Brian Rolek
@brols.bsky.social
PhD | Quantitative Ecologist at a nonprofit | Applied conservation science | Birds esp Raptors and Passerines | Bayesian stats | Population Ecology | Forest Management | Dadding
Pinned
Brian Rolek
@brols.bsky.social
· Oct 23
Reintroduction: I'm an ecologist with The Peregrine Fund. I'm currently focused on raptors, conservation, population ecology, and management. I work with fun species like the critically endangered Ridgway's Hawk, California Condor, and African Vultures.
Reposted by Brian Rolek
Well, it's official. After our paper last year (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....), the Slender-billed Curlew is officially declared Extinct today.
Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology
Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology
October 10, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Well, it's official. After our paper last year (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....), the Slender-billed Curlew is officially declared Extinct today.
Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology
Scientists dream of describing new species, not writing their obituary and epitaph, knowing that they are gone forever #ornithology
A preview of my upcoming talk at Raptor Research Foundation. Evaluating management of Ridgway's Hawk using IPMs and PVAs. Press play and watch the Population Viability Analysis go!
October 3, 2025 at 5:21 PM
A preview of my upcoming talk at Raptor Research Foundation. Evaluating management of Ridgway's Hawk using IPMs and PVAs. Press play and watch the Population Viability Analysis go!
So many people have made personal sacrifices working every day to improve living standards for all of us. They are heroes that often go unrecognized and deserve better. I'm thinking about you all today.
Thinking about all of my US colleagues today that work for USGS, USFWS, US Parks Service, NOAA and the EPA. From front line environmental practitioners to scientists and policy makers, these folks ensure that waters are swimmable, fish are edible, that natural areas are accessible, etc, etc, etc.
October 1, 2025 at 2:21 PM
So many people have made personal sacrifices working every day to improve living standards for all of us. They are heroes that often go unrecognized and deserve better. I'm thinking about you all today.
Check out our latest where we look at long-term trends of Boreal Owl captures, juvenile captures, body condition, and cycles. Great work Justine Le Vaillant! A collab with @hawkmountain.bsky.social
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/EZU6Z...
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/EZU6Z...
Demographic trends for the Boreal Owl, Aegolius funereus, using standardized migration monitoring data in eastern North America
Many boreal species have declined during recent decades in North America. Various indexes suggest that populations of the Boreal Owl Aegolius funereus are declining across North America, but very f...
www.tandfonline.com
September 27, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Check out our latest where we look at long-term trends of Boreal Owl captures, juvenile captures, body condition, and cycles. Great work Justine Le Vaillant! A collab with @hawkmountain.bsky.social
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/EZU6Z...
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/EZU6Z...
Someone please do this with Grasshopper Sparrows. It would be pretty wild because their early successional habitat can result from fires, agriculture, or mechanical manipulation. Cool study!
Which results in these incredibly insightful visualizations showing how bird-fire relationships vary spatially in their magnitude and, sometimes, direction (see the goshawk!!). This shows us that the effect of fire in one part of a species range might be completely different in another. Wowowowow
September 5, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Someone please do this with Grasshopper Sparrows. It would be pretty wild because their early successional habitat can result from fires, agriculture, or mechanical manipulation. Cool study!
As of today, I'm officially an Elective Member of the American Ornithological Society (AOS)! 🎉🎈🎊 I always need to remind myself to stop and celebrate these things.
September 3, 2025 at 4:57 PM
As of today, I'm officially an Elective Member of the American Ornithological Society (AOS)! 🎉🎈🎊 I always need to remind myself to stop and celebrate these things.
Here's an extremely useful study for those using survival models that compares different implementations. Just my luck, guess which model I had been using for a not-yet-published study. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Comparison of Bayesian Models to Estimate Survival From Dead‐Recovery Alone and Together With Live‐Encounter Data: Challenges and Opportunities
Different models in the Bayesian framework for analyzing dead-recovery data, either alone or together with live-encounter data to estimate survival, are presented and compared. Although all but one o...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
August 8, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Here's an extremely useful study for those using survival models that compares different implementations. Just my luck, guess which model I had been using for a not-yet-published study. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Using non-centered parameterizations of the normal and multivariate normal distributions has absolutely rescued a couple of complex models for several projects. It served me well when models become intractible or take too long to run.
August 7, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Using non-centered parameterizations of the normal and multivariate normal distributions has absolutely rescued a couple of complex models for several projects. It served me well when models become intractible or take too long to run.
Reposted by Brian Rolek
Please, please, please-submit to good journals (society + reputed publishers), respect peer review, and do your reviews with integrity. So important. Thanks to all of you who do. @steve-carpenter.bsky.social @esajournals.bsky.social #Ecosystems
A new study, based on an analysis of thousands of publications and their authors and editors, shows paper mills are just part of a complex, interconnected system that includes publishers, journals, and brokers. scim.ag/3H9kwwQ
Scientific fraud has become an ‘industry,’ alarming analysis finds
Sophisticated global networks are infiltrating journals to publish fake papers
scim.ag
August 4, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Please, please, please-submit to good journals (society + reputed publishers), respect peer review, and do your reviews with integrity. So important. Thanks to all of you who do. @steve-carpenter.bsky.social @esajournals.bsky.social #Ecosystems
Latest achievement, I made my model indices spell s,c,a,t. Thats sex, captivity, age, and time. Sadly, my study has nothing to do with actual scat.
July 23, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Latest achievement, I made my model indices spell s,c,a,t. Thats sex, captivity, age, and time. Sadly, my study has nothing to do with actual scat.
Wildlifers who have traveled/lived in Costa Rica, what should i check out after a conference in October?
July 22, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Wildlifers who have traveled/lived in Costa Rica, what should i check out after a conference in October?
Reposted by Brian Rolek
re: generative AI
I have finally fully and accurately explained my problem with how it’s marketed and used.
And now, you can use it, too.
I have finally fully and accurately explained my problem with how it’s marketed and used.
And now, you can use it, too.
July 6, 2025 at 5:23 PM
re: generative AI
I have finally fully and accurately explained my problem with how it’s marketed and used.
And now, you can use it, too.
I have finally fully and accurately explained my problem with how it’s marketed and used.
And now, you can use it, too.
Reposted by Brian Rolek
New Book: State of the World's Raptors 📖 https://bit.ly/SotWR
The new book, led by Executive V.P. of Science and Conservation Dr. Christopher McClure provides an original approach to setting regional priorities for the conservation of raptors across the globe.
Chris with book 📷 Anne Dixon
The new book, led by Executive V.P. of Science and Conservation Dr. Christopher McClure provides an original approach to setting regional priorities for the conservation of raptors across the globe.
Chris with book 📷 Anne Dixon
May 30, 2025 at 5:42 PM
New Book: State of the World's Raptors 📖 https://bit.ly/SotWR
The new book, led by Executive V.P. of Science and Conservation Dr. Christopher McClure provides an original approach to setting regional priorities for the conservation of raptors across the globe.
Chris with book 📷 Anne Dixon
The new book, led by Executive V.P. of Science and Conservation Dr. Christopher McClure provides an original approach to setting regional priorities for the conservation of raptors across the globe.
Chris with book 📷 Anne Dixon
Reposted by Brian Rolek
Our Madagascar Program Director, Dr. Lily-Arison Rene de Roland, has been named the 2025 Indianapolis Prize winner! Congratulations, Lily!
Read more about Lily's accomplishments and the Indianapolis Prize at https://bit.ly/4klk1Od
📷 John Mittermeier
#RaptorResearch #birds #raptors
Read more about Lily's accomplishments and the Indianapolis Prize at https://bit.ly/4klk1Od
📷 John Mittermeier
#RaptorResearch #birds #raptors
May 13, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Our Madagascar Program Director, Dr. Lily-Arison Rene de Roland, has been named the 2025 Indianapolis Prize winner! Congratulations, Lily!
Read more about Lily's accomplishments and the Indianapolis Prize at https://bit.ly/4klk1Od
📷 John Mittermeier
#RaptorResearch #birds #raptors
Read more about Lily's accomplishments and the Indianapolis Prize at https://bit.ly/4klk1Od
📷 John Mittermeier
#RaptorResearch #birds #raptors
Reposted by Brian Rolek
Are you a US researcher who has recently moved to Canada because of the Trump disruption to science (or are you in the process of doing so)? I want to talk to you for a story in @nature.com 🧪
May 13, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Are you a US researcher who has recently moved to Canada because of the Trump disruption to science (or are you in the process of doing so)? I want to talk to you for a story in @nature.com 🧪
Post-doc position available if you're interested in "movement ecology, animal tracking, conservation and sustainability science, environmental planning, human–wildlife coexistence, project management and/or consortium-style, big-data research." www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/I/...
Post-doctoral Research Fellow - AR3119LS
Post-doctoral Research Fellow - AR3119LS,
School of Biology
Salary: £38,249 - £45,413 per annum
Start Date: As soon as possible
Fixed Term for 2 Years with a possibility to extend,
<p style="text-ali...
www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk
May 12, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Post-doc position available if you're interested in "movement ecology, animal tracking, conservation and sustainability science, environmental planning, human–wildlife coexistence, project management and/or consortium-style, big-data research." www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/I/...
Reposted by Brian Rolek
The legendary USGS Bee Lab is being shut down. The 2026 budget proposal defunds the Ecosystem Mission Area, which supported the lab. If their science helped your work, there’s still time to make your voice heard. Read below. (1/4)
🧪 #pollinators #Pollinators #USGS #Entomology #Hymenoptera 🪲🪳
🧪 #pollinators #Pollinators #USGS #Entomology #Hymenoptera 🪲🪳
USGS Bee Lab at the Eastern Ecological Science Center
The USGS Bee Lab supports research on native bees. As part of that program we and our co-located USFWS partners develop identification tools and keys for native bee species, take public access hi reso...
www.usgs.gov
May 8, 2025 at 6:20 PM
The legendary USGS Bee Lab is being shut down. The 2026 budget proposal defunds the Ecosystem Mission Area, which supported the lab. If their science helped your work, there’s still time to make your voice heard. Read below. (1/4)
🧪 #pollinators #Pollinators #USGS #Entomology #Hymenoptera 🪲🪳
🧪 #pollinators #Pollinators #USGS #Entomology #Hymenoptera 🪲🪳
Getting that new model running just before the weekend 😙🤌
May 2, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Getting that new model running just before the weekend 😙🤌
Reposted by Brian Rolek
A science communicator launched an effort to pair artists with scientists whose jobs were eliminated or whose research funding was halted by the Trump administration. The result? Powerful portraits of researchers and their work. ⚛️🧪
doi.org/10.1063/pt.f...
doi.org/10.1063/pt.f...
Portraits of dismissed scientists personalize US government cuts to science
A hurricane researcher. An invasive-insect entomologist. An e-cigarette toxicologist. A biomedical librarian. Those are some of the people included in Silenced Science Stories, a visual storytelling p...
doi.org
April 25, 2025 at 1:46 PM
A science communicator launched an effort to pair artists with scientists whose jobs were eliminated or whose research funding was halted by the Trump administration. The result? Powerful portraits of researchers and their work. ⚛️🧪
doi.org/10.1063/pt.f...
doi.org/10.1063/pt.f...
Reposted by Brian Rolek
Honoured to receive the 2024 Robert May prize !! 😊 🎉 Many thanks to the @britishecologicalsociety.org
& @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social
& @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social
Congratulations to the winner of our 2024 Robert May prize!! 🏆
Read more about Maëlis’ research on the methods blog 👉https://methodsblog.com/2025/04/17/robert-may-prize-2024-winner-announced-for-early-career-researcher-award/
Read more about Maëlis’ research on the methods blog 👉https://methodsblog.com/2025/04/17/robert-may-prize-2024-winner-announced-for-early-career-researcher-award/
April 18, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Honoured to receive the 2024 Robert May prize !! 😊 🎉 Many thanks to the @britishecologicalsociety.org
& @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social
& @methodsinecoevol.bsky.social
Reposted by Brian Rolek
Just some mating peregrines at @ucdavis.bsky.social - no big deal #Birds
April 17, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Just some mating peregrines at @ucdavis.bsky.social - no big deal #Birds
Reposted by Brian Rolek
🚨🎉 New paper "Ten quick tips to get you started with Bayesian statistics", hope you'll like it 😇🤗
✍🏽 w/ Andy Royle, Marc Kéry and Chloé Nater
🔗 dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...
@plos.org @cnrsecologie.bsky.social @cnrsoccitanieest.bsky.social @umontpellier.bsky.social
✍🏽 w/ Andy Royle, Marc Kéry and Chloé Nater
🔗 dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...
@plos.org @cnrsecologie.bsky.social @cnrsoccitanieest.bsky.social @umontpellier.bsky.social
April 11, 2025 at 4:23 AM
🚨🎉 New paper "Ten quick tips to get you started with Bayesian statistics", hope you'll like it 😇🤗
✍🏽 w/ Andy Royle, Marc Kéry and Chloé Nater
🔗 dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...
@plos.org @cnrsecologie.bsky.social @cnrsoccitanieest.bsky.social @umontpellier.bsky.social
✍🏽 w/ Andy Royle, Marc Kéry and Chloé Nater
🔗 dx.plos.org/10.1371/jour...
@plos.org @cnrsecologie.bsky.social @cnrsoccitanieest.bsky.social @umontpellier.bsky.social
Do any of my friends have access to the IBIS journal? Looking for a pdf of Mallord, J. W., K. P. Bhusal, A. B. Joshi, ... (2024). Survival rates of wild and released White-rumped Vultures (Gyps bengalensis), and their implications for conservation of vultures in Nepal. Ibis 166:971–985.
April 14, 2025 at 5:28 PM
Do any of my friends have access to the IBIS journal? Looking for a pdf of Mallord, J. W., K. P. Bhusal, A. B. Joshi, ... (2024). Survival rates of wild and released White-rumped Vultures (Gyps bengalensis), and their implications for conservation of vultures in Nepal. Ibis 166:971–985.
Reposted by Brian Rolek
Well. At least 21 of my journal articles and at least one essay in a popular book I contributed to were used to train Meta's AI. I never consented to this use.
What are our rights here? What is our recourse?
What are our rights here? What is our recourse?
Search LibGen, the Pirated-Books Database That Meta Used to Train AI
Millions of books and scientific papers are captured in the collection’s current iteration.
www.theatlantic.com
March 20, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Well. At least 21 of my journal articles and at least one essay in a popular book I contributed to were used to train Meta's AI. I never consented to this use.
What are our rights here? What is our recourse?
What are our rights here? What is our recourse?
The Peregrine Fund is looking to hire a Forest Management Specialist
March 11, 2025 at 7:14 PM
The Peregrine Fund is looking to hire a Forest Management Specialist