Benjamin Freeman
benjaminfreeman.bsky.social
Benjamin Freeman
@benjaminfreeman.bsky.social
Biologist. Mountain Bird Lab PI. Climate change. Species interactions. Asst Prof @GeorgiaTech. #RapYourAbstract #MountainBirdNetwork
Pinned
How are Pacific NW mountain birds responding to climate change?

I got up at 4:00 am for a month to find out.

but first the backstory, or "how I spent seven years telling everyone this project wasn't possible"

new paper here:
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
I'm hiring a full time fixed-term 1yr lab tech to assist with field and greenhouse projects related to floral evolution and plant reproductive ecology. Please share! Ideal start date early 2026.

jobs.clemson.edu/psc/ps/JOBS/...
November 24, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Cancer remission.
xkcd.com/3172/
Fifteen Years
xkcd.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Colorado brought wolves back for the first time in 80 years, but now a few years into the historic reintroduction, many of them are dead.

Restoring predators is never simple and the real test is just beginning.

@benjij.bsky.social for @vox.com: www.vox.com/climate/4700...
Colorado has wolves again for the first time in 80 years. Why are they dying?
A controversial reintroduction program is off to a messy start.
www.vox.com
November 24, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Short story Sunday:
There once was a California newt heading down a leafy trail 1/??
November 23, 2025 at 8:13 PM
wonderful news!!!
Some personal news: I’m writing a book!

I’ve signed with Holt to write a full-length history of birds and people in America. Birds have always been central to our economy, divisions, culture, and identity. If you want to understand America, you‘ve got to understand its birds.
November 24, 2025 at 3:09 PM
I am older than the term "biodiversity"
November 24, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Writing papers is hard

But, and this is Very important:
Not writing papers is also hard

The frustration & stress that comes from not getting your papers written and published is huge

If you need help with this PLEASE, take a copy of my book from a library, amazon or a friend!
I hope it helps💪
November 24, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
In other fun ornithological news:

Vancouver has a new Professional Women's Hockey League team, named the Goldeneyes!

And yes, they are named after Common Goldeneyes, a favourite of our local wintering birds. 😀

www.thepwhl.com/en/teams/van...
November 22, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
I mean, the title says it all: Genetic confirmation of an “uncommon mourningthroat” (Geothlypis philadelphia  ×  G. trichas): A rare but persistent hybrid warbler. Fun stuff with @kevinfpbennett.bsky.social and Kurt Gielow, OA in @wilsonornithsoc.bsky.social!
🦉 🧪
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
November 21, 2025 at 2:34 PM
a hemispingus walks into the bar...
"Chlorospingus" has to be near the top of the list when it comes to humiliating bird names
November 20, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
I want someone to make a Merlin app but it's just Mark Catesby's descriptions of birds from 1732.

"This Bird, by its ungrateful brawling Noise, seems at Variance and displeased with all others" is a great field mark
November 20, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
We are recruiting field technicians to contribute to a field study of adaptation to climate in Chamaecrista fasciculata in Raleigh/Chapel Hill, NC. My collaborators at UGA will soon post similar positions in Ithaca, NY and Archbold Biological Station, FL. Please share jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/225...
Temporary Plant Evolutionary Ecology Field Technician
The Sheth plant evolutionary ecology lab in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC) is currently seeking field technician to participate in an NS...
jobs.ncsu.edu
November 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Take three minutes to look at pretty birds, explore radar data, and see how we connect the structure of skies to MacArthur's ideas of niche partitioning. 📡🐦☁️🎧
November 20, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
🚨Job opportunity🚨

We are hiring a 3yr research technician. If you love fieldwork, are passionate about forests & mountains, and want to up-skill in remote sensing, sensor networks and running field experiments this could be the dream job for you!
🧪🌳⛰️🛰️🌡️🍄

www.bristol.ac.uk/jobs/find/de...
Details | Working at Bristol | University of Bristol
www.bristol.ac.uk
November 14, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Look at that adorable deer mouse with the Rocky Mountains in the background. Nice job @jpvelotta.bsky.social and team on nabbing the image! #fieldwins
Read the latest issue of Evolution: academic.oup.com/evolut/issue...
November 20, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Super excited for this project and grateful to the John Templeton Foundation for support!
Congrats to @wcratcliff.bsky.social, who received a grant from @templetonfdn.bsky.social. The grant will enable Ratcliff to continue groundbreaking research into the origins of multicellular life. b.gatech.edu/4oPhHSh
November 19, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Anyone looking for a Australia-based postdoc? Like animal behaviour / coding / birds? My fantastic collaborator, Iliana Medina, is advertising a position researching bird nests:

unimelb.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/UoM_Ex...
Research Fellow in Behaviour and Ecology
Role type: Full Time; Fixed Term for 2 years Faculty: Faculty of Science Department/ School: School of Biosciences Salary: Level A: $87,266 - $118,416 (PhD Entry Level - $110,319) plus 17% super Colla...
unimelb.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Why did I only just find out that that there are water striders that live IN (ON!!) THE OPEN OCEAN? 🧪

OCEAN STRIDERS!!
Why did only one genus of insects, Halobates, take to the high seas?
Oceans cover over 70% of the earth’s surface and house a dizzying array of organisms, including five species of the peppercorn-sized ocean-skater Halobates, which live exclusively at the ocean surface...
journals.plos.org
November 19, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Thanks for this contribution to "Ecology"!👏
How are Pacific NW mountain birds responding to climate change?

I got up at 4:00 am for a month to find out.

but first the backstory, or "how I spent seven years telling everyone this project wasn't possible"

new paper here:
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
November 18, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Indeed! This is what PEEER @peeer.bsky.social promotes and the reason for creating @biogeographyjfab.bsky.social for a more ethical and equitable publishing environment for the #Biogeography community.

Stay tuned for the lunch of Biogeography in early 20206! biog.journals.sup.org/index.php/bi...
November 17, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Join us! 🧬🪰🎉🔬

We are currently advertising two #PhD projects to study the #evolution, #development and #genomics of sexual traits in stalk-eyed flies.

Deadline for applying is Wednesday, January 7, 2026. Get in touch for more info!
November 17, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
Reposted by Benjamin Freeman
One of the highlights of a short trip to Yunnan last week – the Spot-breasted Parrotbill: an icon for functional morphologists, an insectivore with the 'wrong' beak (stubby like a seed-eater) which nonetheless makes ecophysical sense because it uses bite-force to snip through grass/bamboo stems
November 14, 2025 at 6:38 PM