Cornish Jackdaw Project
@cornishjackdaws.bsky.social
Research team led by Alex Thornton at the University of Exeter's Centre for Ecology and Conservation, studying cognition in wild jackdaws and other creatures.
wildcognitionresearch.com
wildcognitionresearch.com
Pinned
New paper led by @josharbon.bsky.social. Adults jackdaws often bully youngsters, but we show they can learn to be tolerant and attend to juveniles as sources of information. @uniexecec.bsky.social. Funded by @leverhulme.ac.uk & @swbiodtp.bsky.social
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
📢JOB alert
Excellent opportunity with fantastic team and study system. 🐬
What are you waiting for???
Excellent opportunity with fantastic team and study system. 🐬
What are you waiting for???
3 year postdoc funded by @ukri.org NERC on between-group cooperation in the Shark Bay dolphins is now live - please share widely 🙏 www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
Details | Working at Bristol | University of Bristol
University of Bristol Beacon House Queens Road Bristol, BS8 1QU, UK Tel: +44 (0)117 928 9000 Contact us
www.bristol.ac.uk
November 10, 2025 at 10:55 AM
📢JOB alert
Excellent opportunity with fantastic team and study system. 🐬
What are you waiting for???
Excellent opportunity with fantastic team and study system. 🐬
What are you waiting for???
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
#PhD position!
Comparing #foraging and #cognition in #hummingbirds and #bumblebees
Fieldwork in the Canadian Rockies, lab experiments at @newcastleuni.bsky.social, and ecological modelling at @uniofstandrews.bsky.social
Details (including my email) here: iapetus.ac.uk/studentships...
Comparing #foraging and #cognition in #hummingbirds and #bumblebees
Fieldwork in the Canadian Rockies, lab experiments at @newcastleuni.bsky.social, and ecological modelling at @uniofstandrews.bsky.social
Details (including my email) here: iapetus.ac.uk/studentships...
From preferences to pollination: do hummingbirds and bees differ in how they choose flowers?
iapetus.ac.uk
November 9, 2025 at 2:14 PM
#PhD position!
Comparing #foraging and #cognition in #hummingbirds and #bumblebees
Fieldwork in the Canadian Rockies, lab experiments at @newcastleuni.bsky.social, and ecological modelling at @uniofstandrews.bsky.social
Details (including my email) here: iapetus.ac.uk/studentships...
Comparing #foraging and #cognition in #hummingbirds and #bumblebees
Fieldwork in the Canadian Rockies, lab experiments at @newcastleuni.bsky.social, and ecological modelling at @uniofstandrews.bsky.social
Details (including my email) here: iapetus.ac.uk/studentships...
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
New paper from @joewoodman.bsky.social et al in @asn-amnat.bsky.social uses the long-term study of Great Tits in Wytham Woods to ask how differently aged birds are distributed in space & what consequences this has for spatial variation in reproductive output
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
November 9, 2025 at 7:23 PM
New paper from @joewoodman.bsky.social et al in @asn-amnat.bsky.social uses the long-term study of Great Tits in Wytham Woods to ask how differently aged birds are distributed in space & what consequences this has for spatial variation in reproductive output
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
PhD project on the evolution of animal memory now available in my research group, through the TREES DLA: www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/evo.... Come and join us if you're interested in the evolution of animal minds and you want to do some cool experimental evolution!
Evolutionary ecology of animal memory | TREES DLA
This project seeks to explore how memory evolves in response to the ecological tasks that animals face in their natural environment. Associative memory exists in some form in almost all animal species...
www.trees-dla.ac.uk
November 6, 2025 at 3:23 PM
PhD project on the evolution of animal memory now available in my research group, through the TREES DLA: www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/evo.... Come and join us if you're interested in the evolution of animal minds and you want to do some cool experimental evolution!
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
BehaveAI is live!
Our biologically inspired video analysis tool sees motion as colour. Track animals or objects, classify their behaviour, and handle complex natural scenes with ease.
Semi-supervised annotation, no GPUs required, user-friendly, free & open source.
Pre-print tinyurl.com/BehaveAI
Our biologically inspired video analysis tool sees motion as colour. Track animals or objects, classify their behaviour, and handle complex natural scenes with ease.
Semi-supervised annotation, no GPUs required, user-friendly, free & open source.
Pre-print tinyurl.com/BehaveAI
November 6, 2025 at 10:09 AM
BehaveAI is live!
Our biologically inspired video analysis tool sees motion as colour. Track animals or objects, classify their behaviour, and handle complex natural scenes with ease.
Semi-supervised annotation, no GPUs required, user-friendly, free & open source.
Pre-print tinyurl.com/BehaveAI
Our biologically inspired video analysis tool sees motion as colour. Track animals or objects, classify their behaviour, and handle complex natural scenes with ease.
Semi-supervised annotation, no GPUs required, user-friendly, free & open source.
Pre-print tinyurl.com/BehaveAI
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
Last night, Peers voted against Swift bricks: rejecting a simple, proven way to help one of our fastest declining birds recover. ❌
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
November 4, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Last night, Peers voted against Swift bricks: rejecting a simple, proven way to help one of our fastest declining birds recover. ❌
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
We share @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social's disappointment & frustration.
The vote came late, but with government refusing to back it, its fate was already sealed.
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
This is an exciting project as part of an exciting larger grant - excellent opportunity
I am recruting a #postdoc for a project investigating the evolution of avian heat tolerance in @erc.europa.eu project #HotLife. Fieldwork over broad latitudinal gradients, common-garden experiments, and more. Read more and apply👇
shorturl.at/WA1Qa
Would appreciate a re-post!
@evoldir.bsky.social
shorturl.at/WA1Qa
Would appreciate a re-post!
@evoldir.bsky.social
November 5, 2025 at 8:52 AM
This is an exciting project as part of an exciting larger grant - excellent opportunity
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
PhD studentship on antimicrobial resistance in wild baboons! Fully-funded by @swbiodtp.bsky.social Application deadline: Wed 3 Dec 2025. More details: bpb-eu-w2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.bristo.... Apply here: www.swbio.ac.uk/programme/ho...
@inesfuertbauer.bsky.social @xavh.bsky.social
@inesfuertbauer.bsky.social @xavh.bsky.social
November 4, 2025 at 9:18 AM
PhD studentship on antimicrobial resistance in wild baboons! Fully-funded by @swbiodtp.bsky.social Application deadline: Wed 3 Dec 2025. More details: bpb-eu-w2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.bristo.... Apply here: www.swbio.ac.uk/programme/ho...
@inesfuertbauer.bsky.social @xavh.bsky.social
@inesfuertbauer.bsky.social @xavh.bsky.social
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
Several opportunities to join the Wild Microbiome Lab in 2026 to do a PhD! Details below
#phd #ecology @uniexecec.bsky.social
#phd #ecology @uniexecec.bsky.social
November 4, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Several opportunities to join the Wild Microbiome Lab in 2026 to do a PhD! Details below
#phd #ecology @uniexecec.bsky.social
#phd #ecology @uniexecec.bsky.social
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
I have published a childrens book! 📚🦧
'The Rimba' is a lyrical tale about the rainforest’s guardian spirit, a wise orangutan named Rimba, who rises to protect her home and the creatures within it, from the impacts of deforestation for palm oil. 🌴
#NewBook #ChildrensBook #orangutan #conservation
'The Rimba' is a lyrical tale about the rainforest’s guardian spirit, a wise orangutan named Rimba, who rises to protect her home and the creatures within it, from the impacts of deforestation for palm oil. 🌴
#NewBook #ChildrensBook #orangutan #conservation
November 3, 2025 at 2:43 PM
I have published a childrens book! 📚🦧
'The Rimba' is a lyrical tale about the rainforest’s guardian spirit, a wise orangutan named Rimba, who rises to protect her home and the creatures within it, from the impacts of deforestation for palm oil. 🌴
#NewBook #ChildrensBook #orangutan #conservation
'The Rimba' is a lyrical tale about the rainforest’s guardian spirit, a wise orangutan named Rimba, who rises to protect her home and the creatures within it, from the impacts of deforestation for palm oil. 🌴
#NewBook #ChildrensBook #orangutan #conservation
Thanks for the invitation and the kind hospitality! It was great to catch up with folk and chat to the @egioxford.bsky.social crew.
An excellent turn out for @cornishjackdaws.bsky.social seminar this afternoon - dealing with the question of feedbacks between social life and cognition
November 3, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Thanks for the invitation and the kind hospitality! It was great to catch up with folk and chat to the @egioxford.bsky.social crew.
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
Coming up soon (9 am today) an opportunity to hear this classic episode of In Our Time on Bird Migration featuring Tim Guilford of @biology.ox.ac.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...
BBC Radio 4 - In Our Time, Bird Migration
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how birds navigate and the risks and benefits of migration
www.bbc.co.uk
October 30, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Coming up soon (9 am today) an opportunity to hear this classic episode of In Our Time on Bird Migration featuring Tim Guilford of @biology.ox.ac.uk
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...
I'm very excited to go back to Oxford, where I did my undergrad, to talk about the group's recent work on jackdaws and what it tells us about the evolution of sociality and cognition!
Now that we're properly moved in & set up in the new Life & Mind Building, we're pleased to restart our tradition of Friday afternoon seminar speakers, kicking off with Alex Thornton of @cornishjackdaws.bsky.social at 3.30pm on 31 Oct. Also live streamed: see below for details. Corvid-themed for 🎃
October 28, 2025 at 2:16 PM
I'm very excited to go back to Oxford, where I did my undergrad, to talk about the group's recent work on jackdaws and what it tells us about the evolution of sociality and cognition!
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
"Unsung Songbirds: Advances in the Study of Corvid Communication" - a new review paper (preprint) https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/10600/ Corvids are amazing, so I'm v pleased to be a small part of this review led by Claudia Wascher and Valerie Dufour. #corvids #bioacoustics
Unsung Songbirds: Advances in the Study of Corvid Communication
ecoevorxiv.org
October 24, 2025 at 8:38 AM
"Unsung Songbirds: Advances in the Study of Corvid Communication" - a new review paper (preprint) https://ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/10600/ Corvids are amazing, so I'm v pleased to be a small part of this review led by Claudia Wascher and Valerie Dufour. #corvids #bioacoustics
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
Congrats to @sheldonbirds.bsky.social, who's been awarded honorary membership by @britishecologicalsociety.org, the highest honour given by the society!
A recognition of exceptional contribution to the generation, communication and promotion of ecological knowledge and solutions 👇
bit.ly/474eoAb
A recognition of exceptional contribution to the generation, communication and promotion of ecological knowledge and solutions 👇
bit.ly/474eoAb
Professor Ben Sheldon awarded Honorary Membership by British Ecological Society
bit.ly
October 22, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Congrats to @sheldonbirds.bsky.social, who's been awarded honorary membership by @britishecologicalsociety.org, the highest honour given by the society!
A recognition of exceptional contribution to the generation, communication and promotion of ecological knowledge and solutions 👇
bit.ly/474eoAb
A recognition of exceptional contribution to the generation, communication and promotion of ecological knowledge and solutions 👇
bit.ly/474eoAb
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
Investigating the relationship between heat-mediated cognitive impairment and antipredator response in a wild bird | royalsocietypublishi... | Royal Society Open Science | #ornithology 🪶
October 17, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Investigating the relationship between heat-mediated cognitive impairment and antipredator response in a wild bird | royalsocietypublishi... | Royal Society Open Science | #ornithology 🪶
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
🐦 Exciting news! Our new paper is out in PLOS Biology:
“A large-scale study across the avian clade identifies ecological drivers of neophobia.”
Led by the #ManyBirds Project - 129 researchers, 82 institutions, 24 countries 🌍
🔗 journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
@themanybirds.bsky.social
“A large-scale study across the avian clade identifies ecological drivers of neophobia.”
Led by the #ManyBirds Project - 129 researchers, 82 institutions, 24 countries 🌍
🔗 journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
@themanybirds.bsky.social
A large-scale study across the avian clade identifies ecological drivers of neophobia
Neophobia (the aversive response to novelty) varies considerably across species and individuals, and can impact adaptability and survival. This study assesses neophobia in 1400 subjects from 136 bird ...
journals.plos.org
October 14, 2025 at 6:45 PM
🐦 Exciting news! Our new paper is out in PLOS Biology:
“A large-scale study across the avian clade identifies ecological drivers of neophobia.”
Led by the #ManyBirds Project - 129 researchers, 82 institutions, 24 countries 🌍
🔗 journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
@themanybirds.bsky.social
“A large-scale study across the avian clade identifies ecological drivers of neophobia.”
Led by the #ManyBirds Project - 129 researchers, 82 institutions, 24 countries 🌍
🔗 journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
@themanybirds.bsky.social
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
Social relationships are powerful predictors of fitness across social animals. But *why*?
In our new @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social paper, we outline testable predictions for why relationship quality and quantity adaptively vary across socio-ecological contexts.
tinyurl.com/55dnkeh7
In our new @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social paper, we outline testable predictions for why relationship quality and quantity adaptively vary across socio-ecological contexts.
tinyurl.com/55dnkeh7
October 16, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Social relationships are powerful predictors of fitness across social animals. But *why*?
In our new @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social paper, we outline testable predictions for why relationship quality and quantity adaptively vary across socio-ecological contexts.
tinyurl.com/55dnkeh7
In our new @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social paper, we outline testable predictions for why relationship quality and quantity adaptively vary across socio-ecological contexts.
tinyurl.com/55dnkeh7
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
One of the risks of bowerbirds sharing space with a university - sometimes scientific equipment (and samples) get pinched! Soy sauce containers also seem to be popular
October 9, 2025 at 5:33 AM
One of the risks of bowerbirds sharing space with a university - sometimes scientific equipment (and samples) get pinched! Soy sauce containers also seem to be popular
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
Out today in @plosbiology.org (1/5)
Siblings and non-parental adults provide alternative pathways to cultural inheritance in juvenile great tits 🐦🧩
Link to study:
10.0.5.91/journal.pbio...
Co-authors:
@lucymaplin.bsky.social
@galarconnieto.bsky.social
Siblings and non-parental adults provide alternative pathways to cultural inheritance in juvenile great tits 🐦🧩
Link to study:
10.0.5.91/journal.pbio...
Co-authors:
@lucymaplin.bsky.social
@galarconnieto.bsky.social
October 9, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Out today in @plosbiology.org (1/5)
Siblings and non-parental adults provide alternative pathways to cultural inheritance in juvenile great tits 🐦🧩
Link to study:
10.0.5.91/journal.pbio...
Co-authors:
@lucymaplin.bsky.social
@galarconnieto.bsky.social
Siblings and non-parental adults provide alternative pathways to cultural inheritance in juvenile great tits 🐦🧩
Link to study:
10.0.5.91/journal.pbio...
Co-authors:
@lucymaplin.bsky.social
@galarconnieto.bsky.social
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
Back in the land of bowers this week! Investigating how male courtship signals are affected by urbanisation #greatbowerbirds @uniexecec.bsky.social
October 8, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Back in the land of bowers this week! Investigating how male courtship signals are affected by urbanisation #greatbowerbirds @uniexecec.bsky.social
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
Research assistant + postdoc position on a NERC funded project working w @darrenobbard.bsky.social and collaborating with @savebutterflies.bsky.social on the ecological and evolutionary drivers of the virome of UK moths @uniexecec.bsky.social. Descriptions below and links here benlongdon.com/join/
October 7, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Research assistant + postdoc position on a NERC funded project working w @darrenobbard.bsky.social and collaborating with @savebutterflies.bsky.social on the ecological and evolutionary drivers of the virome of UK moths @uniexecec.bsky.social. Descriptions below and links here benlongdon.com/join/
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
Sad news. We know Jane Goodall was an inspiration to many of our members. She brought real change not only to animal behaviour, but to the world 🌍
BREAKING: Jane Goodall, the conservationist renowned for chimpanzee research and environmental advocacy, has died.
Jane Goodall, conservationist renowned for chimpanzee research and environmental advocacy, has died
Jane Goodall, the conservationist renowned for her groundbreaking chimpanzee field research and globe-spanning environmental advocacy, has died. She was 91.
bit.ly
October 1, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Sad news. We know Jane Goodall was an inspiration to many of our members. She brought real change not only to animal behaviour, but to the world 🌍
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
“Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, we will help. Only if we help, we shall be saved.”
Goodnight Jane, thanks for caring. ✊🏻
Goodnight Jane, thanks for caring. ✊🏻
October 1, 2025 at 8:46 PM
“Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, we will help. Only if we help, we shall be saved.”
Goodnight Jane, thanks for caring. ✊🏻
Goodnight Jane, thanks for caring. ✊🏻
Reposted by Cornish Jackdaw Project
Are you a student studying ecology or conservation? Do you lecture ecology or conservation? I created this playlist for you and hope it is useful. youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Conservation concepts for undergraduates and postgraduates - YouTube
Key concepts underpinning undergraduate ecology and conservation courses
youtube.com
September 29, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Are you a student studying ecology or conservation? Do you lecture ecology or conservation? I created this playlist for you and hope it is useful. youtube.com/playlist?lis...