Maja Mielke
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maja-mielke.bsky.social
Maja Mielke
@maja-mielke.bsky.social
530 followers 330 following 170 posts
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 🇧🇪

she/her
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maja-mielke.bsky.social
Maja Mielke @maja-mielke.bsky.social · Mar 14
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
Pencil drawing of a bird skull in side view. Below the skull the text "Beaks & Bones", drawn in bold letters.
maja-mielke.bsky.social
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
maja-mielke.bsky.social
A Spotted owlet for #BirdWhisperer. Ballpoint pen and colored pencil in #Moleskine notebook. 🪶

#SciArt #Birdart #sketchbook #naturejournal
Photo of the drawing of a Spotted owlet on the page of a ruled A6 Moleskine notebook. Next to the drawing the text "SPOTTED OWLET Athene brama" and the signature of the artist.
November 26, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Reposted by Maja Mielke
birdwhisperers.bsky.social
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
The spotted owlet (Athene brama) is a small owl which breeds in tropical Asia from North Pakistan to Southeast Asia. The upperparts are grey-brown, heavily spotted with white. The underparts are white, streaked with brown. The facial disc is pale and the iris is yellow. There is a white neckband and supercilium. Sexes are similar. (from Wikipedia) Our reference photo has the owl perched in a tree, where two branches diverge. Body is in side profile, breast facing our left, and their head is turned to face us. In the background are more large tree limbs
November 4, 2025 at 4:17 PM
maja-mielke.bsky.social
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
maja-mielke.bsky.social
This is for #Inktober day 31: "award".

#Inktober2025 #Inktober31 #Inktoberday31 #InktoberAward #SciArt 🪶
Pen and ink drawing of a puffin with maaany fish in its beak.
October 31, 2025 at 6:00 AM
maja-mielke.bsky.social
This is for #Inktober day 30: "vacant".

#Inktober2025 #Inktober30 #Inktoberday30 #InktoberVacant #SciArt
pen and ink drawing of a hermit crab next to a big empty snail shell.
October 30, 2025 at 5:35 AM
maja-mielke.bsky.social
A Turkey vulture for #BirdWhisperer! 🪶

#Moleskine #Sketchbook #NatureJournal #SciArt
Drawing (in ballpoint pen and colored pencil) of a Turkey vulture in a ruled moleskine notebook.
October 29, 2025 at 6:28 AM
maja-mielke.bsky.social
This is for #Inktober day 29: "lesson".

#Inktober2025 #Inktober29 #Inktoberday29 #InktoberLesson #SciArt
Pen and ink drawing of a baby bear, sitting on the back of an adult bear, trying to climb a tree.
October 29, 2025 at 6:19 AM
maja-mielke.bsky.social
This is for #Inktober day 28: "skeletal".

#Inktober2025 #Inktober28 #Inktoberday28 #InktoberSkeletal #SciArt
Pen and ink drawing of an animal skull.
October 28, 2025 at 6:51 AM
maja-mielke.bsky.social
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
Pen and ink drawing of an Anna's eighty-eight butterfly.
October 27, 2025 at 5:13 AM
maja-mielke.bsky.social
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
A pen and ink drawing if a gray mouse lemur.
October 26, 2025 at 5:13 AM
maja-mielke.bsky.social
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
Pen and ink drawing of a fire chaser beetle.
October 25, 2025 at 4:15 AM
maja-mielke.bsky.social
This is for #Inktober day 24: "rowdy".

#Inktober2025 #Inktober24 #Inktoberday24 #InktoberRowdy #SciArt
Pen and ink drawing of two fighting cranes.
October 24, 2025 at 4:11 AM
maja-mielke.bsky.social
This is for #Inktober day 23: "firefly".

#Inktober2025 #Inktober23 #Inktoberday23 #InktoberFirefly #SciArt
Pen and ink drawing of a firefly.
October 23, 2025 at 3:39 AM
maja-mielke.bsky.social
I made this #illustration of a vampire finch for my most recent 'Beaks & Bones' newsletter:
beaksandbones.substack.com/p/vampire-fi...

#sciart #birdart
Drawing (in ballpoint pen and colored pencils) of the head of a vampire finch with a blood-stained beak.
October 22, 2025 at 11:09 AM
maja-mielke.bsky.social
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
maja-mielke.bsky.social
A button nose for #Inktober day 22: "button". 😊

#Inktober2025 #Inktober22 #InktoberButton #InktoberDay22 #SciArt
Pen and ink drawing of a cute dog with a button nose.
October 22, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Reposted by Maja Mielke
guypeer.bsky.social
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
digs.bsky.social
#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
maja-mielke.bsky.social
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
Pen and ink drawing of an exhaling whale.
October 21, 2025 at 4:17 AM
maja-mielke.bsky.social
This is for #Inktober day 20: "rivals".

#Inktober2025 #Inktober20 #Inktoberday20 #InktoberRivals
A pen and ink drawing of fighting goats.
October 20, 2025 at 4:10 AM
Reposted by Maja Mielke
artkokay.bsky.social
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
maja-mielke.bsky.social
A white fox for #Inktober day 19: "arctic".

#Inktober2025 #Inktober19 #InktoberArctic #InktoberDay19
Pen and ink drawing of an arctic fox in the snow.
October 19, 2025 at 5:10 AM
maja-mielke.bsky.social
An African buffalo with an oxpecker for #Inktober day 18: "deal".

#Inktober2025 #Inktober18 #InktoberDeal #InktoberDay18
A pen and ink drawing of the head of an African buffalo with an oxpecker sitting on its face.
October 18, 2025 at 5:19 AM
Reposted by Maja Mielke
liztaysum.bsky.social
My rook drawing, done in micron pen.
#inktober #micron #birdart #birds
A drawing of a rook done in black micron pen.
October 16, 2025 at 7:48 AM