Matthew Steele

Crafty crows are making tools to forage for food. But what are they using? #ANUExpert @Linda_Neaves used DNA to solve the mystery. “It felt like searching for a needle in a haystack, it was amazing to finally work it out.” 📖 anu.edu.au/news/all-news/… #birdnerd 📷 James St Clair

That #NewCaledonianCrow make tools amazes me, working out the plant they used only intrigues me more. Loved working with #craftycrows & humans @steele_mp, @DrBarbaraKlump, James St Clair, @jujasfernandes, Vanessa Hequet, Phil Shaw, @HollingsworthPM & Christian Rutz #DNAbarcoding

Very lucky to work with this team and learn more about the #crafty #NewCaledonianCrow, and use my #dnabarcoding skills to learn which plant they pick to make their tools in this population!!

DNA barcoding can help identify the plant species that New Caledonian crows use as tools. In PNAS: ow.ly/k29O50FuD4Z

The team: @Linda_Neaves, @DrBarbaraKlump, James St Clair, @jujasfernandes, Vanessa Hequet, Phil Shaw, Pete Hollingsworth & Christian Rutz Together, we solved a #NewCaledonianCrow #AnimalToolUse mystery using #DNAbarcoding! 2/

New paper out this week! DNA barcoding identifies cryptic animal tool materials Available #openaccess in #PNAS @PNASNews : doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2… An exciting collaboration between @CentreBioDiv @univofstandrews @RBGE_Science @ANUFennerSchool and @ird_fr 1/

@JacanaJones It my greatest achievement so far this year

happy valentines innit

@GuillMcIvor Hi Guill! Sorry, I logged of twitter over Christmas and I seem to have since completely forgotten that the internet exists... This was in Cupar, Scotland. Thanks a lot for your help!

@steele_mp If you can share the location details that might help narrow it down also. Thanks!

Birdy-friends! I have a Grizzly Yuletide Puzzle for you. To my surprise, this wee beastie was eating brunch in our garden this morning. Only just managed to assemble my camera in time and get a few shaky shots leaning over the kitchen sink.

@scedwards19 @arjundevamar Ah excellent, thanks for letting me know Sophie! I'll send them off now :)

@arjundevamar @steele_mp your sparrowhawk photo has a scientific use 😃

Twitter #ornithology- please help and RT! Leading from our paper onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.111… We are now seeking extra photos of #sparrowhawk WITH PREY, in the UK from any year - especially from May, June & December? Please email them to connorpanter1301 AT gmail.com

@LBagdonaite Thanks! I haven't seen any sparrowhawks this close, but I did think it looked quite big. Nice to know I wasn't hallucinating. Hälsningar till alla i Ottenby 😊

@steele_mp And that's a 1st calendar year sparrowhawk - based on the buffish fringes of the wing coverts! Would guess a female too, looks quite large!

@scedwards19 @JacanaJones @MurielleAlund @ErynMcFarlane @jujasfernandes @Bioblogo Thanks for looking! I'll keep camera ready in case she visits again.

@steele_mp @JacanaJones @MurielleAlund @ErynMcFarlane @jujasfernandes @Bioblogo It’s not a TRG ring (or if it is hasn’t been uploaded into DeMon). Shame we can’t get the whole number.

@ErynMcFarlane @JacanaJones @MurielleAlund Cool! Looks like it could have been a giant predatory robin instead 😂

@steele_mp @JacanaJones @MurielleAlund - are you sure it’s a sparrow hawk eating the robin and not a giant robin??

@JacanaJones @MurielleAlund @ErynMcFarlane @jujasfernandes @Bioblogo Thanks guys! Mystery successfully solved then 😊 I don't know why robin genuinely never occurred to me! The white and orange tipped feathers together threw me I think. Didn't know robins were secretly all brown underneath. Ornitopoints for everyone!

@JacanaJones @ErynMcFarlane @MurielleAlund @jujasfernandes @Bioblogo I can't help but feel this is your kind of puzzle...

Question the second: What was for brunch? Of course I poked around in the leftovers (who could resist?). Only feathers, but from what?

Question the third: The ring! Any chance we could work out where it came from on this blurry evidence?