iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Blue-headed vireo from Spring 2026 - such striking #birds This one came right down to eye-level and stared at me for 0.5 seconds before disappearing back into the canopy.

0164

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

IOB This article describes a #curriculum activity, designed to leverage extraordinary traits as a flexible framework for teaching #adaptation, diversity, & integrative organismal #biology concepts while strengthening #students’ #science communication. doi.org/10.1093/iob/... A.Eden (SABER)

011

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Baby on board! Western grebe chick posing on mom's? dad's? back! #birds

0111

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Vladimir Pravosudov @cognitiveecol.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

New paper - we show that in chickadees, males with better spatial cognition sire more extra-pair young and that when a female has an EPY, it is sired by a male with better spatial cognition compared to cognition of her social mate. elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...

elifesciences.org

Male chickadees with better spatial cognition sire more extra-pair young

0154

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Emily H. DuVal @emilyhduval.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

May 23, 2006 is the hatch date of the world's most famous lance-tailed manakin. PXVm has starred in Netflix's 'Dancing with the Birds', and been highlighted for years by the Cornell Lab Manakin Cam. How do you celebrate such a momentous day? By dancing! Here he is today, with his current beta GSGm:

05418

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Spring migration is full swing here in Ontario. Bay-breasted warbler foraging after a flight over Lake Erie. #birds

060

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Many of the sparrow nests we are tracking have come from a local patch nicknamed "The Banana kingdom" which makes me smile. A modified Google map for context. #fieldwork #birdwork #sparrows

000

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Song sparrows are sneaky! Finding nests and even observing behavior has been quite the challenge this spring. #fieldwork #birds

080

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

RES Publications @respublications.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

New research by @adiethelm.bsky.social et al. in #RESEcolEnt reports on food plant–associated #predation risk & its impact on larval #development and adult #morphology in the #MonarchButterfly doi.org/10.1111/een.70094 #Danaus @sheborg.bsky.social @robwilsonmncn.bsky.social @callomac.bsky.social

153

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

A male mountain bluebird taking a Spring bath #birds

060

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Dr Karen Pinder 🇨🇦 🔬 @drkarenpinder.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Picture of the century. 😍 📷 credit: Science Tube

898306284497

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Centre for Animals on the Move at Western @animalsonthemove.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Check out this podcast! Grad student, Alex Muth, explains how #chickadees have dialects! He also gives us insight into how he studies this, why it is interesting, and his life in grad school. Go Alex! fmjzxvm.short.gy/my-link #ornithology #academia #birds

2 chickadees, one on left with beret and moustache, with musical notes coming out of bill, the one of right wearing a Hawaiian outfit and with a thought bubble with question marks coming out of head

011

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Centre for Animals on the Move at Western @animalsonthemove.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

Post-doc opportunity at the CAM! Come and join our vibrant and collegial community! @westernu.ca !

013

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Kate Laskowski @katelaskowski.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

How do we know our research results are REAL? We replicate them! Most folks agree but lament on how hard it is to publish these replications. My dearest gentle reader, lament no more! Delighted to unveil: Replication Studies, a new section of Behavioral Ecology 1/ academic.oup.com/beheco/artic...

academic.oup.com

Replication studies: a win-win for early-career training and behavioral ecology

Replicating previous research builds confidence that results are real and meaningful. But close replications are rare due to limitations in resources and d

5245129

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

A western bluebird immediately after a desert bath. #birds

050

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Black skimmer from the North Carolina coast. I think this bird was screaming into the abyss? Very relatable. #birds

0551

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Physgal ⚛️ @physgal.bsky.social · 15/09/2025

👩‍🔬🧪 #AcademicSky

043

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

UC Davis is hiring! A tenure-track assistant professor of psychology, in human cognition or cognitive neuroscience #psychjobs recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07300

recruit.ucdavis.edu

Assistant Professor of Psychology - Human Cognition or Cognitive Neuroscience

University of California, Davis is hiring. Apply now!

3163107

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Manuel Kleiner @manuelkleiner.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

I am really excited to see this article on basic experimental design principles published. Definitely will be mandatory reading for incoming graduate students in my lab. Maggie Wagner who led this article did an amazing job with the illustrations of basic principles www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.com

How thoughtful experimental design can empower biologists in the omics era - Nature Communications

Here, the authors discuss principles of experimental design that are relevant for all biology research, along with special considerations for projects using -omics approaches, highlighting common expe...

28531

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Prosanta Chakrabarty @prosanta.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

Fun news: I'm hiring a postdoc in ichthyology! Please spread the word #TeamFish, and message me if you have questions. (Job requisition id is R00107333 if LSU link below takes you elsewhere.) lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/LSU/de...

lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com

Postdoctoral Researcher

All Job Postings will close at 12:01a.m. CST (1:01a.m. EST) on the specified Closing Date (if designated). If you close the browser or exit your application prior to submitting, the application progre...

1103106

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

Therapy #birds pic for this Friday. Very productive breeding year for red crossbills in the Cascades this year. Here are a few grumpy babies.

1351

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Prof Sam Illingworth @samillingworth.com · 01/08/2025

🦜Animal loss is stalling tropical forest recovery A new study shows that when seed-dispersing animals decline, tropical forests regrow slower, cutting carbon gains by over 50%. Biodiversity loss is a climate issue. 🔗 www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1... #SciComm #Biodiversity #ClimateCrisis 🧪

pnas.org

Seed dispersal disruption limits tropical forest regrowth | PNAS

Identifying linkages between biodiversity loss and climate change is required for understanding the scope of these interconnected challenges and de...

15130

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Jacquelyn Gill @jacquelyngill.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

Are you an early-career biologist or ecologist who would benefit from an invited seminar? Would you like to come to UMaine next fall or spring to give a talk? Leave a brief comment with some info about what you do. I'm co-hosting our seminar series again, and am filling out our rosters.

52227172

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

Early morning light on this Red Crossbill. Such strange little orange/red pirates but so charismatic. #birds

0100

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Bob Wong @bbmwong.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

Please repost. For those who might have missed it, our School has three ongoing positions advertised. The work environment here at Monash is top notch: supportive, collegiate and inclusive. And Melbourne is an awesome city to live in. Deadline fast approaching. Get cracking on those applications!

01015

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

Therapy bird pic required for the last week. Here is a Lewis's Woodpecker from southwest Oregon. thanks #birds

49010

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

sicb-dce.bsky.social @sicb-dce.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

A winter flashback with Dr. Jamie M. Cornelius, researching how animals respond to unpredictable environments by employing heart rate transmitters in nomadic red crossbills (Loxia curvirostra), allowing for live physiological monitoring under field conditions! Photos by @sonnenbird.bsky.social

021

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Black tern foraging near its nest in central Oregon. #birds

0110

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 02/07/2025

Amazing summary of the work from the Pravosudov lab! #birds

0101

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Elli Leadbeater @ellileadbeater.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

Selection shapes diverse animal minds: We recorded the talks at our @royalsocietypublishing.org discussion meeting last year to share with those who couldn’t be there. Our first speaker is Stephen Montgomery (Bristol University) @ebablab.bsky.social. youtu.be/BzmRZlhTcrc?...

youtu.be

A circuit view of evolving cognition by Dr Stephen Montgomery

YouTube video by Selection shapes diverse animal minds

63710

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

The "misinformation" in question here is that gender-affirming care reduces suicides among youth. It merely reduces depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal ideation. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

The Liberal Misinformation Bubble About Youth Gender Medicine
How the left ended up disbelieving the science

By Helen Lewis

“We often ask parents, ‘Would you rather have a dead son than a live daughter?’” Johanna Olson-Kennedy of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles once explained to ABC News. Variations on the phrase crop up in innumerable media articles and public statements by influencers, activists, and LGBTQ groups. The same idea—that the choice is transition or death—appeared in the arguments made by Elizabeth Prelogar, the Biden administration’s solicitor general, before the Supreme Court last year. Tennessee’s law prohibiting the use of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to treat minors with gender dysphoria would, she said, “increase the risk of suicide.”

But there is a huge problem with this emotive formulation: It isn’t true. When Justice Samuel Alito challenged the ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio on such claims during oral arguments, Strangio made a startling admission. He conceded that there is no evidence to support the idea that medical transition reduces adolescent suicide rates.

1204603881

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

A male Cassin's finch in the southeast pine forests of Oregon. #birds

0233

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · 26/06/2025

A Review in Nature Reviews Biodiversity assesses the geographical and taxonomic distribution of Critically Endangered species, their threats, current and required conservation actions, and strategies to facilitate effective, coordinated conservation. go.nature.com/46e8JY6 🧪

This is figure 1, which shows classifying Critically Endangered species.

0123

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

PLOS Biology @plosbiology.org · 26/06/2025

Reproductive #aging is associated with declining #fertility and increasing #inflammation. @spangas.bsky.social &co explore a @plosbiology.org study that uses cutting-edge tech to characterize the role of multinucleated giant cells in #ovarian aging 🧪 Paper: plos.io/3T84WE0 Primer: plos.io/3HXKN1b

In ovaries collected from mice and nonhuman primates (NHPs), MNGC penetrance increases with reproductive age (left panel). Transcriptomic profiling of MNGCs reveals the top gene categories as degradation, energy production, and immune processes (right panel top left section). Further, MNGCs are closely associated with T-cells (right panel top right section). Additional transcriptomic analysis segregates MNGCs from macrophages and stromal cells. While stromal cells serve as controls and do not overlap with macrophages or MNGCs, macrophages and MNGCs share expression of macrophage marker F4/80. However, the authors identify Gpnmb as a unique, putative marker of ovarian MNGCs (right panel bottom section). Created in BioRender

1101

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Marco A. Maximo Prado @maximoprado.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

reposting this job as part of the MIND platform. Work with my colleague @neuroak.bsky.social and our large group in this new @braincanada.bsky.social funded platform at @westernu.ca @schulichmeddent.bsky.social with a 15.2T MRI and lightsheet microscopy 🧪 in 🐭

032

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

🧪 Attention those with terminated grants, including for NSF, NASA, EPA, NIH, etc: Let Congress know about the impact of terminations via this form: democrats-science.house.gov/grantcancela... Only Dem staff on the House Science Committee will have access (unless if you explicitly state otherwise).

How many trainees were supported by your award?
Enter your answer
14.What was the reason given for your grant’s cancelation?
Enter your answer
15.Is there anything else you would like to share with the Committee?
Enter your answer
16.Are you comfortable with the Committee publicly sharing the information you provided?
If you select “ask me first,” please be sure you have provided an email address or phone number.

Yes

No

Ask me first

1154197

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Western tanager this weekend on the Integrative biology student camping trip to southeast Oregon! Gorgeous #birds.

0375

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

Dr. David Miller 🏳️‍🌈 @davidimiller.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

🚨 Action alert: Two days left!! Help protect NSF/NIH from political interference. 👎 A new rule (Sched. F) would allow for replacing career program officers with political appointees. ➡️ Action: Object here by THIS FRIDAY. Comments can be brief and/or anonymous. Helps future litigation.

federalregister.gov

Improving Performance, Accountability and Responsiveness in the Civil Service

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing a rule to increase career employee accountability. Agency supervisors report great difficulty removing employees for poor performance or misconduc...

5120117

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

O the places that fieldwork can take you. A large group of crossbills were visiting a private driveway for grit and salt (notice the licks here). Despite the color, this is a male (golden/orange) type 2 crossbill. #birds #fieldwork

0343

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

A gorgeous male red crossbill - a Type 5 from Wyoming for you #birds nerds

0322

Ben Sonnenberg (he/him) @sonnenbird.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

New study from long term reproductive chickadee data! Honored to be a part of the project!

010

Reposted by Ben Sonnenberg (he/him)

NPR @npr.org · 08/03/2025

More than 99,000 people were watching live on the Friends of Big Bear Valley Youtube livestream as the chick worked through the hatching process. via @laist.com

laist.com

Jackie and Shadow's third eaglet hatches into Big Bear's famous feathered family

More than 99,000 people were watching live on the Friends of Big Bear Valley Youtube livestream as the chick worked through the hatching process.

493019299