Andrew Whitehouse
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anthrobirder.bsky.social
Andrew Whitehouse
@anthrobirder.bsky.social
3.4K followers 1.2K following 620 posts
Anthropologist at the University of Aberdeen. Likes birds. A lot. Does stuff on environmental anthropology, landscape, conservation, human-bird relations, sound, perceptions of ecological change.
https://andrewjwhitehouse.wordpress.com/
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anthrobirder.bsky.social
I thought I'd missed Magellanic Woodpecker at Altos de Lircay but a double knocked drum and a laughing call brought me to a family group in all their quiffed, top-knotted glory, the female raining down chunks of wood from the trees above.
#Birds #Chile
A juvenile Magellanic Woodpecker is perched on a tree trunk. It is mostly black with a red crest. A juvenile Magellanic Woodpecker is perched on a tree trunk. It is mostly black with a red crest. An adult male Magellanic Woodpecker is is perched a on tree trunk. It is black with a red crested head and a pale yellow eye. An adult female Magellanic Woodpecker is perched on a tree branch. It is mostly black with a yellow eye and red around the face. On the top of the head is a wispy top knot of feathers.
January 16, 2026 at 10:21 PM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
Some closer shots of the Diademed Sandpiper-Plover at Termas del Plomo in the central Chilean Andes. It was a classic case of looking all over and then finding it feeding in a puddle next to the car park.
#Birds #Chile
A Diademed Sandpiper-Plover is wading through the muddy, grassy puddle. It's a small wading bird with black, red, brown and white plumage and yellow legs and feet. A Diademed Sandpiper-Plover is wading through the muddy, grassy puddle. It's a small wading bird with black, red, brown and white plumage and yellow legs and feet. A Diademed Sandpiper-Plover is wading through the muddy, grassy puddle. It's a small wading bird with black, red, brown and white plumage and yellow legs and feet.
January 16, 2026 at 9:58 PM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
Have had an enjoyable short trip to central Chile. Lots of new birds but perhaps the best was one I'd seen before: the incredible Diademed Sandpiper-plover. One of the finest birds there is, all set among the high Andes.
#Birds #PhoneVideo
January 13, 2026 at 10:09 PM
Reposted by Andrew Whitehouse
scottishbirding.bsky.social
Looking for a new birding challenge for 2026? Why not take up patch birding and participate in Patchwork Challenge?

Find out more about this fun birding competition in our guest blog from @patchbirding.bsky.social: www.the-soc.org.uk/blogs/blog/p...

#PatchBirding #PWC2026 #LowCarbonBirding
Patchwork Challenge
Ever wondered about taking up patch birding or even Patchwork Challenge? Patchwork Challenge is a fun birding competition, focused on engaging and understanding your local birding patch, to see how ma...
www.the-soc.org.uk
January 5, 2026 at 6:16 PM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
There are people who say there's no such thing as the best seabird in the world. These are people who haven't seen Light-mantled Albatross. North of Elephant Island yesterday.
#Birds #Albatross #SuperSeabirdSunday
A Light-mantled Albatross is flying left to right over a grey sea. It has a dark brown head and paler brown body with white arcs around the eye and looks like some kind of divine apparition. A Light-mantled Albatross is flying right to left over a grey sea. It has a dark brown head and paler brown body with white arcs around the eye and looks like some kind of divine apparition.
January 3, 2026 at 11:43 AM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
A Savanna Hawk caught mid-scream at Ceibas today.
#Birds
A Savanna Hawk is perched on top of a bush facing right. It's mouth is wide open as it screams its loud call.
December 22, 2025 at 12:45 AM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
A Giant Wood Rail from Ceibas, Argentina today, with a particularly mad look in its eye.
#Birds
A Giant Wood Rail is walking through some marshy vegetation, strewn with yellow flowers. It's a large chicken like bird with pink legs, a yellow bill and a crazy looking red eye.
December 22, 2025 at 12:39 AM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
If I've learned one thing from social media it's that everyone loves Burrowing Owls. Here's one from Ceibas, Argentina today.
#Birds #Owls
A Burrowing Owl is standing on a post. It's standing on one leg, which makes it look even quirkier than normal.
December 22, 2025 at 12:33 AM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
Back in Argentina and here's my first new bird of the trip trotting into view: a Spotted Rail at Lobos.
#Birds
December 20, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Reposted by Andrew Whitehouse
adammarkham.bsky.social
I've read the intro and the Ingold piece and I can already tell this is a banger of a special issue on more-than-human agency in conservation. 🌎🌐
anthrobirder.bsky.social Andrew Whitehouse @anthrobirder.bsky.social · Dec 15
The latest issue of Environmental Values is a special issue called 'Taking care together: Conservation as more-than-human process' edited by Sara Asu Schroer, Paolo Gruppuso and myself. Read our introduction, Tim Ingold's commentary and most of the articles here:
journals.sagepub.com/toc/enva/34/6
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
December 15, 2025 at 5:59 PM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
The latest issue of Environmental Values is a special issue called 'Taking care together: Conservation as more-than-human process' edited by Sara Asu Schroer, Paolo Gruppuso and myself. Read our introduction, Tim Ingold's commentary and most of the articles here:
journals.sagepub.com/toc/enva/34/6
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
December 15, 2025 at 5:40 PM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
A Common Snipe trying to avoid detection in the marsh at St Fittick's Park, Aberdeen today.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife
A Common Snipe is crouching in marshy vegetation with its tail pointed upwards. It is partly concealed by out of focus reeds.
December 14, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Reposted by Andrew Whitehouse
sheardcat.bsky.social
You: Catherine, why don't you use genAI?

Me: Because there are not, in fact, any wild penguins in Stonehaven, Scotland.

(Screenshot from Google AI.)
A screenshot from Google's AI that says: Wild Penguin Sightings (Rare but Happen) Gentoo Penguin: In April 2022, a Gentoo penguin, a species usually found in sub-Antarctic regions, made an unexpected appearance in Stonehaven harbour, causing local excitement. Police Rescue: More recently, in December 2025, there were reports of police rescuing penguins that had somehow found their way to the harbour, sparking interest in how often they visit
December 9, 2025 at 11:58 AM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
At least one Red Squirrel is still around St Fittick's Park. This one was coming into the bird feeders today.
#UKWildlife #Squirrels #Mammals
A Red Squirrel is standing on a greenish tree branch, facing right.
December 7, 2025 at 3:38 PM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
It's not often I see Crossbills feeding, so I enjoyed a group of 12 that were getting stuck into the larch cones in St Fittick's Park today. Crossbills surely possess one of the best tongues in the bird world.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife
A 'golden' coloured Crossbill is feeding on larch cones, facing towards us. You can see its tongue. A greenish female Crossbill is feeding in larches, slightly hidden behind a branch. Its tongue isn't hidden. A red male Crossbill is feeding in larch trees. Sticky bits of larch cone are all over its bill.
December 7, 2025 at 3:30 PM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
The seaweed patch in Greyhope Bay is often worth checking. Today, as well as the regular Rock Pipits, there was a female Black Redstart and a lovely Snow Bunting. Both were my first for the year at Girdle Ness.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife
A female Black Redstart is standing on kelp branch among some rocks. It has its back to us and the red tail is visible. A female Black Redstart is standing on a grey rock with pale speckles. It's facing left to right. There is some dead seaweed at the front right. A Snow Bunting is standing on a wet locking rock, facing left. There are some branches of kelp in the background.
December 7, 2025 at 3:01 PM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
I'm still gleaning patch year ticks at Girdle Ness with this Velvet Scoter that flew north today. Meanwhile, the Great Northern Diver continues in the harbour.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife
A Velvet Scoter is flying right to left over a blue sea. It is a mostly blackish duck with a white rectangle on its wings. A Great Northern Diver is swimming right to left. The water is reflecting red from a nearby ship in the harbour.
November 29, 2025 at 3:52 PM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
This Woodcock was quietly roosting under a small conifer in St Fittick's Park today.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife #ThermalBirding
A partially obscured Woodcock is sitting on the ground among leaf litter and other vegetation, it's large eye staring back from the centre of the image.
November 29, 2025 at 3:47 PM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
Jack Snipe have been hard to find this year, but this one at St Fittick's Park today shone out in the thermal imager as it flattened down against the edge of the reeds.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #PatchBirding #UKWildlife #ThermalBirding
A Jack Snipe crouches down close to the marshy, wet ground. It is surrounded by wetland grasses and plants and is well camouflaged amongst them. A Jack Snipe crouches down close to the marshy, wet ground. It is surrounded by wetland grasses and plants and is well camouflaged amongst them. This is a close up of the head and bill.
November 29, 2025 at 3:44 PM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
A juvenile Arctic Tern at Girdle Ness today, which in late November should be as far south as it currently is north.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife #PatchBirding #SuperSeabirdSunday
A juvenile Arctic Tern is flying left to right over a rippled blue sea. A juvenile Arctic Tern is flying left to right over a rippled blue sea. A juvenile Arctic Tern is flying left to right over a rippled blue sea. A juvenile Arctic Tern is flying right to left over a rippled blue sea.
November 22, 2025 at 5:43 PM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
A fox in the snow on the bowling green in Torry, Aberdeen today, a carton of tuna steak giving some nourishment in the cold.
#UKWildlife #FoxOfTheDay
A fox is pawing at a carton of tuna steak in the snow. A fox is pawing at a carton of tuna steak in the snow. A fox is holding a carton of tuna steak in its mouth while standing in the snow.
November 21, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Reposted by Andrew Whitehouse
sapiens.org
“As a medical anthropologist, I’m fascinated by the political, economic, and social networks that have transformed humble bird’s nests into one of the most expensive animal products in the world.”

Read more: www.sapiens.org/culture/edib...
November 18, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Andrew Whitehouse
alexanderlees.bsky.social
Hard agree. Incredible that you can routinely drive in winter from Grantham to Norwich now and not see a single flock. It is increasingly becoming a bird of reserves and not the wider countryside, even in winter #UKBirding
anthrobirder.bsky.social Andrew Whitehouse @anthrobirder.bsky.social · Nov 15
Things have come to a pretty pass when it takes until mid-November to see my first Lapwing of the year at Girdle Ness. This one was in Greyhope Bay this morning. Maybe the bird that's undergone the most perceptible loss in British avifauna in my lifetime.
#Birds #BIrdingScotland #UKWildlife
A Lapwing is standing on a rock in the foreground, showing its crest and greenish upperparts. In the background are more rocks with waves crashing onto them.
November 16, 2025 at 5:21 PM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
Purple Sandpipers gathering on the rocks at Greyhope Bay, Girdle Ness today, their busy twittering cutting through the rolling surf. Their numbers are building up for the winter but changes in roosting habits make it harder to accurately assess the numbers these days.
#Birds #BirdingScotland
A large group of Purple Sandpipers are dotted about on a dark, rocky outcrop amidst frothy sea.
November 16, 2025 at 4:04 PM
anthrobirder.bsky.social
The young Great Northern Diver is still in Aberdeen Harbour, today ploughing head-first through the waters and pulling out fish.
#Birds #BirdingScotland #UKWildlife
A Great Northern Diver is swimming on dark, rippled water, facing left. A Great Northern Diver is swimming through dark rippled water holding a narrow fish in its bill. A Great Northern Diver is swimming through dark rippled water with its bill submerged beneath the surface as it swims forward. A Great Northern Diver is swimming on dark, rippled water, facing slightly toward us as it swims left.
November 16, 2025 at 3:49 PM