#thegrackleproject — Public Fediverse posts

"Can we take the grackle successes and apply them to threatened species, see if it helps them survive in human-modified environments?"

Cool writeup and video short on #TheGrackleProject and #ManyIndividuals

https://bsky.app/profile/ucsantabarbara.bsky.social/post/3mknhvx47xg2a

"Can we take the grackle successes and apply them to threatened species, see if it helps them survive in human-modified environments?"

Cool writeup and video short on #TheGrackleProject and #ManyIndividuals

https://bsky.app/profile/ucsantabarbara.bsky.social/post/3mknhvx47xg2a

"Can we take the grackle successes and apply them to threatened species, see if it helps them survive in human-modified environments?"

Cool writeup and video short on #TheGrackleProject and #ManyIndividuals

https://bsky.app/profile/ucsantabarbara.bsky.social/post/3mknhvx47xg2a

"Can we take the grackle successes and apply them to threatened species, see if it helps them survive in human-modified environments?"

Cool writeup and video short on #TheGrackleProject and #ManyIndividuals

https://bsky.app/profile/ucsantabarbara.bsky.social/post/3mknhvx47xg2a

"Can we take the grackle successes and apply them to threatened species, see if it helps them survive in human-modified environments?"

Cool writeup and video short on #TheGrackleProject and #ManyIndividuals

https://bsky.app/profile/ucsantabarbara.bsky.social/post/3mknhvx47xg2a

What can a bird that drinks tequila and eats chips and salsa teach us about conservation? #TheGrackleProject and #ManyIndividuals are featured in the press at UCSB!

A huge thank you to Sonia Fernandez and Jessie Ward O'Sullivan for making this happen 🙏

👉 Do you see grackles in your backyard in Santa Barbara, California? If so, please let me know! We are looking for more places to do this research

🎤 Interview: https://news.ucsb.edu/2026/022535/grackle-research-reveals-behavioral-flexibility-and-adaptation-action
🎥 Video: https://youtu.be/imZNHhjGOeY

What can a bird that drinks tequila and eats chips and salsa teach us about conservation? #TheGrackleProject and #ManyIndividuals are featured in the press at UCSB!

A huge thank you to Sonia Fernandez and Jessie Ward O'Sullivan for making this happen 🙏

👉 Do you see grackles in your backyard in Santa Barbara, California? If so, please let me know! We are looking for more places to do this research

🎤 Interview: https://news.ucsb.edu/2026/022535/grackle-research-reveals-behavioral-flexibility-and-adaptation-action
🎥 Video: https://youtu.be/imZNHhjGOeY

What can a bird that drinks tequila and eats chips and salsa teach us about conservation? #TheGrackleProject and #ManyIndividuals are featured in the press at UCSB!

A huge thank you to Sonia Fernandez and Jessie Ward O'Sullivan for making this happen 🙏

👉 Do you see grackles in your backyard in Santa Barbara, California? If so, please let me know! We are looking for more places to do this research

🎤 Interview: https://news.ucsb.edu/2026/022535/grackle-research-reveals-behavioral-flexibility-and-adaptation-action
🎥 Video: https://youtu.be/imZNHhjGOeY

What can a bird that drinks tequila and eats chips and salsa teach us about conservation? #TheGrackleProject and #ManyIndividuals are featured in the press at UCSB!

A huge thank you to Sonia Fernandez and Jessie Ward O'Sullivan for making this happen 🙏

👉 Do you see grackles in your backyard in Santa Barbara, California? If so, please let me know! We are looking for more places to do this research

🎤 Interview: https://news.ucsb.edu/2026/022535/grackle-research-reveals-behavioral-flexibility-and-adaptation-action
🎥 Video: https://youtu.be/imZNHhjGOeY

What can a bird that drinks tequila and eats chips and salsa teach us about conservation? #TheGrackleProject and #ManyIndividuals are featured in the press at UCSB!

A huge thank you to Sonia Fernandez and Jessie Ward O'Sullivan for making this happen 🙏

👉 Do you see grackles in your backyard in Santa Barbara, California? If so, please let me know! We are looking for more places to do this research

🎤 Interview: https://news.ucsb.edu/2026/022535/grackle-research-reveals-behavioral-flexibility-and-adaptation-action
🎥 Video: https://youtu.be/imZNHhjGOeY

Grackles are amazing. This is aqua purple standing on top of a tower waiting for me to set up the test so he can do a bunch of trials in his reversal learning task

I trained them to come to the towers and wait for me when they are ready to be tested. Sometimes it takes me 5 minutes to set up the test and they just stand there waiting

What I love is that they tell me when they want to do tests and we both understand what the other wants. These are wild birds who willingly (and eagerly!) participate in behavioral choice tests, even when they get frustrated when the rules change (that is part of the test)

#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

Grackles are amazing. This is aqua purple standing on top of a tower waiting for me to set up the test so he can do a bunch of trials in his reversal learning task

I trained them to come to the towers and wait for me when they are ready to be tested. Sometimes it takes me 5 minutes to set up the test and they just stand there waiting

What I love is that they tell me when they want to do tests and we both understand what the other wants. These are wild birds who willingly (and eagerly!) participate in behavioral choice tests, even when they get frustrated when the rules change (that is part of the test)

#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

Grackles are amazing. This is aqua purple standing on top of a tower waiting for me to set up the test so he can do a bunch of trials in his reversal learning task

I trained them to come to the towers and wait for me when they are ready to be tested. Sometimes it takes me 5 minutes to set up the test and they just stand there waiting

What I love is that they tell me when they want to do tests and we both understand what the other wants. These are wild birds who willingly (and eagerly!) participate in behavioral choice tests, even when they get frustrated when the rules change (that is part of the test)

#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

Grackles are amazing. This is aqua purple standing on top of a tower waiting for me to set up the test so he can do a bunch of trials in his reversal learning task

I trained them to come to the towers and wait for me when they are ready to be tested. Sometimes it takes me 5 minutes to set up the test and they just stand there waiting

What I love is that they tell me when they want to do tests and we both understand what the other wants. These are wild birds who willingly (and eagerly!) participate in behavioral choice tests, even when they get frustrated when the rules change (that is part of the test)

#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

Fieldwork simplifies bird identification: the bird on the left is "not a grackle", the bird in the middle is "not a grackle", as is the bird on the right #TheGrackleProject

For actual ID's see alt text.

Fieldwork simplifies bird identification: the bird on the left is "not a grackle", the bird in the middle is "not a grackle", as is the bird on the right #TheGrackleProject

For actual ID's see alt text.

Fieldwork simplifies bird identification: the bird on the left is "not a grackle", the bird in the middle is "not a grackle", as is the bird on the right #TheGrackleProject

For actual ID's see alt text.

Fieldwork simplifies bird identification: the bird on the left is "not a grackle", the bird in the middle is "not a grackle", as is the bird on the right #TheGrackleProject

For actual ID's see alt text.

Fieldwork simplifies bird identification: the bird on the left is "not a grackle", the bird in the middle is "not a grackle", as is the bird on the right #TheGrackleProject

For actual ID's see alt text.

I started Aqua Purple’s behavioral observations a few weeks ago and it has been difficult to follow him for long periods of time.

Why? He is a magician! One second, I see him under a car in the parking lot. The next second, he has vanished 🪄 into thin air. I search 🔍 for several minutes, but usually can’t refind him. Where did he go? 👀

When I am able to keep him in sight, he is quite the buffet bird - he goes back and forth through the parking lots finding food along the way.

When he finds a piece of food, he likes to eat lots of it before moving on.

And he is big on napping 💤 - loves his naps under cars 🚗 or in a palm 🌴
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

I started Aqua Purple’s behavioral observations a few weeks ago and it has been difficult to follow him for long periods of time.

Why? He is a magician! One second, I see him under a car in the parking lot. The next second, he has vanished 🪄 into thin air. I search 🔍 for several minutes, but usually can’t refind him. Where did he go? 👀

When I am able to keep him in sight, he is quite the buffet bird - he goes back and forth through the parking lots finding food along the way.

When he finds a piece of food, he likes to eat lots of it before moving on.

And he is big on napping 💤 - loves his naps under cars 🚗 or in a palm 🌴
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

I started Aqua Purple’s behavioral observations a few weeks ago and it has been difficult to follow him for long periods of time.

Why? He is a magician! One second, I see him under a car in the parking lot. The next second, he has vanished 🪄 into thin air. I search 🔍 for several minutes, but usually can’t refind him. Where did he go? 👀

When I am able to keep him in sight, he is quite the buffet bird - he goes back and forth through the parking lots finding food along the way.

When he finds a piece of food, he likes to eat lots of it before moving on.

And he is big on napping 💤 - loves his naps under cars 🚗 or in a palm 🌴
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

I started Aqua Purple’s behavioral observations a few weeks ago and it has been difficult to follow him for long periods of time.

Why? He is a magician! One second, I see him under a car in the parking lot. The next second, he has vanished 🪄 into thin air. I search 🔍 for several minutes, but usually can’t refind him. Where did he go? 👀

When I am able to keep him in sight, he is quite the buffet bird - he goes back and forth through the parking lots finding food along the way.

When he finds a piece of food, he likes to eat lots of it before moving on.

And he is big on napping 💤 - loves his naps under cars 🚗 or in a palm 🌴
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

I started Aqua Purple’s behavioral observations a few weeks ago and it has been difficult to follow him for long periods of time.

Why? He is a magician! One second, I see him under a car in the parking lot. The next second, he has vanished 🪄 into thin air. I search 🔍 for several minutes, but usually can’t refind him. Where did he go? 👀

When I am able to keep him in sight, he is quite the buffet bird - he goes back and forth through the parking lots finding food along the way.

When he finds a piece of food, he likes to eat lots of it before moving on.

And he is big on napping 💤 - loves his naps under cars 🚗 or in a palm 🌴
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

Aqua Aqua also remembers the feeders we use for testing - I started habituating the new grackles to the test feeder this week and Aqua Aqua came running over to get some free food. He was a bit hesitant to take a piece of food from the feeder tray at first, but he warmed up quickly and kept coming back for more.

It had been 10 months since he last saw one of these feeders!
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

Aqua Aqua also remembers the feeders we use for testing - I started habituating the new grackles to the test feeder this week and Aqua Aqua came running over to get some free food. He was a bit hesitant to take a piece of food from the feeder tray at first, but he warmed up quickly and kept coming back for more.

It had been 10 months since he last saw one of these feeders!
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

Aqua Aqua also remembers the feeders we use for testing - I started habituating the new grackles to the test feeder this week and Aqua Aqua came running over to get some free food. He was a bit hesitant to take a piece of food from the feeder tray at first, but he warmed up quickly and kept coming back for more.

It had been 10 months since he last saw one of these feeders!
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

Aqua Aqua also remembers the feeders we use for testing - I started habituating the new grackles to the test feeder this week and Aqua Aqua came running over to get some free food. He was a bit hesitant to take a piece of food from the feeder tray at first, but he warmed up quickly and kept coming back for more.

It had been 10 months since he last saw one of these feeders!
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

Aqua Aqua also remembers the feeders we use for testing - I started habituating the new grackles to the test feeder this week and Aqua Aqua came running over to get some free food. He was a bit hesitant to take a piece of food from the feeder tray at first, but he warmed up quickly and kept coming back for more.

It had been 10 months since he last saw one of these feeders!
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

Further evidence in support of grackles remembering specific humans (or maybe the trap in this case), is Red who also hadn’t seen us for 9 months. Last week, he approached us where we were trapping. He stood on the picnic table next to us, 👀 staring at us and the trap, then flew off.

This is not how a grackle who has never seen us before or grackle that is indifferent to us approaches us or the trap. This indicates that Red recognized us and/or the trap
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

Further evidence in support of grackles remembering specific humans (or maybe the trap in this case), is Red who also hadn’t seen us for 9 months. Last week, he approached us where we were trapping. He stood on the picnic table next to us, 👀 staring at us and the trap, then flew off.

This is not how a grackle who has never seen us before or grackle that is indifferent to us approaches us or the trap. This indicates that Red recognized us and/or the trap
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

Further evidence in support of grackles remembering specific humans (or maybe the trap in this case), is Red who also hadn’t seen us for 9 months. Last week, he approached us where we were trapping. He stood on the picnic table next to us, 👀 staring at us and the trap, then flew off.

This is not how a grackle who has never seen us before or grackle that is indifferent to us approaches us or the trap. This indicates that Red recognized us and/or the trap
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

Further evidence in support of grackles remembering specific humans (or maybe the trap in this case), is Red who also hadn’t seen us for 9 months. Last week, he approached us where we were trapping. He stood on the picnic table next to us, 👀 staring at us and the trap, then flew off.

This is not how a grackle who has never seen us before or grackle that is indifferent to us approaches us or the trap. This indicates that Red recognized us and/or the trap
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

Further evidence in support of grackles remembering specific humans (or maybe the trap in this case), is Red who also hadn’t seen us for 9 months. Last week, he approached us where we were trapping. He stood on the picnic table next to us, 👀 staring at us and the trap, then flew off.

This is not how a grackle who has never seen us before or grackle that is indifferent to us approaches us or the trap. This indicates that Red recognized us and/or the trap
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals

9 months after I last saw him, great-tailed grackle, Aqua Aqua remembered me! When I returned a couple of weeks ago and he first saw me, he came close, stared at me, and was probably waiting for something interesting to happen (like a test or something).

❓ Grackle #memory is something we have wondered about on #TheGrackleProject. Do the individuals we work with remember us? If so, for how long?

We know that grackles can recognize individual humans because when we used to do tests in aviaries with them, sometimes a grackle would only work with one of us (or sometimes only one gender, which can be tricky on a team with mostly women!).

But after we released them to the wild, they didn’t treat us differently from other humans. It wasn’t clear whether they just didn’t care, or didn’t recognize us. I think Aqua Aqua has answered this question! ✅

#ManyIndividuals

9 months after I last saw him, great-tailed grackle, Aqua Aqua remembered me! When I returned a couple of weeks ago and he first saw me, he came close, stared at me, and was probably waiting for something interesting to happen (like a test or something).

❓ Grackle #memory is something we have wondered about on #TheGrackleProject. Do the individuals we work with remember us? If so, for how long?

We know that grackles can recognize individual humans because when we used to do tests in aviaries with them, sometimes a grackle would only work with one of us (or sometimes only one gender, which can be tricky on a team with mostly women!).

But after we released them to the wild, they didn’t treat us differently from other humans. It wasn’t clear whether they just didn’t care, or didn’t recognize us. I think Aqua Aqua has answered this question! ✅

#ManyIndividuals

9 months after I last saw him, great-tailed grackle, Aqua Aqua remembered me! When I returned a couple of weeks ago and he first saw me, he came close, stared at me, and was probably waiting for something interesting to happen (like a test or something).

❓ Grackle #memory is something we have wondered about on #TheGrackleProject. Do the individuals we work with remember us? If so, for how long?

We know that grackles can recognize individual humans because when we used to do tests in aviaries with them, sometimes a grackle would only work with one of us (or sometimes only one gender, which can be tricky on a team with mostly women!).

But after we released them to the wild, they didn’t treat us differently from other humans. It wasn’t clear whether they just didn’t care, or didn’t recognize us. I think Aqua Aqua has answered this question! ✅

#ManyIndividuals

9 months after I last saw him, great-tailed grackle, Aqua Aqua remembered me! When I returned a couple of weeks ago and he first saw me, he came close, stared at me, and was probably waiting for something interesting to happen (like a test or something).

❓ Grackle #memory is something we have wondered about on #TheGrackleProject. Do the individuals we work with remember us? If so, for how long?

We know that grackles can recognize individual humans because when we used to do tests in aviaries with them, sometimes a grackle would only work with one of us (or sometimes only one gender, which can be tricky on a team with mostly women!).

But after we released them to the wild, they didn’t treat us differently from other humans. It wasn’t clear whether they just didn’t care, or didn’t recognize us. I think Aqua Aqua has answered this question! ✅

#ManyIndividuals

9 months after I last saw him, great-tailed grackle, Aqua Aqua remembered me! When I returned a couple of weeks ago and he first saw me, he came close, stared at me, and was probably waiting for something interesting to happen (like a test or something).

❓ Grackle #memory is something we have wondered about on #TheGrackleProject. Do the individuals we work with remember us? If so, for how long?

We know that grackles can recognize individual humans because when we used to do tests in aviaries with them, sometimes a grackle would only work with one of us (or sometimes only one gender, which can be tricky on a team with mostly women!).

But after we released them to the wild, they didn’t treat us differently from other humans. It wasn’t clear whether they just didn’t care, or didn’t recognize us. I think Aqua Aqua has answered this question! ✅

#ManyIndividuals

. @DieterLukas and I had a great time playing grackle games with Oliver‘s kids!
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/boy-vs-bird-who-is-smarter-at-solving-problems-wgh2j0txc

. @DieterLukas and I had a great time playing grackle games with Oliver‘s kids!
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/boy-vs-bird-who-is-smarter-at-solving-problems-wgh2j0txc

. @DieterLukas and I had a great time playing grackle games with Oliver‘s kids!
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/boy-vs-bird-who-is-smarter-at-solving-problems-wgh2j0txc

. @DieterLukas and I had a great time playing grackle games with Oliver‘s kids!
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/boy-vs-bird-who-is-smarter-at-solving-problems-wgh2j0txc

. @DieterLukas and I had a great time playing grackle games with Oliver‘s kids!
#TheGrackleProject #ManyIndividuals https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/boy-vs-bird-who-is-smarter-at-solving-problems-wgh2j0txc

🙏 A huge thank to the many people involved in making this research happen! The acknowledgements sections of both articles are huge!

❤️ Of course, we couldn’t have done this without the amazing support from Richard McElreath and the Dept. of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

💕 The University of California Santa Barbara has been the steady supporter over all of the years of #TheGrackleProject - providing a home and a place to base the (many!) permits out of, and support through cooperation agreements - thank you!

📰 Press release: https://www.mpg.de/25179774/0811-evan-exploration-and-dispersal-150495-x
📎 Articles: https://doi.org/10.24072/pcjournal.593 and https://doi.org/10.24072/pcjournal.591

🙏 A huge thank to the many people involved in making this research happen! The acknowledgements sections of both articles are huge!

❤️ Of course, we couldn’t have done this without the amazing support from Richard McElreath and the Dept. of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

💕 The University of California Santa Barbara has been the steady supporter over all of the years of #TheGrackleProject - providing a home and a place to base the (many!) permits out of, and support through cooperation agreements - thank you!

📰 Press release: https://www.mpg.de/25179774/0811-evan-exploration-and-dispersal-150495-x
📎 Articles: https://doi.org/10.24072/pcjournal.593 and https://doi.org/10.24072/pcjournal.591

🙏 A huge thank to the many people involved in making this research happen! The acknowledgements sections of both articles are huge!

❤️ Of course, we couldn’t have done this without the amazing support from Richard McElreath and the Dept. of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

💕 The University of California Santa Barbara has been the steady supporter over all of the years of #TheGrackleProject - providing a home and a place to base the (many!) permits out of, and support through cooperation agreements - thank you!

📰 Press release: https://www.mpg.de/25179774/0811-evan-exploration-and-dispersal-150495-x
📎 Articles: https://doi.org/10.24072/pcjournal.593 and https://doi.org/10.24072/pcjournal.591

🙏 A huge thank to the many people involved in making this research happen! The acknowledgements sections of both articles are huge!

❤️ Of course, we couldn’t have done this without the amazing support from Richard McElreath and the Dept. of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

💕 The University of California Santa Barbara has been the steady supporter over all of the years of #TheGrackleProject - providing a home and a place to base the (many!) permits out of, and support through cooperation agreements - thank you!

📰 Press release: https://www.mpg.de/25179774/0811-evan-exploration-and-dispersal-150495-x
📎 Articles: https://doi.org/10.24072/pcjournal.593 and https://doi.org/10.24072/pcjournal.591

Great-tailed grackles in a #population toward the northern edge of their #range (Sacramento/Woodland, California) were less #related to each other, which means that they #dispersed farther from where they hatched 🐣 than grackles in a population nearer the center of their range (Tempe, Arizona).

In particular, females in Arizona stay closer to home 🏡 than males, while females in California disperse farther away from home ✈️ like the males do. To keep pushing the edge of the geographic range further, both males and females must be present so they can breed in the new areas.

Now we know that there are 2 things that are different about the grackles on the edge: they are more #persistent and they disperse farther from where they hatched (especially the females)

Thanks to @DieterLukas for leading this article on grackle genetics and dispersal! #TheGrackleProject

📰 Press release: https://www.mpg.de/25179774/0811-evan-exploration-and-dispersal-150495-x
📎 Article: https://doi.org/10.24072/pcjournal.591

Great-tailed grackles in a #population toward the northern edge of their #range (Sacramento/Woodland, California) were less #related to each other, which means that they #dispersed farther from where they hatched 🐣 than grackles in a population nearer the center of their range (Tempe, Arizona).

In particular, females in Arizona stay closer to home 🏡 than males, while females in California disperse farther away from home ✈️ like the males do. To keep pushing the edge of the geographic range further, both males and females must be present so they can breed in the new areas.

Now we know that there are 2 things that are different about the grackles on the edge: they are more #persistent and they disperse farther from where they hatched (especially the females)

Thanks to @DieterLukas for leading this article on grackle genetics and dispersal! #TheGrackleProject

📰 Press release: https://www.mpg.de/25179774/0811-evan-exploration-and-dispersal-150495-x
📎 Article: https://doi.org/10.24072/pcjournal.591