PiedFly.Net

Inadequate reproductive success is a potential cause of Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) population decline in England Most demographic studies of multi-brooded species require information on breeding success per nesting attempt and the number of nesting attempts made to derive a measure of whole-season productivity....

Spotted Flycatchers declined by 88% between 1970-2018, could low reproductive productivity be the cause?

Read on for a summary of new RSPB research

Full paper:
doi.org/10.1111/ibi....

(1/5)

Epigenetic Potential and Dispersal Propensity in a Free‐Living Songbird: A Spatial and Temporal Approach Natal dispersal is a key life history trait determining fitness and driving population dynamics, genetic structure, and species distributions. Despite existing evidence that not all phenotypes are eq...

Very excited about this work now out in
@molecology! We test whether🐦with ⬆️dispersal propensity differ in the nº CpGs across the genome, with the hypothesis that⬆️CpGs allow for⬆️epigenetically-driven plasticity facilitating environmental coping
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Male pied flycatcher

Should I stay or should I go?🐦 Fancy a #PhD studying Pied flycatchers in the Peak District to help better understand what drives individual & population performance? Think #habitat #movement #ecology #genetics 🌍 Make use of this nestbox PIT tag study system and join us! Email me #LJMU #NationalTrust

Examples of some recent papers from graduate students in my group - a full list of recent papers and preprints can be found here (https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?hl=en&user=pTdxVdIAAAAJ) and profile of the group here: https://egioxford.web.ox.ac.uk/members

The annual Wytham Field Team Photo!

Celebrating a successful field season with great food & good company - May 2025

Front view of the Life & Mind Building, which opened in Oct 2025: The new home of Biology at Oxford

Interested in a PhD in ornithology? Funding available for projects at the interface of ecology, behaviour & evolution from Oct '26 working on long-term population studies of tits at Wytham, based in @biology.ox.ac.uk in the new Life & Mind Building in Oxford
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

A Chough sits on a rocky cliff edge at South Stack Nature Reserve, North Wales.

Job vacancy 🧪
Principal Conservation Scientist, RSPB Cymru

Can you provide the evidence needed to save and restore the iconic species and landscapes of Wales?

Deadline: 3rd Nov
Location: Flexible within Wales
Duration: Permanent

Apply here: app.vacancy-filler.co.uk/salescrm/Car...

📷Jake Stephen

JOB ALERT: We have an exciting Senior Research Assistant post available for a project tracking predators and prey simultaneously starting early 2026. We need someone with experience tagging adult raptors or wader chicks. This you? app.vacancy-filler.co.uk/salescrm/Car...

EARLY VIEW in IBIS

Inadequate reproductive success is a potential cause of Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) population decline in England | onlinelibrary.wiley....

Malcolm D. Burgess et al | #ornithology 🪶

Closing date tomorrow, an exciting PhD linking insects with demography of aerial foraging birds such as House martin based @uniexecec.bsky.social in Cornwall.

Only a few days to go… please share!!!

Fully funded PhD with me, @uniexecec.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social @btobirds.bsky.social working on insectivorous bird declines - hopefully esp. House martin www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

The Gola Rainforest

New job alert: An amazing opportunity - our International science team are hiring for a 2yr position (initially) for an experienced scientist to work on tropical forest conservation 🌍🧪

Full details here: app.vacancy-filler.co.uk/salescrm/Car...

📷Nick Williams/RSPB

Back from Olomouc — such a well-organised conference in a brilliant location. This community through these HNB conferences has sparked so many collaborations for PiedFly.Net, putting UK data on the map, and led to @spibirds.bsky.social making working together even easier. Thanks you organisers!

Extending Long‐Term Avian Studies Alters Temporal and Climate‐Driven Trend Conclusions Long-term population studies are essential for understanding the effects of climate change on biodiversity, yet predictions based on short-term data may be unreliable. Our findings reveal that initia...

Extending Long-Term Avian Studies Alters Temporal and Climate-Driven Trend Conclusions | doi.org/10.1002/ece3... | Ecology and Evolution | #ornithology 🪶

Come work with us… PDRA position to work on a host of exciting things! jobs.exeter.ac.uk/hrpr_webrecr...
Get in touch if you want to know more

I last saw Arin in 2014 when he was a field assistant at APLORI helping us monitor whinchats in Nigeria (on his bike 🤣). Caught up with him today - 11 years later. He’s starting a zoology degree in Sep because he’s inspired to do a PhD in ornithology and help protect his home. All because of APLORI!

Standard Nestling Manipulation by Researchers Does Not Affect Fledging Age: A Field Experiment With Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca | doi.org/10.13157/arl... | Ardeola | #ornithology 🪶

Pleased to contribute a nest to this years @lesserspotnet.bsky.social monitoring. A brood of 4 revealed by the special camera thanks to @angusrobin.bsky.social

⏰ DEADLINE APPROACHING

Woodland birds symposium | 18 August 2025 | Bangor University | #BOUatEOU

Submit your abstract now!

Deadline: 30 May

bou.org.uk/event/woo...

#ornithology 🪶

SPC: Stuart Sharp
@piedflynet.bsky.social
Daria Dadam &
@parusradious.bsky.social

⏰ DEADLINE APPROACHING

Woodland birds symposium | 18 August 2025 | Bangor University | #BOUatEOU

Submit your abstract now!

Deadline: 30 May

bou.org.uk/event/woo...

#ornithology 🪶

SPC: Stuart Sharp
@piedflynet.bsky.social
Daria Dadam &
@parusradious.bsky.social

PhD opportunity #AfricanOrnithology

PhD in Spatial-temporal dynamics of Black-tailed Godwit habitat use and foraging ecology in Senegal

www.rug.nl/about-ug/wor...

An operational land cover and land cover change toolbox: processing open‐source data with open‐source software Customizable land cover & change toolbox for non-specialists using open-source data and software with a step-by-step guide: map what habitats are where in the area you manage, shown here for Dartmoor...

Cat and others did you see this Dartmoor habitat map generated from similar data, look OK? besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... it does seem that this does use the more robust truthing methods like suggested by @lilybellesweet.bsky.social‬ So hopefully good?

Now is your last chance to find a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker nest. For the next week LSW young will be calling from the nest hole and you may hear them. So have a good search in your local woods. LesserSpotNet volunteers are already watching/monitoring twelve nests in the Midlands & South England.

⏰ DEADLINE APPROACHING

Woodland birds symposium | 18 August 2025 | Bangor University | #BOUatEOU

Submit your abstract now!

Deadline: 30 May

bou.org.uk/event/woo...

#ornithology 🪶

SPC: Stuart Sharp
@piedflynet.bsky.social
Daria Dadam &
@parusradious.bsky.social

First pied flycatcher nest hatching today, 11 May 2025. Most nests incubating eggs now.

First Pied flycatcher egg of the season at East Dartmoor, 22 April 2025

📢 BOU at #EOU2025

Join us for a woodland birds symposium on EOU registration day 18 August | Bangor University | #BOUatEOU

Submit your abstract now!

Deadline: 30 May

bou.org.uk/event/woo...

SPC: Stuart Sharp @piedflynet.bsky.social Daria Dadam & @parusradious.bsky.social

#ornithology

Only two more days left to apply…

Some pied flycatchers seem already paired up with some nest building already started @piedflynet.bsky.social At least 6 males and 4 females seen today

Lots of new females have shown up and spring is going bonkers in the woods. Lots of singing, males defending territories and showing females some holes. Lots of fun. @piedflynet.bsky.social

At least half the male pied flycatchers back at East Dartmoor now, with some pairs starting nest building.