@animalecol-nioo.bsky.social
We study causes and consequences of variation in life-history traits, their underlying genomic mechanisms, and the variation in time and space. @ NIOO-KNAW
With most nests fledged and out in the world we are concluding our 71st breeding season as a department. Despite a low occupancy in some areas and a higher mortality in chicks in others we look back on an average breeding season. #breedingseason2025
June 26, 2025 at 9:11 AM
With most nests fledged and out in the world we are concluding our 71st breeding season as a department. Despite a low occupancy in some areas and a higher mortality in chicks in others we look back on an average breeding season. #breedingseason2025
Its peak caterpillar time! Which is good news for the nest box breeding birds who need the caterpillars to feed their chicks. Caterpillars are monitored in the spring using frassnets you see in the picture. Twice a week the frass (caterpillar poop) is collected and weighted. @mevisser.bsky.social
May 12, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Its peak caterpillar time! Which is good news for the nest box breeding birds who need the caterpillars to feed their chicks. Caterpillars are monitored in the spring using frassnets you see in the picture. Twice a week the frass (caterpillar poop) is collected and weighted. @mevisser.bsky.social
The breeding season in our nestbox sites is in full swing! The pied flycatchers arrived last couple of weeks and started their breeding season. Meanwhile in most boxes with blue tits, great tits and nuthatches they are already at the incubation or chick stage. #breedingseason25
April 30, 2025 at 7:49 AM
The breeding season in our nestbox sites is in full swing! The pied flycatchers arrived last couple of weeks and started their breeding season. Meanwhile in most boxes with blue tits, great tits and nuthatches they are already at the incubation or chick stage. #breedingseason25
Temperatures are rising in the Netherlands and despite the very cold nights the first birds are laying eggs! 🥚🥚 First Great tit egg in the long term study this year was 30th of march which is a week later then the record first egg we had last year #breedingseason25
April 8, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Temperatures are rising in the Netherlands and despite the very cold nights the first birds are laying eggs! 🥚🥚 First Great tit egg in the long term study this year was 30th of march which is a week later then the record first egg we had last year #breedingseason25
Oh oh you survived the winter but your home didn't?! Luckily the AnE assistants run a very well organized home repair business. Over the last month we repaired all nestboxes in our study areas, now with all the boxes repaired we are ready for breeding season 2025 #breedingseason25
March 24, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Oh oh you survived the winter but your home didn't?! Luckily the AnE assistants run a very well organized home repair business. Over the last month we repaired all nestboxes in our study areas, now with all the boxes repaired we are ready for breeding season 2025 #breedingseason25
Last Tuesday we had our very own Science Cafe, to celebrate 70 years of NIOO. This one was all about the passion in the nestbox. With presentations from @mevisser.bsky.social, a pubquiz by our very own Peter and a presentation about little owls. With 70 participants it was a big success!
March 13, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Last Tuesday we had our very own Science Cafe, to celebrate 70 years of NIOO. This one was all about the passion in the nestbox. With presentations from @mevisser.bsky.social, a pubquiz by our very own Peter and a presentation about little owls. With 70 participants it was a big success!
It's February and that means we slowly start to prepare for the upcoming breeding season. Today we picked up a load of new nest boxes. Over the coming weeks we start replacing the broken ones in the field so everything is ready for the first eggs in april. #breedingseason2025
February 5, 2025 at 10:29 AM
It's February and that means we slowly start to prepare for the upcoming breeding season. Today we picked up a load of new nest boxes. Over the coming weeks we start replacing the broken ones in the field so everything is ready for the first eggs in april. #breedingseason2025
Several AnE members presented their work on goose migration, dispersal and management this week at the Goose Specialist Group meeting in the Czech Republic. We thank our Czech hosts for a very nice organized conference and our goose research family for the nice discussions.
January 31, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Several AnE members presented their work on goose migration, dispersal and management this week at the Goose Specialist Group meeting in the Czech Republic. We thank our Czech hosts for a very nice organized conference and our goose research family for the nice discussions.
What better way to spend a cold and wet winter day than with beech nut sampling?! In four montly monotoring round this winter we sampled 35 beech trees in Nationaal Park de Hoge Veluwe. For each tree we sampled 8 plots per round and after sampling 1120 plots today we finished up our fieldwork 🥳(1/3)
December 13, 2024 at 3:24 PM
What better way to spend a cold and wet winter day than with beech nut sampling?! In four montly monotoring round this winter we sampled 35 beech trees in Nationaal Park de Hoge Veluwe. For each tree we sampled 8 plots per round and after sampling 1120 plots today we finished up our fieldwork 🥳(1/3)
This week is the week of the Winter moth (Operophtera brumata) from @vlinderstichting.bsky.social . During the winter we also monitor the occurrence of these moths. In our nestbox fieldsites we catch and count the numbers of wintermoths as a first measurement in the foodweb of the Great tit (1/3).
November 29, 2024 at 2:44 PM
This week is the week of the Winter moth (Operophtera brumata) from @vlinderstichting.bsky.social . During the winter we also monitor the occurrence of these moths. In our nestbox fieldsites we catch and count the numbers of wintermoths as a first measurement in the foodweb of the Great tit (1/3).
Congratulations to now Dr. Melanie Lindner @Me_Lindner, graduated cum laude!!! 🎉
Great defence with very interesting discussions about seasonal timing of reproduction in great tits 🐦
@m_e_visser @RoelofHut
Great defence with very interesting discussions about seasonal timing of reproduction in great tits 🐦
@m_e_visser @RoelofHut
November 29, 2024 at 1:28 PM
Congratulations to now Dr. Melanie Lindner @Me_Lindner, graduated cum laude!!! 🎉
Great defence with very interesting discussions about seasonal timing of reproduction in great tits 🐦
@m_e_visser @RoelofHut
Great defence with very interesting discussions about seasonal timing of reproduction in great tits 🐦
@m_e_visser @RoelofHut
We are now one step closer towards being #zerowaste. No more paper cups for us!
November 29, 2024 at 1:28 PM
We are now one step closer towards being #zerowaste. No more paper cups for us!
Congratulations to now Dr. @BoomChiel, on an excellent defense and thesis on the intricacies of migratory and resident barnacle geese.
November 29, 2024 at 1:28 PM
Congratulations to now Dr. @BoomChiel, on an excellent defense and thesis on the intricacies of migratory and resident barnacle geese.
We are present at #ESEB2022 in beautiful Prague! Are you interested in what our department has been up to lately? Here's a thread with our contributions, in order of appearance.
November 29, 2024 at 1:27 PM
We are present at #ESEB2022 in beautiful Prague! Are you interested in what our department has been up to lately? Here's a thread with our contributions, in order of appearance.
representing AnE at ISBE 2022 @melissah_rowe @KristavdHeuvel @utkurhan @SerranoDavies @AureliaStrauss and Yuting. Great tits, sparrows, and spiders FTW!
November 29, 2024 at 1:27 PM
representing AnE at ISBE 2022 @melissah_rowe @KristavdHeuvel @utkurhan @SerranoDavies @AureliaStrauss and Yuting. Great tits, sparrows, and spiders FTW!
Poster evening! Visit @utkurhan in the cognition corner to talk about determinants of innovation in Paridae
November 29, 2024 at 1:27 PM
Poster evening! Visit @utkurhan in the cognition corner to talk about determinants of innovation in Paridae
We are ready for #ISBE2022! Starting with a packed room for @SerranoDavies, who showed how differences in parental spider provisioning, but not diet specialization, relates to stress behaviour in great tit chicks.
November 29, 2024 at 1:27 PM
We are ready for #ISBE2022! Starting with a packed room for @SerranoDavies, who showed how differences in parental spider provisioning, but not diet specialization, relates to stress behaviour in great tit chicks.
A first egg was found yesterday (30-3) in Oosterhout, one of our long-term field sites. That woolly layer will surely prove its worth in these frosty and even snowy conditions! #TheGreatEggRace
@WythamTits @MadingleyBirds @StA_Nestboxes
@AnneCharmantier @SPIbirds @MothProf
@WythamTits @MadingleyBirds @StA_Nestboxes
@AnneCharmantier @SPIbirds @MothProf
November 29, 2024 at 1:27 PM
A first egg was found yesterday (30-3) in Oosterhout, one of our long-term field sites. That woolly layer will surely prove its worth in these frosty and even snowy conditions! #TheGreatEggRace
@WythamTits @MadingleyBirds @StA_Nestboxes
@AnneCharmantier @SPIbirds @MothProf
@WythamTits @MadingleyBirds @StA_Nestboxes
@AnneCharmantier @SPIbirds @MothProf
At the moment, Rascha is defending her PhD thesis entitled 'Bewick’s swans in a changing world' at the University of Amsterdam. Happy we can follow the defense digitally, good luck!
November 29, 2024 at 1:27 PM
At the moment, Rascha is defending her PhD thesis entitled 'Bewick’s swans in a changing world' at the University of Amsterdam. Happy we can follow the defense digitally, good luck!
Saying farewell to @VeronikaNLaine on her last day @AnimalEcol_NIOO. A sad day for NIOO, but wishing her all the best in Finland. 🦇 FTW.
November 29, 2024 at 1:27 PM
Saying farewell to @VeronikaNLaine on her last day @AnimalEcol_NIOO. A sad day for NIOO, but wishing her all the best in Finland. 🦇 FTW.
A pleasant surprise this morning for @babi_mt. Urban great tits from Utrecht have started! 5 eggs today so first egg on March 26. Also note the colourful urban nest material. #TheGreatEggRace @WythamTits @MadingleyBirds @StA_Nestboxes @AnneCharmantier @SPIbirds @birdcognition
November 29, 2024 at 1:27 PM
A pleasant surprise this morning for @babi_mt. Urban great tits from Utrecht have started! 5 eggs today so first egg on March 26. Also note the colourful urban nest material. #TheGreatEggRace @WythamTits @MadingleyBirds @StA_Nestboxes @AnneCharmantier @SPIbirds @birdcognition
Spring is coming, so preparations for the breading season have started. For new sites this means putting up lots of nestboxes. As of today there are 100 boxes near 's Graveland @Natuurmonument to monitor the effects of great tits on oak processionary caterpillars.
November 29, 2024 at 1:26 PM
Spring is coming, so preparations for the breading season have started. For new sites this means putting up lots of nestboxes. As of today there are 100 boxes near 's Graveland @Natuurmonument to monitor the effects of great tits on oak processionary caterpillars.
Congratulations to now Dr. Irene Verhagen, who just successfully defended her PhD thesis on the mechanisms underlying seasonal timing of breeding🐣
November 29, 2024 at 1:26 PM
Congratulations to now Dr. Irene Verhagen, who just successfully defended her PhD thesis on the mechanisms underlying seasonal timing of breeding🐣
Inspiring day at Radio Kootwijk today! Discussing our own (changing) environment and chances for the future.
November 29, 2024 at 1:26 PM
Inspiring day at Radio Kootwijk today! Discussing our own (changing) environment and chances for the future.