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Dr. Steven Whitfield

@stevenwhitfield.bsky.social
1.7K followers 429 following 130 posts

Conservation | Science | Education. Pro: environment, animals, nature, students, diversity. Anti: extinction, ignorance. He/him/él. 🐸🐢🦎

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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I recommend that the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology become the parent organization of Cornell University (rather than the other way around). It’s all birds now!
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I tried to get a Covid shot at Walgreens a few weeks ago. It let me make an appt, but when I showed up they said they didn’t have any shots around. They said they’d were waiting for this year’s vaccine to be released, and it would be until Sept or so. FWIW.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
I love this option, but am concerned in New Orleans this would just lead to recycling contaminated with garbage. If they could trial this at least, I’d be in 100%.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
“Life’s a beach and then you corrrect typos”
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Also be aware that “sperm whale” does not translate directly into Spanish (and maybe other languages) so if you translate literally on the fly YMMV with possibly hilarious results.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Why does NOLA weather have to be so violent and confused!? 110F real feel index and 3/4” hail in the same day? Any other form of sky ice right now would be so welcome.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
I’ve been in New Orleans three years this month, and am still calibrating to the natural history - particularly the timing of seasonal changes. In Miami, two seasonal events - the blooming of Liatris and arrival of Northern Parulas, indicate fall and nearly brought tears of relief.
A purple spike of Blazing Star (Liatris) in a pine rockland savannah. This fall-blooming plant indicates summer is nearly over.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
It’s hot AF right now in New Orleans. But yesterday, I saw several tiny Northern Yellow Warblers. These birds are Neotropical migrants, starting their journey south to the tropics, indicating these summer is soon over. Thanks for the news, little birds. Travel safe.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
“I enjoy reading, just not the words and prose.”
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Also, 1200 herpetologists/ichthyologists (amphibian, reptile, and fish biologists). Just to throw in the mix
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
I am excited that New Orleans is about to get real nerdy about amphibians, reptiles, and fish! Welcome everyone to the 2026 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists!! #JMIH2026
A logo for an ichthyology and herpetology conference in New Orleans in 2026. The logo is purple, yellow, and green, and features various amphibians, reptiles, and fish.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Current US national politics vibes remind me of this in several ways.
static.klipy.com
Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Bring Out Your Dead
Alt: Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Bring Out Your Dead. A skit where a medieval man walks around during the plague ringing a bell and calling out to the town “bring out your dead.” The man is filthy. His face is covered in mud. He’s about to have an argument with someone about whether they are dead or not.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
NOLA is gonna be real icthyological and herpetological this July! 🐟🐠🦈🐸🦎🐍🐢🐊
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
So he, like, ATE all the algae? Whale move.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Hard same
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Fun fact: In New Orleans, SWBNO also oversees gravity.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Conservation biologists often use innovative techniques to protect wildlife, including Travel Authorization Requests and PCard Reconciliation Reports.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
This 2-page interim report I’m working on is going to put a serious dent in the global biodiversity crisis.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Couldn’t, say, an armadillo be the Least Grebe? Lots of animals (and even plants) are less of a grebe than that.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
The Greebiest? Greebest? Most Greebish?
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Real bummer. I loved Coquette.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
They closed my block for this for a day or so, but didn’t do any actual work that day, then took the orange cones down. The only actual work I’ve seen happened the next block over. I agree these are ugly, but also hope they help us keep power.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
The Tropical Dry Forest of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Currently acting quite rainy…
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Screwworm had a major impact on endangered Key Deer when there was an outbreak about 10 years ago.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Shifting baseline occur because long-term change is typically so slow that it is invisible. But these changes (re-emergence of screwworm, measles, fascism) are happening fast - possibly fast enough for folks to notice.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Before European invasion of the Americas, the US was way wilder. Bison, Elk, Red Wolves, and Mountain Lions (what we today call Florida Panthers) were widespread in the southeast US. It’s almost impossible to imagine this part of the US so “wild” today, because of generations of change 4/n
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
With respect to habitat loss and biodiversity loss, folks today often accept as “normal” a baseline where massive change has already occurred 3/n
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
The problem of “shifting baselines” in long-term change is that what everyone grew up with, they think is normal. But lack of screwworms is not “normal” - historically they were present but government policies eliminated them (good!) 2/n
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Im thinking about this (and human diseases that are preventable by vaccines) in the context of shifting baselines. My perceived baseline (and the baseline for lots of folks) is a US with no screwworm and no measles. 1/n
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
I got a fortified roof grant on the first round (first come first served, before they switched to lottery). Estimates I got were all over the place, but I ended up paying $1500 beyond grant costs. My insurance dropped by $400/month and I got $3K back from escrow overpayment. YMMV, but huge for me.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Definitely not.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
I had no idea there were ant mimicking crab spiders. I’ve definitely seen ant mimics, but another family I guess.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
My guess below . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . One actual ant on the right. On the left is an ant mimic (spider?) biting the neck of the actual ant. The legs, abdomens, and waists are different on bugs left and right. I only see one actual head. Also maybe spider on left is missing one leg.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
I have been told this is the origin of “pasta puttanesca.” Puttanesca translates as “in the style of whores” and so the story goes puttanesca was originally whatever was sitting around to mix in with pasta, since making pasta wasn’t the draw.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Voting feels extra good when your state government is trying to take away voting power.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Book proposal incoming: “Only Sharks Matter.” 🤣
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
I’ve seen this toaster. It’s saved as a trophy behind the scenes by the team that led to this discovery.
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Reposted by Dr. Steven Whitfield
Anthony Ricciardi @ecoinvasions.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
Quantifying harm posed by invasive species to animal welfare will reveal a moral problem for so-called "compassionate conservation", which demands protection for even invasive animals. Is it compassionate to allow invasive rats, mice, cats to injure & kill wildlife? #bioinvasion #invasivespecies
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Looks like an Eastern Screech Owl. Nice sighting!
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Boots and sunscreen are both great when used properly. Especially sunscreen.
Two women wear cowboy boots at Jazz FestLegs with poorly applied sunscreen. Sunscreen should be rubbed in thoroughly to avoid blotchy white patches.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
This big storm likely drove lots of migrating birds to take a pause. There are likely cool species moving through.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Summer Tanager is a good one!
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
We’re well into migration, so all sorts of cool birds are showing up. Merlin isn’t super accurate, and mockingbirds can throw it off in particular. But mockingbirds, cardinals, house sparrows and house finches are common loud birds all over uptown. Robins are less common uptown, but are around.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
Also, the “genius” of these folks is most often not actually true intelligence or better thinking, but is tied to the abuse itself. It is their “genius” capacity to abuse others, steal credit, self-promote, gatekeep, and intimidate others around them to stay silent.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
What??? WHAT??? I had to factcheck this because it’s so neat.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
The data itself would be very useful. I’m super jealous of the way ornithology has community-sourced so much awesome global data collection.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
This is software that I’m aware of, but haven’t used very much myself. www.wildlifeacoustics.com/products/kal...
wildlifeacoustics.com
Kaleidoscope Pro Analysis Software
A versatile tool for bioacoustic sound analysis, Kaleidoscope Pro helps you quickly identify species in your wildlife audio recordings.
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
I’ve been out with birders a lot over the past few months, and frequently enjoy shifting the conversation to frog calls, reptile IDs, etc.
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Reposted by Dr. Steven Whitfield
Dan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
The NSF GRFP is now out! There are 2,599 awardees, which is the most ever—and a big shift from last year which initially halved awardees (1,000 awardees + an additional 500). I've thrown together a plot to break down the changes by field. www.research.gov/grfp/Awardee...
Plot showing GRFP awards by directorate shows a big dip last year and major increases for engineering and biology (though this only brings it back to parity with 2024).
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Dr. Steven Whitfield @stevenwhitfield.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
There are definitely researcher-level software packages for acoustic detection and species IDs. They just haven’t made it to a public-facing app AFAIK.
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