Dr Christy N Wails

Dr Christy N Wails

@wailscn.bsky.social

bird nerd ๐Ÿง | island hopper ๐Ÿ๏ธ | invasive species ๐Ÿ€ | R stats ๐Ÿงฎ | she/her

151 Followers 328 Following 1 Posts Joined Nov 2024
1 month ago
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American Oystercatchers be like

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3 weeks ago
Fig. 1 from the article: Illustration of the two main wing muscles โ€“ pectoralis and supracoracoideus โ€“ of a migratory passerine. Fig. 4 from the article: Representation of the diverse ways in which myokines can influence the function of different organs throughout the body. Fig. 5 from the article: (A) Conceptualization of a behavioral control system, as outlined by Fuxjager et al. (2023). Behavioral control systems are shown through the lens of spring (B) and autumn (C) migrations, with skeletal muscle (dark red) playing a role in the regulation of physiological systems that all promote one singular behavioral node (migration, dark orange) at the expense of others (dimmed behavioral nodes).

New paper: a review of how skeletal muscles support long-distance bird migration, highlighting their plasticity, coordination via endocrine signals, and interactions with other organ systems.

โžก๏ธ vist.ly/4sdqf

#ornithology #birds #migration #physiology #signals #adaptation #evolution

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1 month ago

Hi. Big fans. Loving the game. Here to cheer.

But umโ€ฆya, why is a *Peregrine Falcon* being shown flying out of the tv score board? Thatโ€™s one of the last โ€œsea hawkโ€ possible raptors out there.

Help a bird nerd out here. At least put an Osprey or an eagle (bald or golden!) or something elseโ€ฆ

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1 month ago
Headline: "Scientists discover emperor penguin colony in Antarctica using satellite images"

Yesterday it was cows using tools, today its penguins using satellite imagery.

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2 months ago
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North American bird declines are greatest where species are most abundant Efforts to address declines of North American birds have been constrained by limited availability of fine-scale information about population change. By using participatory science data from eBird, we ...

North American bird populations are shrinking most rapidly in the very areas where they are still most abundant, according to a 2025 study in Science.

The findings reveal both urgent threats and potential opportunities for targeted conservation and recovery. https://scim.ag/4qwOLyM #NationalBirdDay

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2 months ago
A old advert that has the words What the heck is Electronic Mail? With a man looking very scared by a sparkling trail flying around his desk

The first two hours this morning

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2 months ago
A tiny sand colored chick with a white belly stands on a sandy beach. It looks like two cotton balls on toothpick legs and is adorable.

BABY BIRD POOF! I'm looking back to June 16th when the weather was warm and the birds were baby.

#FallBack #birds ๐ŸŒฟ

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3 months ago
YouTube
How These Hummingbirds Turned Their Beaks Into Swords | ScienceTake YouTube video by The New York Times

oh, great, so theyโ€™ve invented hummingbirds with sharp pointy teeth now

youtu.be/H7BJkc9QSJw?...

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4 months ago

Has anyone ever seen a hybrid of Blue-winged Teal and Green-winged Teal and why isn't it called a Teal-winged Teal?

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4 months ago
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NIU-led global study reveals hidden power of seabirds | NIU Newsroom Restoring seabird populations could help safeguard biodiversity and climate resilience across vast scales, a new study shows. Published this week in Nature Reviews Biodiversity, the...

Here's a link to NIU's press release and more will follow :)

newsroom.niu.edu/niu-led-glob...

๐Ÿงช

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4 months ago

I am very excited to share that we have a new paper out today in @natrevbiodiv.nature.com

In it, we summarize the state of knowledge on the Circular Seabird Economy!

1/n ๐Ÿงช
Link to paper here: rdcu.be/eMOUd

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5 months ago
<span style="font-size: 18px;">Island Vegetation</span>

islandconservation.shinyapps.io/island-veg-a...

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5 months ago
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NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

Continuing efforts to hurt the research pipeline, the very late NSF GFRP solicitation no longer allows 2nd year PhD students to apply. Lots of these students chose not to apply last year because they were told they would have a better change once in their thesis lab www.nsf.gov/funding/oppo...

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1 year ago
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Supporting Ornithologists Impacted by U.S. Executive Orders & Federal Firings We are shocked and dismayed by the U.S. federal governmentโ€™s 2025 general assault on science.

News: We are offering ornithologists affected by recent executive orders and federal firings gratis membership and gratis meeting registration, and are soliciting input on additional ways we can offer support.

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1 year ago
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The Trailblazer Grant was created to help students and ECPs overcome financial barriers and gain essential resources for their education, research, and professional development.ย 

To apply ๐Ÿ‘‰ https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfo5v3DIduqecHTQXiV4llWGk3P5GHMKQZZZadDfQqxA0C2YQ/viewform

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1 year ago

Hey, artists, in case you were wondering if your work matters: I'm a scientist working on climate change and biodiversity, and I would not be who I am today without The Lorax, The Secret of NIMH, Watership Down, The Last Unicorn, and The X-Files. I know I'm not alone. Thank you for all you do.

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1 year ago
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New paper alert!

Piping plovers select nest sites with better views of predators, allowing early detection and evasive actions. A nest's "viewshed" should be considered in habitat management and understanding ground-nesting bird behavior.

Link to the paper by @sharinnature.bsky.social below!

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1 year ago
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Everyone please stop your scrolling for just a moment to appreciate this amazing combination of science and art, courtesy of VT Shorebirds lab member, Leo Hoffman!

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1 year ago
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New research alert! We contrasted how red fox and free-roaming cat activity correlates with the survival of federally threatened piping plovers. You can protect wildlife populations, and keep your cat safe and cozy by keeping your feline friends indoors.

Link to paper below! @wailscn.bsky.social

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1 year ago
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Celebrating our community at the Atlantic Coast Piping Plover and Least Tern Workshop at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV. It was so good to be with current and former lab members!

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