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King Willem-Alexander to visit NIOO on 6 July
On 6 July, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander will pay a working visit to the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) in Wageningen.  -
The earlier birds pair, the better they fare
27/02/2021 The breeding season may seem worlds away amidst the recent winter cold, but a research team led by Antica Culina has found that the earlier in the year great tits meet their 'spouse', the more likely they are to breed successfully. -
Clever songbird's genome may hold key to evolution of learning
The great tit has revealed its genetic code, offering new insight into how species adapt to a changing planet. Initial findings suggest that epigenetics – what’s on rather than what’s in the gene – may have played a key role in the evolution of the ability to learn. And not just that of birds... -
Evolution in your back garden – great tits may be adapting their beaks to birdfeeders
British enthusiasm for feeding birds may have caused UK great tits to have evolved longer beaks than their European counterparts, according to new research. The findings, published in Science, identify for the first time the genetic differences between UK and Dutch great tits which researchers were then able to link to longer beaks. -
New UN environment report tackles 'mismatches' and other emerging concerns
The latest UN Environment Frontiers Report has been launched in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. -
Nature research and society
NIOO has a vigorous and long-standing commitment to societal impact. Not only is NIOO housed in a sustainable building designed to translate our ecological principles in terms of architecture and construction, we also have a number of units that are tailor-made for disseminating our ecological knowledge to specific target groups, we have a very active outreach policy, and we actively involve citizens in our research through large-scale citizen-science projects. -
Early birds of the future: earlier, but still too late?
How much earlier can great tits lay their eggs to keep up with climate change? A team from the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) took a sneak peek into the birds’ future. -
Great tits don't inherit ability to think on their feet
How important is cognitive flexibility for the ability of great tits to adapt to climate change? Krista van den Heuvel did her PhD research at NIOO on this question. -
Seasonal timing of growth and reproduction: ultimate functions and proximate mechanisms
For many species, there is only a short period in the annual cycle in which conditions are suitable for reproduction or growth.