Jørgen Søraker
@jorgensoraker.bsky.social
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
This week's seminar - last of this term - is our annual Christmas Seminar. We're welcoming Prof Tim Birkhead back to where he studied as a DPhil student ~50 years ago (can you can spot him in this 1978 photo?) Tim will be talking about "Sperm to Egg: Making a Biologist" - 3pm LT1 in the LaMB
December 9, 2025 at 8:16 AM
This week's seminar - last of this term - is our annual Christmas Seminar. We're welcoming Prof Tim Birkhead back to where he studied as a DPhil student ~50 years ago (can you can spot him in this 1978 photo?) Tim will be talking about "Sperm to Egg: Making a Biologist" - 3pm LT1 in the LaMB
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
This week’s EGI seminar will be given by @peterkorsten.bsky.social from Aberystwyth on the ecology of behavioural variation in the wild at 3.30pm Friday 5 Dec - LT1 in @biology.ox.ac.uk. All welcome & live-streamed: see joining details below.
December 2, 2025 at 5:01 PM
This week’s EGI seminar will be given by @peterkorsten.bsky.social from Aberystwyth on the ecology of behavioural variation in the wild at 3.30pm Friday 5 Dec - LT1 in @biology.ox.ac.uk. All welcome & live-streamed: see joining details below.
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
NEW PAPER: Introduced house sparrows showed more numerous, larger, and more variable DNA-methylation changes after simulated infection than native birds, suggesting distinct epigenetic responses that may aid introduction success.
➡️ vist.ly/4eq4a
#ornithology #birds #plasticity #stress 🪶
➡️ vist.ly/4eq4a
#ornithology #birds #plasticity #stress 🪶
November 16, 2025 at 2:04 PM
NEW PAPER: Introduced house sparrows showed more numerous, larger, and more variable DNA-methylation changes after simulated infection than native birds, suggesting distinct epigenetic responses that may aid introduction success.
➡️ vist.ly/4eq4a
#ornithology #birds #plasticity #stress 🪶
➡️ vist.ly/4eq4a
#ornithology #birds #plasticity #stress 🪶
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
Just a reminder of today’s @egioxford.bsky.social seminar - all welcome
This week’s seminar will be given by Prof Daniel Field of @zoologymuseum.bsky.social & @cambridge-earthsci.bsky.social on the origins of modern birds. 3.30pm Friday 28 Nov in LT1 in the Life & Mind Building @biology.ox.ac.uk - all welcome & see below for live streaming joining information
November 28, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Just a reminder of today’s @egioxford.bsky.social seminar - all welcome
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
This week’s seminar will be given by Prof Daniel Field of @zoologymuseum.bsky.social & @cambridge-earthsci.bsky.social on the origins of modern birds. 3.30pm Friday 28 Nov in LT1 in the Life & Mind Building @biology.ox.ac.uk - all welcome & see below for live streaming joining information
November 24, 2025 at 9:20 AM
This week’s seminar will be given by Prof Daniel Field of @zoologymuseum.bsky.social & @cambridge-earthsci.bsky.social on the origins of modern birds. 3.30pm Friday 28 Nov in LT1 in the Life & Mind Building @biology.ox.ac.uk - all welcome & see below for live streaming joining information
Remember this talk tomorrow! Contact us for link
This week's EGI seminar is being given by Dr Maria Moiron @mmoiron.bsky.social of the University of Bielefeld at 3.30pm on Friday 21 Nov in LT1 in the Life & Mind Building @biology.ox.ac.uk. See below for online joining details - all welcome!
November 20, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Remember this talk tomorrow! Contact us for link
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
This week's EGI seminar is being given by Dr Maria Moiron @mmoiron.bsky.social of the University of Bielefeld at 3.30pm on Friday 21 Nov in LT1 in the Life & Mind Building @biology.ox.ac.uk. See below for online joining details - all welcome!
November 17, 2025 at 9:11 AM
This week's EGI seminar is being given by Dr Maria Moiron @mmoiron.bsky.social of the University of Bielefeld at 3.30pm on Friday 21 Nov in LT1 in the Life & Mind Building @biology.ox.ac.uk. See below for online joining details - all welcome!
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
🎄🎄🎄 Delighted to announce that this year's EGI Christmas Seminar will be given by Prof Tim Birkhead at 3pm on Friday 12 December - in LT1 in the Life & Mind Building in @biology.ox.ac.uk 🎄🎄🎄
November 11, 2025 at 7:14 PM
🎄🎄🎄 Delighted to announce that this year's EGI Christmas Seminar will be given by Prof Tim Birkhead at 3pm on Friday 12 December - in LT1 in the Life & Mind Building in @biology.ox.ac.uk 🎄🎄🎄
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
Welcome to this week's EGI seminar in @biology.ox.ac.uk when Prof Craig White @craig-white.bsky.social from @monashbiol.bsky.social will talk on The Evolution of Metabolic Rate and Life History: 3.30pm Fri 14 Nov in Lecture Theatre 2 in the Life & Mind Building. Also live-streamed: instructions ⬇️
November 10, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Welcome to this week's EGI seminar in @biology.ox.ac.uk when Prof Craig White @craig-white.bsky.social from @monashbiol.bsky.social will talk on The Evolution of Metabolic Rate and Life History: 3.30pm Fri 14 Nov in Lecture Theatre 2 in the Life & Mind Building. Also live-streamed: instructions ⬇️
Did you miss the EGI-seminar by Alex Thornton a couple of weeks ago? Don’t worry, we got you covered!
m.youtube.com/watch?v=GXEa...
m.youtube.com/watch?v=GXEa...
Alex Thornton- Building Social Worlds: how minds shape societies and societies shape minds
YouTube video by EGI Oxford
m.youtube.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Did you miss the EGI-seminar by Alex Thornton a couple of weeks ago? Don’t worry, we got you covered!
m.youtube.com/watch?v=GXEa...
m.youtube.com/watch?v=GXEa...
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
We're all looking forward to this week's seminar, being given by Kristen Ruegg from Colorado State University on the power of avian landscape genomics in the Genoscape Project. Seminar at 3.30pm on Friday 7 Nov in Lecture Theatre 1 in LaMB. Welcome in person or to join online - details ⬇️
November 3, 2025 at 10:37 AM
We're all looking forward to this week's seminar, being given by Kristen Ruegg from Colorado State University on the power of avian landscape genomics in the Genoscape Project. Seminar at 3.30pm on Friday 7 Nov in Lecture Theatre 1 in LaMB. Welcome in person or to join online - details ⬇️
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
Reminder of today’s seminar at 1530 - actually will be in Lecture Theatre 1 - come along!!
Now that we're properly moved in & set up in the new Life & Mind Building, we're pleased to restart our tradition of Friday afternoon seminar speakers, kicking off with Alex Thornton of @cornishjackdaws.bsky.social at 3.30pm on 31 Oct. Also live streamed: see below for details. Corvid-themed for 🎃
October 31, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Reminder of today’s seminar at 1530 - actually will be in Lecture Theatre 1 - come along!!
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
Now that we're properly moved in & set up in the new Life & Mind Building, we're pleased to restart our tradition of Friday afternoon seminar speakers, kicking off with Alex Thornton of @cornishjackdaws.bsky.social at 3.30pm on 31 Oct. Also live streamed: see below for details. Corvid-themed for 🎃
October 27, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Now that we're properly moved in & set up in the new Life & Mind Building, we're pleased to restart our tradition of Friday afternoon seminar speakers, kicking off with Alex Thornton of @cornishjackdaws.bsky.social at 3.30pm on 31 Oct. Also live streamed: see below for details. Corvid-themed for 🎃
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
Interested in a PhD in ornithology? Funding available for projects at the interface of ecology, behaviour & evolution from Oct '26 working on long-term population studies of tits at Wytham, based in @biology.ox.ac.uk in the new Life & Mind Building in Oxford
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
October 20, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Interested in a PhD in ornithology? Funding available for projects at the interface of ecology, behaviour & evolution from Oct '26 working on long-term population studies of tits at Wytham, based in @biology.ox.ac.uk in the new Life & Mind Building in Oxford
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Agreed! Creds to the organizers for a wonderful conference!
We had a fabulous time at the 10th Hole-nesting Birds meeting in Oloumouc, Czechia this week with six members of the group attending hnbirds2025.bsky.social
September 12, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Agreed! Creds to the organizers for a wonderful conference!
During house sparrow fieldwork this week at Helgeland, Northern Norway, we also managed to read the ring number of this common tern. Ringed as juvenile bird at Seal Sands, Teesmouth in August 2016, 1509 km away. Busy carrying fish back to the local colony.
August 10, 2025 at 9:59 AM
During house sparrow fieldwork this week at Helgeland, Northern Norway, we also managed to read the ring number of this common tern. Ringed as juvenile bird at Seal Sands, Teesmouth in August 2016, 1509 km away. Busy carrying fish back to the local colony.
Last fledge check of the season home in Norway today. Very low production this year, with most of the early broods failing. However, rather high density, with eggs in 137/186 boxes. Distribution:
Great tit 76
Blue tit 24
Pied flycatcher 27 (record high)
Coal tit 7
Nuthatch 2
Marsh tit 1
Great tit 76
Blue tit 24
Pied flycatcher 27 (record high)
Coal tit 7
Nuthatch 2
Marsh tit 1
July 19, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Last fledge check of the season home in Norway today. Very low production this year, with most of the early broods failing. However, rather high density, with eggs in 137/186 boxes. Distribution:
Great tit 76
Blue tit 24
Pied flycatcher 27 (record high)
Coal tit 7
Nuthatch 2
Marsh tit 1
Great tit 76
Blue tit 24
Pied flycatcher 27 (record high)
Coal tit 7
Nuthatch 2
Marsh tit 1
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
Interested in Postdoc Research here in Oxford? Many projects possible using long-term population studies of birds, field & lab experiments with insect consumers, phenology of trees all in Wytham woods & based in new Biology building
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-p...
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-p...
June 16, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Interested in Postdoc Research here in Oxford? Many projects possible using long-term population studies of birds, field & lab experiments with insect consumers, phenology of trees all in Wytham woods & based in new Biology building
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-p...
marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/calls/msca-p...
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
Now that the field season is coming to an end (first day off since late April, I decided to compile some stats of what I have done during the last month.
To check the 208 (reduced a bit in mid-May), I have walked a total of 446km with an accumulated elevation gain of 9431m!
To check the 208 (reduced a bit in mid-May), I have walked a total of 446km with an accumulated elevation gain of 9431m!
May 26, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Now that the field season is coming to an end (first day off since late April, I decided to compile some stats of what I have done during the last month.
To check the 208 (reduced a bit in mid-May), I have walked a total of 446km with an accumulated elevation gain of 9431m!
To check the 208 (reduced a bit in mid-May), I have walked a total of 446km with an accumulated elevation gain of 9431m!
New paper out🚨 Yimen Araya-Ajoy led this investigation on the impact of environmental and demographic stochasticity on (fluctuations in) growth rates in house sparrows. Also show how evolutionary change in body mass is driven more by drift than selection!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Assessing the 'Small Population' Paradigm: The Effects of Stochasticity on Evolutionary Change and Population Growth in a Bird Metapopulation
Habitat loss is resulting in smaller and more fragmented populations, increasing their susceptibility to stochasticity. We examined the effects of stochasticity on population growth and body mass ove...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
April 4, 2025 at 3:45 PM
New paper out🚨 Yimen Araya-Ajoy led this investigation on the impact of environmental and demographic stochasticity on (fluctuations in) growth rates in house sparrows. Also show how evolutionary change in body mass is driven more by drift than selection!
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
The first eggs have been laid in this, the 79th year of data collection in the Wytham Tit Project! First Blue Tit egg laid 2 April, first Great Tit 3 April. Looks like an early spring, with first oak leaves out, though the observed first egg dates fit the long-term pattern well
wythamtits.com#intro
wythamtits.com#intro
April 3, 2025 at 9:11 PM
The first eggs have been laid in this, the 79th year of data collection in the Wytham Tit Project! First Blue Tit egg laid 2 April, first Great Tit 3 April. Looks like an early spring, with first oak leaves out, though the observed first egg dates fit the long-term pattern well
wythamtits.com#intro
wythamtits.com#intro
The first great tit (and blue tit) egg in my round for the season! Marley Plantation early as always🥚
April 3, 2025 at 12:39 PM
The first great tit (and blue tit) egg in my round for the season! Marley Plantation early as always🥚
Todays nest-box round revealed some nests close to completion. Not many had started building tho. Yet! Also produced a less fancy Strava-map than @davididiaquez.bsky.social, but still looks cool from above!
March 25, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Todays nest-box round revealed some nests close to completion. Not many had started building tho. Yet! Also produced a less fancy Strava-map than @davididiaquez.bsky.social, but still looks cool from above!
Wonderful last couple of days at @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social! Med gulls, sandwich terns, black redstart, purple sandpipers, little owls, avocets, ring ouzels, lots of newly arrived migrants and more! All this in wonderful EGI company
March 21, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Wonderful last couple of days at @portlandbirdobs.bsky.social! Med gulls, sandwich terns, black redstart, purple sandpipers, little owls, avocets, ring ouzels, lots of newly arrived migrants and more! All this in wonderful EGI company
Reposted by Jørgen Søraker
Delighted to be hosting Prof Andy Dobson @andy2dobson.bsky.social for an EGI Seminar next week (Fri 14 March) on "The Eye of the Finch: Ecology and Evolution of an Emerging Avian Pathogen" All welcome at 3.30pm, Seminar Room in @biology.ox.ac.uk Mansfield Road
March 4, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Delighted to be hosting Prof Andy Dobson @andy2dobson.bsky.social for an EGI Seminar next week (Fri 14 March) on "The Eye of the Finch: Ecology and Evolution of an Emerging Avian Pathogen" All welcome at 3.30pm, Seminar Room in @biology.ox.ac.uk Mansfield Road