Sign in

Benjamin Freeman

@benjaminfreeman.bsky.social
1.5K followers 545 following 347 posts

Biologist. Mountain Bird Lab PI. Climate change. Species interactions. Asst Prof @GeorgiaTech. #RapYourAbstract #MountainBirdNetwork

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Anita Devineni @anitadevineni.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The Emory Biology department is hiring a tenure-track ecologist at any rank. Deadline is Nov 1, link below! As I've said many times before, I couldn't ask for a more supportive department. Our faculty colleagues, dept chair, and admin staff are truly awesome ❤️ apply.interfolio.com/191783
2115140
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
João Menezes @jocateme.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Our new paper on bird vocal amplitude is out in @sse-evolution.bsky.social ! Across 123 species, we found two new contenders for world’s loudest bird: bare-throated bellbird and seriema Along with the white bellbird, both can reach jackhammer-level amplitudes! doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpag153
49949
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Devi Satarkar @devisatarkar.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Heavier great tit nestlings 🐥 usually end up as heavier adults 🐦. Is this always a strong correlation? Our new preprint shows that the strength of this 'silver-spoon' association shifts continuously with environmental context, and is stronger in harsh conditions! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
14-day old great tit (Parus major) nestling in hand. Bird handled under appropriate BTO licence. Adult great tit (Parus major) in hand. Bird handled under appropriate BTO licence.
25021
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Ainsley S @americanbeetles.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
pls note the bats have been carefully depicted HANGING FROM THEIR LITTLE BRANCHES on this radial phylogeny (bats drawn by Fiona Reid, whose portfolio is here --> fionareid.ca)
section of the central bat phylogeny figure from this new bat phylogeny paper; the representative bat from each family is hanging from the taxon label by its little toesies
2298109
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Thomas MacGillavry @thomasmacgillavry.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
When a female doesn’t show up, a camera will have to do (yes, he also mounted it)
46512
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Alexander Lees @alexanderlees.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Our new paper led by Leo Miranda in @science.org - Comparing #Amazon protection strategies reveals that avoiding deforestation is most cost-effective for carbon storage, while avoiding forest disturbance yields the highest benefits for #biodiversity 🌎🪶🌴🧪 www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
Protecting tropical forests is more cost-effective for biodiversity and climate than restoration
Halting deforestation and promoting restoration are at the core of strategies to confront the biodiversity and climate crises in tropical forests. Avoiding forest disturbances is also critically important but has received far less attention, and there is ...
07837
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
The Institute for Bird Populations @instbirdpop.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Did you ask for a bird fact? No, but you're getting one whether you like it or not. 🪶
Photo by Frank D. Lospalluto of two Brown Creepers snuggled under an eave with their head tucked into the seam between 2 wood panels and their  back feathers fluffed up. Text on the graphic says "Unsolicited Bird Fact: During the fall and winter Brown Creepers like to cuddle. They are often observed snuggled together in small groups at sheltered roost sites, presumably to stay warm. Once young are fledged, parents roost separately. But young birds will sometimes roost together in larger groups. In Michigan, a group of about 6 young creepers were observed roosting in a tight circle with their beaks pointed towards the center.
05314
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Alexander Lees @alexanderlees.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Our new paper led by @ollie333.bsky.social highlights poor performance of global bird classifier models (Perch and Birdnet) for Amazonian species identification, but shows they can be used as data-derived acoustic indices capturing species richness #Ornithology 🌎🧪🪶📊 doi.org/10.1016/j.ec...
Maximum F1 score mapped onto an avian phylogeny for 122 species with at least 10 manual annotations, at window (A) and site (B) scale. Inner and outer rings show BirdNET and Perch scores respectively, coloured by maximum F1 across all confidence thresholds. Phylogenetic structuring of performance increased from window to site scale.
12810
Benjamin Freeman @benjaminfreeman.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
the relative longitudinal consistency is fascinating
051
Benjamin Freeman @benjaminfreeman.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
#ZeugmaAlert the very rare three noun zeugma I love it
000
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Such an impressive compilation of data from tracked birds across (most of) the global range and diversity of Whimbrel in this new collaborative paper in Ibis: look at the map - so many major transoceanic movements onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
28025
Benjamin Freeman @benjaminfreeman.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
“I was hoping they were going to make it here,” said Tereza Jezkova, an associate professor of biology at Miami University in Ohio. “Simply because I like armadillos.” superb quote www.nytimes.com/2026/09/14/u...
nytimes.com
An Armadillo Arrives in … Ohio?
Traditionally found in warm climates, like the American Southwest, armadillos have been migrating farther and farther north, researchers say.
020
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Ed Yong is offline @edyong209.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Briefly popping my head back in to unveil the cover of my upcoming book, LIFE BEYOND MEASURE: Nature's Hidden Wonders at Every Scale. It’ll be out on April 6 in the U.S. and April 29 in the U.K. and you can pre-order it right now! www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/757705... 1/
A book cover featuring a beautiful closely cropped portrait of an Anna's hummingbird. The cover says LIFE BEYOND MEASURE: Nature's Hidden Wonders at Every Scale, by Ed Yong. The image also says US: 4/06/27 and UK: 4/29/27
261612357
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Dr. Davey F. Wright ⛏️🦕🧬 @daveyfwright.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Did a brachiopod write this? 😅
17111
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Martin A. Nuñez @martin-nunez.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
No scientist is equally strong at ideas, experiments, statistics, figures, and writing. Identify what you do well, improve weaknesses that matter, and collaborate where others contribute complementary strengths.🧪🗺️
dentify what you do well, improve weaknesses that matter, and collaborate where others contribute complementary strengths.
0143
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Nathan Senner @drgodwit.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Thrilled that the @newyorker.com highlights the cool science, but big conservation issues facing extreme migratory shorebirds in this week's issue! www.newyorker.com/magazine/202... Teaser: Might shorebirds use 'torpor' while migrating? Teaser #2: Where did the title 'guts don't fly' come from?
newyorker.com
The Incredible Journey of a Migratory Shorebird
Godwits make the longest non-stop migration in the bird world. That might be the least of the shorebirds’ marvels. Can they survive a changing planet?
1105
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Adam Siepielski @adamsiepielski.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Arkansas is hiring a TT Assistant Professor Position in Ecology. We have a wonderful group of colleagues. Join us! Apply here: tinyurl.com/yxk5marb
Photograph of the University of Arkansas in Fall.
14032
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Peter Santema @petersantema.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Moreover, we found that breeding site fidelity decreased strongly with latitude within the Arctic tundra, whereas there was no latitudinal pattern within other biomes. 5/n
192
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Peter Santema @petersantema.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
New #ornithology paper out in @ecography.bsky.social! The tendency of birds to return to the same breeding area in different years varies wildly among species. We show that breeding site fidelity is much lower in #shorebirds nesting in the #Arctic tundra than in those nesting in other habitats. 1/n
Map showing the geographic locations of shorebird populations included in the study, alongside four Arctic-breeding shorebird species with low breeding-site fidelity: Red Phalarope, Long-billed Dowitcher, White-rumped Sandpiper, and Pectoral Sandpiper.
17230
Benjamin Freeman @benjaminfreeman.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
cool job alert broad call that includes coastal bird populations + migrations I visited Dauphin Island Sea Lab last year and it's a sweet spot with good folks & located right on a bird migration hotspot www.disl.edu/about/employ...
disl.edu
Faculty Position, Marine Science
Posted: September 4, 2026 The Dauphin Island Sea Lab invites applications for an open-rank faculty position in Marine Science. We seek a faculty member to join and strengthen our growing community of ...
033
Benjamin Freeman @benjaminfreeman.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
whoa!!! this is a MAJOR paper
02011
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Peter Santema @petersantema.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Very chuffed that our dotterel study made the front cover of Proceedings B! 🎉 Thread below: 👇
24613
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Peter Santema @petersantema.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
New #ornithology paper out in @royalsocietypublishing.org! We show that female dotterels can move across large distances within a single breeding season in search of mating opportunities, visiting up to five different sites (median: 3) and travelling up to 1000 km between sites (median: 71 km). 1/n
314451
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Martin A. Nuñez @martin-nunez.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Very excited to see our new paper in @Nature! Conifers introduced to the Southern Hemisphere grew up to 4× faster than in their native ranges and were also more resistant and resilient to drought. I’m honored to have been part of this fantastic international team.
pines grow faster in the southern hemisphere
68429
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
MBARI @mbarinews.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Precise giants: New research reveals how blue whales find food in a vast ocean 🐋 MBARI biological oceanographer John Ryan shares how a team of researchers used bio-logging tags and satellite data to learn how blue whales find dense swarms of krill. Learn more: www.mbari.org/news/precise...
mbari.org
Precise giants: New research reveals how blue whales find food in a vast ocean • MBARI
MBARI biological oceanographer John Ryan shares how a team of researchers used bio-logging tags and satellite data to learn how blue whales find dense swarms of krill.
0289
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
David López-Idiáquez @davididiaquez.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
New preprint out in @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social with @devisatarkar.bsky.social and @sheldonbirds.bsky.social in which we analyse the effects of this summer's unprecedented and severe #heatwave on tit reproduction and mass. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
biorxiv.org
12915
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Hengxing Zou @hengxingzou.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
You might have seen the paper @science.org last week on the solar panels decreasing bird biodiversity. Our reanalysis, led by the talented Yangkang Chen, found fundamental, retraction-worthy flaws in their results, especially from the citizen science data and their models… (1/6)
14524
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Dr. Marta Jarzyna @majarzyna.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
It's always fun to peruse recent work published in Frontiers of Biogeography, @biogeography.bsky.social flagship journal. Check out this new database of crayfish species occurrence. And as always, consider publishing with us!
0115
Benjamin Freeman @benjaminfreeman.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
this is phenomenal
030
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Ethan Linck @elinck.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
this strikes me as the worst place on the internet to have this conversation, but I'm dying to read smart perspectives on principled use and disclosure of AI / LLM chatbots for scientific programming
172
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
The Institute for Bird Populations @instbirdpop.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Did you ask for a bird fact? No, but you're getting one whether you like it or not. 🪶
Photo of a Gray-Crowned Rosy-Finch perched on a rock in a snow flurry by Daniel Arndt. Text on graphic says: Unsolicited Bird Fact-You've probably heard that humans that spend weeks at high altitude start producing more red blood cells to help them adapt to the lower O2 levels in the air there. Scientists were interested in how Rosy-Finches are adapted to the high
altitude of their mountainous breeding habitat. In 1990, DT
Clemmons compared
Gray-Crowned Rosy-Finch
blood to House Finch blood (relatives that breed at lower altitude) and found that Rosy-Finch blood did not have more red blood cells, instead their hemoglobin had a higher affinity for Oz. In 2016, scientists found that human hemoglobin ALSO changes to be better at grabbing oxygen. (This is in addition to making more red blood cells.)
29225
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Phil Manlick @pmanlick.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Predator-prey dynamics in action! Check the time stamps...moose followed closely by wolves, who come back with a prize a few hours later. 🐺 🫎 👀 #Alaska #KAMStudy
072
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Rob Denton @rddenton.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
[JOB!] I'm hiring for a really exciting postdoc position. A combination of breeding experiments, conservation genomics, and student mentorship. Room/board at the @amnh.org Southwestern Research Station each summer, 40 months of support, new science building at BSU. Share broadly! ad: bit.ly/4hKaUIL
A human hand holds a medium sized green frog with distinct gray spots and yellow eyes. This is a Chiricahua Leopard Frog, a threatened species native to the southwest US and Mexico.
16079
Benjamin Freeman @benjaminfreeman.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
another mangrove birds with a long ass beak!
030
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Jeremy Cohen @drjerbs.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Doing a bioacoustics project somewhere in the eastern US? For a large-scale study exploring how bird communities react to disturbance across regions/habitats, we are looking for daytime recordings at consistent sites over 2+ years, during the same season(s) each year. Please get in touch!
016
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Germán Orizaola @gorizaola.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
It is from two years ago (I have just discovered it), but is a wonderful interview of Rosemary and Peter Grant by Jonathan Weiner for @nautil.us nautil.us/back-to-the-...
nautil.us
Back to the Galapagos - Nautilus
A visit with evolutionary biologists Peter and Rosemary Grant.
082
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Mats Ittonen @matsittonen.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
New paper! Insects commonly time dormancy based on daylength, and responses to daylength have evolved in range-expanding populations facing novel daylength calendars. But how crucial is this for expanding species tracking climate niches? Maybe less than you’d think. (1/6) doi.org/10.1098/rspb...
doi.org
Fitness effects of local seasonal adaptation depend on the timing of reproduction in a range-expanding butterfly
Abstract. Local seasonal adaptation across latitudes is ubiquitous, but its fitness consequences are rarely estimated in the field. Using a common-garden f
175
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Brian Phillips @brianphillips.lol · 19/08/2026
I wrote about the most urgent danger now threatening the United States of America
theringer.com
Why the Most Urgent Threat to America Is Actually a Bee
The giant, coordinated movement against them is not enough. Just ask these extremely credible experts.
34396142
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Georgia Tech College of Sciences @gtsciences.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
#Congrats 🎉 Assistant Professor Saumya Jain received a grant from the Whitehall Foundation to support research examining how genes influence the brain’s wiring and how these neural connections shape behavior.
sciences.gatech.edu
Jain Awarded Whitehall Foundation Grant
Assistant Professor Saumya Jain received a grant to support research on how genes shape neural connectivity and behavior.
011
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
The International Biogeography Society @biogeography.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Carlos Daniel Cadena will be August's Funk Biogeography Seminar speaker! Join us to hear about the origin and fate of megadiversity: how did today's biogeographical patterns originate? How and why has it changed over time? Learn more here: www.biogeography.org/news/news/au...
This is a flyer advertising the monthly Funk Biogeography Seminar series hosted by The International Biogeography Society. The society logo is at the top of the flyer in natural colors, followed by various images of Earth's fauna and flora, such as dolphins and sunflowers. The text advertises the seminar content: the title is "The origin and fate of megadiversity: A look from the northern Andes." The speaker is Dr. Carlos Daniel Cadena from Universidad de los Andes, and the seminar will take place on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 1:00PM UTC. Additional information and registration can be found at www.biogeography.org.
01611
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Emilie Ellis @e-ellis1.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
🦋 I’m recruiting a fully funded PhD student at the University of Helsinki: understanding how butterflies respond to climate change across Europe. Apply by 30 Sept: Full details: jobs.helsinki.fi/job-invite/5... Please share! #ecology #job #phd
jobs.helsinki.fi
Doctoral Researcher (PhD student) in Butterfly Ecology and Climate Change across Europe
Doctoral Researcher (PhD student) in Butterfly Ecology and Climate Change across Europe
07479
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Daniel Karp @dskarp.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
I am recruiting a PhD student next year! If you want to work on conservation in working landscapes, consider applying. If interested, please fill out this Google Form in lieu of an email inquiry (forms.gle/1pMESJ5ME8uK...). Check out our website to learn more about us: karp.ucdavis.edu
03435
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Christopher Witt @msbbirds.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
New Mexico rare birds never cease to amaze — South Polar Skua at 7000 feet elevation, eating trout 🤯 ebird.org/checklist/S3...
ebird.org
4265
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Kevin Bennett @kevinfpbennett.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Now with issue number etc. And we got the cover!
The cover of the journal Evolution, with a photo of a gray warbler with a reddish-brown cap and yellow belly standing in some shallow water.
1297
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Trevor A. Branch @trevorabranch.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Baleen whales today display gigantism compared to the fossil record: seven species are bigger than anything in the past AND none are shorter than 6 m (which were very common in the past). Me: killer whales appeared 2.5-3.5 mya... Figure (Slater et al.): royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article...
1145
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Jonas Lembrechts @jlembrechts.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Mountain tops are big, rocky canaries in the coalmine. And these canaries are showing clear signs of warming! Our new paper, just out in NEE, shows widespread thermophilisation across Europe's summits, yet with little link with local climate. Why? I explain here --> the3dlab.org/2026/08/14/b...
the3dlab.org
Big, rocky canaries in the coalmine
Mountain tops are big, rocky canaries in the coalmine that is our planet. Up there, above the last trees, change happens in real time and out in the open: plants, rock and climate, negotiating dire…
062
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Steve Ormerod @steveormerod.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Conserving the world's specialist riverine birds: our new review on the global threats and conservation options for this group. Led by #AnkitaSinha and @nilanjan.bsky.social - who took these stunning photographs. Free to air at: wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
0388
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Jeremy Cohen @drjerbs.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
🚨🚨🚨 NOW OUT at @globalchangebio.bsky.social! "Continental‐Scale Biodiversity Predictions Are Influenced by Climatic Variability and Extreme Weather" – collab with @diegoellissoto.bsky.social and others from Yale BGC! 🧪🌐🪶 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
27516
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Carli Roush @phagephan.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Thrilled to share my first paper out of grad school. We sequenced dental wastewater (yes, the stuff collected during teeth cleaning) and found previously unknown bacteriophages harbored in the human mouth. #phagesky #microsky 🧵 journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
journals.asm.org
Dental wastewater reveals a hidden reservoir of oral bacteriophage diversity | Microbiology Spectrum
The human oral cavity contains a diverse microbial community, but the bacteriophages (phages) that infect many oral bacteria remain poorly characterized. This gap limits our understanding of how phage...
25718