Zed Morgan Benfred

@zedmorgan.bsky.social

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Seabird biologist (environmental endocrinology, behavioral ecology); trail enthusiast; inhaler of fiction.

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Zed Morgan Benfred

"We address these key questions using a database of 5,438 bird species (~50% of extant diversity) and modern phylogenetic comparative methods... Our results indicate that the most likely ancestral state for extant birds is male-only care" !!!??? academic.oup.com/evolut/advan...

Who cares? Elucidating parental care evolution in extant birdsacademic.oup.com Abstract. Extant birds stand out among vertebrates in the diversity of parental care types they present, spanning absence of care to uniparental care by ei

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Know any undergrads potentially interested in studying birds in grad school? Point them toward our free Guide to Graduate Studies in #Ornithology, compiled by volunteers from our Student & Early Professional Committee. wilsonsociety.org/students-and...

Guide to Graduate Studies in Ornithology in the United States and Canadawilsonsociety.org Information for undergraduates about graduate degree programs in ornithology.

@dptbirder.bsky.social

Snoozy pile of PECO larvae. (Pelagic cormorant hatchlings) #seabirds

Pelagic cormorants are slightly under-appreciated #seabirds on Middleton Island, Alaska. They are extra poopy and parasite-laden (the not-actually-joking joke is that when they regurgitate, the puke gets up and crawls away) but are also mesmerizing dinosaurs with stunning blue eyes.

Access to black-legged kittiwakes at the Middleton Island tower is unparalleled. >30 years of research on this banded population of known-history individuals by the Institite of #Seabirds Research and Conservation (ISRC) and still going. Lucky to be here studying kittiwake behavior and physiology.

It’s kittiwake chick season here on Middleton I., and the hatching is fast and furious. At this site they get measured every 5 days to monitor growth. Looking like a banner year so far, but even at this young and adorable age, they engage in brutal attacks on their siblings. #siblicide #seabirds

Solstice sunset (11PM) at the kittiwake tower on Middleton Island, in the Gulf of Alaska. An amazing place for #seabirds and science.

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Zed Morgan Benfred

I am very excited to announce the 4th SIGNAL Graduate Student Workshop: Professional Development & Peer Networking in Animal Behavior. Open to grad students working in any area of animal behavior, broadly defined. Join virtually May 16-17th! Apply here tinyurl.com/mrw567tz Applications due May 3rd

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Happening tomorrow! There’s still time to register for our #SciComm workshop. #PhDSky #AcademicSky #Neuroskyence 🧪

Join us on April 12th at 12PM ET for "Science Communication: Pitching Your Science". #SciComm experts will lead a workshop on how to pitch your science & the psychology of poster visualizations. Register today! 🧪 blackinneuro47.wildapricot.org/event-5629076 #BlackInNeuro #AcademicSky #Neuroscience

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Reply to

Kinsey Brock

🦎🧪 Herpetologically-minded students! The spreadsheet may take a little while to populate, so prospective grad students and postdocs should keep checking back in the coming weeks: docs.google.com/spreadsheets... #academicsky #gradschool #postdoc

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Permanent job in California working on BOBCATS! Advanced degree not required, but does get you better pay. Pay= $4,145.00 - $7,926.00 per Month Unionized state job based in Sacramento Apply by 3/25 calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/...

New paper about #seabirds: PIT tagging doesn't reduce reproductive success in disturbance-sensitive burrow nesting rhinoceros auklets. Lots of how-to! link.springer.com/article/10.1... (and by the way - lead author is looking for a PhD opp) @killerwhelan.bsky.social @movementecology.bsky.social

PIT tagging does not measurably reduce reproductive success in sensitive burrow-nesting seabirds - Marine Biologylink.springer.com Investigator disturbance while monitoring seabirds can result in lower survival rates and breeding success, leaving lasting negative impacts on the population and biasing observations. For example, mo...

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Feel free to message if you have questions about STRI and/or life in Panama!

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Grateful for the ResearchGate recommendations on our body condition article in Oecologia! Hope it's a useful one. link.springer.com/article/10.1... Co-authored by @dhawkshaw.bsky.social and several BlueSky-less others

Inferring condition in wild mammals: body condition indices confer no benefit over measuring body mass across ecological contexts - Oecologialink.springer.com Many studies assume that it is beneficial for individuals of a species to be heavier, or have a higher body condition index (BCI), without accounting for the physiological relevance of variation in th...

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Corticosterone in very young seabird chicks (Rissa tridactyla) is sensitive to environmental variability and responds rapidly and robustly to external challenges https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.02.25.581949v1 www.biorxiv.org In birds, patterns of development of the adrenocortical response to stressors vary among individuals

Black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) chicks are tiny #seabird assassins, engaging in 'facultative siblicide' (the older chick sometimes (but not always) kills the younger). At 5 days old, they have adult-like endocrine (corticosterone) responses to restraint: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Calling philosophers of science, STS scholars, and feminist biologists🚨We are hiring a postdoc! Come join us for 2 years to think about the wide ranging, wild world of sex operationalizations in the laboratory. Review begins Mar 18. www.genderscilab.org/blog/gsl-is-...

The GenderSci Lab is recruiting a Postdoctoral Fellow! — GenderSci Labwww.genderscilab.org We are recruiting for a 2-year postdoctoral associate for an NSF-funded project about operationalizations of sex in laboratory science! We especially welcome applications from philosophers of biolog...

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Zed Morgan Benfred

We have a lab tech position open starting in June. Gain hands-on xp in frog & fly husbandry, genomics, and experimental research. Collab w/ @berkeleyIB @MVZUCB. Get prof development support in a welcoming env! Please RT 🧪🌎🧬 Apply by Mar 15: careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psp/ucb/EMPL...

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Zed Morgan Benfred

We now have a fully funded (3 year) PhD position available in disease ecology (Lyme disease with focus on modeling of ecological interactions and processes influencing disease dynamics). Please help spread to interested applicants! www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...

So my dog just had a nephrectomy (kidney removal) and because I’m a physiology geek I asked the vet for photos and they’re wild. (The tumor/cyst is ~8x larger than the kidney). Is it cool/interesting to post a photo here, or is it impolite to pollute the feed with photos of organs outside the body?

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Very cool #seabird postdoc at Bowdoin College working with Leach's storm petrels on Kent Island! Sounds like the perfect position for someone who wants to do research, teach, and live in #Maine for a bit!!

Doherty Postdoctoral Fellow in Biology and for the Bowdoin Scientific Station on Kent Islandcareers.bowdoin.edu The Biology Department at Bowdoin College and the Bowdoin Scientific Station on Kent Island invite applications for a full-time, benefits-eligible postdoctoral fellow position in the area of seabird a...

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Zed Morgan Benfred

These incredible WPA-era posters from the Pennsylvania Game Commission show how the 30s were an inflection point in how we saw birds. Raptors weren't chicken thieves, they protected grain from pests. Songbirds helped farmers by destroying harmful insects.🪶🗃️ birdhistory.substack.com/p/economic-o...

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Announcing the Animal Behavior Society Career Diversity Travel Award! This is meant to increase conference support for career stages including postdocs, research scientists, lecturers, adjuncts, and non-tenure track faculty. Apply! animalbehaviorsociety.org/web/awards-c...

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Interested in independent postdoctoral research in ecology, behavior, evolution, & allied fields? Princeton EEB is seeking Research Fellows! 🦚🦭🦎🦑🌵🦋🐛🌴🪸 please see link below, repost, and reach out with any Qs!! puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/app...

puwebp.princeton.edu

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Unit Biologist job in N. California. Advanced degree not required, but gets you higher pay. Pay: $4,145.00 - $7,926.00/month Due date has been extended to 2/22/2024. Which means they still don't have great candidates applying. So get your application in. calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/...

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Have you ever dreamed of running a field station, working with scientists, students, and artists? Check out our search for Reserve Director at the UC Berkeley Sagehen Creek Field Station, in the beautiful Tahoe/Truckee area of the Sierra Nevada! Closing date: 3/2/24. tinyurl.com/SagehenCreek

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Are you a student in animal behaviour looking for funding? We have created a list of grants for you! Our microgrants go some way to supporting you personally and we hope that this list helps you to find the rest of what you need: docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Grants & Awards for Animal Behaviour Studentsdocs.google.com Sheet1 Name of the grant:,What type of grant?,Who is eligible?,How much money?,Which organisation?,Link to the grant: ASAB Undergraduate Recognition Award,Award,Undergraduate students,NA,Association ...

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Zed Morgan Benfred

🧪 Reposting now that I know how to use Bluesky. Taking care of ‘business’ during field research isn’t as straightforward as it seems—and not talking about it can be dangerous, especially those already on the margins. My story on the subtle science of peeing in the field: undark.org/2024/01/17/f...

The Unseen Barriers Around Bathroom Breaks in the Fieldundark.org Taboos around toilet care can make fieldwork uncomfortable and even dangerous. Some scientists want that to change.

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Zed Morgan Benfred

Are you doing neuroendocrinology research in a non-rodent species? @sbn-bsky.bsky.social is seeking abstract submissions for talks at this year's annual meeting. Questions email me ([email protected]) or [email protected]