Simon Butler
@simon-butler.bsky.social
Professor of Applied Ecology | University of East Anglia | Bird ecology & conservation | Soundscapes | Acoustic ecology
Reposted by Simon Butler
Reposted by Simon Butler
Our latest research shows that people who perceive local nature as rich and varied reported better wellbeing and less psychological distress, regardless of how many trees were actually there. Blog summary and link to full paper: findingnature.org.uk/2025/10/24/g...
October 24, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Our latest research shows that people who perceive local nature as rich and varied reported better wellbeing and less psychological distress, regardless of how many trees were actually there. Blog summary and link to full paper: findingnature.org.uk/2025/10/24/g...
Reposted by Simon Butler
🚨Fully-funded PhD opportunity in my group🚨
🧬How does parental ageing shape the next generation?🐾
Find out by studying meerkats!
🧪Epigenetic clocks
✨Bioinformatics
📊Long-term data
🌍Kalahari fieldwork
💡Big evolutionary questions
Get in touch or APPLY NOW
Please share!
www.uea.ac.uk/course/phd-d...
🧬How does parental ageing shape the next generation?🐾
Find out by studying meerkats!
🧪Epigenetic clocks
✨Bioinformatics
📊Long-term data
🌍Kalahari fieldwork
💡Big evolutionary questions
Get in touch or APPLY NOW
Please share!
www.uea.ac.uk/course/phd-d...
October 17, 2025 at 9:12 AM
🚨Fully-funded PhD opportunity in my group🚨
🧬How does parental ageing shape the next generation?🐾
Find out by studying meerkats!
🧪Epigenetic clocks
✨Bioinformatics
📊Long-term data
🌍Kalahari fieldwork
💡Big evolutionary questions
Get in touch or APPLY NOW
Please share!
www.uea.ac.uk/course/phd-d...
🧬How does parental ageing shape the next generation?🐾
Find out by studying meerkats!
🧪Epigenetic clocks
✨Bioinformatics
📊Long-term data
🌍Kalahari fieldwork
💡Big evolutionary questions
Get in touch or APPLY NOW
Please share!
www.uea.ac.uk/course/phd-d...
Reposted by Simon Butler
Interested in a PhD in ornithology? Funding available for projects at the interface of ecology, behaviour & evolution from Oct '26 working on long-term population studies of tits at Wytham, based in @biology.ox.ac.uk in the new Life & Mind Building in Oxford
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
October 20, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Interested in a PhD in ornithology? Funding available for projects at the interface of ecology, behaviour & evolution from Oct '26 working on long-term population studies of tits at Wytham, based in @biology.ox.ac.uk in the new Life & Mind Building in Oxford
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Reposted by Simon Butler
Please RT!
🚨 4-year PhD position in my lab (Oct 2026 start) 🚨
Molecular and genomic insights to sexually antagonistic genes
Application deadline: Dec 2, 2025
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/mol...
🚨 4-year PhD position in my lab (Oct 2026 start) 🚨
Molecular and genomic insights to sexually antagonistic genes
Application deadline: Dec 2, 2025
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/mol...
Molecular and genomic insights to sexually antagonistic genes (GRIESHOP_U26DTP) | Doctoral Training Partnership
Why do harmful genes persist in populations instead of being removed by natural selection? One answer lies in sexual antagonism: when a genetic variant benefits males but harms females, or vice versa.
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk
October 16, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Please RT!
🚨 4-year PhD position in my lab (Oct 2026 start) 🚨
Molecular and genomic insights to sexually antagonistic genes
Application deadline: Dec 2, 2025
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/mol...
🚨 4-year PhD position in my lab (Oct 2026 start) 🚨
Molecular and genomic insights to sexually antagonistic genes
Application deadline: Dec 2, 2025
biodtp.norwichresearchpark.ac.uk/projects/mol...
Reposted by Simon Butler
Genetic load, fitness and conservation in the Seychelles warbler.
A wonderful PhD opportunity - spanning important evolutionary and conservation-relevant concepts. Come work with us
lnkd.in/dtGaEJV2
A wonderful PhD opportunity - spanning important evolutionary and conservation-relevant concepts. Come work with us
lnkd.in/dtGaEJV2
October 14, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Genetic load, fitness and conservation in the Seychelles warbler.
A wonderful PhD opportunity - spanning important evolutionary and conservation-relevant concepts. Come work with us
lnkd.in/dtGaEJV2
A wonderful PhD opportunity - spanning important evolutionary and conservation-relevant concepts. Come work with us
lnkd.in/dtGaEJV2
And we’re delighted to have you join us! Here’s to four years exploring sex ratios and synchrony @biouea.bsky.social @ueaceec.bsky.social @jengill.bsky.social @catmorrison.bsky.social @btorobrob.bsky.social
Excited to have officially started my PhD at UEA! I’ve put together a blog about my PhD application process. I hope it offers some insight for anyone about to start their own journey. Especially for mothers who are juggling it all ✨ Thanks to @stemuntapped
stemuntapped.org/rejection-do...
stemuntapped.org/rejection-do...
Rejection Does Not Define your worth: lessons from my PhD journey - STEM Untapped
Pursuing a PhD is not just an academic endeavour—it is a test of resilience, determination, and self-belief. My journey to securing a fully funded PhD scholarship in the UK was anything but smooth. It...
stemuntapped.org
October 15, 2025 at 9:38 AM
And we’re delighted to have you join us! Here’s to four years exploring sex ratios and synchrony @biouea.bsky.social @ueaceec.bsky.social @jengill.bsky.social @catmorrison.bsky.social @btorobrob.bsky.social
Reposted by Simon Butler
Excited to have officially started my PhD at UEA! I’ve put together a blog about my PhD application process. I hope it offers some insight for anyone about to start their own journey. Especially for mothers who are juggling it all ✨ Thanks to @stemuntapped
stemuntapped.org/rejection-do...
stemuntapped.org/rejection-do...
Rejection Does Not Define your worth: lessons from my PhD journey - STEM Untapped
Pursuing a PhD is not just an academic endeavour—it is a test of resilience, determination, and self-belief. My journey to securing a fully funded PhD scholarship in the UK was anything but smooth. It...
stemuntapped.org
October 15, 2025 at 6:33 AM
Excited to have officially started my PhD at UEA! I’ve put together a blog about my PhD application process. I hope it offers some insight for anyone about to start their own journey. Especially for mothers who are juggling it all ✨ Thanks to @stemuntapped
stemuntapped.org/rejection-do...
stemuntapped.org/rejection-do...
Reposted by Simon Butler
Reposted by Simon Butler
JOB ALERT: We have an exciting Senior Research Assistant post available for a project tracking predators and prey simultaneously starting early 2026. We need someone with experience tagging adult raptors or wader chicks. This you? app.vacancy-filler.co.uk/salescrm/Car...
October 8, 2025 at 4:36 PM
JOB ALERT: We have an exciting Senior Research Assistant post available for a project tracking predators and prey simultaneously starting early 2026. We need someone with experience tagging adult raptors or wader chicks. This you? app.vacancy-filler.co.uk/salescrm/Car...
Reposted by Simon Butler
“If you've ever felt calmer after a walk in the park or a stroll through the woods, it's not your imagination - it's biology.”
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Wild about nature: Four health benefits of the outdoors
Spending just 20 minutes in nature can lower blood pressure, heart rate and stress levels.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 10, 2025 at 5:52 AM
“If you've ever felt calmer after a walk in the park or a stroll through the woods, it's not your imagination - it's biology.”
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Simon Butler
University of Gothenburg announces a strategic professorship in biodiversity with an interdisciplinary profile
academicpositions.com/ad/universit...
academicpositions.com/ad/universit...
The Crown Princess Victoria Professorship in Biodiversity - Academic Positions
Seeking an internationally recognized scientist for a prestigious professorship in biodiversity. Lead groundbreaking research, interdisciplinary collaboratio...
academicpositions.com
October 1, 2025 at 5:33 PM
University of Gothenburg announces a strategic professorship in biodiversity with an interdisciplinary profile
academicpositions.com/ad/universit...
academicpositions.com/ad/universit...
Reposted by Simon Butler
📢🚨Please share! We’re hiring! 📢🚨Have a strong interests in wildlife ecology and gut microbiome bioinformatics? 3 year Senior Research Associate for NERC Pushing the Frontiers grant. Apply here: vacancies.uea.ac.uk/vacancies/18.... Informal enquiries welcome! drgldavidson.github.io/ACMEresearch
September 30, 2025 at 10:20 AM
📢🚨Please share! We’re hiring! 📢🚨Have a strong interests in wildlife ecology and gut microbiome bioinformatics? 3 year Senior Research Associate for NERC Pushing the Frontiers grant. Apply here: vacancies.uea.ac.uk/vacancies/18.... Informal enquiries welcome! drgldavidson.github.io/ACMEresearch
Reposted by Simon Butler
We are seeking an ornithologist/modeller for a 2-year POST-DOC in Turin. Using archaeological remains, we will reconstruct past avian communities to understand the impacts of climate change and human pressure on birds through time. For details see cutt.ly/irN76QDZ PLEASE RT. #ornithology #AviArch
September 29, 2025 at 7:20 AM
We are seeking an ornithologist/modeller for a 2-year POST-DOC in Turin. Using archaeological remains, we will reconstruct past avian communities to understand the impacts of climate change and human pressure on birds through time. For details see cutt.ly/irN76QDZ PLEASE RT. #ornithology #AviArch
Reposted by Simon Butler
Wild bird numbers continue to fall in UK with some species in ‘dramatic freefall’
Wild bird numbers continue to fall in UK with some species in ‘dramatic freefall’
Species index fell by 4% between 2019 and 2024 – although government data shows woodland populations beginning to stabilise
Wild bird species face an accelerating decline in the UK, new figures show, with some species heading for local extinction.
Bird numbers have plummeted since the 1970s, and new government data shows that trend continuing; between 2019 and 2024 the species index declined in the UK by 4% and England by 7%. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
September 23, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Wild bird numbers continue to fall in UK with some species in ‘dramatic freefall’
Reposted by Simon Butler
Latest government stats show a continued decline in many bird species across the UK 🪶🧪
www.gov.uk/government/s...
These data are made possible by the dedication of expert volunteers, allowing us to track common bird populations for >50 years
www.gov.uk/government/s...
These data are made possible by the dedication of expert volunteers, allowing us to track common bird populations for >50 years
Wild bird populations in the UK and England, 1970 to 2024
www.gov.uk
September 23, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Latest government stats show a continued decline in many bird species across the UK 🪶🧪
www.gov.uk/government/s...
These data are made possible by the dedication of expert volunteers, allowing us to track common bird populations for >50 years
www.gov.uk/government/s...
These data are made possible by the dedication of expert volunteers, allowing us to track common bird populations for >50 years
Reposted by Simon Butler
North American bird declines are driven by reductions in common species | www.science.org/doi/... | Science Advances | #ornithology 🪶
September 22, 2025 at 4:30 PM
North American bird declines are driven by reductions in common species | www.science.org/doi/... | Science Advances | #ornithology 🪶
Reposted by Simon Butler
🎤Excited to be presenting at the britishecologicalsociety.org Annual Meeting #BES2025! My talk: Birdsong as a Cultural Ecosystem Service: Understanding the pathways linking acoustic indices to human well-being 🐦🌿
#EnvironmentaPsychology @konraduebel.bsky.social @simon-butler.bsky.social
#EnvironmentaPsychology @konraduebel.bsky.social @simon-butler.bsky.social
September 19, 2025 at 3:16 PM
🎤Excited to be presenting at the britishecologicalsociety.org Annual Meeting #BES2025! My talk: Birdsong as a Cultural Ecosystem Service: Understanding the pathways linking acoustic indices to human well-being 🐦🌿
#EnvironmentaPsychology @konraduebel.bsky.social @simon-butler.bsky.social
#EnvironmentaPsychology @konraduebel.bsky.social @simon-butler.bsky.social
Great to chat #shiftingsoundscapes with @bengarrod.bsky.social as part of his “Symphonies of the Wild” series for BBC Radio 3’s The Essay.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
The Essay - Symphony of the Wild - 4. Wild Soundscapes - BBC Sounds
Evolutionary biologist Ben Garrod uncovers melodies and rhythms across the natural world.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 19, 2025 at 6:19 AM
Great to chat #shiftingsoundscapes with @bengarrod.bsky.social as part of his “Symphonies of the Wild” series for BBC Radio 3’s The Essay.
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Reposted by Simon Butler
Fully funded PhD with me, @uniexecec.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social working on insectivorous bird declines - hopefully esp. House martin www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
September 18, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Fully funded PhD with me, @uniexecec.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social working on insectivorous bird declines - hopefully esp. House martin www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Reposted by Simon Butler
Come work with us… PDRA position to work on a host of exciting things! jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Get in touch if you want to know more
Get in touch if you want to know more
September 15, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Come work with us… PDRA position to work on a host of exciting things! jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Get in touch if you want to know more
Get in touch if you want to know more
Reposted by Simon Butler
🌿🔊 New research find natural soundscapes—especially those rich in bird song—boost mental well-being.
But how? 🧠✨
We found that these soundscapes work first through perceptions of bird diversity, and then building (awe) & restoring (stress reduction, restorativeness) capacity pathways.
But how? 🧠✨
We found that these soundscapes work first through perceptions of bird diversity, and then building (awe) & restoring (stress reduction, restorativeness) capacity pathways.
New @eprg-surrey.bsky.social article by @konraduebel.bsky.social, Eleanor Ratcliffe & @melissamarselle.bsky.social finds natural soundscapes indirectly influence mental well-being via perceived biodiversity and restoring and building capacity mediators www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Natural soundscapes are associated with mental well-being via capacity-building and capacity-restoring pathways
Soundscapes from natural areas are an important cultural ecosystem service that can promote greater mental health and well-being. However, the mediati…
www.sciencedirect.com
September 1, 2025 at 11:13 AM
🌿🔊 New research find natural soundscapes—especially those rich in bird song—boost mental well-being.
But how? 🧠✨
We found that these soundscapes work first through perceptions of bird diversity, and then building (awe) & restoring (stress reduction, restorativeness) capacity pathways.
But how? 🧠✨
We found that these soundscapes work first through perceptions of bird diversity, and then building (awe) & restoring (stress reduction, restorativeness) capacity pathways.
Reposted by Simon Butler
Nice story of a 'European' Roller - equipped with a satellite tag over winter in South Africa, tracked up the east coast of Africa and across the Gulfs of Adan and Oman, to breed in north-west China - where it was eventually found by local ornithologists www.birdlife.org/news/2025/08...
Finding Rory the Roller
A European Roller’s extraordinary journey from South Africa to China demonstrates the power of birds and migration to connect us, along with teaching us about their needs along the world’s Global Flyw...
www.birdlife.org
August 28, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Nice story of a 'European' Roller - equipped with a satellite tag over winter in South Africa, tracked up the east coast of Africa and across the Gulfs of Adan and Oman, to breed in north-west China - where it was eventually found by local ornithologists www.birdlife.org/news/2025/08...
Reposted by Simon Butler
The European Roller isn’t just a European migrant. One tagged bird reached China – far beyond expected routes. With each flight tracked, its true journey is unfolding.
🔗 theornithologist.org/from-kruger-...
#BirdMigration #EuropeanRoller #Ornithology #SatelliteTracking #TheOrnithologist
🔗 theornithologist.org/from-kruger-...
#BirdMigration #EuropeanRoller #Ornithology #SatelliteTracking #TheOrnithologist
From Kruger to Xinjiang: Tracking the European Roller’s Epic Journey
The European Roller has long been seen as a European migrant, but satellite tracking tells a more intricate tale. One tagged bird ended up in China, far from expected paths. With each flight logged, t...
theornithologist.org
August 6, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Reposted by Simon Butler
This is a huge mistake. My experience on NERC panels is that resubmissions score higher and are more likely to be funded: the review process improves good proposals that should not be lost (along with the time spent on them).
Really disappointing new policy from NERC banning resubmissions of grant applications
Many of us, including me, have won grants on resubmission,
using the reviews to improve the application
This is is neither fair nor productive
www.ukri.org/councils/ner...
Many of us, including me, have won grants on resubmission,
using the reviews to improve the application
This is is neither fair nor productive
www.ukri.org/councils/ner...
NERC policy on resubmissions
This policy only applies to research grant applications.
www.ukri.org
July 18, 2025 at 8:23 AM
This is a huge mistake. My experience on NERC panels is that resubmissions score higher and are more likely to be funded: the review process improves good proposals that should not be lost (along with the time spent on them).