Dr. Marta Jarzyna

Thank you! And yes, these findings are rather concerning!

We are all very humbled by all the amazing journalists being interested in our work!

North American birds are dying off faster. It signals a human crisis, too. The accelerating decline of birds is a bellwether of far deeper biodiversity crisis — one that threatens not only beloved species but the humans who live alongside them.

And @sarahkaplan48.bsky.social covered it for the WP: washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2026/02/26/bird-populations-dying-farming/?itid=ap_sarah-kaplan_article-list_1_0

Shrinking North American bird population is getting worse faster. Experts blame agriculture, warming A new study finds North American bird populations keep dropping, and that decline is speeding up for many species.

@borenbears.bsky.social wrote about our work for the Associated Press: apnews.com/article/bird...

Hotspots of accelerated bird decline linked to agricultural activity Though previous research has shown that bird populations are declining across North America, a new study is the first to show that the pace of loss has picked up speed since the mid-1980s in three reg...

@ekcaldwell.bsky.social writes for the Ohio State News: news.osu.edu/hotspots-of-...

Birds Aren’t Just Declining. They’re Declining Faster, a New Study Finds.

And here is some of the amazing news coverage of our paper. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/26/c... by @catrineinhorn.bsky.social

Thank you, Benjamin! And yes, this is really sobering.

Our work underscores the importance of monitoring not just population trends, but their rate of change over time. Incorporating acceleration into conservation assessments could reveal early warning signals that abundance trends alone could miss!

The numbers are sobering: 122 species (47%) show significant declines, 63 of which also show acceleration of decline. Declines are strongest in birds of towns, grasslands, marshes, and open woodlands — with marshes and open woodlands showing accelerating losses.

On the other hand, declines in abundance (separate from their acceleration) appear stronger in warm and warming regions — pointing to a complexity of drivers acting on different dimensions of biodiversity change.

The hotspots of accelerating declines (the Mid-Atlantic, the Midwest, and California) align with patterns of agricultural intensity, though disentangling specific drivers is difficult given the correlative nature of our study.

Acceleration hotspots of North American birds’ decline are associated with agriculture Human activities might have accelerated declines of population abundance, but this acceleration remains underexplored. Using 1033 North American Breeding Bird Survey routes, we analyze abundance chang...

Thrilled to share our new paper out in @science.org, led by François Leroy and Petr Keil! Using the Breeding Bird Survey, we document not only a continent-wide decline in bird abundance since the 1980s — but, crucially, the acceleration of these declines over time. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

A quick reminder that our February Funk seminar from @biogeography.bsky.social is coming up this Wednesday! Dr. Juan Pablo Quimbayo will speak about marine macroecology. Be there or be square!

This month's Funk lecture from @biogeography.bsky.social will be given by Juan Pablo Quimbayo. Sign up soon!

A reminder that the next Funk lecture will take place this Wednesday! We will be hosting @comecology.bsky.social, so you do not want to miss it 😀

Fish species composition reflects geomorphology in the Western Amazon, the Earth's vertebrate biodiversity hotspot Fishes of the Western Amazon exhibit the greatest diversity of any continental vertebrate fauna on Earth. Hypotheses to explain diversity patterns have focused on various ecological and evolutionary p...

Check out the newest paper in the Frontiers of Biogeography, the flagship journals of @biogeography.bsky.social: Fish species composition reflects geomorphology in the Western Amazon, the Earth's vertebrate biodiversity hotspot doi.org/10.21425/fob...

January 2026 Funk Biogeography Seminar — Pedro Peres-Neto Ecology & Evolution in Spatial Structured Environment Ecological and evolutionary dynamics occur in environments that are intrinsically spatially structured, yet spatial environmental heterogenei...

For the first Funk lecture of 2026, @biogeography.bsky.social will be hosting @comecology.bsky.social. You do not want to miss this! Register under the link below. www.biogeography.org/news/news/ja...

Tomorrow #TIBS2026 is starting! 🌐 We can't wait for the first workshops to begin!

📌To register, please join us at our Welcome Reception: you will be able to follow guided tours to better navigate #TIBS2026 venue 🗺️ get the program booklet 📖 personalize your name badges and meet colleagues !

The first school to market itself as AI free is going to corner the market on people interested in actually learning. And I would not be surprised if rich families and the children of people creating this tech were the first movers.

And another cool paper from @biogeography.bsky.social's Frontiers of Biogeography, this time onn biogeographi c expansion of magnoliid genus. Check it out!
biogeography.pensoft.net/article/1599...

Another reminder that @biogeography.bsky.social bi-annual conference is coming up in Aarhus, Denmark. It's been my favorite conference since I started attending it in grad school, and I cannot wait for Aarhus. Consider coming too - you won't regret it.

Modelling the historic distribution and habitat of American chestnut (Castanea dentata) in Georgia, USA using edaphic and landform predictors The loss of American chestnut (Castanea dentata Marsh. Bork.) caused ecological change in many community types of the eastern United States. Restoration is challenged by climate change and two natural...

Check out this new paper in the Frontiers of Biogeography, the flagship journal of @biogeography.bsky.social, on historical distribution and habitat of American chestnut by Joyce Klaus & Nathan Klaus. And as always - support our society by publishing with us! biogeography.pensoft.net/article/1619...

A reminder that the 12th @biogeography.bsky.social conference is coming up! And I know it will be a blast, so don't forget to register.

Things that will get you kicked out of academia forever:
- taking maternity leave at the wrong time
- spending too much time with your kids
- reporting harassment
- not moving every 2-3 years
- taking a partner's job/preferences into account
- mouthing off before tenure

A reminder: last Funk lecture of 2025 from @biogeography.bsky.social will be held this Wednesday at 4pm UTC. Dr. Laura Pollock will speak about the Wallacean gap. You don't want to miss this!!

Join us for our last @biogeography.bsky.social Funk seminar of 2025! This month, we will be meeting on Nov 19, 4pm UTC. Dr. Laura Pollock will tackle the issue of the Wallacean gap!

Here's just one example of a wonderful workshop to be offered by @billurbektas.bsky.social and colleagues during @biogeography.bsky.social conference. Do not miss this opportunity to learn from the experts in the field!

Are you planning on coming to @biogeography.bsky.social conference in Aarhus in January, 2026? Consider signing up for one of several great workshops being offered.

Deadlines for travel awards to TIBS 2026 biannual meeting in Aarhus have been extended till Oct 31. If you're an early-career researcher, consider applying!

Just a week left to register for this month's Funk lecture. This time we will hear from Dr. Brett Scheffers. Register and tune in!