Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
@drrmiller.bsky.social
Senior Research Fellow, Cambridge University | Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Exeter University | Comparative Psychology | Cognition & Conservation | @themanybirds.bsky.social Co-Founder | 🪶🐦👶🐵🧠 | Website: www.drrachaelmiller.com
Pinned
🐦 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
So excited that our first major empirical @themanybirds.bsky.social paper is now out in @plosbiology.org!
Leading this big team science project, with our excellent core leadership team, is a labour of love for me, delighted to see our hard work over the past 4 years has reached this milestone!
Leading this big team science project, with our excellent core leadership team, is a labour of love for me, delighted to see our hard work over the past 4 years has reached this milestone!
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
Our new paper offers an explanation for the universal law that "under carefully controlled conditions.... an animal behaves as it damn well pleases." We explore how stochastic mechanisms may play an underappreciated role in generating individuality. (1/7 🧵)
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Playing dice with behavior: drivers of stochastic individuality
Animal behavior is often viewed as stemming from predictable genetic and environmental factors. However, despite our best attempts to control genetic …
www.sciencedirect.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Our new paper offers an explanation for the universal law that "under carefully controlled conditions.... an animal behaves as it damn well pleases." We explore how stochastic mechanisms may play an underappreciated role in generating individuality. (1/7 🧵)
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
The MBirds paper is out! Congratulations to all collaborators on this major accomplishment 🧪 The study found interesting differences in neophobia between migratory and non-migratory species: doi.org/10.1371/jour...
So excited that our first major empirical @themanybirds.bsky.social paper is now out in @plosbiology.org!
Leading this big team science project, with our excellent core leadership team, is a labour of love for me, delighted to see our hard work over the past 4 years has reached this milestone!
Leading this big team science project, with our excellent core leadership team, is a labour of love for me, delighted to see our hard work over the past 4 years has reached this milestone!
🐦 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
October 16, 2025 at 11:46 AM
The MBirds paper is out! Congratulations to all collaborators on this major accomplishment 🧪 The study found interesting differences in neophobia between migratory and non-migratory species: doi.org/10.1371/jour...
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
Fear of novelty varies across species & individuals, impacting adaptability & survival. @themanybirds.bsky.social @drrmiller.bsky.social &co assess #neophobia in 1400 subjects from 136 #bird species, identifying phylogenetic influences & broad ecological drivers @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4haLEsN
October 15, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Fear of novelty varies across species & individuals, impacting adaptability & survival. @themanybirds.bsky.social @drrmiller.bsky.social &co assess #neophobia in 1400 subjects from 136 #bird species, identifying phylogenetic influences & broad ecological drivers @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/4haLEsN
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
It was such an incredible, enriching, and fun experience — I learned so much ❤️ So thankful to the amazing leadership team who welcomed me! @drrmiller.bsky.social @vedranaslipogor.bsky.social @nomascus.bsky.social @stephanreber.bsky.social @cds-york.bsky.social Megan Lambert & Claudia Mettke-Hofmann
October 15, 2025 at 1:40 PM
It was such an incredible, enriching, and fun experience — I learned so much ❤️ So thankful to the amazing leadership team who welcomed me! @drrmiller.bsky.social @vedranaslipogor.bsky.social @nomascus.bsky.social @stephanreber.bsky.social @cds-york.bsky.social Megan Lambert & Claudia Mettke-Hofmann
So excited that our first major empirical @themanybirds.bsky.social paper is now out in @plosbiology.org!
Leading this big team science project, with our excellent core leadership team, is a labour of love for me, delighted to see our hard work over the past 4 years has reached this milestone!
Leading this big team science project, with our excellent core leadership team, is a labour of love for me, delighted to see our hard work over the past 4 years has reached this milestone!
🐦 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 7:40 PM
So excited that our first major empirical @themanybirds.bsky.social paper is now out in @plosbiology.org!
Leading this big team science project, with our excellent core leadership team, is a labour of love for me, delighted to see our hard work over the past 4 years has reached this milestone!
Leading this big team science project, with our excellent core leadership team, is a labour of love for me, delighted to see our hard work over the past 4 years has reached this milestone!
New paper just out: Rachael Miller @drrmiller.bsky.social, Ning Ding & Nicky Clayton in Cognitive Development: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... on the “Cognitive correlates of future-oriented cognition in young Chinese children”. @campsydept.bsky.social @cam.ac.uk 1/
Cognitive correlates of future-oriented cognition in young Chinese children
Future-oriented cognition, which broadly encompasses an array of cognitive processes involved in understanding, constructing, imagining and planning f…
www.sciencedirect.com
September 10, 2025 at 12:15 PM
New paper just out: Rachael Miller @drrmiller.bsky.social, Ning Ding & Nicky Clayton in Cognitive Development: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... on the “Cognitive correlates of future-oriented cognition in young Chinese children”. @campsydept.bsky.social @cam.ac.uk 1/
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
Stay tuned for a very exciting update coming shortly from the ManyBirds Project! Eeek!
September 9, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Stay tuned for a very exciting update coming shortly from the ManyBirds Project! Eeek!
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
Dream team: Alessandroni @drrmiller.bsky.social @dremalt.bsky.social @marinabazhydai.bsky.social @mamsmandrill.bsky.social @jespinosa.bsky.social Gjoneska @izziehb.bsky.social @valmazza.bsky.social Paukner @epronizius.bsky.social Proulx, Qadri, Reilly, Schwing ...
July 13, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Dream team: Alessandroni @drrmiller.bsky.social @dremalt.bsky.social @marinabazhydai.bsky.social @mamsmandrill.bsky.social @jespinosa.bsky.social Gjoneska @izziehb.bsky.social @valmazza.bsky.social Paukner @epronizius.bsky.social Proulx, Qadri, Reilly, Schwing ...
Really enjoyed giving an invited research talk today at the Behaviour and Evolution seminar series, Departments of Behavioural Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Theoretical Biology at Bielefeld University. Thank you @kpg13.bsky.social for inviting me! 1/2
July 16, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Really enjoyed giving an invited research talk today at the Behaviour and Evolution seminar series, Departments of Behavioural Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Theoretical Biology at Bielefeld University. Thank you @kpg13.bsky.social for inviting me! 1/2
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
Check our new preprint! Our systematic review of 206 reversal learning studies shows that behavioural flexibility research is heavily biased towards birds, rodents, and humans, with most animal diversity virtually untested. #Manymanys #BigTeamScience #ComparativeCognition
Flexible Behavior or Flexible Methods? A Cross-Taxon Review of Experimental Designs in Reversal Learning: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/mvche_v1
July 13, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Check our new preprint! Our systematic review of 206 reversal learning studies shows that behavioural flexibility research is heavily biased towards birds, rodents, and humans, with most animal diversity virtually untested. #Manymanys #BigTeamScience #ComparativeCognition
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
Excited to share our latest preprint, just accepted in Animal Behaviour. Congrats to @kristyadaway.bsky.social on her first first-author publication! #ECRresearch #PhDpaper @uniofhull.bsky.social 🦝🧠🧩🌎
Link to preprint: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Link to preprint: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Wild raccoons are more innovative but not bolder than another ecological generalist, the Virginia opossum, on a pull-string task
Humans are altering natural environments at unprecedented rates. Ecological generalism is one of the strongest predictors of survival in light of these changes which, in animals, may be shaped by bold...
doi.org
April 25, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Excited to share our latest preprint, just accepted in Animal Behaviour. Congrats to @kristyadaway.bsky.social on her first first-author publication! #ECRresearch #PhDpaper @uniofhull.bsky.social 🦝🧠🧩🌎
Link to preprint: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Link to preprint: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
Personality-driven hunting mortality in male moose, through habitat selection.
Living under the scope: behavior affects survival in a heavily harvested and long-lived ungulate vist.ly/3m2qsjv #Moose #Hunting #Survival #Behaviour
April 25, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Personality-driven hunting mortality in male moose, through habitat selection.
Honoured to receive this @compcogsoc.bsky.social award and incredibly grateful for our community's collaboration and support, thank you!
March 28, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Honoured to receive this @compcogsoc.bsky.social award and incredibly grateful for our community's collaboration and support, thank you!
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
The Early Career Award Winner Featured Session starts at 11:30am! Award winner Rachael Miller @drrmiller.bsky.social will be talking about avian cognition and how it can be applied to #welfare and #conservation. #CO3_2025
March 28, 2025 at 5:25 PM
The Early Career Award Winner Featured Session starts at 11:30am! Award winner Rachael Miller @drrmiller.bsky.social will be talking about avian cognition and how it can be applied to #welfare and #conservation. #CO3_2025
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
🦅🧠 Bird Cognition 🧠🦅
Anyone who studies or is just fascinated by how birds perceive, learn, remember and solve problems 🐦
Let's all meet in this cool new #starterpack 🤩
Let me know if you want to join in too 🦜🦤🦉🦆🐣🪺🪶🧪
🔗 go.bsky.app/V2K7HQM
#Ornithology #Birds #AnimalBehaviour
Anyone who studies or is just fascinated by how birds perceive, learn, remember and solve problems 🐦
Let's all meet in this cool new #starterpack 🤩
Let me know if you want to join in too 🦜🦤🦉🦆🐣🪺🪶🧪
🔗 go.bsky.app/V2K7HQM
#Ornithology #Birds #AnimalBehaviour
March 7, 2025 at 12:38 PM
🦅🧠 Bird Cognition 🧠🦅
Anyone who studies or is just fascinated by how birds perceive, learn, remember and solve problems 🐦
Let's all meet in this cool new #starterpack 🤩
Let me know if you want to join in too 🦜🦤🦉🦆🐣🪺🪶🧪
🔗 go.bsky.app/V2K7HQM
#Ornithology #Birds #AnimalBehaviour
Anyone who studies or is just fascinated by how birds perceive, learn, remember and solve problems 🐦
Let's all meet in this cool new #starterpack 🤩
Let me know if you want to join in too 🦜🦤🦉🦆🐣🪺🪶🧪
🔗 go.bsky.app/V2K7HQM
#Ornithology #Birds #AnimalBehaviour
Excited to receive "Weighing Animal Welfare" book, edited & project led by Bob Fischer, Rethink Priorities, reporting on interdisciplinary project making interspecies welfare comparisons. Great to have contributed as a project consultant & co-author on 3 chapters. See: academic.oup.com/book/58809
Weighing Animal Welfare: Comparing Well-Being Across Species
Abstract. When, if ever, is it better to spend money to improve pig welfare over chicken welfare? Which species of fish is worst off in commercial aquacult
academic.oup.com
March 4, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Excited to receive "Weighing Animal Welfare" book, edited & project led by Bob Fischer, Rethink Priorities, reporting on interdisciplinary project making interspecies welfare comparisons. Great to have contributed as a project consultant & co-author on 3 chapters. See: academic.oup.com/book/58809
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
So exciting to see MacaqueNet out into the world! 🤩
Learn about our global community & database centralizing standardized affiliative & agonistic data from 61 populations across 14 macaque species: doi/10.1111/1365...
Explore >600 networks & request data: macaquenet.github.io/database/
Learn about our global community & database centralizing standardized affiliative & agonistic data from 61 populations across 14 macaque species: doi/10.1111/1365...
Explore >600 networks & request data: macaquenet.github.io/database/
MacaqueNet: Advancing comparative behavioural research through large‐scale collaboration
We present MacaqueNet, a global community of macaque researchers who developed the first publicly searchable, standardised database on affiliative and agonistic behaviour. This cross-species database...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
February 12, 2025 at 10:09 AM
So exciting to see MacaqueNet out into the world! 🤩
Learn about our global community & database centralizing standardized affiliative & agonistic data from 61 populations across 14 macaque species: doi/10.1111/1365...
Explore >600 networks & request data: macaquenet.github.io/database/
Learn about our global community & database centralizing standardized affiliative & agonistic data from 61 populations across 14 macaque species: doi/10.1111/1365...
Explore >600 networks & request data: macaquenet.github.io/database/
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
A reminder about our OPEN CALL for submission of potential future ManyBirds studies: forms.gle/Qk4hZ6N6DxQB.... Please see link for all info on the process and planned review criteria. Deadline for submission is 31 May 2025. We welcome new ManyBirds collaborators to future studies!
ManyBirds Project: Potential ManyBirds Studies
This is a form for submitting proposals for potential ManyBirds Project future studies (www.themanybirds.com).
Full submissions are confidential and will be reviewed by the ManyBirds Core Team Leads ...
forms.gle
February 27, 2025 at 12:58 PM
A reminder about our OPEN CALL for submission of potential future ManyBirds studies: forms.gle/Qk4hZ6N6DxQB.... Please see link for all info on the process and planned review criteria. Deadline for submission is 31 May 2025. We welcome new ManyBirds collaborators to future studies!
An honour to be a co-editor, with @dralexschnell.bsky.social, Elias Garcia-Pelegrin and Josh Plotnik, for this Special Issue in Learning & Behavior dedicated to the wonderful Prof Nicky Clayton. link.springer.com/article/10.3...
A special issue in honor of the contributions of Professor Nicola S. Clayton FRS - Learning & Behavior
It has been an honor to edit this special issue of Learning & Behavior to recognize the exceptional contributions of Prof. Nicky S. Clayton FRS to the fields of comparative cognition and developmental...
link.springer.com
February 27, 2025 at 12:49 PM
An honour to be a co-editor, with @dralexschnell.bsky.social, Elias Garcia-Pelegrin and Josh Plotnik, for this Special Issue in Learning & Behavior dedicated to the wonderful Prof Nicky Clayton. link.springer.com/article/10.3...
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
How do you study an animal that lives in a totally different world?
In this 1st episode of the Wild Behavior podcast Dr@stephanielking.bsky.social tells us about the incredible life of a dolphin researcher!
Dive in with us (pun intended). Links below.
(photo from Stephanie King)
In this 1st episode of the Wild Behavior podcast Dr@stephanielking.bsky.social tells us about the incredible life of a dolphin researcher!
Dive in with us (pun intended). Links below.
(photo from Stephanie King)
January 29, 2025 at 1:06 PM
How do you study an animal that lives in a totally different world?
In this 1st episode of the Wild Behavior podcast Dr@stephanielking.bsky.social tells us about the incredible life of a dolphin researcher!
Dive in with us (pun intended). Links below.
(photo from Stephanie King)
In this 1st episode of the Wild Behavior podcast Dr@stephanielking.bsky.social tells us about the incredible life of a dolphin researcher!
Dive in with us (pun intended). Links below.
(photo from Stephanie King)
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
With talks from Dr. Rachael Miller (@drrmiller.bsky.social), AND one of the most inspiring leaders in the field, Dr. Suzanne MacDonald, #CO3_2025 is going to be one of the best yet! 🎉
Haven't registered? What are you waiting for: www.comparativecognition.org/index.php
@compcogsoc.bsky.social 🧪
Haven't registered? What are you waiting for: www.comparativecognition.org/index.php
@compcogsoc.bsky.social 🧪
January 22, 2025 at 2:51 PM
With talks from Dr. Rachael Miller (@drrmiller.bsky.social), AND one of the most inspiring leaders in the field, Dr. Suzanne MacDonald, #CO3_2025 is going to be one of the best yet! 🎉
Haven't registered? What are you waiting for: www.comparativecognition.org/index.php
@compcogsoc.bsky.social 🧪
Haven't registered? What are you waiting for: www.comparativecognition.org/index.php
@compcogsoc.bsky.social 🧪
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
NEW PODCAST!
Woohoo 🥳 My side project with Megan Lambert is finally coming to fruition. If you're into animal behaviour and/or podcasts please give us a follow and subscribe 🎙️
#AVeryNotSeriousSciencePodcast #SciComm #animal #podcast
Woohoo 🥳 My side project with Megan Lambert is finally coming to fruition. If you're into animal behaviour and/or podcasts please give us a follow and subscribe 🎙️
#AVeryNotSeriousSciencePodcast #SciComm #animal #podcast
Dive into the world of animal behaviour with us.
Subscribe now so you don't miss the first episode!
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6vxB3zL...
Or wherever you get your podcasts.
#SciComm #animal #podcast
Subscribe now so you don't miss the first episode!
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6vxB3zL...
Or wherever you get your podcasts.
#SciComm #animal #podcast
January 17, 2025 at 9:42 AM
NEW PODCAST!
Woohoo 🥳 My side project with Megan Lambert is finally coming to fruition. If you're into animal behaviour and/or podcasts please give us a follow and subscribe 🎙️
#AVeryNotSeriousSciencePodcast #SciComm #animal #podcast
Woohoo 🥳 My side project with Megan Lambert is finally coming to fruition. If you're into animal behaviour and/or podcasts please give us a follow and subscribe 🎙️
#AVeryNotSeriousSciencePodcast #SciComm #animal #podcast
Thank you very much!
Congrats to Dr. Rachael Miller @Dr_Rmiller @drrmiller.bsky.social for receiving the @ComparativeCog Society Early Career Award!
Rachel will give her talk "Avian cognition and behaviour: from fundamental to applied" at #CO3_2025 in Albuquerque in March.
Rachel will give her talk "Avian cognition and behaviour: from fundamental to applied" at #CO3_2025 in Albuquerque in March.
January 17, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Thank you very much!
Reposted by Dr Rachael Miller (Harrison)
Congrats to Dr. Rachael Miller @Dr_Rmiller @drrmiller.bsky.social for receiving the @ComparativeCog Society Early Career Award!
Rachel will give her talk "Avian cognition and behaviour: from fundamental to applied" at #CO3_2025 in Albuquerque in March.
Rachel will give her talk "Avian cognition and behaviour: from fundamental to applied" at #CO3_2025 in Albuquerque in March.
January 15, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Congrats to Dr. Rachael Miller @Dr_Rmiller @drrmiller.bsky.social for receiving the @ComparativeCog Society Early Career Award!
Rachel will give her talk "Avian cognition and behaviour: from fundamental to applied" at #CO3_2025 in Albuquerque in March.
Rachel will give her talk "Avian cognition and behaviour: from fundamental to applied" at #CO3_2025 in Albuquerque in March.
I am truly honoured to receive the @compcogsoc.bsky.social Early Career Award & invite to present at the CO3 conference in March 2025, Albuquerque, US. Incredibly grateful to my family, friends, colleagues, collaborators, mentors & mentees for all your support – thank you so much! 🥰❤️
January 13, 2025 at 6:07 PM
I am truly honoured to receive the @compcogsoc.bsky.social Early Career Award & invite to present at the CO3 conference in March 2025, Albuquerque, US. Incredibly grateful to my family, friends, colleagues, collaborators, mentors & mentees for all your support – thank you so much! 🥰❤️