Maja Mielke

Contact

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

E-mail:

maja.mielke@uantwerpen.be
maja.mielke.bio@mailbox.org

Social media:

Mastodon: @MajaMielke@scicomm.xyz
Bluesky: @maja-mielke.bsky.social

Keeping cool helps birds raise bigger chicks

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 02:58:08 -0200

Blue tits that cope better with heat during parental care raise bigger chicks.

This bird sings with his feathers

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 02:58:08 -0200

Male Club-winged manakins evolved feathers for sound production—and became worse at flying in the process.

The world's loudest bird

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 02:58:08 -0200

With a sound level comparable to a jackhammer, White bellbird males scream their love songs right into females’ ears.

Why do some female hummingbirds look like males?

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 02:58:08 -0200

Male-like plumage helps female hummingbirds escape social harassment.

It is a busy day at the nectar feeder of the Canopy Tower in Panama. Buzzing in and out, male and female hummingbirds alike compete for the best spots at one of the artificial flowers.

The song battles of the New Zealand tūī

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 02:58:08 -0200

High-quality songs from rival males trigger aggressive responses in tūī during the breeding season.

Pigeons can recognize a Picasso

Wed, 27 May 2026 02:58:08 -0200

Pigeons can learn to distinguish between paintings by different artists and from different art movements.

Puffins use sticks to scratch an itch

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 02:58:08 -0200

Atlantic Puffins are the first seabirds observed using tools.

The first time Annette Fayet observed an Atlantic Puffin scratching itself with a stick was on Skomer Island (Wales) in 2014. She saw the bird holding a wooden stick in its beak and using it to scratch its back for about five seconds.

Puffin bills glow under UV light

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 02:58:08 -0200

During the breeding season, Atlantic Puffins develop photoluminescent structures on their bills.

Extreme climate events can change how birds sing

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 02:58:08 -0200

Birds sing differently after extreme climate events—and may no longer recognize members of their own species.

This young hawk uses cars as cover for surprise attacks

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 02:58:08 -0200

Read the full post here.

The upside-down life of hanging parrots

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 02:58:08 -0200

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These hummingbirds evolved dagger-like bills for aggressive fights

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 02:58:08 -0200

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Fireworks drive birds into panic flights

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 02:58:08 -0200

Think twice before shooting your fireworks into the air.

Estimates suggest that we blow up about $2.5 billion worth of fireworks every year¹. Two point five billion dollars*!* Fireworks are a crucial part of New Year’s celebrations around the world, but they are increasingly criticized for posing serious threats to humans, nature, and wildlife—from air pollution and toxic waste to severe injuries, just to name a few.

These birds have a strong opinion about classical music

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 02:58:08 -0200

Java sparrows prefer music by Bach or Vivaldi over compositions by Schoenberg or Carter.

Chirping with Chopin

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 02:58:08 -0200

Birds react differently to classical and rock music.

It’s a special soundscape in the gorilla house at Buffalo Zoo. Chattering of passing visitors, children laughing, a bird calling from the foliage here and there. And all of this is accompanied by the constant roar of the indoor waterfall. Suddenly, rock music is playing from the speakers, visitors turning their heads. What’s happening?

The blood-drinking vampire finch

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 02:58:08 -0200

Vampire finches from the Galápagos Islands drink the blood of other birds to survive the dry season.

Why fairywrens sing to their eggs

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 02:58:08 -0200

Superb fairywren moms teach their unhatched babies a vocal password to distinguish them from cuckoo intruders.

Birds form long-term 'friendships' to help each other raise their young

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 02:58:08 -0200

Superb starlings in Kenya show that cooperative breeding is not limited to close family members.

The Secretary bird’s skull-crushing kick

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 02:58:08 -0200

Secretary birds stomp their prey to death with forces up to 5 times their body weight.

30 killer dance moves discovered in cockatoos

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 02:58:08 -0200

Read the full post here.

Only 241 kākāpō are alive today

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 02:58:08 -0200

Image credit: iStock.com/Lei Zhu

Read the full post here.

Field notes from a biology conference

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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How to win the egg drop challenge

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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Albatrosses listen to the ocean to find their way

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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Birds in same-sex pairs successfully rear chicks

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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Scientists built a kestrel plushie with a pigeon beak—here's why

Wed, 21 May 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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No cuckoos allowed

Wed, 07 May 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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Great tits raised by Blue tits fail to pair with conspecifics

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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Molting penguins overheat

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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Owls can look to the left by turning their heads to the right

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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Traffic noise increases aggressive behavior in territorial songbirds

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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Stare at gulls, if you don't want them to steal your lunch

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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The secret ingredients of hoopoes' stinky preen oil help keep their feathers safe

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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Feathers with dual function: the cormorant's secret of success

Wed, 12 Mar 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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Why do woodpeckers not get stuck in trees?

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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Puffin fledglings strand on beaches because of artificial light

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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Practice makes perfect (and attractive)

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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Owls fly almost silently (if they don't use hairspray)

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 02:58:08 -0200

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About

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Photo by Thijs de Lange (thijsdelange.com)

I’m a biologist by training, currently pursuing my PhD in the Functional Morphology group at the University of Antwerp in Belgium under the supervision of Prof. Sam Van Wassenbergh.

Conferences

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

SEB 2025 Antwerp, Poster: Mielke M*, Elemans CPH, Gladman NW, Herrel A, Mielke F, Van Wassenbergh S, Contractile properties of jaw muscles contribute to force-velocity trade-off in beak movements of songbirds. (won poster prize)

Illustration

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Follow me on Mastodon or Bluesky for more illustration content!

Photography

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Follow me on Mastodon or Bluesky for more photo content!

Publications

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Schwarz, D., Mielke, M., Handschuh, S., Herrel, A., Lemell, P., Cunha, L. D., & Konow, N. (2026). Beyond mammals: the evolution of chewing and other forms of oropharyngeal food processing in vertebrates. Biological Reviews.