Birds

The Brazilian Merganser (Mergus octosetaceus) is one of the rarest birds in South America, and it is a critically endangered Anatidae species with an estimated population of less than 250 adult individuals in the Brazilian Cerrado. A captive population was established a few years ago at Zooparque Itatiba (São Paulo state) where 46 individuals were kept, and the founding population (progenitors derived from nature) was composed of 19 of the ex situ birds, derived from the four remaining localities with wild populations in Brazil. To characterize the genetic diversity and the genealogical relationships of the captive population, it is essential to conduct appropriate ex situ management and to assist future reintroduction projects. Thus, we have identified 425 SNPs by massively parallel sequencing of ddRAD libraries that allowed us to genotype individuals of the captive population. We observed a close relatedness between 70% of the captive population and founding individuals of Jalapão and Alto Paranaiba localities, indicating the need for supplementation with individuals from other areas of Canastra and Veadeiros. Even though many captives present a high level of inbreeding, we have identified some individuals with a high genetic value (less inbred) that can be selected for the breeding program to generate individuals for a future pilot reintroduction project. Full article

Avian vocal mimicry has been described in a variety of contexts, suggesting its function is multifaceted within and across species; however, basic empirical data describing mimetic signal prevalence and context are lacking for numerous species. We examined the occurrence and context of mimicked Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) calls over a 12-month period in a population of 49 individually color-marked Steller’s Jays (Cyanocitta stelleri). We documented mimicry of Red-shouldered Hawk calls in 14 of 49 (28.6%) jays during this 12-month period. We also reviewed the occurrence of the behavior in historic observation data. Hawk mimicry occurred more often during the early breeding season when jays were within home territories, their mates were present, and aggression was absent. Younger, larger, and bolder jays were most likely to perform imitations. These results suggest jays individually vary in mimetic propensity, and individuals’ proclivity for mimicry may be influenced by social and ecological contexts, physical characteristics, and personality traits. Full article

This study examines the common raven (Corvus corax) population on Lanzarote, Spain, at a previously unstudied site. The study aimed to compare the use of camera trap technology and human observation in capturing a wide repertoire of raven behaviour and pay close attention to the perforation of aluminium cans, a behaviour that has not been described in the scientific literature previously but has been reported anecdotally through human observation. Five cameras were sited over a period of 6 months, with three aluminium cans placed at each location. One of the three cans was baited with meat and eggs, mimicking wild feeding substrate. Human observations took place over the same period of time in the same locations. Raven sightings were highly correlated in human-inhabited areas as well as agricultural areas, seemingly linked to food acquisition. Camera trap technology identified a greater number of can-orientated behaviours (interaction, manipulation, peeking inside, and pecking) compared to the human observation method. Conversely, human observation yielded a greater number of non-can-orientated behaviours (analysed as a group) when compared to that of camera trap observation. Overall, there was a significantly greater number of ravens observed via human observation when compared to that of camera trap observation. Initial evidence suggests that ravens only perforate cans they deem salient in terms of food acquisition, with beer cans being the most common focus of the behaviours observed, possibly linked to olfactory stimuli, the movement of the can or learned behaviour relating to reward acquisition. This study presents new data regarding object interaction in ravens, adding to the current body of knowledge. Full article

Wildlife trade, both legal and illegal, is increasingly recognized as a key factor in the rise of emerging viral infectious diseases, and this is especially apparent in Asia, where large numbers of wildlife are openly offered for sale in bird markets. We here focus on the risk of Psittacosis becoming a zoonotic disease in the wildlife markets of Java and Bali, Indonesia. Psittacosis is particularly prevalent in parrots (hence the name), and the trade in parrots was instrumental in the Great Parrot Fever Pandemic in 1929/1930. Between 2014 and 2023, we conducted 176 surveys of 14 bird markets, during which we recorded 4446 largely wild-caught parrots for sale. On average, each market had nine genera on offer, and the diversity of genera increased with the increasing presence of parrots (up to 16 genera). For most of the bird markets during each survey, parrots from different genera and originating from different parts of the world, were offered for sale alongside each other. Genera offered for sale together did not cluster into natural (geographic) groups. We found no temporal difference in the sale of parrots. We conclude that the omnipresence of wild-caught parrots from various geographic regions in large numbers within the same bird markets increases the risk that psittacosis is present and that this poses a real risk for the zoonotic spread of avian chlamydiosis to humans. Full article

The role of chemical communication in the social relationships of birds is receiving growing attention, but our knowledge is still scarce compared to that of other taxa. Previous evidence suggests that chemical cues emitted by birds may carry information about their characteristics, which may be useful in the context of sexual selection. However, experimental studies are needed to investigate the role of bird chemical cues in signalling the quality of potential partners. We performed an experimental study aimed at disentangling whether the female Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata), use chemical cues to assess the body condition of potential partners. We offered focal females (N = 28) the scent of two males differing in body condition (body mass/tarsus length ratio) (N = 28 scent donor males). Our results showed that females can assess the body condition of potential partners using olfaction. However, contrary to what should be expected in a mate choice context, females avoided the scent of males with greater body condition. Our results, therefore, suggest that, despite performing the study during the breeding period, social interactions may be mediating the avoidance of the scent of the male in better condition in this gregarious species, probably to avoid a conspecific competitor with better body condition. Full article

Animals can use different cues to memorise food resources, which can be broadly divided into spatial and feature cues. Differences in species-specific preferences for spatial or feature cues has been historically linked to their reliance on spatial information (food-caching and migratory species prefer spatial cues), but more recently, attention has shifted to procedural differences largely affecting the salience of cues. Here, we investigated cue preferences in the colour-polymorphic Gouldian Finch to test a range of hypotheses. Birds were trained to find food either in a white or coloured feeder always positioned in the same location. In experimental trials, feeders were swapped, dissociating the feature and the spatial cue from the feature cue rewarded. Similar numbers of birds preferred the feature or the spatial cue in the first experimental trial. Preferences were not affected by head colour morph, sex or age group. However, birds with a spatial preference changed their choices over time, resulting in a significant number of birds choosing the feature cue at the end of the experiment. These results indicate that Gouldian Finches have individual preferences for one cue type or the other but can change their preference flexibly depending on the salience of the cue. Full article

Parasitic helminths are diverse in wild birds globally, but knowledge about helminths in Ecuadorian avifauna is still fragmentary. In the present review, records about helminths (Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, and Acanthocephala) in Ecuadorian wild birds is presented. A systematic search was carried out using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis) guideline to compile and summarize the available literature on helminths in wild birds in Ecuador. Data were obtained from ten scientific articles, eight undergraduate theses, and one doctoral dissertation, published between 1966 to 2022. Forty helminth taxa were recorded and information about the host species, site of infection, and location are provided. Nematodes of the genus Ascaridia Dujardin, 1844 were the helminth taxa with the greatest number of records in birds, parasitizing 16 avian species. Also, the Rock Dove (Columba livia; Gmelin, 1789) was the avian species with the greater number of helminth records (n = 11). This review serves as a compendium for future ecological and epidemiological studies on helminths in wild birds in Ecuador and South America. Full article

Eleonora’s Falcon is the commonest bird of prey in Greece, with more than 80% of the global population breeding on Greek islands. The aim of this study was to assess the population status and the colony characteristics for the species in the National Marine Park of Alonissos—Northern Sporades. Every island was circumnavigated twice in order to count individual birds and active nests during the breeding season of the species in 2021 by boat. Colony characteristics including nest category, nest height above sea level and nest orientation were recorded. The species was recorded nesting in 13 (12 uninhabited and 1 inhabited) out of 29 islands involving a total of 329 active nests. Most nests were in cliff cavities located between 12 m and 400 m above sea level, and had predominantly north-westerly and westerly orientations. These findings may inform conservation management decisions including minimization of disturbance in colonies, safeguarding colonies under threats, eradicating invasive species and protecting and enhancing the breeding habitat of the species in the specially protected area of the National Marine Park of Alonissos—Northern Sporades. Full article

Increasing landscape transformations and urbanisation affect insectivorous bird populations in various ways such as food availability, breeding phenology, or reproductive success. Especially during the breeding season, many passerine birds rely on the availability of caterpillars as the main prey for their nestlings. Previous studies suggested that similar diet preferences of sympatric species may result in interspecific competition, as demonstrated for Blue and Great Tits in forest habitats. However, nestling diet and prey preferences in other habitats are not fully understood. Prey availability, especially caterpillars, is lower in cities than in forests, thus influencing prey choice and interspecific competition. Here we used faecal DNA metabarcoding to investigate if nestling diet composition of the two sympatric species Blue Cyanistes caeruleus and Great Tits Parus major varied among species and different habitats (forest, traditional orchards, and urban parks). Furthermore, we examined food availability by DNA barcoding of the arboreal arthropod communities among habitats and compared them to the nestling diet to infer parental prey selectivity. The study was carried out in central Germany from 2018 to 2019. Blue and Great Tits showed a diverse diet which was dominated by Lepidoptera in all habitats. Lepidopteran diet components were most similar between forest and orchard sites, as were the components with other arthropods between orchard and urban sites. Both tit species showed selectivity for the lepidopteran families Geometridae and Tortricidae in all habitats, and for Noctuidae (Lepidoptera), Tenthredinidae and Braconidae (Hymenoptera) in forest and orchard sites. As the tits showed preferences for mainly families of Lepidoptera, and Hymenoptera, our approach provides a baseline to support monitoring of these groups. Full article

Avian blood analysis is a fundamental method for investigating a wide range of topics concerning individual birds and populations of birds. Determining precise blood cell counts helps researchers gain insights into the health condition of birds. For example, the ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes (H/L ratio) is a well-established index for comparing relative stress load. However, such measurements are currently often obtained manually by human experts. In this article, we present a novel approach to automatically quantify avian red and white blood cells in whole slide images. Our approach is based on two deep neural network models. The first model determines image regions that are suitable for counting blood cells, and the second model is an instance segmentation model that detects the cells in the determined image regions. The region selection model achieves up to 97.3% in terms of F1 score (i.e., the harmonic mean of precision and recall), and the instance segmentation model achieves up to 90.7% in terms of mean average precision. Our approach helps ornithologists acquire hematological data from avian blood smears more precisely and efficiently. Full article

Urban parks are hot spots of bird diversity in cities. However, their role as urban filters for raptor species has not been assessed yet. This study aimed to compare the functional and phylogenetic traits of raptor assemblages in urban parks with the regional species pool of raptors in east–central Argentina. Diurnal raptors were surveyed in 51 urban parks in six cities during breeding and nonbreeding seasons. The regional species pool was assessed through raptor surveys and published maps surrounding the cities. The observed functional and phylogenetic relatedness of urban raptors was compared with 999 simulated raptor assemblages from the regional species pool. A total of five species were recorded in urban parks. The Chimango Caracara (Milvago chimango) was the numerically dominant species, comprising 95% of the 172 individuals recorded. The regional species pool was composed of 20 diurnal species. The functional and phylogenetic relatedness of urban raptors was higher than expected by chance, suggesting filtering induced by urban parks. Urban raptors were, in general, generalist species with small body sizes. Moreover, species tended to be part of the Falconidae family. Based on the results obtained here and in other published work, a model of raptor assembling in urban parks is proposed. The design of urban parks needs to be more heterogeneous, promoting the occurrence of specialist raptors. Full article

Human dimensions of birds are becoming increasingly popular. One aspect is charismatic species and their impact on nature conservation, and the other is the positive impact of birds on human well-being. Studies exploring these relationships are mostly based on species richness, but specific species traits are usually not studied. Here, we propose two new variables, visibility duration, and obstruction, being relevant to human–bird encounters. Visibility measures if and for how long a bird is visible. Obstruction measures to what extent the bird is concealed by vegetation. We collected behavioral data using focal animal sampling (3 min with blocks of 15 s, one-zero sampling). Additionally, species identity, sex, flocking (yes/no) and observation distance were collected. This was combined with an assessment where three experts scored the visibility of the different species on a scale from 1 to 5. The most significant predictor of visibility duration was species identity with an explained variance of 44%. Concerning obstruction, 34% of the variance was explained by species identity. Sex and flocking were not significant. A cluster analysis on the species level led to a three-cluster solution. The mean expert assessment correlated positively with visibility duration (r = 0.803) and negatively with obstruction (r = −0.422). The behavioral trait of visibility may be an important aspect in the analysis of human–bird encounters but also ecological bird studies. Full article

Nestboxes are commonly used to increase the number and quality of nest sites available to birds that usually use tree cavities and are considered an important conservation intervention. Although usually safer than natural cavities, birds nesting in simple, unmodified wooden nestboxes remain at risk of depredation. Accordingly, numerous design and placement modifications have been developed to ‘predator-proof’ nestboxes. These include: (1) adding metal plates around entrance holes to prevent enlargement; (2) affixing wire mesh to side panels; (3) deepening boxes to increase distance to nest cup; (4) creating external entrance ‘tunnels’ or internal wooden ledges; (5) using more robust construction materials; (6) developing photosensitive shutters to exclude nocturnal predators; (7) using baffles to block climbing mammals; and (8) regular replacement and relocation. However, the benefits and costs of these modifications are not always well understood. In this global review, we collate information on predator-proofing avian nestboxes designed for tree cavity-nesting birds to assess the efficacy of techniques for different predators (mammalian, avian, and reptilian) in different contexts. We critique the potential for modifications to have unintended consequences—including increasing nest building effort, altering microclimate, reducing provisioning rate, and elevating ectoparasite and microbial loads—to identify hidden costs. We conclude by highlighting remaining gaps in knowledge and providing guidance on optimal modifications in different contexts. Full article

Using satellite telemetry, it is possible to track long-distance migrant birds with high accuracy and greater spatial coverage. However, prior to 2014, less than 1% of bird species in India had been monitored using this technology. Between January and February 2022, we deployed leg-mounted solar GPS/GSM satellite transmitters to Common Cranes and Demoiselle Cranes (two each) to study home ranges, movement, migration patterns, and habitat use. We used 95% kernels to define the total home range size and 50% kernels to delimit the core areas. The winter habitat use was assessed using Generalized Linear Models (GLM). The average home range of Common Cranes and Demoiselle Cranes was estimated as 161.22 ± 172.08 km² and 971.40 ± 1023.57 km², respectively. During migration, Common Crane-1 and Common Crane-2 traveled an average of 471.19 ± 442.42 and 176.97 ± 24.82 km per day, and Demoiselle Crane-1 and Demoiselle Crane-2 covered an average daily distance of 168.10 ± 203.77 and 192.97 ± 250.72 km, respectively. Water bodies and croplands were the most important habitat variables influencing crane presence positively. In recent years, the share of food grain crops within the study area has declined from 43% in 1994–1995 to 36% in 2014–2015, while the share of cotton crops has doubled from 11% to 20%, indicating a probable cause of concern in the near future. Full article

In previous studies using eBird citizen data, bird abundance rankings followed a power law distribution. Our research delves into the “granular size” concept within these power laws, likening birds to firms. We identified 13 bird species as being the granular size, representing species with significant ecosystem impact, akin to major corporations in an economy. In particular, these species are urban, raising concerns about the eBird database’s sampling bias. Using the economic concept of granular size, we argue that the eBird database may be inherently unreliable. Full article

Lesser Flamingos Phoeniconaias minor regularly collide with power lines in South Africa. Attaching light-emitting markers to overhead wires seems to be an effective mitigation measure; however, the cost of these devices is prohibitive of large-scale installation. Spatial predictions about flamingo collision risk are thus important for achieving efficient and effective proactive mitigation. In this study, collision risk was defined as a combination of factors related to threat exposure. A habitat suitability index was developed according to changes in surface water occurrence and Chlorophyll-a concentrations, which proved accurate in predicting Lesser Flamingo occurrence. Habitat suitability, and three other species and threat exposure variables, were then used in logistic regression models predicting the occurrence of historic collisions. The most parsimonious model included habitat suitability and flight height. Flamingos were only at risk of collision with power lines when flying lower than 50 m and within 3 km from the water’s edge. High-risk power line sections were thus identified from 3 km buffers around waterbodies ranked according to habitat suitability, which significantly reduced the number of power line spans predicted for proactive marking. While our models indicated that aspects related to exposure were important for predicting flamingo power line collisions, aspects related to sensitivity (e.g., nocturnal behavior) must also guide the choice of mitigation. Full article

Although the ornithological history of southern Brazil has been amassed over the last 200 years, few attempts have been made to describe how species have accumulated. Furthermore, the collaboration of citizen scientists has considerably changed the way researchers analyze empirical data. Caprimulgidae (Nightjars and Nighthawks) species were used to illustrate how species have been recorded since the 1800s in Paraná State by comparing traditional and citizen science data. In addition, reports from both researchers and citizen scientists on the breeding biology of these caprimulgids have been verified. A literature review was conducted searching for the Caprimulgid species within the territory of Paraná. Regarding citizen science, records were obtained from four ornithological platforms. Overall, 14 species were detected within the state, 13 of which have been described in the literature, including 1 endemic to the Atlantic Forest and 3 threatened species. Citizen scientists detected all 13 taxa, in addition to one undocumented species that has never been recorded by researchers. There were 12 times more records on ornithological platforms in half of the sampling effort accumulated in studies, but most of them date from the last five years. Citizen scientists also visited 4.5 times more locations than researchers. Citizen scientists accumulated more records around September and November, and most (59%) records were from 2020–2022. Researchers mentioned species as early as 1820, while continuous studies only began during the 1980s; they concentrated their fieldwork mostly in September. Only one (2%) study sought to describe the breeding biology of a caprimulgid species, but there were 84 observations on ornithological platforms between 2004–2022 on their reproduction. Because of the evident mismatch between traditional and citizen science data due to a lack of congruence between their actions, it is suggested that ornithology in Paraná, as well as other Brazilian regions, would benefit the most if traditional and citizen scientists improved their networking communication to focus on common purposes instead of acting independently. Full article

Wildlife–aircraft collisions represent a safety and financial challenge, necessitating site-specific hazard assessments, which are generally based on species’ attributes and collision frequencies. However, for many bird species, collision probability and risk may not be distributed equally among individuals, with sex and age differences possible but rarely examined. We examine Australian Magpies, a resident, grassland species of bird in southeastern Australia frequently involved in collisions with aircraft at airports, and which can be sexed (adults) and aged. We compared collision rates recorded at Melbourne Airport, Victoria, Australia, with airside counts of magpies, recording, when observable, the sex and age of the birds. Adult females and males were similarly abundant at the airport (46.6% female), but females were struck relatively more frequently than males (78.1% female). Juvenile (first-year) magpies were struck more frequently than expected based on their representation in bird counts. We show an example of where some demographic groups within species represent higher hazard potential to aircraft than others, and management which manipulates demography of magpies at and near the airport (such as discouraging local breeding and targeted harassment/dispersal) may be fruitful. Full article

Over evolutionary times, the eye has acquired several adaptations to improve feeding efficiency and reduce predation pressure. Eye size, in particular, represents a target for selection, as it affects light capture and image resolution. Previous research on variation in eye size across species has focused on ecological factors related to light availability and foraging needs. Larger eyes are also thought to allow species to detect distant predators more easily, but this conjecture has not been examined across species. I predicted that risk-averse species or those exposed to high predation risk benefit from relatively larger eyes to enhance predator detection. To test the prediction, I performed a comparative analysis involving 660 species of birds while controlling for phylogeny, body size and other known ecological correlates of eye size. The results show that species at the slow end of the life history continuum, which emphasize survival over reproduction and are expected to be risk-averse, have evolved relatively larger eyes. In addition, solitary species, which cannot rely on others in their groups to decrease predation risk, are also characterized by relatively larger eyes. The results indicate that predation risk, through its association with life history and sociality, is an important ecological factor in the evolution of eye size across species. Full article