Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
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worldwaders.bsky.social
Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
@worldwaders.bsky.social
Addicted to birding and bird conservation, nature education, shorebird conservation and bird monitoring for over 45 years. I founded World Shorebirds Day, PatchBird and The Ornithologist Magazine. Avid traveller for birds.
https://theornithologist.org
Pinned
It’s finally here. Months of preparation but The Ornithologist, a new online magazine portal is ready. I appreciate every share and mention. 🙏🏽
White-throated Dippers are already very territorial and start singing in the streams of Southern Uplands, Scotland. Shot by an iPhone.

#birds #birding #whitethroateddipper #scottishbirds #scotland #ornithology
February 16, 2026 at 3:37 PM
A father–son journey through Morocco at thirty – landscapes, method, missed species, and a long-awaited Cream-coloured Courser.

bird-observer.org/notes-from-a...

#birds #birding #PatchBird #PatchBirdExplorer #ornithology #AfricanBirds #Morocco #BirdingTrip #birdwatching
A New Continent at Thirty: Notes from a Moroccan Birding Trip
A 30th birthday in Morocco. From Atlantic cliffs to desert plains, following the PatchBird Explorer method – and finally meeting a long-awaited Cream-coloured Courser.
bird-observer.org
February 14, 2026 at 3:23 AM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
CORRECTION!
A short conceptual note on naming, migration, and the European Roller’s shifting centre of gravity.

theornithologist.org/how-european...

#Birding #ornithology #TheOrnithologist
How European Is the European Roller?
A short conceptual note on naming, migration, and the European Roller’s shifting centre of gravity.
theornithologist.org
February 13, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Despite winter is back, birds are already holding territories in the Southern Uplands. Greylag Goose, White-throated Dippers and Northern Lapwings.

#birds #birding #Scotland
February 13, 2026 at 10:42 AM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
We hear woodpecker drumming everywhere, but rarely ask what it truly signals. This Conceptual Note looks at what we know — and what we don’t.

theornithologist.org/is-woodpecke...

#birds #birding #Woodpeckers #TheOrnithologist #ornithology
Is Woodpecker Drumming More Than Noise?
We hear woodpecker drumming everywhere, but rarely ask what it truly signals. This Conceptual Note looks at what we know — and what we don’t.
theornithologist.org
February 7, 2026 at 7:44 AM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
American Oystercatchers are nesting on Florida rooftops as beaches disappear — an extraordinary but precarious response to coastal development.

theornithologist.org/american-oys...

#ornithology #TheOrnithologist #Shorebirds #Waders #ShorebirdConservation #Birds #Birding
American Oystercatchers Take to the Rooftops: A Desperate Response to a Shrinking Coastline
American Oystercatchers are nesting on Florida rooftops as beaches disappear—an extraordinary but precarious response to coastal development.
theornithologist.org
January 30, 2026 at 8:37 AM
Among Hungary’s last mature forests, the elusive White-backed Woodpecker faces mounting threats. This piece explores their fragility, habitat pressures, and why their conservation matters more than ever.

bird-observer.org/the-vulnerab...

#birding #birds #ornithology #woodpeckers
At Risk in the Canopy: The Vulnerability of Hungary’s Nesting White-backed Woodpeckers
Among Hungary’s last mature forests, the elusive White-backed Woodpecker faces mounting threats. This piece explores their fragility, habitat pressures, and why their conservation matters more than ev...
bird-observer.org
January 26, 2026 at 7:13 PM
What began as a personal adjustment changed the way I bird — and how fifteen minutes of stillness can reveal far more than constant movement.
bird-observer.org/standing-sti...

#birding #patchbird #patchbirdsurveys #birdobserver #birds #ornithology
Standing Still: How PatchBird Changed the Way I Bird
What began as a personal adjustment changed the way I bird — and how fifteen minutes of stillness can reveal far more than constant movement.
bird-observer.org
January 25, 2026 at 2:26 AM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
Listening to forests can change how habitat quality is understood.
A Finnish study shows Crested Tits respond to fine-scale forest structure rather than forest age.

theornithologist.org/fine-scale-h...

#TheOrnithologist #Birds #Birding #ornithology
Sound-based surveys uncover fine-scale habitat selection in the declining Crested Tit
Listening to forests can change how habitat quality is understood. A Finnish study shows Crested Tits respond to fine-scale forest structure rather than forest age.
theornithologist.org
January 20, 2026 at 7:16 AM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
Most people see birds.
Few understand what they’re really doing.

Discover the deeper stories behind birdlife at The Ornithologist.
theornithologist.org
The Ornithologist
The Ornithologist is an independent online magazine exploring bird science, conservation, migration, and the fascinating world of birds – delivered through thoughtful articles and expert insights.
theornithologist.org
January 16, 2026 at 4:57 AM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
Globally, no single day in 2025 was cooler than its 1991-2020 average.
climate.copernicus.eu/global-clima...
January 14, 2026 at 12:44 PM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
When winter bites, survival becomes a question of access, not abundance. New research shows how Taiga Bean Geese rely on winter cereal fields during the harshest cold spells.

theornithologist.org/habitat-shif...

#ornithology #TheOrnithologist #birds #birding
Choosing Survival: Habitat Shifts in Wintering Taiga Bean Geese
When winter bites, survival becomes a question of access, not abundance. New research shows how Taiga Bean Geese rely on winter cereal fields during the harshest cold spells.
theornithologist.org
January 14, 2026 at 6:59 AM
Two easy ways to join PatchBird in 2026 — no long-term commitment.

We’re introducing two optional anchor dates:
• Midwinter Counts (17–18 Jan)
• Global Big Day (9 May)

One grid or more, one 15-minute survey per grid – full flexibility.

Details:
www.patchbird.org/post/two-anc...
Two anchor dates to join PatchBird in 2026
PatchBird Surveys have always been about flexibility. You choose when to survey, and how deeply you want to be involved. That will not change. In 2026, however, we are introducing two optional anchor ...
www.patchbird.org
January 9, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
Genetic data from Mexico’s coastlines reveal that American Oystercatchers are far more anchored to place than their mobility suggests.

theornithologist.org/genetics-and...

#TheOrnithologist #ornthology #Shorebirds #birds #Birding
Bound by Coastlines: Genetics and the Hidden Structure of Mexico’s American Oystercatchers
Genetic data from Mexico’s coastlines reveal that American Oystercatchers are far more anchored to place than their mobility suggests.
theornithologist.org
January 8, 2026 at 3:33 AM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
Cormorants’ wettable feathers look like an evolutionary mistake, yet they form a brilliantly efficient diving strategy unlike ducks, loons or penguins.

theornithologist.org/cormorants-e...

#TheOrnithologist #ornithology #evolution #Birds #birding
Cormorants: Evolutionary Failure or Underwater Mastermind?
Cormorants are often dismissed as poorly designed divers because their feathers let in water. This article reveals why that “flaw” is actually a refined evolutionary strategy, contrasting their diving...
theornithologist.org
January 4, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
Check out our latest open access story at The Ornithologist.
December 27, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
New logger data reveal how Western Orphean Warblers cross the Sahara: not in marathon flights, but in a sequence of short, high-altitude hops along a remarkably direct migration route.

theornithologist.org/the-western-...

#ornithology #TheOrnithologist #birds #birding #BirdMigration
The Western Orphean Warbler’s Narrow Migration Corridor
New logger data reveal how Western Orphean Warblers cross the Sahara: not in marathon flights, but in a sequence of short, high-altitude hops along a remarkably direct migration route.
theornithologist.org
December 27, 2025 at 4:39 AM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
***New** Latest wild bird trends in Europe: Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (PECBMS) indicators 1980–2024. Data = 168 bird species, 30 countries⬇️ @rspb.bsky.social @birdlifeeurope.bsky.social @ebcc.info 🐦@rspbscience.bsky.social pecbms.info/european-wil...
pecbms.info/trends-and-i...
December 15, 2025 at 1:42 PM
The PatchBird website has been restructured and refocused for clearer purpose, clearer methods, and a renewed call for consistent bird surveys from everyday places.

If you value repeatable data, quiet patches, and long-term insight, PatchBird is open to you.

www.patchbird.org
#birding #birds
PatchBird Initiative | A Global Bird Monitoring Collective
The PatchBird Initiative advances bird conservation through citizen science and structured patch birding. Using the eBird platform and a standardised survey method tied to UTM grids, PatchBird collect...
www.patchbird.org
December 26, 2025 at 7:07 AM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
Female Ruffs are not the solitary nesters we thought. A new study shows they cluster nests near leks and neighbours, reshaping our understanding of their breeding strategy.

theornithologist.org/female-ruffs...

#ornithology #TheOrnithologist #birds #birding #shorebirds #waders
Not So Solitary: Female Ruffs Cluster Nests Around Leks and Neighbours
Female Ruffs are not the solitary nesters we thought. A new study shows they cluster nests near leks and neighbours, reshaping our understanding of their breeding strategy.
theornithologist.org
December 23, 2025 at 4:31 AM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
A single tracked Bluethroat from central Siberia reveals a hidden migration route across Central Asia – and hints at a long-suspected migratory divide.

theornithologist.org/tracking-a-s...

#TheOrnithologist #Ornithology #Birds #Birding #ornithology
Tracking a Siberian Bluethroat Across Asia
A single tracked Bluethroat from central Siberia reveals a hidden migration route across Central Asia – and hints at a long-suspected migratory divide.
theornithologist.org
December 18, 2025 at 4:52 AM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
Iceland’s role in the movement of avian influenza is clearer than ever – and Gyrfalcons are now testing positive. With numbers already declining, the species faces a changing risk landscape.

theornithologist.org/icelandic-gy...

#TheOrnithologist #birds #ornithology #birding #avianinfluenza
Icelandic Gyrfalcons Face Rising Threat as Avian Flu Intensifies
Iceland’s role in the movement of avian influenza is clearer than ever – and Gyrfalcons are now testing positive. With numbers already declining, the species faces a changing risk landscape.
theornithologist.org
December 15, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Reposted by Bird Observer – by Gyorgy Szimuly (Szimi)
You can now listen to selected articles on The Ornithologist.
The first narrated piece, the Peregrine Falcon downlisting debate, is live.
Try the new audio feature here:
theornithologist.org/peregrine-fa...

#Ornithology #TheOrnithologist #Conservation #Birds #Birding
Peregrine Falcon Downlisting Debate Exposes a Flawed Conservation Cycle
The proposal to downlist the Peregrine Falcon under CITES risks reopening the pressures that once drove it to collapse. Have we learned nothing from its recovery?
theornithologist.org
December 8, 2025 at 2:15 AM