Damien Farine
@damienfarine.bsky.social
Analyst of collective movement and social networks of living dinosaurs. Discoverer of multilevel societies. Watcher of fishers and dolphins. Modeller of emergent phenomena. Eccellenza Prof @ Uni Zurich and A/Prof @ Australian National Uni. ERC grantee
Machine learning and AI tools will change how we do ecological research. But, there are major barriers to getting high-performing models.
In our latest paper, we argue a need to re-think model performance by integrating it into a hypothesis testing pipeline:
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
In our latest paper, we argue a need to re-think model performance by integrating it into a hypothesis testing pipeline:
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
November 17, 2025 at 2:49 AM
Machine learning and AI tools will change how we do ecological research. But, there are major barriers to getting high-performing models.
In our latest paper, we argue a need to re-think model performance by integrating it into a hypothesis testing pipeline:
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
In our latest paper, we argue a need to re-think model performance by integrating it into a hypothesis testing pipeline:
authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...
Back in Kerala to work on our Nat Geo project 🤩
November 11, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Back in Kerala to work on our Nat Geo project 🤩
Three's a crowd, so what's four choughs?
November 4, 2025 at 5:59 AM
Three's a crowd, so what's four choughs?
This crested pigeon clearly thinks that the bronzewings have gotten too much of the attention.
November 3, 2025 at 9:23 AM
This crested pigeon clearly thinks that the bronzewings have gotten too much of the attention.
Someone is taking advantage of me taking too long to fix the roof.
November 2, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Someone is taking advantage of me taking too long to fix the roof.
They find neat results. Fishers are more synchronised the longer they spend in the water, the closer they are, and the more cooperative they are (with each other). Yet, heart rate synchrony doesn't translate to fishing success (when dolphins cue)—probably because they have to cast asynchronously. 6/
October 29, 2025 at 4:25 AM
They find neat results. Fishers are more synchronised the longer they spend in the water, the closer they are, and the more cooperative they are (with each other). Yet, heart rate synchrony doesn't translate to fishing success (when dolphins cue)—probably because they have to cast asynchronously. 6/
They then conducted a cross-wavelet power analysis of heart rate variability, which reveals patterns of heart rate synchrony over time and across frequencies. This captures whether synchrony is in phase or anti-phase. 5/
October 29, 2025 at 4:25 AM
They then conducted a cross-wavelet power analysis of heart rate variability, which reveals patterns of heart rate synchrony over time and across frequencies. This captures whether synchrony is in phase or anti-phase. 5/
In the second paper, @hanjabrrr.bsky.social and João Valle-Perreira fitted heart rate + GPS sensors to fishers while they fished together with dolphins. This provided simultaneous data on position and heart rate across the line of fishers.
4/
4/
October 29, 2025 at 4:25 AM
In the second paper, @hanjabrrr.bsky.social and João Valle-Perreira fitted heart rate + GPS sensors to fishers while they fished together with dolphins. This provided simultaneous data on position and heart rate across the line of fishers.
4/
4/
Using step-selection analysis, she showed a decrease in selection for roads during the lockdown. This pattern corresponded to kites' resource selection patterns during years of high natural food availability (many rodents).
Paper: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
3/
Paper: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
3/
October 29, 2025 at 4:25 AM
Using step-selection analysis, she showed a decrease in selection for roads during the lockdown. This pattern corresponded to kites' resource selection patterns during years of high natural food availability (many rodents).
Paper: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
3/
Paper: royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
3/
In the first paper, Benedetta Catitti used data from GPS-tracked red kites between 2017 and 2023 to examine the impacts of reduced road traffic on their foraging behaviour. The large drop in traffic corresponded to substantially less roadkill (and thus less kite food). 2/
October 29, 2025 at 4:25 AM
In the first paper, Benedetta Catitti used data from GPS-tracked red kites between 2017 and 2023 to examine the impacts of reduced road traffic on their foraging behaviour. The large drop in traffic corresponded to substantially less roadkill (and thus less kite food). 2/
It's a fairly constant parade of bronzewings visiting our bird bath, and you can see where they got their name from!
October 28, 2025 at 10:58 AM
It's a fairly constant parade of bronzewings visiting our bird bath, and you can see where they got their name from!
When your study species comes to you.
October 27, 2025 at 10:05 PM
When your study species comes to you.
This silly boi loves our bird bath. It sits there for ages while his mate just looks on disapprovingly..
October 10, 2025 at 4:34 AM
This silly boi loves our bird bath. It sits there for ages while his mate just looks on disapprovingly..
Walking to the office is just... different here.
October 8, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Walking to the office is just... different here.
Very pleased to see our study that formally quantifies the society of zebra finches. They have different types of relationships, and these form tiers, but they do not form a multilevel society.
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
This was a very nice collaboration with great colleagues.
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
This was a very nice collaboration with great colleagues.
October 8, 2025 at 7:19 AM
Very pleased to see our study that formally quantifies the society of zebra finches. They have different types of relationships, and these form tiers, but they do not form a multilevel society.
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
This was a very nice collaboration with great colleagues.
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
This was a very nice collaboration with great colleagues.
What drives emergent leader-follower dynamics in animal groups?
We integrate the process of movement initiations into the marginal value theorem, and discover that the identities of leaders can change over time.
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
We integrate the process of movement initiations into the marginal value theorem, and discover that the identities of leaders can change over time.
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
September 22, 2025 at 12:47 AM
What drives emergent leader-follower dynamics in animal groups?
We integrate the process of movement initiations into the marginal value theorem, and discover that the identities of leaders can change over time.
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
We integrate the process of movement initiations into the marginal value theorem, and discover that the identities of leaders can change over time.
nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
When the team is out collecting guineafowl faecal samples and everyone wants to join in.
@c-christensen.bsky.social
@c-christensen.bsky.social
August 3, 2025 at 7:21 AM
When the team is out collecting guineafowl faecal samples and everyone wants to join in.
@c-christensen.bsky.social
@c-christensen.bsky.social
Today marks the end of my #ERC starting grant. I've been very fortunate to spend the last 5.5 years working with an amazing team. It's been a journey with challenges, but also amazing discoveries about individuals, collectives, and surviving droughts (many yet to be published). Thanks to all!
July 1, 2025 at 5:07 AM
Today marks the end of my #ERC starting grant. I've been very fortunate to spend the last 5.5 years working with an amazing team. It's been a journey with challenges, but also amazing discoveries about individuals, collectives, and surviving droughts (many yet to be published). Thanks to all!
Congratulations Mina Ogino on a successful and brilliant PhD defense!
June 18, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Congratulations Mina Ogino on a successful and brilliant PhD defense!
And will miss the close company offered by the locals
May 31, 2025 at 10:57 PM
And will miss the close company offered by the locals
End of another amazing field work season in Laguna, Brazil.
May 31, 2025 at 10:56 PM
End of another amazing field work season in Laguna, Brazil.
On the cover of @royalsocietypublishing.org Proceedings B:
We show that moving as a group constrains energy efficiency in wild vulturine guineafowl making large displacements (relative to individuals moving alone). A cost of collective movement!
shorturl.at/nKhI0
@jamesklarevas.bsky.social
We show that moving as a group constrains energy efficiency in wild vulturine guineafowl making large displacements (relative to individuals moving alone). A cost of collective movement!
shorturl.at/nKhI0
@jamesklarevas.bsky.social
February 19, 2025 at 2:23 PM
On the cover of @royalsocietypublishing.org Proceedings B:
We show that moving as a group constrains energy efficiency in wild vulturine guineafowl making large displacements (relative to individuals moving alone). A cost of collective movement!
shorturl.at/nKhI0
@jamesklarevas.bsky.social
We show that moving as a group constrains energy efficiency in wild vulturine guineafowl making large displacements (relative to individuals moving alone). A cost of collective movement!
shorturl.at/nKhI0
@jamesklarevas.bsky.social
Finally a very simple pipeline to translate drone-based images into geo-referenced animal tracks:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Complete with examples tracking 🐬s using moving drones with changing camera angles.
I had tried this in the past... it took cleverer collaborators than me to succeed!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Complete with examples tracking 🐬s using moving drones with changing camera angles.
I had tried this in the past... it took cleverer collaborators than me to succeed!
February 10, 2025 at 1:39 AM
Finally a very simple pipeline to translate drone-based images into geo-referenced animal tracks:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Complete with examples tracking 🐬s using moving drones with changing camera angles.
I had tried this in the past... it took cleverer collaborators than me to succeed!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Complete with examples tracking 🐬s using moving drones with changing camera angles.
I had tried this in the past... it took cleverer collaborators than me to succeed!
Here's an interesting observation. Female vulturine guineafowl lose dominance interactions with other females after successful breeding but in turn are aggressed much less by males.
Successful reproduction changes the social position of females in the group: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Successful reproduction changes the social position of females in the group: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
February 1, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Here's an interesting observation. Female vulturine guineafowl lose dominance interactions with other females after successful breeding but in turn are aggressed much less by males.
Successful reproduction changes the social position of females in the group: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Successful reproduction changes the social position of females in the group: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Cooperative breeding in a plural breeder: the vulturine guineafowl.
Very nice to see this out in @ibisjournal.bsky.social!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
In this paper, we also discuss why cooperative breeding may have been under-detected in species like the vulturine guineafowl.
Very nice to see this out in @ibisjournal.bsky.social!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
In this paper, we also discuss why cooperative breeding may have been under-detected in species like the vulturine guineafowl.
January 29, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Cooperative breeding in a plural breeder: the vulturine guineafowl.
Very nice to see this out in @ibisjournal.bsky.social!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
In this paper, we also discuss why cooperative breeding may have been under-detected in species like the vulturine guineafowl.
Very nice to see this out in @ibisjournal.bsky.social!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
In this paper, we also discuss why cooperative breeding may have been under-detected in species like the vulturine guineafowl.