IBIS – Best ECR paper of 2025
Our Associate Editors considered 57 IBIS papers, published in 2025, whose first or corresponding author was an Early Career Researcher (ECR), nominating their favourites. The top-ranking papers were put to a public vote to select the Best ECR IBIS Paper of 2025.
We are extremely grateful to Leica Camera (UK) for their continued support of this award.
And the winner is….
How much sampling is enough? Four decades of understorey bird mist‐netting across Amazonia define the minimum effort to uncover species assemblage structure
Pilar L. Maia-Braga, Anderson S. Bueno, Richard G. Davies, Marina F. A. Maximiano, Torbjørn Haugaasen, Marina Anciães, John G. Blake, Bette A. Loiselle, Sergio H. Borges, Juliana Menger, Sidnei Dantas, Ramiro D. Melinski, Fernando H. T. de Abreu, Roberta L. Boss, Carlos A. Peres
On being informed of the award, Pilar said “It is a great honor to receive the award for Best ECR Paper 2025 from IBIS, one of the most important and respected journals in Ornithology. This work holds a very special meaning for me, as it arose from questions that emerged during my doctoral studies, and it was gratifying to see these ideas transformed into such an important and now award‑winning study. I am deeply grateful to all the co‑authors for their commitment and dedication; to INPA, the institution that hosted my master’s and doctoral training; and to the IBIS journal and Leica for making this award possible. I am extremely happy and grateful!”
The nominees were….
(ECR author in bold type)
Cooperative and plural breeding by the precocial Vulturine Guineafowl
Brendah Nyaguthii, Tobit Dehnen, James A. Klarevas-Irby, Danai Papageorgiou, Joseph Kosgey, Damien R. Farine
The structural function of the bubbling call of the female common cuckoo Cuculus canorus
Sue-Jeong Jin, Jin-Won Lee, Jeong-Chil Yoo
Artificial light alters spatial and temporal habitat use by a crepuscular aerial insectivore
Carrie Ann Adams, Colleen Cassady St. Clair, Elly C. Knight, Erin M. Bayne
Causes and consequences of within‐population variation in inter‐brood interval of a migratory songbird
Hayley A. Spina, Amy E. M. Newman, Nathaniel T. Wheelwright, Daniel J. Mennill, Stéphanie M. Doucet, Joseph B. Burant, Sarah L. Dobney, Sarah D. Mueller, Greg W. Mitchell, D. Ryan Norris
Species characteristics predict the effectiveness of avian survey methods in an Afromontane sky‐island
Vikram Malhi, Gino Brignoli, Jane Hallam, Peter Njoroge, Luc Lens, Marius Somveille, Julia J. Day
Immature Northern Gannets (Morus bassanus) increase colony attendance following highly pathogenic avian influenza
Madeline P. Sceviour, Christopher R. E. Ward, Sabina I. Wilhelm
Wintering area and experience effects on spring migration strategies, timing and breeding success in Icelandic‐nesting Common Scoters (Melanitta nigra)
Snæþór Aðalsteinsson, Ib Krag Petersen, Anthony D. Fox
How much sampling is enough? Four decades of understorey bird mist‐netting across Amazonia define the minimum effort to uncover species assemblage structure
Pilar L. Maia-Braga, Anderson S. Bueno, Richard G. Davies, Marina F. A. Maximiano, Torbjørn Haugaasen, Marina Anciães, John G. Blake, Bette A. Loiselle, Sergio H. Borges, Juliana Menger, Sidnei Dantas, Ramiro D. Melinski, Fernando H. T. de Abreu, Roberta L. Boss, Carlos A. Peres
A focus on females can improve science and conservation
Joanna X. Wu, Martha A. Harbison, Stephanie Beilke, Purbita Saha, Brooke L. Bateman
Stable isotope data indicate origins of mislabelled historical bird specimens
Rafael Dantas Lima, Ana Beatriz Navarro, Jason Newton, Alexander Charles Lees, Luís Fábio Silveira
Image credits
Vulturine Guineafowl | Ninara CC BY 2.0 Wikimedia Commons
Sonograms illustrating call features | Authors
Common Nighthawk | Gavin Keefe Schaefer CC BY 2.0 Wikimedia Commons
Savannah Sparrow | Cephas CC BY-SA 3.0 Wikimedia Commons
Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary | Christopher T Cooper CC BY 3.0 Wikimedia Commons
Northern Gannet | Stephen Gidley CC BY 2.0 Wikimedia Commons
Common Scoter | Marton Berntsen CC BY-SA 3.0 Wikimedia Commons
Reddish-winged Bare-eye | Hector Bottai CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons
Superb Fairy-wren | Hector Bottai CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia Commons
Crescent-chested Puffbird | rodrigo_Lazaro CC BY 4.0 Wikimedia Commons
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