Which land-types allow mixed-species bird flocks to move outside of forests, how do flocks change as the distance to the forest increases, and how do leaders modulate movements? New article out in Movement Ecology -- doi.org/10.1186/s40462-026-0…

New article on the future of online conferencing combines chronology of environmental science conferences and a survey of conference managers, with the hope to bolster in-person conferencing with the accessibility and outreach of online elements. sciencedirect.com/science/ar…

Excited to share new student work! That of Sihao Chen from XJTLU on Barn Swallow nest success in Suzhou academic.oup.com/condor/adva…, and that of Wenzhang Dai of Nanjing University on how heavy metals influence bird escape behavior link.springer.com/article/10…

Excited that the Association for Tropical Biology will be held in Xishuangbanna, China next year (June 28-July 3, 2026)! A wonderful place to visit and the conference will have lots to offer. The call for sessions (including symposia) is at: atbc2026.org/call-symposia-o….

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/… Huge new @GEB_macro paper looking at acoustic monitoring efforts around the world. The who, what, where, when, and how of passive acoustic monitoring. With >100 authors! "Worldwide soundscapes: a synthesis of passive acoustic monitoring across realms"

Enjoyed moderating a webinar on mixed-species animal groups with my friend Gabriel Colorado and three great speakers: Giselle Mangini, Matthew Hansen and Meredith Palmer. Now up at Youtube at: youtube.com/watch?v=pTPta332…

Determinants of the probability of presence of urban barn swallows differ across scales: link.springer.com/article/10…

Our latest #study explores the utility of acoustic indices in measuring biodiversity using data from 114 sites in #Cyprus, #China, and #Australia. Specifically, we evaluated the combined effectiveness of 60 acoustic #indices in measuring bird species richness using #machine #learning techniques. Key findings: • The effectiveness of acoustic indices varies widely by region (e.g., R²: Cyprus = 0.06, China = 0.31, Australia = 0.52). • No single index was consistently effective across all regions, and only three indices worked in more than one region. • While useful for broader biodiversity surveys, acoustic indices may not yet provide the accuracy needed to monitor bird species richness effectively. Read more about our findings here: doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.20… @imperial_pigeon @GoodaleEben

Great to have old friend Dan Liang visit XJTLU and talk about his postdoc work on overharvesting in Asia. Great, too, to hear of his plans in the future to continue the project, and communicate directly with fishermen to stop birds dying in nets.

Excited to be attending ATBC in Kigali, Rwanda! This is my first time on the African continent and I’m bummed that my schedule doesn’t allow me to explore much outside the conference center. But the ideas and energy inside the conference are very fulfilling! #atbc2024

Biodiversity ~ ecosystem function relationships provide strong justification for conservation. In a new article, my colleague Rob Magrath and I ask whether species diversity increases the information that flows between species in a community. See onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/…

Excited to be in Coimbatore India for ATBC (Association of Tropical Biology and Conservation) and looking forward to seeing old friends! @theATBC

Excited to share a new SI in Phil Trans Royal Soc B all about mixed-species animal groups! Showcasing diversity in the groups themselves and in the scientists who study them. royalsocietypublishing.org/t…

Excited that Uromi and her colleagues have a Letter in Science calling for greater use of seed banks for forest restoration: science.org/doi/10.1126/scie….

A new favorite visualization: my colleagues, led by Yong Shen and Qiang Zhang of the Guangdong Academy of Science, show that mixed-species flocks change from random associations at high elevations to species matching each other in the lowlands royalsocietypublishing.org/d…

🔔 Timely paper: Remote assessments of human pressure on biodiversity may miss important human threats #COP15 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/…