Artwork · Yanjie Xu ·
A Splash of the City · 一点鸥气
A Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) perches on a stone post by the shore, bringing a touch of life and colour to the cold geometry of the city.
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News
News · Nanjing Forestry University ·
Exploring how birds respond to a changing world
During a visit to Nanjing Forestry University, Yanjie Xu presented research on how birds respond to climate change through shifts in morphology, phenology and distributions, as well as the implications for conservation and wildlife disease. The seminar brought together more than 40 students and researchers for discussion on climate change and adaptive evolution.
Read the full storyConference news · Chinese Zoological Society ·
Birds in a changing world: A plenary talk at the Chinese Ornithological Congress
Yanjie Xu delivered an invited young scientist plenary talk on the challenges and adaptations of birds in a changing world at the 18th Chinese Ornithological Congress. Drawing on global monitoring data, the talk examined how environmental pressures affect bird survival strategies. Held at Guangxi University in Nanning from 23 to 27 October 2025, the congress brought together nearly 1,100 participants for presentations and discussion on bird research and conservation.
Read the original story (in Chinese)Invited talk · Asian Flyways Collaborative for Waterbirds ·
Prioritizing bird conservation across migration networks
Migratory birds depend on connected networks of breeding, feeding and resting sites. This invited talk explains how a network perspective can identify sites that contribute most to connectivity and help target conservation action more effectively.
Read the full storyPress release · University of Helsinki ·
A changing climate reshapes wildlife pathogen risks
A European synthesis links the occurrence of many pathogens in birds and bats to temperature and rainfall. The associations vary among pathogens, suggesting that climate change could reshape infectious disease risks.
Read the full storyPress release · University of Helsinki ·
Mountains and coasts shape birds’ climate journeys
European bird communities are moving towards cooler places, but mountains and coastlines can obstruct their paths. These shifts are not keeping pace with warming, leaving some communities increasingly exposed.
Read the full storyPress release · University of Helsinki ·
Wintering farmland birds shift north fastest
Finnish bird surveys reveal that northward shifts differ between winter habitats. Farmland birds moved fastest, with changes in snow cover likely affecting their access to food.
Read the full storyNews · Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University ·
A network approach to protecting migratory bird habitats
A study led by Yanjie Xu uses GPS tracking of four migratory bird species along the East Asian–Australasian and Central Asian flyways to identify priority stopover sites. By simulating site loss, the researchers show how strategically placed habitats sustain migration connectivity. Combining network importance, habitat loss and protection status revealed that 42% of critical habitats were outside protected areas. The study, published online in Conservation Biology in August 2019, argues that conservation priorities should reflect the role of each habitat in the wider migration network.
Read the original story (in Chinese)News · Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University ·
Waterfowl autumn migration and the spread of H5N1
A 2016 study led by Yanjie Xu in Scientific Reports compared the direction of H5N1 transmission with seasonal waterfowl migration across global flyways. Eighteen of 22 significant viral transmission directions were southward, consistent with a role for autumn migration in intercontinental spread. The findings highlight seasonal differences in migration and offer a basis for more targeted avian influenza surveillance across flyways.
Read the original story (in Chinese)