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Cecilia Nilsson

Cecilia Nilsson

@cnilsson.science

200 followers 210 following 7 posts

Researcher at Lund University, working on radar aeroecology, flight behavior and animal migration 📡✨🐦🦋 She/her
http://cnilsson.science

Environmental science 41%

Education 18%

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Cecilia Nilsson @cnilsson.science · Sep 22

Are animals randomly distributed in the air, or is there a structure to where and when we find them? In our new paper we outline factors that shape habitat use in the air, from abiotic structure to biotic interactions. A lot of fun discussions behind this one! 🦅🦋🦇🌬
www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...

Animal niches in the airspace

For flying animals, including many birds, bats, and insects, the air is a crucial arena for a range of behaviors. Technological advances, such as year-round tracking of flight altitudes and expanded u...

Reposted by Marcel E. Visser, Urška Demšar, Cecilia Nilsson

Migration Ecology Group @migecol.bsky.social · 22d

We’re hiring a doctoral researcher in the area of migration ecology.
The work will focus on the question of how and when migratory songbirds learn where their home is using #Motus.
Part of the Cluster of Excellence NaviSense and linked with @sfb1372.bsky.social

uol.de/job788en

#ornithology

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson

Jonathan J. Chu @jonathanjojochu.bsky.social · 25d

How many #birds are killed by #cats in Canada? Between 19-197 million! This is the main result from my first chapter of my PhD thesis just published in Avian Conservation and Ecology. ace-eco.org/vol20/iss2/a...
@gowelizabeth.bsky.social
@ryannorrissci.bsky.social

1/6

Reposted by Julie L. Lockwood, Cecilia Nilsson

Kyle Horton @kyle-horton.bsky.social · Oct 8

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 Cecilia Nilsson

ELLIS unit Jena @ellisunitjena.bsky.social · Oct 6

2nd talk of the 4th session AI for Good Webinar series
AI for Earth & Sustainability Science
📅8 Oct 2025
⏰4:00–5:00 CEST
📚 Topic: Forecasting and understanding bird migration with process-guided deep learning
🧑‍🏫Speaker: Fiona Lippert
🔗 aiforgood.itu.int/event/foreca...

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson

Department of Biology, Lund University @biologylu.bsky.social · Oct 6

High above us, the atmosphere is teeming with life. New research from @cnilsson.science at Lund University reveals how the atmosphere is an ecosystem, with complex ecological processes that affect how animals move between different altitude levels of the airspace.
www.biology.lu.se/article/hidd...

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson, Susanne Lachmuth, Valeria Mazza , and 1 more Cecilia Nilsson, Susanne Lachmuth, Valeria Mazza, Benjamin Larue

Dan Chamberlain @danc-eco.bsky.social · Sep 29

We are seeking an ornithologist/modeller for a 2-year POST-DOC in Turin. Using archaeological remains, we will reconstruct past avian communities to understand the impacts of climate change and human pressure on birds through time. For details see cutt.ly/irN76QDZ PLEASE RT. #ornithology #AviArch

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson

Department of Biology, Lund University @biologylu.bsky.social · Sep 24

We're really proud and exited to announce that Staffan Bensch, professor at the Department of Biology, has received an ERC Advanced Grant for his project “Genetics of long-distance migration”. 👏👏👏

Read the full story on our website!
www.biology.lu.se/article/staf...

Cecilia Nilsson @cnilsson.science · Sep 22

Had so much fun writing this with Emily @emlbcohen.bsky.social, Judy @judyshamounb.bsky.social, Sissel @sisselsjoberg.bsky.social and Dara!

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson, Susanne Lachmuth

Trends in Ecology & Evolution @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social · Sep 19

Online now: Animal niches in the airspace

Animal niches in the airspace

For flying animals, including many birds, bats, and insects, the air is a crucial arena for a range of behaviors. Technological advances, such as year-round tracking of flight altitudes and expanded use of radar, increasingly show how flying animals use the aerial habitat. This enables us to answer questions about the environmental patterns and ecological processes that shape aerial niches, including energetics, biotic interactions, and risk due to growing anthropogenic conflicts. In this review, we identify environmental conditions and biological interactions influencing where animals occur in the airspace throughout their life cycles. We outline an ecological framework to advance understanding of how different properties of the airspace shape fundamental aerial habitat niches and how biotic interactions influence the realized niches.

Reposted by Marco Festa‐Bianchet, Marcel E. Visser, Keith C. Hamer , and 3 more Marco Festa‐Bianchet, Marcel E. Visser, Keith C. Hamer, Cecilia Nilsson, Benjamin Larue, Marcus W. Rhodes

Stu Bearhop @stubearhop.bsky.social · Sep 18

Fully funded PhD working on insectivorous bird declines with a broad range of stakeholders. Starting ASAP #ornithology #zoology #biodiversity #science #ecology
www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...

Reposted by Ana S. L. Rodrigues, Cecilia Nilsson

Department of Biology, Lund University @biologylu.bsky.social · Sep 5

Migratory birds aren’t equally efficient at all speeds. A new Lund University study shows thrush nightingales fly most efficiently at 7–8 m/s – the speed they actually use on migration.
@pablomaciastorres.bsky.social & Prof. Anders Hedenström, Animal Flight Lab.

www.biology.lu.se/article/not-...

Reposted by Urška Demšar, Cecilia Nilsson

SFB 1372 @sfb1372.bsky.social · Aug 26

Spread the word: we’re #hiring! We offer two short-term #fellowships for master’s degree holders and PhD candidates for 6-12 months to excellent researchers, who are interested in doing research within one dedicated project of our SFB/CRC 1372. Find more information on www.sfb1372.de/jobs

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson

Pablo Macias Torres @pablomaciastorres.bsky.social · Jun 5

After a lot of time spent in the darkness of the wind tunnel, the results finally see the light.
I'm very excited to share what will become the first chapter of my thesis.
Energy conversion efficiency peaks at intermediate flight speed in a migratory songbird www.cell.com/current-biol...

Energy conversion efficiency peaks at intermediate flight speed in a migratory songbird

Using in vivo measurements of thrush nightingales flying in a wind tunnel, Macias-Torres et al. show that energy conversion efficiency varies with airspeed following a concave function, with a maximum...

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson

Andreas Nord @cyanistesnord.bsky.social · May 22

I am looking for a postdoc wanting to use functional genomics to understand why birds 🐦 struggle with climate warming in @erc.europa.eu project #HotLife. Ideal candidate is a molecular evolutionarybiologist. Join us at @biologylu.bsky.social. Details 👇
shorturl.at/wijEq

Would appreciate a re-post!

Post-doctoral fellow in functional genomics and ecophysiology

Subject description The goal of the project is to uncover the mechanisms explaining why global warming and heatwaves reduce reproductive success and cause excess mortality in wild and domesticated war

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson

Eldar Rakhimberdiev @eldarrak.bsky.social · May 19

Do you like working with large datasets? Always wanted to develop sophisticated population models? I am looking for a postdoctoral researcher to study the impact of body weight on the survival and reproduction of dark-bellied brent goose using a long-term dataset.
werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...

Vacancy — Postdoc Brent Goose Demographic Analysis in Waakvogels (Sentinel Birds) Project

Do you like working with large datasets? Always wanted to develop sophisticated population models? The department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to s...

werkenbij.uva.nl

Cecilia Nilsson @cnilsson.science · May 6

Our PhD level course Ecology of Animal Migration at @biologylu.bsky.social is now open for applications! The course will run this November (3-14th) and cover various theoretical and practical aspects of migration ecology.

See: www.biology.lu.se/phd-studies/...

Ecology of Animal Migration

Lund University.

www.biology.lu.se

Reposted by Richard D. Gregory, Cecilia Nilsson

Paul Dufour @pauldufour80.bsky.social · May 5

Another birding paper! 🐦Where do the Nearctic landbirds that show up in Europe each autumn come from? We usually assume they come from NE populations, pushed off course by bad weather - but is that the whole story? #ornithology 1/3

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson

BOU @bou.org.uk · Apr 1

1/ We are delighted to have @judyshamounb.bsky.social deliver the Alfred Newton Lecture at #BOU2025 Frontiers in Ornithology

Judy's research focuses on understanding movement ecology in birds 🧵

#ornithology #migrationresearch #movementecology 🪶🧪

Reposted by Marc W. Cadotte, Nick M. Haddad, Cecilia Nilsson , and 1 more Marc W. Cadotte, Nick M. Haddad, Cecilia Nilsson, Michael W. Belitz

Nick Haddad @nickhaddad.bsky.social · Mar 6

Our paper is out, and it is distressing.

Rapid butterfly declines across the United States during the 21st century | Science www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Rapid butterfly declines across the United States during the 21st century

Numerous declines have been documented across insect groups, and the potential consequences of insect losses are dire. Butterflies are the most surveyed insect taxa, yet analyses have been limited in ...

www.science.org

Cecilia Nilsson @cnilsson.science · Mar 5

And the paper can be found here:
doi.org/10.1038/s415...

@peterdesmet.com @baptischmi.bsky.social @barthoekstra.bsky.social @stijnvanhoey.be @inbo.be @biologylu.bsky.social @uva.nl @cornellbirds.bsky.social @vogelwarte.bsky.social @wslresearch.bsky.social
@biodiversaplus.bsky.social

Biological data derived from European weather radars - Scientific Data

Scientific Data - Biological data derived from European weather radars

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson

BOU @bou.org.uk · Mar 3

📢 APPLICATIONS OPEN...

...for the BOU Gibbs Award 2025

Funding #ornithology research on tracking and migration studies including the use of new technologies

bou.org.uk/funding/b...

Application deadline: 15 May 2025 🪶

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson

Wilson Ornithological Society @wilsonornithsoc.bsky.social · Feb 19

There's a new guest post on the WOS blog! WOS Research Award recipient @mikkojimenez.bsky.social writes about his efforts to ground-truth radar #ornithology data in Colorado.

Guest Post – Radar vs. Reality: Ground-Truthing NEXRAD Estimates of Migrating Birds

Every birder I know has been influenced by the integration of radar into ornithology.

wilsonsociety.org

Reposted by Marcel E. Visser, Craig R. Primmer, Anita Guerrini , and 2 more Marcel E. Visser, Craig R. Primmer, Anita Guerrini, Christian Schöb, Cecilia Nilsson

Ole Seehausen @oleseehausen.bsky.social · Dec 28

Please circulate widely:

We are hiring two Ass Prof tt at the Institute of #ecology and #evolution at @unibern.bsky.social in conservation biology; mathematical & computational ecology

We are committed to diverse, inclusive and equitable leadership in research and education

tinyurl.com/IEEjobs

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson

Journal of Avian Biology @avianbiology.bsky.social · Jan 28

NEW PAPER: determinants of stopover duration in migratory blackbirds: lean birds extend stopovers, immune status has a weak effect. Weather conditions (cloud cover, tailwinds) are more influential.

➡️ https://vist.ly/3mtjme6

#ornithology #migration #ecoimmunology #birds
.

Fig. 1 from the article: Departure moments of blackbirds on Vlieland were associated with positive tailwinds, low cloud cover scores, and low scaled mass indices at arrival. In panel (a), horizontal lines represent the time each individual spent on the stopover location since the moment of first capture (open plotting symbols) until the moment of departure (vertical end line). In panel (b), cloud cover at sunrise or the moment of an individual's departure are plotted over date.

Fig. 2 from the article: Minimal adequate model fits with (dotted blue line), and without (solid red line) a random intercept for the day of tagging, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (shaded blue and red areas, respectively). Lines show the ratio between the risk of departure, relative to an individual with all other covariates set at the sample's mean, for (a) scaled mass index, (b) haptoglobin level (the residual concentration over pre-scan absorbance at 450 nm)

Fig. 2 from the article: Minimal adequate model fits with (dotted blue line), and without (solid red line) a random intercept for the day of tagging, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (shaded blue and red areas, respectively). Lines show the ratio between the risk of departure, relative to an individual with all other covariates set at the sample's mean, for (c) tailwind component, and (d) cloud cover score.

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson

José Cerca @naturalselection.bsky.social · Jan 23

[please share widely!]

We have two PhD positions available at the Swedish Museum of Natural History:

[Position 1] Birds, hybridization, genomes, island biology, biogeography, sexual selection 🦚, w/ me, Knud Jønsson, Martin Iredstedt and @stelkens.bsky.social et al
recruit.visma.com/spa/public/a...

PhD student in Evolution of Indo-Pacific birds

The Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics is offering a four-year PhD position focused on analyzing population-level genomic data from museum bird samples. The project will employ cutting-edge gen...

recruit.visma.com

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson

Open science lab for biodiversity @oscibio.inbo.be · Jan 16

We create #opensource code, but what is its impact?

Luckily, Raphaël Nussbaumer wrote a blog post describing how he used our software to build a data standard for #geolocator data: oscibio.inbo.be/blog/geoloca... Couldn't be more proud! 🥹

How I built Geolocator DP using open source code

New standard and software for geolocator data was inspired by tools developed by the Open science lab of biodiversity.

oscibio.inbo.be

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson, Fengyi Guo

Birgen Haest @birgenhaest.bsky.social · Dec 17

Come work with us - PostDoc on characterizing insect migration 🦋🪲🪰 using vertical-looking radars 📡
Deadline: 31 January
Please Share!
my.jobalino.ch/job/en/6cd50...

Post-doctoral researcher (100%) in 'Characterizing insect migration using vertical-looking radars' | 100%

The Swiss Ornithological Institute is a non-profit foundation dedicated to ornithology and the protection of birds. It monitors native birds, researches their way of life and advocates for threatened...

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson

Peter Desmet @peterdesmet.com · Jan 13

I released a new version of ✨Petridish✨, the free Jekyll theme for research project websites. 🧫

It removes the Twitter feed from the homepage, allows you to add Bluesky and LinkedIn to socials and uses the latest version of Font Awesome. For all updates, see github.com/peterdesmet/...

Release petridish 3.1 · peterdesmet/petridish

Homepage Breaking! The Twitter feed (tweets_on_home: true) is no longer supported. This functionality no longer worked with the change from Twitter to X. With the removal of the Twitter feed, the ...

Reposted by Cecilia Nilsson

Dan Baldassarre @evornithology.bsky.social · Jan 3

Many folks in the bird world knew Emma. She was a gentle soul who made this world a better place. And she was a hell of a lot of fun to hang out with at bird meetings! If you can, please consider a donation to help support her 3-yo daughter, Veda. 💔 2/2 everloved.com/life-of/emma...

Contribute to Childcare for Veda in memory of Emma

In lieu of flowers, help us carry on Emma's legacy by giving to Childcare for Veda.