Today, the last fledgies successfully left their nest, marking the end of the 2025 breeding season! We monitored 57 nests and banded 71 chicks this year 🐣 let's hope all the young balls of dust do well 💪🏻 #SFW_ANU #birds #ecology #superbfairywren @sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
IMAGE SHOWS GRAPHIC OF CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY PHYLOGENY EXPLORER TOOL.
MAJOR NEWS! We just launched an awesome new tool! The illustrated Birds of the World Phylogeny Explorer lets users trace any bird’s lineage, compare species relationships, and explore major evolutionary milestones with a click of a button. SHARE and EXPLORE! birdsoftheworld.org/bow/news/phy...
Today marks most chicks banded in a day during this breeding season! They are definitely going better now that the currawongs have some cicadas to snack on 🦗 #SFW_ANU #ecology #birds #superbfairywren
With this festive combination of bands we wish everyone a joyful holiday season! Let's all rest up for a refreshed start to 2026! Happy Holidays 🎁
Interesting new study on the costs of ornamentation in red-backed fairywrens! #fairywrens #birds #ecology
doi.org/10.1093/behe...
The breeding season is in full swing! After some troubles with currawong predation, most of the groups are on their second or third nest, and all the parents are busy provisioning their young 🦗🐦 30 chicks banded so far! #superbfairywren #SFW_ANU #birds #ecology
Multi-generational fidelity, ecological and social determinants of roosting in a cooperatively breeding bird (Argya squamiceps) royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/... | #RSOS #Behaviour #Ecology
Female superb fairywren in Australia.
Male superb fairywren in Australia.
📢NEW paper out NOW in @asab.org Animal Behaviour on how a novel #call changes subsequent responses to #alarms in #fairywrens
🌟CONGRATULATIONS #NatalieTegtman on #first paper from #PhD
👥With #RobMagrath
@bristolbiosci.bsky.social
#animalcommunication #birds #fieldwork #ECR
doi.org/10.1016/j.an...
Trapped between darkness and heat: desert birds (Argya squamiceps) initiate daily activity earlier (and terminate it later) in response to heat | royalsocietypublishi... | Proceedings of the Royal Society B | #ornithology 🪶
#AOC2025 then finished off with more exciting plenaries and the student awards. Congratulations to @sramellini.bsky.social for Best Student Poster and @franhckr.bsky.social for the Honourable Mention in the Best Student Talks category. 🎉 We're excited for AOC2027 in New Zealand!
Our talks were also very successful! @franhckr.bsky.social presented preliminary results on superb fairywren foraging preferences, and @sramellini.bsky.social talked about the links between territoriality and non-breeding social behaviour. #SFW_ANU #AOC2025
Ecological Constraints Alone Cannot Explain Delayed Dispersal in Splendid Fairywrens | doi.org/10.1093/behe... | Behavioral Ecology | #ornithology 🪶
Thank you so much to everyone who stopped by our posters! Both sessions were very successful and we had some really interesting discussions. Always great to see so much fairywren love 🐦 #AOC2025 #SFW_ANU @sramellini.bsky.social @franhckr.bsky.social
#AOC2025 has started! A great morning including bird walks and an interesting plenary on female colour and song. If you're keen on project updates, attend @sramellini.bsky.social's talk at 14:00 and @franhckr.bsky.social's talk at 14:45 (same session). Also, stop by our posters today and tomorrow!
Ornamentation is associated with social costs in male red-backed fairywrens (Malurus melanocephalus) | doi.org/10.1093/behe... | Behavioral Ecology | #ornithology 🪶
He also presented a co-authored poster with @franhckr.bsky.social on the effect of vegetation structure on superb fairywren survival.
#SFW_ANU
#CIO2025 (Italian Conference of Ornithology) is now finished! @sramellini.bsky.social organised a symposium on the overlooked non-breeding season and presented his results on the territorial stability of superb fairywrens. He won 'Highly Commended' for his presentation, congrats!
It is indeed!
Today's fieldwork assistant was very keen to check the temperature data we are collecting 🐦⬛☀️ #SFW_ANU #birds #ecology #ornithology
One of our project member's first PhD paper is now out!! Congratulations 🎉
On Tuesday, @sramellini.bsky.social spoke to ABC Radio Canberra Drive about superb fairywrens and the #SFW_ANU project. If you missed it, you can listen to it here (from minute 07:50): www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...
In today's lab meeting we updated @damienfarine.bsky.social's website with a project overview and also added our finalised logo!
Check it out here: sites.google.com/site/drfarin...
Logo design by @franhckr.bsky.social
Christmas in the Northern hemisphere means snow and pine trees, here in Canberra we have king parrot baubles for #ChristmasinJuly 🎄
Already done 🫡 sBnr is her new name! Let's see what she does in the next breeding season
Female superb fairywren on a log
Earlier this season we said goodbye to GBB. Born in 2014, she was one of the oldest and most productive females in our population:
35 nests, 80 eggs, 47 chicks fledged, 35 reached independence, 24 grandkids. This female below has now taken over her territory. Big 🐾 to fill!
#SFW_ANU #birds #ecology
Greeted by a stunning sunrise this morning as @franhckr.bsky.social and @sramellini.bsky.social brave the cold at the gardens ❄️ Trying to catch the last few unbanded individuals in our population and helping colleagues with some thornbill research 🐦⬛
#SFW_ANU #ecology #ornithology #birds
Just out in Biological Reviews!
My new paper highlights intergroup peace in primates: tolerance, affiliation, group mergers etc. We propose a new framework for understanding these interactions, with insights into the roots of human cooperation.
📖 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Happy to share our last work just published in @animalecology.bsky.social. With @claire-doutrelant.bsky.social and Peter Pearman. besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... @cnrs.fr @biology.ox.ac.uk
One of the (many) aims of our project is to understand what animals do outside the breeding season. In a new editorial in ALULA, @sramellini.bsky.social highlights some examples of how local, field-based research can help bridge this major knowledge gap.
Read it here: doi.org/10.60990/alu...
Field team in Wytham Woods May 2025
Image of the new Biology Building, completed, and opening from August 2025
Lunch with the field team to celebrate another successful season - May 2025
Interested in Postdoc Research here in Oxford? Many projects possible using long-term population studies of birds, field & lab experiments with insect consumers, phenology of trees all in Wytham woods & based in new Biology building
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-p...
