Eliot Miller
@eliotmiller.bsky.social
BirdsPlus Index. American Bird Conservancy. Dad. Natural history. Ecology and evolution, conservation, acoustics, and occasionally politics.
Reposted by Eliot Miller
the most important question of presidents day is what did they think about birds and luckily for you chumps i've got answers
birdhistory.substack.com/p/our-birdy-...
birdhistory.substack.com/p/our-birdy-...
February 16, 2026 at 8:14 PM
the most important question of presidents day is what did they think about birds and luckily for you chumps i've got answers
birdhistory.substack.com/p/our-birdy-...
birdhistory.substack.com/p/our-birdy-...
Getting ready for a really cool community-led monitoring project in shade-grown coffee and cacao farms in Ecuador and Mexico. Quick stop in #ICTC2026 first! #BirdsPlusIndex @abcbirds.bsky.social @wildlifeacoustics.com
February 13, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Getting ready for a really cool community-led monitoring project in shade-grown coffee and cacao farms in Ecuador and Mexico. Quick stop in #ICTC2026 first! #BirdsPlusIndex @abcbirds.bsky.social @wildlifeacoustics.com
Reposted by Eliot Miller
Have you ever seen Blue Jays flighting with Crows and be like, I need to record this on eBird? Your comment could help with tracking species interactions! In this piece, we show how LLMs can be used to collect interaction data on large scales from comments on participatory science platforms. 1/3
Large language models unlock the ecology of species interactions https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.06.704115v1
February 11, 2026 at 1:05 AM
Have you ever seen Blue Jays flighting with Crows and be like, I need to record this on eBird? Your comment could help with tracking species interactions! In this piece, we show how LLMs can be used to collect interaction data on large scales from comments on participatory science platforms. 1/3
Reposted by Eliot Miller
![Comic. [2x2 chart. Top left quadrant: seem like dinosaurs x are dinosaurs. Silhouettes of dinosaurs stegosaurus, triceratops, tyrannosaurus, velociraptor, and long-neck dinosaur. Top right quadrant: seem like dinosaurs x are not dinosaurs. Silhouettes of mosasaur, quetzalcoatlus, dimetrodon, plesiosaur, and pteranodon. Bottom left quadrant: don’t seem like dinosaurs x are dinosaurs. Silhouettes of penguin, egret, ostrich, pigeon, falcon. Bottom right: don’t seem like dinosaurs x are not dinosaurs. Silhouettes of squirrel, stapler, plant, person, and bicycle.]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreihcxd5wcrrf5nxz3g4riglsrccbucmdns6kxrtmtj6gjgwqibp3fi@jpeg)
February 9, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Reposted by Eliot Miller
why do males defend territories in some species while pairs or family groups defend territories in others?
then-undergrad Shreyas Arashanapalli did a fantastic project to find out, analyzing 3177 playback experiments on 264 species
the best predictor?
latitude
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
then-undergrad Shreyas Arashanapalli did a fantastic project to find out, analyzing 3177 playback experiments on 264 species
the best predictor?
latitude
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
February 4, 2026 at 6:21 PM
why do males defend territories in some species while pairs or family groups defend territories in others?
then-undergrad Shreyas Arashanapalli did a fantastic project to find out, analyzing 3177 playback experiments on 264 species
the best predictor?
latitude
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
then-undergrad Shreyas Arashanapalli did a fantastic project to find out, analyzing 3177 playback experiments on 264 species
the best predictor?
latitude
academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Taxonomy and phylogeny are two sides of the same coin, but that doesn't mean they are always in agreement. I wrote a blog post on why the new Phylogeny Explorer in @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social is such a big deal in that regard, and what's in store next for us.
eliotmiller.weebly.com/blog/birds-o...
eliotmiller.weebly.com/blog/birds-o...
Birds of World's new Phylogeny Explorer
It’s been an exciting week. Five years in the making, we’re very excited to release this new, updated, dynamic phylogeny of the world’s birds. By harnessing Open Tree of Life ’s existing...
eliotmiller.weebly.com
January 29, 2026 at 7:03 PM
Taxonomy and phylogeny are two sides of the same coin, but that doesn't mean they are always in agreement. I wrote a blog post on why the new Phylogeny Explorer in @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social is such a big deal in that regard, and what's in store next for us.
eliotmiller.weebly.com/blog/birds-o...
eliotmiller.weebly.com/blog/birds-o...
If you thought regular bird listing was for nerds, wait til you get a load of phylolisting. @snacktavish.bsky.social
MAJOR NEWS! We just launched an awesome new tool! The illustrated Birds of the World Phylogeny Explorer lets users trace any bird’s lineage, compare species relationships, and explore major evolutionary milestones with a click of a button. SHARE and EXPLORE! birdsoftheworld.org/bow/news/phy...
January 27, 2026 at 2:56 AM
If you thought regular bird listing was for nerds, wait til you get a load of phylolisting. @snacktavish.bsky.social
One of my favorite things in life is admiring the emergent structures of different tree species in winter
In winter, when deciduous trees are bare, we can really appreciate the form of a tree. Here is a chinkapin oak, Quercus muehlenbergii, on a ridgetop in Nashville. It is now surrounded by young forest, but you can tell by its branch pattern that it grew in an open woodland pasture.
January 16, 2026 at 2:11 PM
One of my favorite things in life is admiring the emergent structures of different tree species in winter
Me and Jesus, Julio, and Bobby. What a way to start your day…yo it’s like 1, 2, 3…
January 7, 2026 at 3:38 PM
Me and Jesus, Julio, and Bobby. What a way to start your day…yo it’s like 1, 2, 3…
Sad twist of fate that I spend many dozens of hours a year processing venison so that my family can eat clean, local meat and somehow I end up basically subsisting on leftover chicken nuggets I find on the couch.
January 6, 2026 at 3:20 PM
Sad twist of fate that I spend many dozens of hours a year processing venison so that my family can eat clean, local meat and somehow I end up basically subsisting on leftover chicken nuggets I find on the couch.
Short blog on an exciting collaboration using the #BirdsPlusIndex to document recovering biodiversity in NYC harbor. In partnership w Billion Oyster Project, Newtown Creek Alliance, & NYC Bird Alliance
@newtowncreek.bsky.social @nycbirdalliance.org @abcbirds.bsky.social
abcbirds.org/news/birdspl...
@newtowncreek.bsky.social @nycbirdalliance.org @abcbirds.bsky.social
abcbirds.org/news/birdspl...
Listening in on the Birds of New York City - American Bird Conservancy
Learn how American Bird Conservancy’s BirdsPlus Index uses bird song and calls to measure the impact of habitat restoration efforts in New York Harbor.
abcbirds.org
December 19, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Short blog on an exciting collaboration using the #BirdsPlusIndex to document recovering biodiversity in NYC harbor. In partnership w Billion Oyster Project, Newtown Creek Alliance, & NYC Bird Alliance
@newtowncreek.bsky.social @nycbirdalliance.org @abcbirds.bsky.social
abcbirds.org/news/birdspl...
@newtowncreek.bsky.social @nycbirdalliance.org @abcbirds.bsky.social
abcbirds.org/news/birdspl...
Definitely still in the horseshoes and hand grenades realm, but enough to catch my attention. @snacktavish.bsky.social
Me: "Create a Newick string that exactly matches the topology of this phylogeny, with matching tip labels. Do not worry about branch lengths or support values."
ChatGPT:
Me: "Create a Newick string that exactly matches the topology of this phylogeny, with matching tip labels. Do not worry about branch lengths or support values."
ChatGPT:
December 15, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Definitely still in the horseshoes and hand grenades realm, but enough to catch my attention. @snacktavish.bsky.social
Me: "Create a Newick string that exactly matches the topology of this phylogeny, with matching tip labels. Do not worry about branch lengths or support values."
ChatGPT:
Me: "Create a Newick string that exactly matches the topology of this phylogeny, with matching tip labels. Do not worry about branch lengths or support values."
ChatGPT:
Reposted by Eliot Miller
Introgression between species can shape #evolution. Study of the colorful American #warblers (Parulidae) by @kevinfpbennett.bsky.social @davetoews.bsky.social &co reveals intergeneric & interspecific introgression of genes related to carotenoid #plumage color @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/48MyfU2
December 12, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Introgression between species can shape #evolution. Study of the colorful American #warblers (Parulidae) by @kevinfpbennett.bsky.social @davetoews.bsky.social &co reveals intergeneric & interspecific introgression of genes related to carotenoid #plumage color @plosbiology.org 🧪 plos.io/48MyfU2
Reposted by Eliot Miller
NSF
- Forced reorg
- POs down ~ 40% (DRP, most rotators not renewed, retirements)
- Forced move (and we have to pack and clean) to a building with no furniture, little to no conference space for panels, inadequate 🛜, …)
I personally love the boxes they gave us for packing.
“Details matter” 🙃
- Forced reorg
- POs down ~ 40% (DRP, most rotators not renewed, retirements)
- Forced move (and we have to pack and clean) to a building with no furniture, little to no conference space for panels, inadequate 🛜, …)
I personally love the boxes they gave us for packing.
“Details matter” 🙃
December 11, 2025 at 11:16 AM
NSF
- Forced reorg
- POs down ~ 40% (DRP, most rotators not renewed, retirements)
- Forced move (and we have to pack and clean) to a building with no furniture, little to no conference space for panels, inadequate 🛜, …)
I personally love the boxes they gave us for packing.
“Details matter” 🙃
- Forced reorg
- POs down ~ 40% (DRP, most rotators not renewed, retirements)
- Forced move (and we have to pack and clean) to a building with no furniture, little to no conference space for panels, inadequate 🛜, …)
I personally love the boxes they gave us for packing.
“Details matter” 🙃
Reposted by Eliot Miller
Reposted by Eliot Miller
Check out our review/perspective piece on phylogenetic diversification analysis, intended for the 75th anniversary of
@systbiol.bsky.social. I had the privilege of working with great coauthors, @fhenaodiaz.bsky.social, @tvasconcelos.bsky.social and @roszenil.bsky.social!
doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
@systbiol.bsky.social. I had the privilege of working with great coauthors, @fhenaodiaz.bsky.social, @tvasconcelos.bsky.social and @roszenil.bsky.social!
doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
December 5, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Check out our review/perspective piece on phylogenetic diversification analysis, intended for the 75th anniversary of
@systbiol.bsky.social. I had the privilege of working with great coauthors, @fhenaodiaz.bsky.social, @tvasconcelos.bsky.social and @roszenil.bsky.social!
doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
@systbiol.bsky.social. I had the privilege of working with great coauthors, @fhenaodiaz.bsky.social, @tvasconcelos.bsky.social and @roszenil.bsky.social!
doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
Reposted by Eliot Miller
We've partnered on a groundbreaking global bird study revealing how human-driven habitat changes put biodiversity, and vital bird roles, at risk. 🐦
Dr. Alexander Lees stresses the urgent need to protect the diversity of avian roles 👉 https://bit.ly/4ixI4tl
Dr. Alexander Lees stresses the urgent need to protect the diversity of avian roles 👉 https://bit.ly/4ixI4tl
Groundbreaking global bird study reveals how land-use changes are putting ecosystems at risk
New research shows human-driven habitat changes are stripping ecosystems of their natural safety nets
bit.ly
December 2, 2025 at 12:01 PM
We've partnered on a groundbreaking global bird study revealing how human-driven habitat changes put biodiversity, and vital bird roles, at risk. 🐦
Dr. Alexander Lees stresses the urgent need to protect the diversity of avian roles 👉 https://bit.ly/4ixI4tl
Dr. Alexander Lees stresses the urgent need to protect the diversity of avian roles 👉 https://bit.ly/4ixI4tl
Reposted by Eliot Miller
I mean, the title says it all: Genetic confirmation of an “uncommon mourningthroat” (Geothlypis philadelphia × G. trichas): A rare but persistent hybrid warbler. Fun stuff with @kevinfpbennett.bsky.social and Kurt Gielow, OA in @wilsonornithsoc.bsky.social!
🦉 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
🦉 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
November 21, 2025 at 2:34 PM
I mean, the title says it all: Genetic confirmation of an “uncommon mourningthroat” (Geothlypis philadelphia × G. trichas): A rare but persistent hybrid warbler. Fun stuff with @kevinfpbennett.bsky.social and Kurt Gielow, OA in @wilsonornithsoc.bsky.social!
🦉 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
🦉 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Eliot Miller
How are Pacific NW mountain birds responding to climate change?
I got up at 4:00 am for a month to find out.
but first the backstory, or "how I spent seven years telling everyone this project wasn't possible"
new paper here:
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
I got up at 4:00 am for a month to find out.
but first the backstory, or "how I spent seven years telling everyone this project wasn't possible"
new paper here:
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
November 12, 2025 at 4:22 PM
How are Pacific NW mountain birds responding to climate change?
I got up at 4:00 am for a month to find out.
but first the backstory, or "how I spent seven years telling everyone this project wasn't possible"
new paper here:
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
I got up at 4:00 am for a month to find out.
but first the backstory, or "how I spent seven years telling everyone this project wasn't possible"
new paper here:
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Going through some old pix. This remains the highlight of my engineering career. Successfully foiled Adirondack black flies and mosquitoes for a few hours.
November 13, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Going through some old pix. This remains the highlight of my engineering career. Successfully foiled Adirondack black flies and mosquitoes for a few hours.
Competition shapes the urban distribution of chickadee species
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Unifying species distributions, community science and the ‘natural removal experiment' to explore species interactions at broad geographic scales
To understand the distribution of avian biodiversity, it is crucial to understand the interspecific interactions present in avian communities. The ‘natural removal experiment', which explores pattern...
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Competition shapes the urban distribution of chickadee species
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
In all honesty, I wasn’t liking where this was headed at the start, but he turned it around pretty quickly there
“The system is, by definition, us. We make these rules up and then choose to treat them like immutable laws of nature. They’re not.”
“The system is, by definition, us. We make these rules up and then choose to treat them like immutable laws of nature. They’re not.”
October 24, 2025 at 12:24 AM
In all honesty, I wasn’t liking where this was headed at the start, but he turned it around pretty quickly there
“The system is, by definition, us. We make these rules up and then choose to treat them like immutable laws of nature. They’re not.”
“The system is, by definition, us. We make these rules up and then choose to treat them like immutable laws of nature. They’re not.”
Reposted by Eliot Miller
Out now on the cover of @journal-evo.bsky.social!
Led by Sarah Khalil, we took a genomic approach to investigate the hybrid zone between different-colored Red-backed Fairywren subspecies. We found some interesting candidate genes under selection. Check it out! academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Led by Sarah Khalil, we took a genomic approach to investigate the hybrid zone between different-colored Red-backed Fairywren subspecies. We found some interesting candidate genes under selection. Check it out! academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
October 18, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Out now on the cover of @journal-evo.bsky.social!
Led by Sarah Khalil, we took a genomic approach to investigate the hybrid zone between different-colored Red-backed Fairywren subspecies. We found some interesting candidate genes under selection. Check it out! academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Led by Sarah Khalil, we took a genomic approach to investigate the hybrid zone between different-colored Red-backed Fairywren subspecies. We found some interesting candidate genes under selection. Check it out! academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...
Reposted by Eliot Miller
A long and busy week ended on a high yesterday. So proud of Dr @jyang19.bsky.social for sailing through her PhD viva, the final step of a long journey in my lab from a Silwood masters degree to a doctorate. 💪
Big thanks to Profs Cris Banks-Leite and Gavin Thomas for examining.
Big thanks to Profs Cris Banks-Leite and Gavin Thomas for examining.
October 18, 2025 at 10:58 AM
A long and busy week ended on a high yesterday. So proud of Dr @jyang19.bsky.social for sailing through her PhD viva, the final step of a long journey in my lab from a Silwood masters degree to a doctorate. 💪
Big thanks to Profs Cris Banks-Leite and Gavin Thomas for examining.
Big thanks to Profs Cris Banks-Leite and Gavin Thomas for examining.