Christopher Witt

That’s a dark plumaged individual — is it from the Pacific Northwest?

I believe that island was named after Ling George III 😆

Spoke with a PI whose postdoc is trapped abroad because of social media vetting. It appears the postdoc missed disclosing one account and it's unclear if they can come back… ever.

This is the country we live in now.

Every American needs to watch this:

why do males defend territories in some species while pairs or family groups defend territories in others?

then-undergrad Shreyas Arashanapalli did a fantastic project to find out, analyzing 3177 playback experiments on 264 species

the best predictor?

latitude

academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...

"Saw her in the Amazon
With the voltage runnin' through her skin
Standin' there with nothin' on
She gonna teach me how to swim"

for more about the electric (f)eel, check this primer by Ken Catania ⚡ www.cell.com/current-biol...

(and yes, finally some current biology in Current Biology)

ICE detained multiple kids (all under the age of 10!) in the last week alone. Still kidnapping people based solely on the way they look. Still arresting parents at school pick up.

Nothing has changed in Minnesota. Nice words from the Admin won’t change that. ICE leaving will.

happening this morning in Minneapolis -- ICE agents drawing guns on observers. I reiterate again that it is only a matter of time before DHS kills more innocent people in Minnesota. Congress needs to shut this shit down right now.

Isnt ‘conspiring to do political harm’ just… politics?

Black History Month is a time to recognize the lived, shared experience of all Black folks who have fundamentally shaped, challenged, and ultimately strengthened America. It’s about taking an unvarnished look at the past so that we can create a better future.

Should we be surprised that a fish shaped like a dinner plate is the most studied marine animal?

YouTube video by New York Times Opinion ICE Took Their Classmate. They Started Writing Letters.

Even the children who have not been kidnapped are victims of the gestapo
youtu.be/0Cw36_u3_7k?...

Children. They are literally tear gassing children.

They liked it! Only thing missing was @mangrovepitta.bsky.social to narrate it with David Attenborough accent

Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese flying to roost after sunset, Rio Grande valley, central New Mexico

Dear @birdsoftheworld.bsky.social Cornell Lab of O,

your new phylogeny viewer is AWESOME and exactly what I wanted for years and will be an AMAZING resource for classes

BUT

you use an automatic thumbnail from the first image for each group

may we crowdsource better representative species lol

That one pintail looking like it showed up at the wrong party.

Federal Agents Arrest Don Lemon Over Minnesota Church Protest

Multiple media outlets are reporting that DOJ attempted to obtain a warrant to arrest Mr. lemon but was denied. Here is a gift link from the New York Times. so it appears this arrest of a prominent US journalist was lawless. DOJ is trying to prove a lawless point.

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/u...

Not at all appropriate for kids (according to IMDB users 😂)

I am hearing that RFK Jr.’s minions are going to go after HPV vaccines. I’ve got problems with these people and now you’re going to hear about them, first from a personal perspective and then from a professional one.

It all boils down to this: WE HAVE A SAFE VACCINE THAT PREVENTS CANCER.

The species problem evolving in the Anthropocene Nature Reviews Biodiversity, Published online: 16 January 2026; doi:10.1038/s44358-025-00125-xThe question of how to define a species has a long history and continued relevance for ongoing biological and conservation research. This Review describes the history of the species problem, and explores how novel evolutionary pressures and constraints of the Anthropocene might be complicating species definitions even further.

ICYMI: New online! The species problem evolving in the Anthropocene

Take his personal army away from him while you can, you stupid, stupid assholes. You’re like an armadillo playing dead in the middle of the road so the semi won’t hurt you

How Endemic Birds Shape Rainforest Ecosystems on New Britain Tropical islands host unique evolutionary lineages, yet these endemic species are often highly vulnerable to environmental change. Understanding how they contribute to ecosystem functioning is esse…

🎉 FRIDAY IS HERE AND SO IS … OUR NEW PAPER! 🎉
I’m thrilled to share a brand‑new paper by — K. Korejs, R. Hazell, B. Koane, P. Toko and G. Sosanika. If you’re into island biogeography, functional ecology, or just love birds doing important ecological jobs, this one’s for you. tinyurl.com/Korejs2026

A retired Minneapolis couple who had guns pointed at them by ICE in a church parking lot.

"They were obviously not trained at all. I've known many police officers in my life. These people were right off the streets."

"They had the professional demeanor of criminals."

ht: @paulgraham.bsky.social

YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio)

I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

Stay free

His immense compassion and courage should remind us all what we owe each other. What an incalculable loss.

Fighting fire with fire: drops of male mosquitos full of bacteria that cause egg sterility where resident mosquitoes don't belong - and birds affected by avian malaria do. It's ingenious, audacious, and could save desperately endangered endemic bird species in Hawai'i.

An adult Mexican gray wolf looks directly at the camera, standing in tall, browned grass.

We are devastated to share that Taylor, the Mexican gray wolf famous for repeatedly crossing I-40, was found dead over the weekend on the interstate.

Taylor's journey inspired many. He had established a home range last year near Mt. Taylor and returned twice after being removed.

bit.ly/4jT1OIP

Worse than Kent State, really than any episode I can think of probably dating back to Reconstruc & earlier b/c

1. continuing, not 1 off.
2. organized, not individual ofcrs losing it
3. literally at hand of federal government, which is
4. immediately lying & circling the wagons to prevent inves.