Maja Mielke
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maja-mielke.bsky.social
Maja Mielke
@maja-mielke.bsky.social
Researcher, nature artist, & science writer with a focus on birds.

University of Antwerp 🇧🇪

I write 'Beaks & Bones,' a newsletter on bird science.
https://beaksandbones.substack.com

Contact: https://maja.mielke.ws/contact/

🇩🇪 in 🇧🇪

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Pinned
Researchers around the world discover fascinating things about #birds every day, but most of their findings remain unnoticed in the community of #bird enthusiasts. 🪶

You don't want to miss out on what they discover? Then my bird #science newsletter might be just for you.

beaksandbones.substack.com
Bach for the birds! 🎵 🪶
These birds have the same taste in music as I do. 😍
Read more about Java sparrows' love for classical music in my latest blog post for 'Beaks & Bones':

beaksandbones.substack.com/p/classical-...

#birds #science 🧪 #scicomm #biology #Bach #classicalmusic #music
These birds have a strong opinion about classical music
Java sparrows prefer music by Bach or Vivaldi over compositions by Schoenberg or Carter.
beaksandbones.substack.com
November 27, 2025 at 10:44 AM
A Spotted owlet for #BirdWhisperer. Ballpoint pen and colored pencil in #Moleskine notebook. 🪶

#SciArt #Birdart #sketchbook #naturejournal
November 26, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Reposted by Maja Mielke
Calling all bird loving artists! This month's bird is the Spotted Owlet. 🤎 Draw! Paint! Sculpt! We hope you'll join us. Posting day is Nov 26th.

Rules and Full Size Ref. Photo here: birdwhispererproject.com/participate/

#birds #BirdWhisperer #art #owl
November 4, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Chopin or Muse? Researchers tested the reactions of zoo birds to classical and rock music. With surprising results! 🧪🪶

Read more in my latest newsletter here:
beaksandbones.substack.com/p/chirping-w...

#scicomm #birds #beaksandbones #biology #science #ornithology
Chirping with Chopin
Birds react differently to classical and rock music.
beaksandbones.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:54 AM
October 31, 2025 at 6:00 AM
October 30, 2025 at 5:35 AM
October 29, 2025 at 6:28 AM
October 29, 2025 at 6:19 AM
October 28, 2025 at 6:51 AM
An 'Anna's eighty-eight' butterfly for #Inktober day 27: "onion".

The pattern on the wings reminds me of the pattern of a sliced onion.

#Inktober2025 #Inktober27 #InktoberOnion #InktoberDay27 #sciart
October 27, 2025 at 5:13 AM
A Gray mouse lemur for #Inktober day 26: "puzzling".

This lemur is a 'cryptic species', which is a species that is morphologically indistinguishable from other species of the same group, although they are genetically distinct.

#Inktober2025 #Inktober26 #InktoberPuzzling #InktoberDay26 #sciart
October 26, 2025 at 5:13 AM
A fire chaser beetle for #Inktober day 25: "inferno".

These beetles lay their eggs in freshly burnt wood. They can detect a fire from dozens of miles away via infrared receptors on their thorax.

#Inktober2025 #Inktober25 #InktoberInferno #InktoberDay25 #sciart
October 25, 2025 at 4:15 AM
October 24, 2025 at 4:11 AM
October 23, 2025 at 3:39 AM
I made this #illustration of a vampire finch for my most recent 'Beaks & Bones' newsletter:
beaksandbones.substack.com/p/vampire-fi...

#sciart #birdart
October 22, 2025 at 11:09 AM
It's #Halloween season! Time to introduce you to the #vampire finch. 🪶
Read more in my latest newsletter here:
beaksandbones.substack.com/p/vampire-fi...

#BeaksAndBones #scicomm #birds #birdsofmastodon #ornithology #science
The blood-drinking vampire finch
Vampire finches from the Galápagos Islands drink the blood of other birds to survive the dry season.
beaksandbones.substack.com
October 22, 2025 at 11:05 AM
October 22, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Reposted by Maja Mielke
Open Letter by scientists to the Council:
"Climate Neutrality Is Europe’s Greatest Economic Opportunity”.
Ahead of the European Council meeting on 23.10.2025,
2,178 scientists urge EU Heads of States & Governments to take ambitious decisions for the 2040 targets.
zenodo.org/records/1739...
October 20, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Reposted by Maja Mielke
#kakapo breeding starts with the feeding. For the last month we've been putting out food on Whenua Hou to get the adults into breeding condition. We need the males fat enough to boom and the females heavy enough to produce eggs (although not too hefty or their chicks will all be males). #parrots
October 21, 2025 at 7:20 AM
This is for #Inktober day 21: "blast".

By the way, #whales don't expel water from their blowholes. What we see is the condensating warm air from their lungs.

#Inktober2025 #Inktober21 #inktoberday21 #InktoberBlast
October 21, 2025 at 4:17 AM
October 20, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Reposted by Maja Mielke
Thick-knee's population is down to 20 pairs in Hungary! I took the opportunity to check a flock of 35 birds on Friday. I could test a travelling brushset by the Spanish Escoda company. They were fantastic! Thank you for the gift: 'Úristen! Festek!" (My God! I'm painting!) (muveszellato-bolt.hu)!
October 19, 2025 at 8:56 AM
October 19, 2025 at 5:10 AM
An African buffalo with an oxpecker for #Inktober day 18: "deal".

#Inktober2025 #Inktober18 #InktoberDeal #InktoberDay18
October 18, 2025 at 5:19 AM
Reposted by Maja Mielke
My rook drawing, done in micron pen.
#inktober #micron #birdart #birds
October 16, 2025 at 7:48 AM