Mark Gurney
@markgurn.bsky.social
I’m here for birds, insects, plants, and kind people. 🏳️🌈 he/him
Reposted by Mark Gurney
🦢 What a swan’s 570km U-turn could tell us about water, wetlands, and a changing climate.... www.linkedin.com/posts/kane-b...
November 5, 2025 at 9:03 PM
🦢 What a swan’s 570km U-turn could tell us about water, wetlands, and a changing climate.... www.linkedin.com/posts/kane-b...
Reposted by Mark Gurney
Might be good for plant spp. richness, but I'm not sure mowing field margins every 6 weeks in spring & summer is going to be helpful for other farmland biodiversity. Seems a perfect way to repeatedly destroy every breeding attempt of ground-nesting birds, small mammals or butterflies that use them.
Semi-natural habitats are key for farmland biodiversity but their quality is often low due to high exposure to fertilizers 🌾🧪
A new study shows that more frequent cutting can create diverse vegetation even in highly productive habitats ✂️🌏
🔗 doi.org/10.1111/1365...
A new study shows that more frequent cutting can create diverse vegetation even in highly productive habitats ✂️🌏
🔗 doi.org/10.1111/1365...
doi.org
November 5, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Might be good for plant spp. richness, but I'm not sure mowing field margins every 6 weeks in spring & summer is going to be helpful for other farmland biodiversity. Seems a perfect way to repeatedly destroy every breeding attempt of ground-nesting birds, small mammals or butterflies that use them.
Exciting news: we have a new British flea weevil.
Less exciting news: it is a Rhamphus.
I still don't understand how to tell them all apart.
Even so, this is a very useful paper:
www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16...
Six new Palaearctic species and a review of diagnostic characters. #coleoptera
Less exciting news: it is a Rhamphus.
I still don't understand how to tell them all apart.
Even so, this is a very useful paper:
www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16...
Six new Palaearctic species and a review of diagnostic characters. #coleoptera
November 3, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Exciting news: we have a new British flea weevil.
Less exciting news: it is a Rhamphus.
I still don't understand how to tell them all apart.
Even so, this is a very useful paper:
www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16...
Six new Palaearctic species and a review of diagnostic characters. #coleoptera
Less exciting news: it is a Rhamphus.
I still don't understand how to tell them all apart.
Even so, this is a very useful paper:
www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/16...
Six new Palaearctic species and a review of diagnostic characters. #coleoptera
Reposted by Mark Gurney
Large citizen science datasets are powerful tools for biodiversity science, but they may have biases. Nice new paper from @louisbackstrom.bsky.social et al. showing that for eBird and Birdtrack lists there is a tendency for rare species to be over-represented
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
October 13, 2025 at 10:54 PM
Large citizen science datasets are powerful tools for biodiversity science, but they may have biases. Nice new paper from @louisbackstrom.bsky.social et al. showing that for eBird and Birdtrack lists there is a tendency for rare species to be over-represented
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
Reposted by Mark Gurney
One for the occasional series of #ornithology papers you need in your life but might not have read - Common/Spotted Sandpiper flight style as an antipredator behaviour.
academic.oup.com/auk/article-...
academic.oup.com/auk/article-...
October 6, 2025 at 12:09 PM
One for the occasional series of #ornithology papers you need in your life but might not have read - Common/Spotted Sandpiper flight style as an antipredator behaviour.
academic.oup.com/auk/article-...
academic.oup.com/auk/article-...
Reposted by Mark Gurney
Solanum revealed 2 species: nigrum & nitidibaccatum, Black & Green Nightshade. Apart from the obvious berry colour, it always remained possible that Green Nightshade could have been unripe berries.
Green= sepal lobes expand as the berries mature
Black= stays the same
Green= sepal lobes expand as the berries mature
Black= stays the same
September 27, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Solanum revealed 2 species: nigrum & nitidibaccatum, Black & Green Nightshade. Apart from the obvious berry colour, it always remained possible that Green Nightshade could have been unripe berries.
Green= sepal lobes expand as the berries mature
Black= stays the same
Green= sepal lobes expand as the berries mature
Black= stays the same
Reposted by Mark Gurney
Can species reintroductions harm biodiversity rather than help it? Are we using reintroductions as a distraction from the real drivers of our nature crisis? Listen to my conversation with the one and only @alexanderlees.bsky.social 🌍🦤🧪🪶
➡️ pod.fo/e/32fae6
➡️ pod.fo/e/32fae6
September 23, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Can species reintroductions harm biodiversity rather than help it? Are we using reintroductions as a distraction from the real drivers of our nature crisis? Listen to my conversation with the one and only @alexanderlees.bsky.social 🌍🦤🧪🪶
➡️ pod.fo/e/32fae6
➡️ pod.fo/e/32fae6
Reposted by Mark Gurney
An Intergeneric Hybrid Between Historically Isolated Temperate and Tropical Jays Following Recent Range Expansion | doi.org/10.1002/ece3... | Ecology and Evolution | #ornithology 🪶
September 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM
An Intergeneric Hybrid Between Historically Isolated Temperate and Tropical Jays Following Recent Range Expansion | doi.org/10.1002/ece3... | Ecology and Evolution | #ornithology 🪶
Reposted by Mark Gurney
How to find Mogulones crucifer:
The weevil is native to Europe/West Asia, but has been introduced to North America to control its host (Cynoglossum officinale; Hound's Tongue) which is invasive there.
The weevil is native to Europe/West Asia, but has been introduced to North America to control its host (Cynoglossum officinale; Hound's Tongue) which is invasive there.
May 16, 2025 at 1:01 PM
How to find Mogulones crucifer:
The weevil is native to Europe/West Asia, but has been introduced to North America to control its host (Cynoglossum officinale; Hound's Tongue) which is invasive there.
The weevil is native to Europe/West Asia, but has been introduced to North America to control its host (Cynoglossum officinale; Hound's Tongue) which is invasive there.
Reposted by Mark Gurney
Crazy discovery in ants 🤯🐜
One mother for two species via obligate cross-species cloning in ants | Nature
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
"Males from the same mother exhibit distinct genomes and morphologies, as they belong to species that diverged over 5 million years ago."
One mother for two species via obligate cross-species cloning in ants | Nature
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
"Males from the same mother exhibit distinct genomes and morphologies, as they belong to species that diverged over 5 million years ago."
One mother for two species via obligate cross-species cloning in ants - Nature
In a case of obligate cross-species cloning, female ants of Messor ibericus need to clone males of Messor structor to obtain sperm for producing the worker caste, resulting in males from the same moth...
www.nature.com
September 4, 2025 at 6:50 AM
Crazy discovery in ants 🤯🐜
One mother for two species via obligate cross-species cloning in ants | Nature
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
"Males from the same mother exhibit distinct genomes and morphologies, as they belong to species that diverged over 5 million years ago."
One mother for two species via obligate cross-species cloning in ants | Nature
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
"Males from the same mother exhibit distinct genomes and morphologies, as they belong to species that diverged over 5 million years ago."
If you want to identify, well, anything, I recommend this post from @weevil-see.bsky.social. His choice of weevils to illustrate it is of course excellent, but it applies to everything from mushrooms to marsupials. This is how you can be a good identifier of things.
[Link contains spider]
[Link contains spider]
I started a blog and my first post is online!
The posts will try to explore topics which are not typically covered by introductory literature and textbooks, e.g. because they are considered to be "too basic". Let me know what you think!
weevil-see.github.io/taxonomy/Ide...
The posts will try to explore topics which are not typically covered by introductory literature and textbooks, e.g. because they are considered to be "too basic". Let me know what you think!
weevil-see.github.io/taxonomy/Ide...
Species Identifications: Common Pitfalls
Some thoughts about Identifications. How do we identify properly? How do we avoid mistakes?
weevil-see.github.io
September 2, 2025 at 7:10 PM
If you want to identify, well, anything, I recommend this post from @weevil-see.bsky.social. His choice of weevils to illustrate it is of course excellent, but it applies to everything from mushrooms to marsupials. This is how you can be a good identifier of things.
[Link contains spider]
[Link contains spider]
Top film. The smartest look at this subject I've ever seen. Also funny and sweary.
youtu.be/zl-wAqplQAo?...
youtu.be/zl-wAqplQAo?...
LISTERS: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching
YouTube video by owen reiser
youtu.be
August 25, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Top film. The smartest look at this subject I've ever seen. Also funny and sweary.
youtu.be/zl-wAqplQAo?...
youtu.be/zl-wAqplQAo?...
Reposted by Mark Gurney
Thought I'd post something about separating Nysius senecionis and graminicola, as both are now widespread. The features to focus on are the extent of the matt field of the evaporatory area (the brown bit) and the length of the 1st hind tarsal segment relative to the 2nd and 3rd.
August 21, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Thought I'd post something about separating Nysius senecionis and graminicola, as both are now widespread. The features to focus on are the extent of the matt field of the evaporatory area (the brown bit) and the length of the 1st hind tarsal segment relative to the 2nd and 3rd.
Reposted by Mark Gurney
At #EOU2025 @eounion.bsky.social conference next week, we'll show new evidence implicating forestry in declines of British Marsh Tits during the era of woodland conversion in 1950/60s-1980s.
This was period of steepest decline in Marsh Tits. Why? What was going on back then? #ornithology 1/5
This was period of steepest decline in Marsh Tits. Why? What was going on back then? #ornithology 1/5
August 16, 2025 at 10:42 AM
At #EOU2025 @eounion.bsky.social conference next week, we'll show new evidence implicating forestry in declines of British Marsh Tits during the era of woodland conversion in 1950/60s-1980s.
This was period of steepest decline in Marsh Tits. Why? What was going on back then? #ornithology 1/5
This was period of steepest decline in Marsh Tits. Why? What was going on back then? #ornithology 1/5
Reposted by Mark Gurney
We just published a new issue of #BritishandIrishBotany, our Open Access online journal.
7 papers for you to enjoy inc Lady's-slipper orchid reintroductions; variation in Restharrows; a new Comfrey hybrid for UK; montane plants; sea-grapes new to Europe!
bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2025/08/brit...
7 papers for you to enjoy inc Lady's-slipper orchid reintroductions; variation in Restharrows; a new Comfrey hybrid for UK; montane plants; sea-grapes new to Europe!
bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2025/08/brit...
August 14, 2025 at 9:06 PM
We just published a new issue of #BritishandIrishBotany, our Open Access online journal.
7 papers for you to enjoy inc Lady's-slipper orchid reintroductions; variation in Restharrows; a new Comfrey hybrid for UK; montane plants; sea-grapes new to Europe!
bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2025/08/brit...
7 papers for you to enjoy inc Lady's-slipper orchid reintroductions; variation in Restharrows; a new Comfrey hybrid for UK; montane plants; sea-grapes new to Europe!
bsbipublicity.blogspot.com/2025/08/brit...
Reposted by Mark Gurney
NEW! The latest UKCEH Land Cover Map, describing the UK land surface in 2024, is now available 🏞️ 🌳
See what broad habitats—ranging from broadleaved woodland and arable land to freshwater and urban areas— there are and where in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
#LandCover #LCM
🧵🧪 1/
See what broad habitats—ranging from broadleaved woodland and arable land to freshwater and urban areas— there are and where in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
#LandCover #LCM
🧵🧪 1/
August 1, 2025 at 9:54 AM
NEW! The latest UKCEH Land Cover Map, describing the UK land surface in 2024, is now available 🏞️ 🌳
See what broad habitats—ranging from broadleaved woodland and arable land to freshwater and urban areas— there are and where in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
#LandCover #LCM
🧵🧪 1/
See what broad habitats—ranging from broadleaved woodland and arable land to freshwater and urban areas— there are and where in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
#LandCover #LCM
🧵🧪 1/
Reposted by Mark Gurney
Also, white stork is doing very well on the continent (partly due to reintroductions), see fe breeding trend in the Netherlands ((c) @sovonvogels.bsky.social ). No doubt this population outbreak will spread to the UK. Better to use limited funding for conservation to species that really need it.
August 5, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Also, white stork is doing very well on the continent (partly due to reintroductions), see fe breeding trend in the Netherlands ((c) @sovonvogels.bsky.social ). No doubt this population outbreak will spread to the UK. Better to use limited funding for conservation to species that really need it.
Reposted by Mark Gurney
Most weevils have a snout, elbowed antennae & a heart-shaped foot—making them easy to recognise (with a few exceptions). 🪲
Learn more for free with @markgurn.bsky.social:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1491232379...
#Weevils 🧪
@amentsoc.bsky.social @britentsoc.bsky.social @royentsoc.bsky.social
Learn more for free with @markgurn.bsky.social:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1491232379...
#Weevils 🧪
@amentsoc.bsky.social @britentsoc.bsky.social @royentsoc.bsky.social
July 25, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Most weevils have a snout, elbowed antennae & a heart-shaped foot—making them easy to recognise (with a few exceptions). 🪲
Learn more for free with @markgurn.bsky.social:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1491232379...
#Weevils 🧪
@amentsoc.bsky.social @britentsoc.bsky.social @royentsoc.bsky.social
Learn more for free with @markgurn.bsky.social:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1491232379...
#Weevils 🧪
@amentsoc.bsky.social @britentsoc.bsky.social @royentsoc.bsky.social
Reposted by Mark Gurney
How do broomrapes find their hosts? How can they specialise on different hosts? Enter the astonishing world of strigolactones
. youtu.be/mUp9n_RW2eg?...
. youtu.be/mUp9n_RW2eg?...
Host-specific broomrapes: the role of strigolactone cocktails
YouTube video by Bill Sutherland's Conservation Concepts
youtu.be
July 14, 2025 at 6:46 AM
How do broomrapes find their hosts? How can they specialise on different hosts? Enter the astonishing world of strigolactones
. youtu.be/mUp9n_RW2eg?...
. youtu.be/mUp9n_RW2eg?...
Reposted by Mark Gurney
Absolutely incredible turnout for Budapest Pride! So proud of all the organizers, including some old friends, who estimate hundreds of thousands— major embarrassment to Orban
June 28, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Absolutely incredible turnout for Budapest Pride! So proud of all the organizers, including some old friends, who estimate hundreds of thousands— major embarrassment to Orban
Reposted by Mark Gurney
The BMS's Field Mycology journal is now available to all on a new, open access online platform. Find out more, and visit the journal website to read the latest articles and access back issues here: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/fm-journal.h...
June 12, 2025 at 1:27 PM
The BMS's Field Mycology journal is now available to all on a new, open access online platform. Find out more, and visit the journal website to read the latest articles and access back issues here: www.britmycolsoc.org.uk/fm-journal.h...
Reposted by Mark Gurney
A monumental taxonomy unification effort has just been published - thanks to all those who've collaborated for years to make this happen!
birdsoftheworld.org/bow/news/avi...
birdsoftheworld.org/bow/news/avi...
Birds of the World - AviList: A Unified Global Checklist of the World’s Birds is Now Available
AviList, a unified global checklist of birds, that provides the most current and authoritative taxonomy of birds around the world was released today by experts in taxonomy, nomenclature, and bioinform...
birdsoftheworld.org
June 11, 2025 at 4:53 PM
A monumental taxonomy unification effort has just been published - thanks to all those who've collaborated for years to make this happen!
birdsoftheworld.org/bow/news/avi...
birdsoftheworld.org/bow/news/avi...
Reposted by Mark Gurney
Has the Nechisar Nightjar Mystery Been Solved?
A fascinating summary on the identity of the mysterious single wing found in Ethiopia in 1990.
www.aba.org/has-the-nech...
#birds #birding #ornithology @aba.org
A fascinating summary on the identity of the mysterious single wing found in Ethiopia in 1990.
www.aba.org/has-the-nech...
#birds #birding #ornithology @aba.org
Has the Nechisar Nightjar Mystery Been Solved? - American Birding Association
The authors of a new study believe they have solved one of the world’s great rare bird mysteries: the case of the Nechisar Nightjar, Caprimulgus solala.
www.aba.org
May 19, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Has the Nechisar Nightjar Mystery Been Solved?
A fascinating summary on the identity of the mysterious single wing found in Ethiopia in 1990.
www.aba.org/has-the-nech...
#birds #birding #ornithology @aba.org
A fascinating summary on the identity of the mysterious single wing found in Ethiopia in 1990.
www.aba.org/has-the-nech...
#birds #birding #ornithology @aba.org
Reposted by Mark Gurney
We trained 10 large language models with 6 retrieval strategies then compared all of these with our experts with access to literature. Well-trained LLMs won! General LLMs without extra training are likely to perform poorly and misinform decision-makers
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
Careful design of Large Language Model pipelines enables expert-level retrieval of evidence-based information from syntheses and databases
Wise use of evidence to support efficient conservation action is key to tackling biodiversity loss with limited time and resources. Evidence syntheses provide key recommendations for conservation deci...
journals.plos.org
May 16, 2025 at 7:10 AM
We trained 10 large language models with 6 retrieval strategies then compared all of these with our experts with access to literature. Well-trained LLMs won! General LLMs without extra training are likely to perform poorly and misinform decision-makers
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...
Reposted by Mark Gurney
Since we are still talking about interactions, I worked with some ecologists a couple of years ago on measurement scale, interactions and interpretation issues. I think some problems arise from failure to distinguish prediction from inference, a chronic problem in ecology imo doi.org/10.1111/brv....
May 13, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Since we are still talking about interactions, I worked with some ecologists a couple of years ago on measurement scale, interactions and interpretation issues. I think some problems arise from failure to distinguish prediction from inference, a chronic problem in ecology imo doi.org/10.1111/brv....