Check out our new paper in eLife - the journal where we simulate behavioural spread using different social learning rules on empirical great tit social networks! Ben Sheldon Josh Firth doi.org/10.7554/eLife.…

The most socially connected individuals aren’t always the first to acquire new behaviours! New paper in eLife - the journal led by Kristina Beck w/ Ben Sheldon uses Wytham Tit Study networks to examine how different contagions may operate in real systems. Paper here elifesciences.org/articles/85703

Copying others is key in social learning - but being sociable doesn't necessarily mean picking up new behaviours more quickly New research from Kristina Beck Josh Firth Ben Sheldon on the 'complex contagion' of social learning 👉 bit.ly/3oZafKj

Nice surprise to see Journal of Animal Ecology's research highlight by Keith Bowers on our work on age-assortative mating. Really great summary of our main findings & puts them into the wider context. Also includes some beautiful graphs I wish I made! Ben Sheldon Ella Cole Josh Firth

Just like Blue Tits… and also very unlike!

Seeing a lot of social media commentary just now about low levels of invertebrates impacting survival of nestling Blue & Great Tits. In the midst of peak brood-ringing so will update when data in, but our impression from Wytham Woods is of high survival & well-timed reproduction

Another field season in Wytham Woods draws to a close - still seeing high nestling survival, very little asynchrony in broods & caterpillar abundance still high. The traditional field team photograph - it would be impossible to do this work without this fantastic team!

Two well funded PhDs on sustainable arable farming in the context of suppliers to Irish Distillers #sustainable IEA Yvonne Buckley UCC Ireland Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UCC Teagasc

Fun to share this synthesis of the work on the social behaviour of Wytham Tits - a great 缝 meeting here in Lund

Social birds are adventurous feeders. Keith Mc Mahon Josh Firth @LewisSpurgin found that great tits with more social connections have higher propensity to use novel foods compared to socially-peripheral individuals (unrelated to neophobia, observations, & demographic factors).

We are rather jealous of our Hungarian cousins...

We'll soon be advertising a post to join my group in early 2024 - please get in touch if interested (see details below) & share with anyone else who might be!

We're recruiting! We are looking for both birdy & more general ecology field assistants to come and work in Wytham Woods for 9-12 weeks this spring (see details below). Closing date for applications 9th Feb. Please share with anyone who might be interested!

The piece of field clothing that everyone is wearing this winter!

We’re now advertising a 2-year RA post working on the Wytham Tit Project. Deadline 5th Feb - apply here: my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecruit…

Up now at the The Royal Society Age & Sociality conference we have Joe Woodman speaking about population age structure and social ecology using the Wytham Tit Study as a model system

Fussy eaters have fewer friends 🐦 New paper experimentally testing how sociality shapes dietary decisions in wild birds: cell.com/iscience/fullt… Press release: ox.ac.uk/news/2024-04-0…

Social birds are more adventurous with their food🐦 A new study led by Oxford Biology researchers in Wytham Woods has found that birds that are more social are more likely to use novel sources of food. 👇 bit.ly/4aoGBkc

Found in Wytham Woods - one of the most researched areas of land in the world. Uni-owned and home to extensive studies by the ECI. The great tits in this Oxford wood are adapting their breeding times as climate changes – here’s how theconversation.com/the-great-tits…