Ben C. Sheldon | Lightnews

Ben Sheldon

@sheldonbirds.bsky.social

3.6K followers 450 following 4.2K posts

Ornithologist and Evolutionary Ecologist at the University of Oxford - natural history, science, cycling

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Ben C. Sheldon is the Luc Hoffmann Chair in Field Ornithology and Director of the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology of the University of Oxford's Department of Zoology. He was Head of the Department of Zoology between 2016 and 2021. .. more

Biology 32%

Environmental science 30%

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Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · Oct 20

Interested in a PhD in ornithology? Funding available for projects at the interface of ecology, behaviour & evolution from Oct '26 working on long-term population studies of tits at Wytham, based in @biology.ox.ac.uk in the new Life & Mind Building in Oxford
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

Celebrating a successful field season with great food & good company - May 2025

Front view of the Life & Mind Building, which opened in Oct 2025: The new home of Biology at Oxford

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 3h

Hmm - I may have misremembered slightly. It’s described in Brucker et al 1992 “Birds of Oxfordshire” as already declining. A former (1966) avifauna described it as a regular visitor to Thames and Cherwell water meadows.

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 5h

More of the current wild goose influx today with @tmbirding.bsky.social's flock of 21 Russian White-fronted Geese on Port Meadow a rare chance to see undoubtedly wild birds at this urban site. Inevitably disturbed by dogs off lead - hard to conceive that there was once a regular wintering flock here

Part of a flock of 21 White-fronted Geese (18 visible here) flying northwards over Port Meadow, Oxfordshire, with trees in background, 26 Dec 2025.

Flock of 21 White-fronted Geese flying northwards over Port Meadow, Oxfordshire, with trees in background, 26 Dec 2025.

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 1d

Out first thing on a chilly Christmas morning to see the 15 Tundra Bean Geese that arrived at Otmoor yesterday afternoon: part of the widespread influx of wild geese across the South of England. A rare bird locally - these the first for quite a few years. Also 10 Russian White-fronted Geese here.

Flock of 15 Tundra Bean Geese grazing on meadows at Otmoor RSPB reserve, Oxfordshire, 25 December 2025

Reposted by Ben C. Sheldon, Shan Kothari

bioRxiv Evolutionary Biology @biorxiv-evobio.bsky.social · 1d

Balanced polymorphism in a floral transcription factor underlies an ancient rhythm of daily sex alternation in avocado https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.22.695989v1

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 4d

Hi Molly - fascinating stuff, but the pedantic ornithologist in me spotted a small typo in the figure - it is Great REED warbler not Great Weed Warbler....

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 4d

Biology Department Christmas Lecture last week - available at link. Brilliant work from Dr Beth Mortimer et al. on the huge range of biological questions & applications - from next generation robotics to conservation - opened up by studying animal seismic sensing

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8oe...

Biology Annual Lecture 2025: Seismic Senses

YouTube video by Oxford Biology

www.youtube.com

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 4d

Nope! One of those birds that is worth the wait to see...

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 4d

A classic case of "If you are not sure, it wasn't one" - a Firecrest will really leap out as different even on a glimpse

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 4d

Which quest?

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 4d

share.google/nQxWzFjEqQFi...

Google Image Result for https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6283648ad9f7c4fb64df4f8e/6365298130da89c38e2a4bf3_goldcrest%20male%20sq.jpg

share.google

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 4d

Males have an orange centre to crown - sometimes masked by other feathers

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 6d

Rather life-like I hope you’ll agree! Photo of the real thing for comparison Highlight of a great autumn birding week with @tombedford.bsky.social

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 7d

None of the above! Though of course it could apply to all. It was a brief moment of cricket hope…

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 7d

It's the hope that kills you...

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 8d

Always admired and enjoyed Craig Benkman’s work on Crossbill-Conifer coevolution - looking forward to diving into this at Christmas

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 8d

Beautiful Blackbird cards!

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 10d

Great talk by @rona-learmonth.bsky.social at #BES2025 on the absence of small scale local adaptation by winter moths to oak tree bud burst. Read more in this preprint www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 11d

Sorry to be missing it!

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 11d

I, for one, welcome our future Stercorariid overlords...

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 11d

and properties of immigrants in meta-populations like this, how they integrate into populations, and what else they bring with them other than genes (behaviour, parasites etc) is a really poorly understood area, but one that we need to understand better

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 11d

Enjoyed working on this with @andreaestandia.bsky.social @nilomr.bsky.social @jon-slate.bsky.social. One thing these data enabled was estimate the frequency of close kin among immigrants. While rarer (c. 30% as common) than in locally-born birds we do find quite a few cases. For me, the origin… 1/n

Andrea Estandía @andreaestandia.bsky.social · 11d

Great to see this one published in Molecular Ecology 🐦 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

with @sheldonbirds.bsky.social @nilomr.bsky.social @jon-slate.bsky.social

Reposted by Ben C. Sheldon

Andrea Estandía @andreaestandia.bsky.social · 11d

Great to see this one published in Molecular Ecology 🐦 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

with @sheldonbirds.bsky.social @nilomr.bsky.social @jon-slate.bsky.social

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 12d

💯but would extend to all career stages not just ECR…

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 13d

We lost Tova today after a brief but brave battle against infection. She's been a huge presence in all of our lives for the past six years and for me personally played a very important role in getting me through some difficult times a few years ago. Forever in our thoughts with deepest love.

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 17d

Oh god, my eyes….

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 17d

Really good to see this!

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 18d

Sorry to hear that Martin Parr has died. When he was documenting Oxford University he came out to Wytham Woods to photograph our team doing fieldwork - featuring @mcmahok.bsky.social & @lucymaplin.bsky.social as well as Fraser Bell & Ella Cole. The generally serious demeanour was at his request!

Reposted by Ben C. Sheldon

University of Oxford @ox.ac.uk · 21d

Led by Professor Jane Langdale @biology.ox.ac.uk, the C4 Rice Project builds on decades of interdisciplinary research working to ensure global food security.

Discover the incredible story of the multi-decade battle to make better rice ⬇️

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3RY0vxzFpg

Making Better Rice: The quest to feed the world by hacking plant evolution

YouTube video by University of Oxford

www.youtube.com

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 21d

Jesus College?

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 22d

I am missing for a REF meeting…

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