Tash Gillies
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tashgillies.bsky.social
Tash Gillies
@tashgillies.bsky.social
Seabirdy behavioural ecologist currently working on foraging behaviour in polar seabirds and its relation to resource acquisition. Managing Editor @marineorno.bsky.social

(she/her)

https://www.natashagillies.co.uk
Pinned
Out this week: a short review co-authored with @katrina-siddiqi.bsky.social on same-sex partnerships in birds! 🐦🌈 Borne out of a shared frustration: why are these partnerships often ignored or actively removed from our datasets? 1/n

doi.org/10.1002/jav....
Same‐sex partnerships in birds: a review of the current literature and a call for more data
Same-sex sexual behaviour (SSB), encompassing actions such as courtship, pair bonding, and parenting between individuals of the same sex, has been observed across numerous taxa, including birds. Yet ...
doi.org
Reposted by Tash Gillies
🚨 PhD alert 🚨 We are looking for a highly motivated student to use 🧬 genomics 🧬 and 🛰️ bio-logging 🛰️ approaches to disentangle cultural and genetic contributions to seabird migration 🐣 Think this is you, or someone you know? Then come to our Q&A session at on 29/09 and check out the ad below!
September 16, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
⏰ DEADLINE APPROACHING

Nominate now for a BOU #ornithology award 🪶

Deadline: Mon 15 Sept

🥇 Godman Salvin Prize
🥇 Alfred Newton Lecture
🥇 Janet Kear Union Medal
🥇 Early Professional Award

bou.org.uk/about-the...
September 10, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
Do you use geolocators to estimate foraging time, behaviour, or energetics in diving seabirds? See our new paper for insights from a study of Common Guillemots.

doi.org/10.61350/sbj...

@theseabirdgroup.bsky.social
August 11, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
NEW PAPER: Same-sex partnerships in birds: a review of the current literature and a call for more data.

➡️ vist.ly/3n99bk6

#ornithology #birds #same-sexbehaviour #review #partnershipshref="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:hegstn3ytohj2itc65ujj63a" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky-mention">ips <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:hegstn3ytohj2itc65ujj63a" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky-mention">@tashgillies.bsky.soc<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:mrn7apalemi74zfpvwak6lrw" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky-mention">ial <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:mrn7apalemi74zfpvwak6lrw" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky-mention">@katrina-siddiqi.bsky.social

Illustration: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ukgm5wuiaqf7guxw555p5fuq" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky-mention">@bertillemohring.bsky.social
July 13, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
🗓️ SAVE THE DATE!

Announcing our 2027 spring conference

#BOU2027 | 6 - 8 April 2027 | Nottingham, UK & Zoom & Bluesky

Avian disease ecology: combining avian ecology and OneHealth to understand and mitigate disease

bou.org.uk/event/avi...

#ornithology 🪶
June 11, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Out this week: a short review co-authored with @katrina-siddiqi.bsky.social on same-sex partnerships in birds! 🐦🌈 Borne out of a shared frustration: why are these partnerships often ignored or actively removed from our datasets? 1/n

doi.org/10.1002/jav....
Same‐sex partnerships in birds: a review of the current literature and a call for more data
Same-sex sexual behaviour (SSB), encompassing actions such as courtship, pair bonding, and parenting between individuals of the same sex, has been observed across numerous taxa, including birds. Yet ...
doi.org
May 23, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
Our review paper about same sex partnerships in birds is out today🏳️‍🌈🐦:

nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

It has been so fun working with @tashgillies.bsky.social and I can't wait to do more projects together

Yay to the gay birds!!!

Illustration : @bertillemohring.bsky.social
May 20, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
UPDATE: We have data on >1000 terminated #NSF grants at grant-watch.us. Thanks to all who have been contributing data the past few days.

We've also added a "Reports" section with some analyses. For NSF, we see that the STEM education directorate has been absolutely pummeled.
April 30, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
new preprint: ecoevorxiv.org/repository/view/9055

Code used in research is key to the methods and scientific output and we should ensure it’s not just "available" but easy to verify and build on.

We present a practical tool to code review for scientists 🧪

work with @animalecol-nioo.bsky.social
Code review in practice: A checklist for computational reproducibility and collaborative research in ecology and evolution
ecoevorxiv.org
April 25, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
Our volunteers recently found some retro rubbish during their beach cleans. It's a stark reminder that litter takes a long time to break down! Do you remember any of these?

If you're interested in getting involved with a beach clean, find one happening near you on our site: mcsuk.org/beachcleans
February 11, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
In the new Configurations, a deep dive into the the distribution, life history, and phylogeny of a new deep-sea “species,” Plasticus sacculi — a common ocean plastic bag

Read free in Configurations through 9 August

ow.ly/U1Mn50SIh1e
July 24, 2024 at 12:00 PM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
Got some artistic skills? Enter our Seabird Pride t-shirt competition! 🕊️🏳️‍🌈🎽 Details below ⬇️ #SeabirdPride2025
February 12, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
Looking for #PhD in behavioural and applied ecology? Our project will determine the importance individual level variation in #seabird #foraging for assessing the impact of wind farms @jon-seabirds.bsky.social @jaycee161.bsky.social @liverpooluni.bsky.social

www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
February 8, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
🧵 (1/5) 👀So what is open science?? Open data science refers to the tools and practices enabling reproducible, transparent, and inclusive practices for data intensive science!

Still not sure what we mean? We’ve got you! Examples below🫡
January 28, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
New paper in @currentbiology.bsky.social on seabird wind use and foraging decisions!

doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...

We estimated wind selectivity in Manx shearwaters and explored how birds handle the trade-off between being wind efficient and targeting known foraging areas

@sosbangor.bsky.social
January 15, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
@nature.com is keen to find out how scientists are using @bsky.app and whether it has become their go-to social-media platform. Do you use Bluesky? Has it replaced Xitter? We want to hear from you.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

#eXit
Has Bluesky replaced X for scientists? Take Nature’s poll
The research community has flocked to the social-media platform Bluesky. Tell us about your experience.
www.nature.com
January 15, 2025 at 4:17 AM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
📢 APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN...

...for the BOU Summer Placement Scheme

Financially supporting undergraduate students to carry out summer #ornithology research placements

Application deadline: 31 March

Guidelines & application form: bou.org.uk/funding/s...

🪶 #ukbirds
January 13, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
Unsurprisingly I am very much in agreement with this article. I've put a lot of effort in recently to prevent the undermining of field-based teaching, including pointing out the invisible subsidy that field-based teaching (& research) provide other teaching & research

www.cell.com/trends/ecolo...
Extinction of experience among ecologists
Fieldwork-based research and education in ecology are under multiple threats and are progressively declining. We call for greater attention to this ongoing loss of direct field experience within the e...
www.cell.com
January 13, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
PhD position available! Are you interested in how natural selection shapes the evolution of animal memory? Be part of our experimental evolution plans at UCL @ucl-pnl.bsky.social @treesdla.bsky.social , co-supervised by Flo Camus @fcamus.bsky.social. www.trees-dla.ac.uk/projects/evo...
Evolutionary ecology of animal memory | UCL Trees
This project seeks to explore how memory evolves in response to the ecological tasks that animals face in their natural environment. Associative memory exists in some form in almost all animal species...
www.trees-dla.ac.uk
December 9, 2024 at 5:46 PM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
"Gulls are intelligent, vital birds that deserve our protection, not scorn"
www.salon.com/2024/10/20/g...
Why gulls don't deserve the hate
There’s a lot we get wrong about our least favorite seabirds
www.salon.com
December 16, 2024 at 1:51 AM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
3-year Postdoc Position

Join our team @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social and investigate the dynamics of seasonal songbird migration using biologging technologies
See details here: bit.ly/3ZojW38

Please get in touch if interested & share with anyone else who might be!
December 9, 2024 at 12:30 PM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
We are hiring a Field Assistant for 2025.

🌊Are you starting your career as a seabird biologist?
🏀Excited at the prospect of remote work on UK islands?
🌧️❄️Happy to work outside in unusual 'summer' weather conditions?

For more info on applying: drive.google.com/file/d/1byRm...
December 11, 2024 at 2:12 PM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
the first starter pack is already full so here is pack no. 2 with even more wonderful ethologists! as before, let me know if you would like to be included and also feel free to nominate others! 🌍🧪😊 go.bsky.app/JS5YC4s
I made a starter pack for animal behaviour researchers / ethologists! please share and feel free to self-nominate or suggest others to be added as this is very much still a work in progress and not an exhaustive list 🌍🧪😊 #SciSky #BioSky #AnimalBehaviour #AnimalBehavior #Ethology
go.bsky.app/Tr8VZpV
November 19, 2024 at 10:18 AM
Reposted by Tash Gillies
!PhD opportunity! We are recruiting a student to use biotelemetry and modelling to understand bycatch in Europe's most endangered seabird, the Balearic shearwater. If you are interested come to our online Q&A session on 12th Dec. See advert below!
December 4, 2024 at 9:59 AM