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Centre for Research on Ecology, Cognition and Behaviour of Birds @ecobird.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

A huge thank you to Simeon Marin (Green Balkans; greenbalkans.org/en/) for being a fantastic host and guide throughout this inspiring trip. #VultureConservation #WildlifeReintroduction

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Centre for Research on Ecology, Cognition and Behaviour of Birds @ecobird.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

We also visited several field sites to observe vultures in the wild, including two successful cinereous vulture nests, and were lucky to witness the opening of the local “vulture restaurant”. Over 60 griffon vultures, 10 cinereous vultures, a white-tailed eagle, and even a few golden jackals.

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Centre for Research on Ecology, Cognition and Behaviour of Birds @ecobird.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Just last week, one of the cinereous vultures born at Planckendael this spring was transferred to Bulgaria as part of the ongoing reintroduction programme. We visited the acclimatisation aviary to check in on our feathered friend — doing great and getting ready for release next spring.

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Centre for Research on Ecology, Cognition and Behaviour of Birds @ecobird.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Waiting at Sofia Airport for my flight back to Brussels after an amazing trip to Bulgaria 🇧🇬. The visit was part of our new vulture conservation project with KMDA/ZOO Planckendael, and also connected to the documentary by Lode Desmet (and produced by ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS) on our ECoBird research.

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Centre for Research on Ecology, Cognition and Behaviour of Birds @ecobird.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

🚨 Calling researchers, students, technicians in cognition 🚨 We’re running a 10-min anonymous survey on how animal cognition is defined and studied across disciplines (from ecology, ethology, psychology, neurology, etc). 🧠✨ Scan the QR code & share widely #AnimalCognition #ResearchSurvey #Science

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Centre for Research on Ecology, Cognition and Behaviour of Birds @ecobird.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

🚨New Paper Out!🚨 We found that juvenile herring gulls in groups were less neophobic (quicker to eat & spent more time near novel objects) than individuals tested alone🤝 🎉 Read the preregistered report, led by Sophia Knoch & Reinoud Allaert, here: doi.org/10.1098/rsos...

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Centre for Research on Ecology, Cognition and Behaviour of Birds @ecobird.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Another chapter in their young life (and in our pilot): the quails have arrived at their new home, where they have a bit more space to explore and run around 🐥. Soon they will be joined by some waxbills and silverbills (as part of another pilot study).

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Centre for Research on Ecology, Cognition and Behaviour of Birds @ecobird.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Big news: the quails for our new pilot study have hatched! 🐣At just two days old, they’re already mastering the art of social bonding—because nothing brings young tiny quails together like the cozy warmth of an electric hen.

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Centre for Research on Ecology, Cognition and Behaviour of Birds @ecobird.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

New preprint from the lab: To Peck or Not To Peck: The influence of early-life social environment on response inhibition and impulsive aggression in Japanese quails. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Centre for Research on Ecology, Cognition and Behaviour of Birds @ecobird.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Another great year at the NVG Annual Meeting! MSc student Tine Uytterschaut presented her work on released rehabilitated gulls 👏 Frederick presented the 📢recent pre-print📢(osf.io/hzxus) led by Sophia Knoch & Reinoud Allaert on neophobia across social contexts in juvenile gulls 🐤

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