Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
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kiirsti.bsky.social
Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
@kiirsti.bsky.social
790 followers 700 following 1.6K posts
Senior Wildlife Biologist at Keefer Ecological Services 🦆 Vortex Canada Brand Ambassador 🐦 Eagle Eye Tours guide 🌿 she/her

👉 https://linktr.ee/kiirsti
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kiirsti.bsky.social
Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Jan 6
Our paper, "Breeding Ammospiza nelsoni (Nelson’s Sparrow) exploits both saltmarsh and hayfields in northern habitats" is now fully available online in @amornith.bsky.social's journal "Ornithology" #OpenAccess

Read it here 👉 academic.oup.com/condor/advan...
Graphical abstract showing an adult Nelson's Sparrow perched on some grass to the left of a graph showing the daily nest survival by exposure days for nests in saltmarsh and dikeland. The curves for nests in saltmarsh drops away from 1 (i.e., survival probability less than 100%) much earlier (~3 days) than for dikeland nests (~ 10 days). To the right of the graph are two nestlings, one with mouth open. The title reads "Acadian Nelson's Sparrows (Ammospiza nelsoni subvirgata) have higher nest success in human-made dikeland than in natural saltmarsh."
kiirsti.bsky.social
On Thursday, I attended the 71st Fall Convocation at the University of New Brunswick and received my doctoral degree. My parents and I flew across the country so that I could walk across the stage and accept my degree, and they could witness it. It's official: I'm a doctor! 👩‍🎓📃 #classof2025
Me standing on a balcony dressed in the bright red and blue robes of a doctoral graduate with the black beefeater hat. Yellow and green maple leaves make a stunning contrast at the backdrop.
October 25, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
predateursmarins.bsky.social
Post-doc position at CEBC to work on quantitative genetics of albatross populations using pedigree and genomic data.

Info and application at
emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/U...

Contact Timothée Bonnet for more details

#postdoc #seabirds #Genomics
October 24, 2025 at 9:27 AM
kiirsti.bsky.social
Post-PhD life.

I was pretty good at work-life balance during 7 years of grad school, but this past year was really intense and I'm enjoying the freedom and time by painting members of Ramphastidae (why? Why not!).

#PostPhdlife #PhDone
Three small painted canvases showing cokourfyl close-ups of toucan heads (Keel-billed Toucan, Fiery-billed Araçari, and Northern Emerald Toucanet). A paintbrush and a messy palette sit on the table beside the paintings.
September 13, 2025 at 4:43 PM
kiirsti.bsky.social
Yesterday I successfully defended my PhD and can now say that I am officially ✨Dr. Kiirsti Owen✨ (or Ducktor, if you will 🦆). #PhDone
Opening slide of a PhD defence featuring a wetland at sunrise as the background with text "Wetland bird response to anthropogenic habitat change of the Chignecto Isthmus"
August 15, 2025 at 3:59 PM
kiirsti.bsky.social
Nice to see this paper out in @envreviews.bsky.social !! This was a fun lab collab side-project that the Mallory Lab crew did together. Enjoyed being a part of this! 🥳
August 11, 2025 at 4:33 AM
Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
ingridpollet.bsky.social
Team Mallory started a lab paper back in Dec. 2023. Today, the Just-in version is out in @envreviews.bsky.social.

cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/...
Technological advancements: A global review of the use of camera technology in wildlife research
Cameras have become widely used tools in wildlife research, providing new insights into the behavior, population dynamics, and habitat preference of species across a wide range of taxa. In this study,...
cdnsciencepub.com
August 7, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
animalecol-nioo.bsky.social
New postdoc position available 🚨
We are looking for a new post doc to work on adaptive management in geese. Are you experienced in working with animal movement patterns? And are you used to working with large files of transmitter date? Then apply before the 1st op september!
Postdoc Goose Impact
We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher for research in the context of international adaptive management of geese. Did you analyse animal movement patterns during your PhD? Do you want to work wi...
nioo.knaw.nl
July 28, 2025 at 9:30 AM
kiirsti.bsky.social
13 new bird nerds fledged from the nest and I am one happy instructor! 🪺🪹🐦

So proud of this group of super keen undergrads. They learned >50 birds by sight and sound in less than 2 weeks and they completed field research projects with only 3 days of data collection.
Class photo (16 people) standing in front of an old farmhouse with solar panels.
July 7, 2025 at 11:10 PM
kiirsti.bsky.social
I recently reviewed a paper where I was one of four reviewers. The other reviewers had very little comments and suggested the paper was ready to be accepted. I was the only one who suggested "reject" because the paper was incredibly flawed.
July 4, 2025 at 3:14 PM
kiirsti.bsky.social
Got to do some fieldwork last week in my new role as Senior Wildlife Biologist with KES(keefereco.com). Amphibian surveys, soil sampling, camera traps, bar detectors, and general wildlife surveys. Lots of fun!
View from 1700 m elevation A large Western Toad on the edge of a wet area amongst some grasses, sedges, and other short wetland vegetation. Me smiling and holding a Columbia Spotted Frog that we caught in our amphibina traps. Grabbing a photo together before releasing this friend safely back into the wetland. View from 850 m elevation.
June 7, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
The #Arctic might be a cold place, but microclimates can get HOT! The cliffs where murres nest can get to a whopping 46.5°C in the full sun.

New work by MSc student Frederique Tremblay, @emilyschoy.bsky.social, @tattersallg.bsky.social & many others available free:

doi.org/10.1016/j.cb...
May 28, 2025 at 1:04 PM
kiirsti.bsky.social
Some big news! I'm joining Keefer Ecological Services as a Wildlife Biologist.

Grateful for the journey that brought me here and looking forward to what’s ahead! 🌿 ✨

keefereco.com
Keefer Ecological Services - Keefer Ecological Services
Keefer Ecological Services Ltd. (KES) provides efficient, ecologically-based solutions inspired by the ingenuity observed in natural systems.
keefereco.com
May 28, 2025 at 3:29 AM
kiirsti.bsky.social
Preparing for #PhD defense - what are some good, general defense-style questions that I could use to practice??

E.g., this classic: "If you had unlimited time and money, what would you do with this research?"

This is for a biology/wildlife management/social science dissertation.

#phdlife
May 26, 2025 at 1:16 AM
Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
dmennill.bsky.social
Do you have a favourite bird song? For me, you can't beat a Musician Wren!
You can hear me discuss this, and all things birdsong, on The Warblers podcast:
Spotify: tinyurl.com/2skkart8
Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/2stnm5ak
Birds Canada: www.birdscanada.org/warblerspodc...
@birdscanada.bsky.social
May 20, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
thelabandfield.bsky.social
The 2025 Marie Curie Fellowships are now open! If you are interested in #PlasticPollution, #ornithology / #birds, #conservation & our work at @adriftlab.bsky.social and want to discuss an application, get in touch! #PhDjobs

marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-p...
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions 2-year Postdoctoral Fellowship Dr Alex Bond (Natural History Museum, Tring/London UK) [progress pride flag] Applicants with previous experience in CT/morphology, wildlife acoustics, or plastics particularly encouraged! Applicant eligibility Can’t have spent >12 of the last 36 months in the UK Previous post-doctoral experience & publication track record HIGHLY recommended Must relocate to the UK (London or Tring; remote working is not possible under this funding scheme) Defended PhD by Sept 2025; < 8 years postdoc experience Previous successful applications are available as guides! Applications shared between fellow & host with a deadline 10 Sept 2025 Email: a.bond@nhm.ac.uk / BlueSky: @TheLabAndField@bsky.social https://alexanderbond.org
May 20, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
davidho.bsky.social
Nobel Prize winning science.
Moderna's combo Covid and flu mRNA shot outperforms current vaccines in large trial
A combination shot would make it easier for people to get vaccinated against Covid and the flu at the same time.
www.nbcnews.com
May 10, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
adamgrant.bsky.social
It’s a mistake to outsource most writing to AI.

Even if the output is accurate and engaging, something valuable is lost in the process. Jotting down intuitions and spelling out hunches is how we develop and refine our ideas.

Writing is where we do our best thinking.
May 4, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
drk-lo.bsky.social
I'm hiring! Postdoc available in my lab in Ecological Genomics. northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/careers/job/... I will start reviewing applications mid-July. 🧪🧑‍🔬🖥️🧬🦑. Please share widely, thanks!
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Ecological Genomics
About the Opportunity Job Summary A postdoctoral research associate is available at the Lotterhos Lab at Northeastern University. The postdoc will be based at Northeastern University’s Marine Science ...
northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
May 8, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
nkalamb.bsky.social
the technodystopia is here

nymag.com/intelligence...
Sarah, a freshman at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, said she first used ChatGPT to cheat during the spring semester of her final year of high school. (Sarah’s name, like those of other current students in this article, has been changed for privacy.) After getting acquainted with the chatbot, Sarah used it for all her classes: Indigenous studies, law, English, and a “hippie farming class” called Green Industries. “My grades were amazing,” she said. “It changed my life.” Sarah continued to use AI when she started college this past fall. Why wouldn’t she? Rarely did she sit in class and not see other students’ laptops open to ChatGPT. Toward the end of the semester, she began to think she might be dependent on the website. She already considered herself addicted to TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Reddit, where she writes under the username maybeimnotsmart. “I spend so much time on TikTok,” she said. “Hours and hours, until my eyes start hurting, which makes it hard to plan and do my schoolwork. With ChatGPT, I can write an essay in two hours that normally takes 12.”
May 7, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
philiploring.com
The university experience was broken well before AI. That students are flocking to it (just like they flocked to test databases and essay writing services and Cole’s notes) says more about universities than it does the students

nymag.com/intelligence...
Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College
ChatGPT has unraveled the entire academic project.
nymag.com
May 7, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
sdobney.bsky.social
Meet LO.N, a male Savannah Sparrow living on Kent Island, NB, Canada. We know he hatched ~11 mon. ago, on this very island. We know his parents. We know his song. We even know the exact male he learned his song from! Can't wait to learn more about LO.N as the season continues! #longtermdata #birds
Image of LO.N in the hand (handled and banded with permits). Photo y Natalie Emerick. Image of spectrogram of LO.N's song, recorded by Natalie Emerick in May 2025.
May 2, 2025 at 2:35 PM
kiirsti.bsky.social
In Québec this week for the @nserc-resnet.bsky.social AGM, which will be later this week at a true beauty of a spot in Jouvence, QC.

Leading up to that, I'm meeting with lovely friends & coworkers to prep for workshops, writing retreats, and presentations 🥰
April 20, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)
thelabandfield.bsky.social
"What could an ornithologist and a poet possibly learn from each other?" someone once asked.

Stories, words, feelings -- FEELINGS -- and beauty.
jayhulmepoet.bsky.social Jay Hulme @jayhulmepoet.bsky.social · Apr 19
"Every time they try to destroy us,
we learn how to live forever."
We Miraculous Specimens for Alex Bond. Give me shoots coiling up from this darkness. Give me a shovel. An escape route. Catch yourself in a mirror - the morning dew casts your own eyes back at you. Give me grouse. Chickens. The fish at Tynemouth Aquarium. These gender shifters. Hearts straining themselves back into being. There isn't a word in grouse to explain what they're doing. There isn't an explanation other than yes, it just happens. spontaneous transition the scientist with his rainbow lanyard, eyes sparking at the open cupboard. there they are, do you see them? do you see you? Racks of us on black base plates; the miracle the only reason that Rothschild stuffed them. Catch me if you can - shotgun in hand. tomorrow, the scientist says, we'll run free in the fields, the sun will catch us laughing, and we will live like the miracles we are. Every time they try to destroy us, we learn how to live forever. from ‘The Vanishing Song’ by Jay Hulme
April 19, 2025 at 9:10 AM
kiirsti.bsky.social
Eee!! Just sent my full #PhD dissertation draft off to my advisory committee for comments 🥳 amazing to see it as one huge beautiful 277-page document 😍
April 18, 2025 at 11:24 AM
kiirsti.bsky.social
I have a full version of my dissertation written and ready to send to my committee! Feels a bit surreal to finally be at this stage of the #PhD 🤩
April 16, 2025 at 10:54 AM