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Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)

@kiirsti.bsky.social

770 followers 700 following 1.6K posts

Senior Wildlife Biologist at Keefer Ecological Services 🦆 Vortex Canada Brand Ambassador 🐦 Eagle Eye Tours guide 🌿 she/her 👉 https://linktr.ee/kiirsti

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Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Jan 6

Our paper, "Breeding Ammospiza nelsoni (Nelson’s Sparrow) exploits both saltmarsh and hayfields in northern habitats" is now fully available online in @amornith.bsky.social's journal "Ornithology" #OpenAccess

Read it here 👉 academic.oup.com/condor/advan...

Graphical abstract showing an adult Nelson's Sparrow perched on some grass to the left of a graph showing the daily nest survival by exposure days for nests in saltmarsh and dikeland. The curves for nests in saltmarsh drops away from 1 (i.e., survival probability less than 100%) much earlier (~3 days) than for dikeland nests (~ 10 days). To the right of the graph are two nestlings, one with mouth open. The title reads "Acadian Nelson's Sparrows (Ammospiza nelsoni subvirgata) have higher nest success in human-made dikeland than in natural saltmarsh."

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Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)

CEBC Predateurs Marins team @predateursmarins.bsky.social · 1d

Post-doc position at CEBC to work on quantitative genetics of albatross populations using pedigree and genomic data.

Info and application at
emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/CDD/U...

Contact Timothée Bonnet for more details

#postdoc #seabirds #Genomics

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Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Sep 14

The next in the series: Plate-billed Mountain-Toucan. I've seen the other three; this one I haven't (but would looove to). Some day 🤞

Okay what do I do? Do I just keep painting all the toucans or is it time to move on to another group of birds? (Or other animals?!)

Painting of a close-up view of the head of a Plate-billed Mountain-toucan qith a lavender background 💜

Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Sep 13

Post-PhD life.

I was pretty good at work-life balance during 7 years of grad school, but this past year was really intense and I'm enjoying the freedom and time by painting members of Ramphastidae (why? Why not!).

#PostPhdlife #PhDone

Three small painted canvases showing cokourfyl close-ups of toucan heads (Keel-billed Toucan, Fiery-billed Araçari, and Northern Emerald Toucanet). A paintbrush and a messy palette sit on the table beside the paintings.

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Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Aug 16

Find good mentors (not juat your supervisors) & peer support. Use your advisory committee (I wish I'd done this more). Get your comps/qualifying exams out of the way asap.

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Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Aug 15

I've grown so much as a scientist through this PhD because I challenged myself to complete a diverse, multidisciplinary thesis & because I worked with amazing mentors, peers, and junior scientists. I was also supported by so many orgs, esp. Ducks Unlimited Canada & @nserc-resnet.bsky.social.

Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Aug 15

Yesterday I successfully defended my PhD and can now say that I am officially ✨Dr. Kiirsti Owen✨ (or Ducktor, if you will 🦆). #PhDone

Opening slide of a PhD defence featuring a wetland at sunrise as the background with text "Wetland bird response to anthropogenic habitat change of the Chignecto Isthmus"

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Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Aug 11

Nice to see this paper out in @envreviews.bsky.social !! This was a fun lab collab side-project that the Mallory Lab crew did together. Enjoyed being a part of this! 🥳

Dr Ingrid Pollet @ingridpollet.bsky.social · Aug 7

Team Mallory started a lab paper back in Dec. 2023. Today, the Just-in version is out in @envreviews.bsky.social.

cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/...

Technological advancements: A global review of the use of camera technology in wildlife research

Cameras have become widely used tools in wildlife research, providing new insights into the behavior, population dynamics, and habitat preference of species across a wide range of taxa. In this study,...

cdnsciencepub.com

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Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)

Dr Ingrid Pollet @ingridpollet.bsky.social · Aug 7

Team Mallory started a lab paper back in Dec. 2023. Today, the Just-in version is out in @envreviews.bsky.social.

cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/...

Technological advancements: A global review of the use of camera technology in wildlife research

cdnsciencepub.com

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Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)

animalecol-nioo.bsky.social @animalecol-nioo.bsky.social · Jul 28

New postdoc position available 🚨
We are looking for a new post doc to work on adaptive management in geese. Are you experienced in working with animal movement patterns? And are you used to working with large files of transmitter date? Then apply before the 1st op september!

Postdoc Goose Impact

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher for research in the context of international adaptive management of geese. Did you analyse animal movement patterns during your PhD? Do you want to work wi...

nioo.knaw.nl

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Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Jul 7

And I got to teach it this year! 🥳

Thanks to @halibirdnerd.bsky.social for trusting me with her course 🙏✨

A group of students birding at sunrise in a forest clearing.

Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Jul 7

This was Dalhousie University's SEASIDE Ornithology, a 17-day intensive field course. Very hands-on, very fun, and introduces students to bird behaviour, anatomy, physiology, conservation, and common field methods.

A group of students learn about bird banding operations from a guest. Tarp is spread out on a recently cut area at the edge of a field with banding equipment.

Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Jul 7

13 new bird nerds fledged from the nest and I am one happy instructor! 🪺🪹🐦

So proud of this group of super keen undergrads. They learned >50 birds by sight and sound in less than 2 weeks and they completed field research projects with only 3 days of data collection.

Class photo (16 people) standing in front of an old farmhouse with solar panels.

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Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Jul 5

Ugh I was hoping to hear this was not a common occurrence. I'm just really glad that the editor didn't accept it.

Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Jul 4

3/4 reviewers were either not qualified to review or they did not bother to actually look at the paper in detail and just blindly accepted it.

Is the #peer-review process broken? Is there a better way?

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Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Jul 4

I keep thinking about the three reviewers who accepted it on the first pass when it was fatally flawed. The peer-review process is supposed to ensure that scientific research is held to a high standard and only published when it means those high standards.

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Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Jul 4

Months later the paper was rejected by the editor after two rounds of revisions because the author failed to address the flaws that both the editor and myself pointed out. The paper was eventually rejected without further opportunity to resubmit.

Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Jul 4

I recently reviewed a paper where I was one of four reviewers. The other reviewers had very little comments and suggested the paper was ready to be accepted. I was the only one who suggested "reject" because the paper was incredibly flawed.

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Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Jun 7

Bat detectors**

Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · Jun 7

Got to do some fieldwork last week in my new role as Senior Wildlife Biologist with KES(keefereco.com). Amphibian surveys, soil sampling, camera traps, bar detectors, and general wildlife surveys. Lots of fun!

A large Western Toad on the edge of a wet area amongst some grasses, sedges, and other short wetland vegetation.

Me smiling and holding a Columbia Spotted Frog that we caught in our amphibina traps. Grabbing a photo together before releasing this friend safely back into the wetland.

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Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)

Kyle Elliott @movementecology.bsky.social · May 28

The #Arctic might be a cold place, but microclimates can get HOT! The cliffs where murres nest can get to a whopping 46.5°C in the full sun.

New work by MSc student Frederique Tremblay, @emilyschoy.bsky.social, @tattersallg.bsky.social & many others available free:

doi.org/10.1016/j.cb...

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Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · May 28

Some big news! I'm joining Keefer Ecological Services as a Wildlife Biologist.

Grateful for the journey that brought me here and looking forward to what’s ahead! 🌿 ✨

keefereco.com

Keefer Ecological Services - Keefer Ecological Services

Keefer Ecological Services Ltd. (KES) provides efficient, ecologically-based solutions inspired by the ingenuity observed in natural systems.

keefereco.com

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Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her) @kiirsti.bsky.social · May 26

Preparing for #PhD defense - what are some good, general defense-style questions that I could use to practice??

E.g., this classic: "If you had unlimited time and money, what would you do with this research?"

This is for a biology/wildlife management/social science dissertation.

#phdlife

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Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)

Dan Mennill @dmennill.bsky.social · May 20

Do you have a favourite bird song? For me, you can't beat a Musician Wren!
You can hear me discuss this, and all things birdsong, on The Warblers podcast:
Spotify: tinyurl.com/2skkart8
Apple Podcasts: tinyurl.com/2stnm5ak
Birds Canada: www.birdscanada.org/warblerspodc...
@birdscanada.bsky.social

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Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)

Dr Alex Bond @thelabandfield.bsky.social · May 20

The 2025 Marie Curie Fellowships are now open! If you are interested in #PlasticPollution, #ornithology / #birds, #conservation & our work at @adriftlab.bsky.social and want to discuss an application, get in touch! #PhDjobs

marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-p...

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions2-year Postdoctoral Fellowship
Dr Alex Bond (Natural History Museum, Tring/London UK) [progress pride flag]
Applicants with previous experience in CT/morphology, wildlife acoustics, or plastics particularly encouraged!
Applicant eligibility
Can’t have spent >12 of the last 36 months in the UK
Previous post-doctoral experience & publication track record HIGHLY recommended
Must relocate to the UK (London or Tring; remote working is not possible under this funding scheme)
Defended PhD by Sept 2025; < 8 years postdoc experience
Previous successful applications are available as guides!
Applications shared between fellow & host with a deadline 10 Sept 2025
Email: a.bond@nhm.ac.uk / BlueSky: @TheLabAndField@bsky.social
https://alexanderbond.org

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Reposted by Kiirsti Owen, PhD (she/her)

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · May 10

Nobel Prize winning science.

Moderna's combo Covid and flu mRNA shot outperforms current vaccines in large trial

A combination shot would make it easier for people to get vaccinated against Covid and the flu at the same time.

www.nbcnews.com

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