcher’s migration using citizen-science records. Clear breeding/wintering zones, eastward shifts, and possible partial migration. A great example of what citizen science can achieve. theornithologist.org/migration-of... #Ornithology #TheOrnithologist #Birds #Birding
- A new study reveals how Caspian Gulls are thriving in the Netherlands by using freshwater habitats overlooked by other gulls. theornithologist.org/caspian-gull... #ornithology #birds #birding #avianresearch
- Nearly 1,900 birds—mostly Brown Pelicans—were killed in a rare Texas hailstorm. Drone surveys reveal the full scale of the devastation. News story now live. theornithologist.org/hailstorm-ki... #TheOrnithologist #naturaldisaster #ornithology #birds #birding #conservation
- If you value clear, research-driven ornithology and conservation writing, consider joining the readership of The Ornithologist. Free sign-up supports an independent magazine dedicated to accessible science and bird conservation. theornithologist.org #ornithology #birding #birds #conservation
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- Bird conservation is often framed as optional, yet evidence shows it underpins ecosystem stability and human wellbeing. This editorial explores why defending conservation is not idealism but necessity. theornithologist.org/in-defence-o... #ornithology #birds #birdconservation #theornithologist
- Reposted by The Ornithologist"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."
- The world has lost Solstice, the last surviving female kākāpō from Stewart Island. Her life embodied the resilience of a species once thought lost—and her legacy lives on through generations of chicks that now define the future of the kākāpō. theornithologist.org/farewell-to-... #TheOrnithologist
- Drones and deep learning are rewriting how we count seabirds. On the remote Bounty Islands, AI and 3D mapping reveal colonies with new clarity. Read more in The Ornithologist. theornithologist.org/automating-t... #TheOrnithologist #seabirds #ornithology
- The Blue-eyed Ground Dove has been confirmed as the only living member of the ancient genus Oxypelia. New genetic evidence reveals its deep evolutionary roots and the urgency of conserving its Cerrado refuge. theornithologist.org/a-lost-dove-... #TheOrnithologist #Ornithology
- In a world torn by wars and crises, bird conservation can seem irrelevant. Yet to protect life itself is not indulgence – it’s resistance. theornithologist.org/in-defence-o... #TheOrnithologist #ornithology #redlist #IUCN
- A new study shows that for juvenile White Storks, migration is written in the calendar. Fledging just days earlier or later can decide which continent they’ll winter on — and that choice may last a lifetime. theornithologist.org/timing-shape... #TheOrnithologist #ornithology #BirdMigration
- A milestone worth celebrating — The Ornithologist has now published 50 articles! Each one tells a story of bird science, field discovery, or conservation in action. Thank you to our readers and contributors who made this possible. theornithologist.org
- As climate change fuels stronger storms, African Oystercatchers face days without feeding — a quiet threat revealed by new research from South Africa. Read the full story: theornithologist.org/storm-impact... #TheOrnithologist #shorebirds #waders
- Common birds are driving North America’s declines. Their disappearance is a global conservation blind spot. theornithologist.org/north-americ... #birdconservation #ornithology #patchbird #BirdDeclines #commonbirds
- Europe’s rarest songbird is running out of time – and out of wetlands. As droughts cancel translocations and habitats dry, can the Aquatic Warbler survive a changing climate? A powerful editorial on crisis, resilience, and the future of marshland birds. theornithologist.org/no-rain-no-r...
- Reposted by The OrnithologistONE POINT TWO BILLION!
