ANU Superb Fairywren Project
@fairywrensanu.bsky.social
Long-term study of superb fairywrens in the Australian National Botanic Gardens by researchers at the Australian National University #superbfairywren #SFW_ANU
Pinned
In today's lab meeting we updated @damienfarine.bsky.social's website with a project overview and also added our finalised logo!
Check it out here: sites.google.com/site/drfarin...
Logo design by @franhckr.bsky.social
Check it out here: sites.google.com/site/drfarin...
Logo design by @franhckr.bsky.social
Reposted by ANU Superb Fairywren Project
Ornamentation is associated with social costs in male red-backed fairywrens (Malurus melanocephalus) | doi.org/10.1093/behe... | Behavioral Ecology | #ornithology 🪶
November 4, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Ornamentation is associated with social costs in male red-backed fairywrens (Malurus melanocephalus) | doi.org/10.1093/behe... | Behavioral Ecology | #ornithology 🪶
#CIO2025 (Italian Conference of Ornithology) is now finished! @sramellini.bsky.social organised a symposium on the overlooked non-breeding season and presented his results on the territorial stability of superb fairywrens. He won 'Highly Commended' for his presentation, congrats!
September 30, 2025 at 6:03 AM
#CIO2025 (Italian Conference of Ornithology) is now finished! @sramellini.bsky.social organised a symposium on the overlooked non-breeding season and presented his results on the territorial stability of superb fairywrens. He won 'Highly Commended' for his presentation, congrats!
Today's fieldwork assistant was very keen to check the temperature data we are collecting 🐦⬛☀️ #SFW_ANU #birds #ecology #ornithology
August 22, 2025 at 2:19 AM
Today's fieldwork assistant was very keen to check the temperature data we are collecting 🐦⬛☀️ #SFW_ANU #birds #ecology #ornithology
One of our project member's first PhD paper is now out!! Congratulations 🎉
🚨 My first #PhD chapter is now out in Biological Reviews @camphilsoc.bsky.social.
We explore the link between non-breeding sociality and territoriality. 🦉⚔️
Check it out here: doi.org/10.1111/brv....
We explore the link between non-breeding sociality and territoriality. 🦉⚔️
Check it out here: doi.org/10.1111/brv....
Non‐breeding social behaviour as an investment in reducing future territoriality costs
Territoriality is costly, and animals should adopt strategies to cope with these costs. Seasonal territoriality for breeding – a common strategy in many groups of animals – can reduce costs during th...
doi.org
August 18, 2025 at 7:11 AM
One of our project member's first PhD paper is now out!! Congratulations 🎉
On Tuesday, @sramellini.bsky.social spoke to ABC Radio Canberra Drive about superb fairywrens and the #SFW_ANU project. If you missed it, you can listen to it here (from minute 07:50): www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
Drive - ABC listen
The lively debate and stories that have shaped Canberra today.
www.abc.net.au
July 31, 2025 at 2:06 AM
On Tuesday, @sramellini.bsky.social spoke to ABC Radio Canberra Drive about superb fairywrens and the #SFW_ANU project. If you missed it, you can listen to it here (from minute 07:50): www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
In today's lab meeting we updated @damienfarine.bsky.social's website with a project overview and also added our finalised logo!
Check it out here: sites.google.com/site/drfarin...
Logo design by @franhckr.bsky.social
Check it out here: sites.google.com/site/drfarin...
Logo design by @franhckr.bsky.social
July 24, 2025 at 6:24 AM
In today's lab meeting we updated @damienfarine.bsky.social's website with a project overview and also added our finalised logo!
Check it out here: sites.google.com/site/drfarin...
Logo design by @franhckr.bsky.social
Check it out here: sites.google.com/site/drfarin...
Logo design by @franhckr.bsky.social
Christmas in the Northern hemisphere means snow and pine trees, here in Canberra we have king parrot baubles for #ChristmasinJuly 🎄
July 3, 2025 at 6:02 AM
Christmas in the Northern hemisphere means snow and pine trees, here in Canberra we have king parrot baubles for #ChristmasinJuly 🎄
Earlier this season we said goodbye to GBB. Born in 2014, she was one of the oldest and most productive females in our population:
35 nests, 80 eggs, 47 chicks fledged, 35 reached independence, 24 grandkids. This female below has now taken over her territory. Big 🐾 to fill!
#SFW_ANU #birds #ecology
35 nests, 80 eggs, 47 chicks fledged, 35 reached independence, 24 grandkids. This female below has now taken over her territory. Big 🐾 to fill!
#SFW_ANU #birds #ecology
June 24, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Greeted by a stunning sunrise this morning as @franhckr.bsky.social and @sramellini.bsky.social brave the cold at the gardens ❄️ Trying to catch the last few unbanded individuals in our population and helping colleagues with some thornbill research 🐦⬛
#SFW_ANU #ecology #ornithology #birds
#SFW_ANU #ecology #ornithology #birds
June 19, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Greeted by a stunning sunrise this morning as @franhckr.bsky.social and @sramellini.bsky.social brave the cold at the gardens ❄️ Trying to catch the last few unbanded individuals in our population and helping colleagues with some thornbill research 🐦⬛
#SFW_ANU #ecology #ornithology #birds
#SFW_ANU #ecology #ornithology #birds
Reposted by ANU Superb Fairywren Project
Just out in Biological Reviews!
My new paper highlights intergroup peace in primates: tolerance, affiliation, group mergers etc. We propose a new framework for understanding these interactions, with insights into the roots of human cooperation.
📖 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
My new paper highlights intergroup peace in primates: tolerance, affiliation, group mergers etc. We propose a new framework for understanding these interactions, with insights into the roots of human cooperation.
📖 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Close encounters of the friendly kind: pacific between‐group interactions in primates
While intergroup conflict features prominently in the behavioural ecology literature, its antonym, intergroup peace, has been a rather neglected phenomenon until recently. Neighbourly relations and a....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 17, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Just out in Biological Reviews!
My new paper highlights intergroup peace in primates: tolerance, affiliation, group mergers etc. We propose a new framework for understanding these interactions, with insights into the roots of human cooperation.
📖 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
My new paper highlights intergroup peace in primates: tolerance, affiliation, group mergers etc. We propose a new framework for understanding these interactions, with insights into the roots of human cooperation.
📖 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by ANU Superb Fairywren Project
Happy to share our last work just published in @animalecology.bsky.social. With @claire-doutrelant.bsky.social and Peter Pearman. besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... @cnrs.fr @biology.ox.ac.uk
Global patterns of colouration complexity in the Paridae: Effects of climate and species characteristics across body regions
Variation in colour complexity in the Paridae is linked to climate, climate variability and several biotic factors. The strength of the associations is patch specific. Variables related to resource c...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 12, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Happy to share our last work just published in @animalecology.bsky.social. With @claire-doutrelant.bsky.social and Peter Pearman. besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... @cnrs.fr @biology.ox.ac.uk
One of the (many) aims of our project is to understand what animals do outside the breeding season. In a new editorial in ALULA, @sramellini.bsky.social highlights some examples of how local, field-based research can help bridge this major knowledge gap.
Read it here: doi.org/10.60990/alu...
Read it here: doi.org/10.60990/alu...
June 17, 2025 at 1:34 AM
One of the (many) aims of our project is to understand what animals do outside the breeding season. In a new editorial in ALULA, @sramellini.bsky.social highlights some examples of how local, field-based research can help bridge this major knowledge gap.
Read it here: doi.org/10.60990/alu...
Read it here: doi.org/10.60990/alu...
Reposted by ANU Superb Fairywren Project
Interested in Postdoc Research here in Oxford? Many projects possible using long-term population studies of birds, field & lab experiments with insect consumers, phenology of trees all in Wytham woods & based in new Biology building
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-p...
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-p...
June 16, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Interested in Postdoc Research here in Oxford? Many projects possible using long-term population studies of birds, field & lab experiments with insect consumers, phenology of trees all in Wytham woods & based in new Biology building
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-p...
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-p...
#ASSAB2025 finished this afternoon with an announcement that we will meet in Adelaide next year, how exciting! Even more exciting, @sramellini.bsky.social won 'Highly Commended' for his presentation on the multilevel society of superb fairywrens, congrats! 🎉 #SFW_ANU @animbehav.bsky.social
June 13, 2025 at 6:46 AM
#ASSAB2025 finished this afternoon with an announcement that we will meet in Adelaide next year, how exciting! Even more exciting, @sramellini.bsky.social won 'Highly Commended' for his presentation on the multilevel society of superb fairywrens, congrats! 🎉 #SFW_ANU @animbehav.bsky.social
Reposted by ANU Superb Fairywren Project
🌟CONGRATULATIONS🌟 to You Zhou of @scienceanu.bsky.social on the publishing of her 2nd #PhD chapter in @asab.org Animal Behaviour. All about temporal #masking in the beautiful superb fairywrens.
#noise #fieldwork #playbacks
With Rob Magrath.
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1016/j.an...
#noise #fieldwork #playbacks
With Rob Magrath.
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1016/j.an...
June 12, 2025 at 8:09 AM
🌟CONGRATULATIONS🌟 to You Zhou of @scienceanu.bsky.social on the publishing of her 2nd #PhD chapter in @asab.org Animal Behaviour. All about temporal #masking in the beautiful superb fairywrens.
#noise #fieldwork #playbacks
With Rob Magrath.
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1016/j.an...
#noise #fieldwork #playbacks
With Rob Magrath.
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1016/j.an...
Day 2 of the #ASSAB2025 conference has just begun! Don't forget to attend our two talks today for #SFW_ANU project updates:
11:15 @sramellini.bsky.social on the fairywrens' multilevel society
15:45 @franhckr.bsky.social on fairywren foraging behaviour
@animbehav.bsky.social
11:15 @sramellini.bsky.social on the fairywrens' multilevel society
15:45 @franhckr.bsky.social on fairywren foraging behaviour
@animbehav.bsky.social
June 11, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Day 2 of the #ASSAB2025 conference has just begun! Don't forget to attend our two talks today for #SFW_ANU project updates:
11:15 @sramellini.bsky.social on the fairywrens' multilevel society
15:45 @franhckr.bsky.social on fairywren foraging behaviour
@animbehav.bsky.social
11:15 @sramellini.bsky.social on the fairywrens' multilevel society
15:45 @franhckr.bsky.social on fairywren foraging behaviour
@animbehav.bsky.social
Day 1 of the #ASSAB2025 conference opened with an incredible plenary! Join us tomorrow for #SFW_ANU project updates. At 11:15 @sramellini.bsky.social will talk about their multilevel society, and
@franhckr.bsky.social will talk about their foraging behaviour at 15:45!
@animbehav.bsky.social
@franhckr.bsky.social will talk about their foraging behaviour at 15:45!
@animbehav.bsky.social
June 11, 2025 at 12:43 AM
Day 1 of the #ASSAB2025 conference opened with an incredible plenary! Join us tomorrow for #SFW_ANU project updates. At 11:15 @sramellini.bsky.social will talk about their multilevel society, and
@franhckr.bsky.social will talk about their foraging behaviour at 15:45!
@animbehav.bsky.social
@franhckr.bsky.social will talk about their foraging behaviour at 15:45!
@animbehav.bsky.social
An unfortunate yet fascinating encounter during yesterday's fieldwork: a sparrowhawk catches one of our fairywrens as we're following a group to collect social data 😦🦅
#birds #ecology #predation #ornithology #SFW_ANU @franhckr.bsky.social @sramellini.bsky.social
#birds #ecology #predation #ornithology #SFW_ANU @franhckr.bsky.social @sramellini.bsky.social
June 3, 2025 at 6:07 AM
An unfortunate yet fascinating encounter during yesterday's fieldwork: a sparrowhawk catches one of our fairywrens as we're following a group to collect social data 😦🦅
#birds #ecology #predation #ornithology #SFW_ANU @franhckr.bsky.social @sramellini.bsky.social
#birds #ecology #predation #ornithology #SFW_ANU @franhckr.bsky.social @sramellini.bsky.social
With the cold weather and brown males the non-breeding season is officially upon us! 🐦 Our fieldwork now focuses on their sociality and foraging 🍿 #ecology #birds #ornithology #SFW_ANU @sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
May 23, 2025 at 6:24 AM
With the cold weather and brown males the non-breeding season is officially upon us! 🐦 Our fieldwork now focuses on their sociality and foraging 🍿 #ecology #birds #ornithology #SFW_ANU @sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
When you go to collect data but the data doesn't let you write it down ✍🏻🐦😆
#bird #ecology #ornithology #SFW_ANU
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
@scienceanu.bsky.social
#bird #ecology #ornithology #SFW_ANU
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
@scienceanu.bsky.social
February 21, 2025 at 1:54 AM
When you go to collect data but the data doesn't let you write it down ✍🏻🐦😆
#bird #ecology #ornithology #SFW_ANU
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
@scienceanu.bsky.social
#bird #ecology #ornithology #SFW_ANU
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
@scienceanu.bsky.social
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone from us here at the #SFW_ANU project, including our birds 🐦 Even though the breeding season is over, it's the perfect day for some allopreening to strengthen our social bonds 😉
#ornithology #birds
#ornithology #birds
February 13, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone from us here at the #SFW_ANU project, including our birds 🐦 Even though the breeding season is over, it's the perfect day for some allopreening to strengthen our social bonds 😉
#ornithology #birds
#ornithology #birds
Aaaand that's the official end of this year's breeding season! Yesterday, we banded the last chick - that's 68 in total! About to fledge any day now, let's wish him/her well ✨🕊️
#ornithology #ecology #birds @scienceanu.bsky.social
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
#ornithology #ecology #birds @scienceanu.bsky.social
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
February 4, 2025 at 3:48 AM
Aaaand that's the official end of this year's breeding season! Yesterday, we banded the last chick - that's 68 in total! About to fledge any day now, let's wish him/her well ✨🕊️
#ornithology #ecology #birds @scienceanu.bsky.social
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
#ornithology #ecology #birds @scienceanu.bsky.social
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
With the 2024 breeding season coming to an end, we have started to band the few remaining unbanded adults to prepare for the collection of social data this winter. This guy is our first banded adult! 🐦
#ornithology #birds #superbfairywren #SFW_ANU @sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
#ornithology #birds #superbfairywren #SFW_ANU @sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
January 30, 2025 at 2:56 AM
With the 2024 breeding season coming to an end, we have started to band the few remaining unbanded adults to prepare for the collection of social data this winter. This guy is our first banded adult! 🐦
#ornithology #birds #superbfairywren #SFW_ANU @sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
#ornithology #birds #superbfairywren #SFW_ANU @sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
Happy New Year! 🎆 We're starting the year off with monitoring cNb, who was born on January 1st 2022. Wishing everyone all the best for 2025, and a happy birthday to cNb 🎂
#birds #ornithology #superbfairywren #SFW_ANU
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social @damienfarine.bsky.social
#birds #ornithology #superbfairywren #SFW_ANU
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social @damienfarine.bsky.social
December 31, 2024 at 7:45 PM
Happy New Year! 🎆 We're starting the year off with monitoring cNb, who was born on January 1st 2022. Wishing everyone all the best for 2025, and a happy birthday to cNb 🎂
#birds #ornithology #superbfairywren #SFW_ANU
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social @damienfarine.bsky.social
#birds #ornithology #superbfairywren #SFW_ANU
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social @damienfarine.bsky.social
Holiday season is upon us, and so is this year's breeding season! With the season still in full swing, we're banding a few times a week. Today, we banded this male's chicks and his helper 🐦 Happy holidays from cOnr! 🎄
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social #ornithology #birds #superbfairywren
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social #ornithology #birds #superbfairywren
December 23, 2024 at 9:41 PM
Holiday season is upon us, and so is this year's breeding season! With the season still in full swing, we're banding a few times a week. Today, we banded this male's chicks and his helper 🐦 Happy holidays from cOnr! 🎄
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social #ornithology #birds #superbfairywren
@sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social #ornithology #birds #superbfairywren