Paul Dufour
@pauldufour80.bsky.social
Birder | Research Associate at Swiss Ornithological Institute @vogelwarte.bsky.social 🇨🇭
Interested in the evolution of bird movements and how they can influence evolutionary processes
https://pauldufour80.wordpress.com/
Interested in the evolution of bird movements and how they can influence evolutionary processes
https://pauldufour80.wordpress.com/
Pinned
Paul Dufour
@pauldufour80.bsky.social
· Dec 11
For my first post here, I’m happy to share our new paper just published in @ibisjournal.bsky.social Thanks to a great team effort, we made a small step forward in the study of Siberian vagrants in Europe and clarified the status of two (pseudo) vagrants: the YBW & the Sib Chiffchaff. Some results 🧵
Reposted by Paul Dufour
New paper out! 🐦📊
We realease AVONICHE, a global dataset with detailed information on the proportional use of 32 foraging niches, combining dietary categories with the behaviours and substrates used to access resources.
Openly access the paper and data in GEB: doi.org/10.1111/geb....
We realease AVONICHE, a global dataset with detailed information on the proportional use of 32 foraging niches, combining dietary categories with the behaviours and substrates used to access resources.
Openly access the paper and data in GEB: doi.org/10.1111/geb....
January 8, 2026 at 11:09 AM
New paper out! 🐦📊
We realease AVONICHE, a global dataset with detailed information on the proportional use of 32 foraging niches, combining dietary categories with the behaviours and substrates used to access resources.
Openly access the paper and data in GEB: doi.org/10.1111/geb....
We realease AVONICHE, a global dataset with detailed information on the proportional use of 32 foraging niches, combining dietary categories with the behaviours and substrates used to access resources.
Openly access the paper and data in GEB: doi.org/10.1111/geb....
Reposted by Paul Dufour
When one of your PhD students makes you very jealous… I believe the first Azure Tit for Norway this afternoon near Trondheim
January 5, 2026 at 3:52 PM
When one of your PhD students makes you very jealous… I believe the first Azure Tit for Norway this afternoon near Trondheim
Reposted by Paul Dufour
Super cool new study from Talavera lab on migratory divide between painted lady (Vanessa cardui) populations north of the equator and south of the equator! They find a candidate gene that might be associated with the differenc ein behaviour.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A north-south hemispheric migratory divide in the butterfly Vanessa cardui - Nature Communications
Here authors find a latitudinal migratory divide in a butterfly across Earth’s hemispheres, highlighting how hemisphere-specific seasonality and navigational cues shape migratory strategies. They find...
www.nature.com
January 2, 2026 at 9:46 AM
Super cool new study from Talavera lab on migratory divide between painted lady (Vanessa cardui) populations north of the equator and south of the equator! They find a candidate gene that might be associated with the differenc ein behaviour.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Paul Dufour
What a way to start the year on my local patch. Landed on the beach for a few minutes then flew off west.
January 1, 2026 at 12:12 PM
What a way to start the year on my local patch. Landed on the beach for a few minutes then flew off west.
Reposted by Paul Dufour
Based on thousands of citizen-science observations across Italy, our study shows that many hunted game bird species 🐦 start their pre-breeding migration earlier than reported in the European Commission’s “Key Concepts Document” (KCD) 🇪🇺
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
(PDF) Phenology of migrating game birds in Italy based on citizen science data
PDF | Studying the timing of the seasonal movements of migratory birds, known as migration phenology, is crucial for managing and conserving migratory... | Find, read and cite all the research you nee...
www.researchgate.net
December 30, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Based on thousands of citizen-science observations across Italy, our study shows that many hunted game bird species 🐦 start their pre-breeding migration earlier than reported in the European Commission’s “Key Concepts Document” (KCD) 🇪🇺
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Reposted by Paul Dufour
NEW JOB in #ornithology with @vogelwarte.bsky.social to unravel the demographic drivers of population change in Alpine #swifts in #Switzerland: buff.ly/crV1rT8
December 23, 2025 at 3:45 PM
NEW JOB in #ornithology with @vogelwarte.bsky.social to unravel the demographic drivers of population change in Alpine #swifts in #Switzerland: buff.ly/crV1rT8
Reposted by Paul Dufour
New paper out. If you like colorful birds, hybridization, and phylogenetics, read on! 🧵https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3003501
A colorful legacy of hybridization in wood-warblers includes frequent sharing of carotenoid genes among species and genera
Introgression between species can shape evolutionary trajectories in important ways. This study of the entire family of the colorful wood-warblers (Parulidae) uses whole-genome sequencing to reveal fr...
doi.org
December 12, 2025 at 3:55 PM
New paper out. If you like colorful birds, hybridization, and phylogenetics, read on! 🧵https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3003501
Reposted by Paul Dufour
BIG day for warbler genomes, with work led by @kevinfpbennett.bsky.social! Whole genomes nearly *every species* of warbler.
Warblers the most "Pokémon" of the bird world? Well, they're also trading their coloration genes like valuable collectors cards ...
www.psu.edu/news/eberly-...
🦉🧪
Warblers the most "Pokémon" of the bird world? Well, they're also trading their coloration genes like valuable collectors cards ...
www.psu.edu/news/eberly-...
🦉🧪
Warblers borrow color-related genes from evolutionary neighbors, study finds | Penn State University
A new study has uncovered several instances of wood warblers — some of the most colorful birds in North America — passing color-related genes to other wood warbler species, including those that are no...
www.psu.edu
December 11, 2025 at 7:18 PM
BIG day for warbler genomes, with work led by @kevinfpbennett.bsky.social! Whole genomes nearly *every species* of warbler.
Warblers the most "Pokémon" of the bird world? Well, they're also trading their coloration genes like valuable collectors cards ...
www.psu.edu/news/eberly-...
🦉🧪
Warblers the most "Pokémon" of the bird world? Well, they're also trading their coloration genes like valuable collectors cards ...
www.psu.edu/news/eberly-...
🦉🧪
Reposted by Paul Dufour
Incredibly honoured and happy to have been awarded a consolidator grant from the ERC!
This grant will expand my group and fund my research at @biologylu.bsky.social for five years, and focus on different factors that disrupt animal migration at large scales 🦅🦋🌍🧲💡🌡️. Exciting times ahead!
This grant will expand my group and fund my research at @biologylu.bsky.social for five years, and focus on different factors that disrupt animal migration at large scales 🦅🦋🌍🧲💡🌡️. Exciting times ahead!
December 9, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Incredibly honoured and happy to have been awarded a consolidator grant from the ERC!
This grant will expand my group and fund my research at @biologylu.bsky.social for five years, and focus on different factors that disrupt animal migration at large scales 🦅🦋🌍🧲💡🌡️. Exciting times ahead!
This grant will expand my group and fund my research at @biologylu.bsky.social for five years, and focus on different factors that disrupt animal migration at large scales 🦅🦋🌍🧲💡🌡️. Exciting times ahead!
Reposted by Paul Dufour
📣Please share: We are looking for a field assistant to join our team in studying #ruffs on coastal meadows at Botnian Bay in Finland. The job will provide fantastic insights into lekking behaviour and provide essential skills in field ornithology. Details here www.bi.mpg.de/2790786/2512...
December 8, 2025 at 4:25 PM
📣Please share: We are looking for a field assistant to join our team in studying #ruffs on coastal meadows at Botnian Bay in Finland. The job will provide fantastic insights into lekking behaviour and provide essential skills in field ornithology. Details here www.bi.mpg.de/2790786/2512...
Reposted by Paul Dufour
Seed dispersal by 🦜🦇 underpins rainforest recovery. We want to understand more about its timing + traits driving recovery through obs, exp + genomic data. Ready to join the @reassemblynet.bsky.social team working in Ecuadorian Chocó? Pls apply to our 4-yr PhD position @sgn.one: tinyurl.com/2pkryc99
December 5, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Seed dispersal by 🦜🦇 underpins rainforest recovery. We want to understand more about its timing + traits driving recovery through obs, exp + genomic data. Ready to join the @reassemblynet.bsky.social team working in Ecuadorian Chocó? Pls apply to our 4-yr PhD position @sgn.one: tinyurl.com/2pkryc99
Reposted by Paul Dufour
Check out our cover article by @timjanicke.bsky.social and colleagues about the role of sexual selection in animal speciation. academic.oup.com/evlett/artic.... The beautiful illustration is by Katharina Bóth.
December 4, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Check out our cover article by @timjanicke.bsky.social and colleagues about the role of sexual selection in animal speciation. academic.oup.com/evlett/artic.... The beautiful illustration is by Katharina Bóth.
Reposted by Paul Dufour
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 Paul Dufour
Cold sweat time, my first thought on seeing these images is that they are the product of Generative AI on account of missing/deformed feet. Could this however just be manipulation of a real image of an extralimital Willow Tit? Never had to even consider these issues before.... #UKBirding
November 28, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Cold sweat time, my first thought on seeing these images is that they are the product of Generative AI on account of missing/deformed feet. Could this however just be manipulation of a real image of an extralimital Willow Tit? Never had to even consider these issues before.... #UKBirding
Reposted by Paul Dufour
Time to publish responsibly: DAFNEE, a database of academia-friendly journals in ecology and evolutionary biology url: academic.oup.com/jeb/article/...
Time to publish responsibly: DAFNEE, a database of academia-friendly journals in ecology and evolutionary biology
Abstract. The current economics of scientific publishing reveal a profound imbalance: academia pays prices far exceeding the actual costs of publication. R
academic.oup.com
December 1, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Time to publish responsibly: DAFNEE, a database of academia-friendly journals in ecology and evolutionary biology url: academic.oup.com/jeb/article/...
Reposted by Paul Dufour
Huge News from the Western Amazon: it's the year 2025 and we are still describing entirely new, strikingly-distinctive large-bodied bird species! Behold Tinamus resonans sp. nov. the Slaty-masked Tinamou mapress.com/zt/article/v... #Ornithology @tetzoo.bsky.social 🪶
December 2, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Huge News from the Western Amazon: it's the year 2025 and we are still describing entirely new, strikingly-distinctive large-bodied bird species! Behold Tinamus resonans sp. nov. the Slaty-masked Tinamou mapress.com/zt/article/v... #Ornithology @tetzoo.bsky.social 🪶
Reposted by Paul Dufour
🎤 We’re excited to introduce another plenary speaker for the 5th EOU Fledglings Meeting in Gdańsk (27–29 March 2026)!
🌿 Miriam Liedvogel (@genmig.bsky.social) will share her work on blackcap migration - a fascinating look into one of Europe’s most dynamic songbird species.
#EOU26 #Ornithology
🌿 Miriam Liedvogel (@genmig.bsky.social) will share her work on blackcap migration - a fascinating look into one of Europe’s most dynamic songbird species.
#EOU26 #Ornithology
December 1, 2025 at 11:29 AM
🎤 We’re excited to introduce another plenary speaker for the 5th EOU Fledglings Meeting in Gdańsk (27–29 March 2026)!
🌿 Miriam Liedvogel (@genmig.bsky.social) will share her work on blackcap migration - a fascinating look into one of Europe’s most dynamic songbird species.
#EOU26 #Ornithology
🌿 Miriam Liedvogel (@genmig.bsky.social) will share her work on blackcap migration - a fascinating look into one of Europe’s most dynamic songbird species.
#EOU26 #Ornithology
Reposted by Paul Dufour
🧵1/5 Excited about our new paper in PRSB! @royalsocietypublishing.org
Can AI make research on avian brood parasitism easier? YES!
We show that AI model can identify conspecific parasitic eggs better than an average ornithologist.
doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
📸 Barn swallow – our study species.
Can AI make research on avian brood parasitism easier? YES!
We show that AI model can identify conspecific parasitic eggs better than an average ornithologist.
doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
📸 Barn swallow – our study species.
November 26, 2025 at 6:05 PM
🧵1/5 Excited about our new paper in PRSB! @royalsocietypublishing.org
Can AI make research on avian brood parasitism easier? YES!
We show that AI model can identify conspecific parasitic eggs better than an average ornithologist.
doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
📸 Barn swallow – our study species.
Can AI make research on avian brood parasitism easier? YES!
We show that AI model can identify conspecific parasitic eggs better than an average ornithologist.
doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
📸 Barn swallow – our study species.
Reposted by Paul Dufour
An exciting morning on Masirah Island when this odd looking pipit landed in front of me and gave an odd call. A great Wise Birding team effort to secure everything needed to confirm id as Oman’s 1st Paddyfield Pipit. Big thanks to Magnus Robb for confirming sound recording. #Birds #Oman #WiseBirding
November 26, 2025 at 6:55 PM
An exciting morning on Masirah Island when this odd looking pipit landed in front of me and gave an odd call. A great Wise Birding team effort to secure everything needed to confirm id as Oman’s 1st Paddyfield Pipit. Big thanks to Magnus Robb for confirming sound recording. #Birds #Oman #WiseBirding
Reposted by Paul Dufour
Genetic confirmation of an “uncommon mourningthroat” (Geothlypis philadelphia × G. trichas): A rare but persistent hybrid warbler | www.tandfonline.com/... | Wilson Journal of Ornithology | #ornithology 🪶
November 26, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Genetic confirmation of an “uncommon mourningthroat” (Geothlypis philadelphia × G. trichas): A rare but persistent hybrid warbler | www.tandfonline.com/... | Wilson Journal of Ornithology | #ornithology 🪶
Reposted by Paul Dufour
Our new paper is out today in Journal of the Royal Society Interface (link below). All about eggshell roughness: "Scratching beyond the surface: examining macroecological patterns in avian eggshell texture". Congrats first author Marie Attard, and thank you @leverhulme.ac.uk for the funding.
November 26, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Our new paper is out today in Journal of the Royal Society Interface (link below). All about eggshell roughness: "Scratching beyond the surface: examining macroecological patterns in avian eggshell texture". Congrats first author Marie Attard, and thank you @leverhulme.ac.uk for the funding.
Reposted by Paul Dufour
GREAT NEWS in #conservation: the government of New Zealand has announced that they will include feral cats in their PredatorFree 2050 strategy, aiming to benefit #seabirds and landbirds across NZ by removing feral cats:
Feral cats to be added to Predator Free 2050
The Government is delivering on its campaign promise to add feral cats to the Predator Free 2050 target species list to protect our precious native wildlife, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.
buff.ly
November 25, 2025 at 7:24 AM
GREAT NEWS in #conservation: the government of New Zealand has announced that they will include feral cats in their PredatorFree 2050 strategy, aiming to benefit #seabirds and landbirds across NZ by removing feral cats:
Reposted by Paul Dufour
Even consummate migrants like Corncrakes can end up being ship-assisted, although presumably being adopted by a family and fed prawns is a rarer occurrence.... #UKBirding #Ornithology
www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/2563328...
www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/2563328...
November 22, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Even consummate migrants like Corncrakes can end up being ship-assisted, although presumably being adopted by a family and fed prawns is a rarer occurrence.... #UKBirding #Ornithology
www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/2563328...
www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/2563328...
Reposted by Paul Dufour
Just out in Systematic Biology, we explore the role of gene flow in island phylogeography of the Solomons Black-and-white Monarch complex. doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
Up first, strong genetic structure between islands groups and weak (but present!) structure between Pleistocene-connected islands (🧵)
Up first, strong genetic structure between islands groups and weak (but present!) structure between Pleistocene-connected islands (🧵)
November 21, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Just out in Systematic Biology, we explore the role of gene flow in island phylogeography of the Solomons Black-and-white Monarch complex. doi.org/10.1093/sysb...
Up first, strong genetic structure between islands groups and weak (but present!) structure between Pleistocene-connected islands (🧵)
Up first, strong genetic structure between islands groups and weak (but present!) structure between Pleistocene-connected islands (🧵)