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Birds use stopovers during migration to interrupt endurance flight in order to minimize immediate and/or future fitness costs. Stopovers on ships is considered an exceptional and anecdotal event in the ornithological literature. This does not match the experience we had in the summer of 2021, during an oceanographic campaign in the Central Mediterranean, when we regularly observed on average 2.8 birds, of at least 13 species, stopping on board during the 25 days of the campaign. The median stopping time was 42 min, ranging from a few minutes to overnight stays on board. The probability of finding a bird stopping aboard increased with wind force and cloud cover. Birds also stopped more often in a headwind and did not stop when the wind came from different directions other than the headwind. The Central Mediterranean is one of the busiest sea routes in the world, combining the mean daily number of birds on board with the thousands of ships that pass through it during the 3 months of summer migration; we estimate that nearly 4 million birds could use ships as stopover sites. This behaviour may represent a modern-day strategy that uses ships as stopovers in the event of adverse weather conditions or could act as an ecological trap, increasing the mortality of migrants. This phenomenon deserves more research attention and further studies recording body condition and tagging of individuals on board would be informative.

In the light of the wide distribution and ecological importance of the genus Tigriopus in coastal rock pool habitats, and of its frequent use in aquaculture and as a model organism, we investigated the identity of the Atlantic–Mediterranean Tigriopus populations and elucidated their taxonomy and patterns of morphological and genetic diversity. In order to reach these goals, an “integrative taxonomy” multisource approach was implemented. First, we investigated the constancy and taxonomical value of the morphological characters currently used to distinguish among the Tigriopus species occurring in the Mediterranean and in Eastern Atlantic area north of the Tropic of Cancer, and checked the actual morphological differences possibly present among topotypical samples of Tigriopus fulvus fulvus (Fischer, 1860) and its two subspecies Tigriopus fulvus adriaticus Van Douwe, 1913 and Tigriopus fulvus algiricus Monard, 1935. Then, we sequenced fragments of mitochondrial (12S) and nuclear (28S) genes. In the frame of this study, different “DNA taxonomy” approaches were implemented in order to check whether the subspecies of Tigriopus fulvus were actually lineages evolving independently, that is, valid species according to the “evolutionary genetic species concept.” The results coherently indicate the presence of a single species, characterized by constant morphology and a noteworthy geographically based genetic structure in the whole study area. No morphological or genetic support was found for the taxa of allegedly subspecific rank within T. fulvus, which are thus to be considered junior synonyms of T. fulvus s.s. Finally, a restricted locus typicus is established for T. fulvus, and a neotype is designated.

Aim: Migratory animals regularly move between often distant breeding and non‐breeding ranges. Knowledge about how these ranges are linked by movements of individuals from different populations is crucial for unravelling temporal variability in population spatial structuring and for identifying environmental drivers of population dynamics acting at different spatio‐temporal scales. We performed a large‐scale individual‐based migration tracking study of an Afro‐Palaearctic migratory raptor, to determine the patterns of migratory connectivity of European breeding populations. Location: Europe, Africa. Methods: Migration data were recorded using different devices (geolocators, satellite transmitters, Global Positioning System dataloggers) from 87 individuals breeding in the three core European populations, located in the Iberian, Italian and Balkan peninsulas. We estimated connectivity by the Mantel correlation coefficient (rM), and computed both the degree of separation between the non‐breeding areas of individuals from the same population (i.e. the population spread) and the relative size of the non‐breeding range (i.e. the non‐breeding range spread). Results: European lesser kestrels migrated on a broad front across the Mediterranean Sea and Sahara Desert, with different populations using different routes. Iberian birds migrated to western Sahel (Senegal, Mauritania, western Mali), Balkan birds migrated chiefly to central‐eastern Sahel (Niger, Nigeria, Chad), whereas Italian ones spread from eastern Mali to Nigeria. Spatial differentiation of non‐breeding areas led to a strong migratory connectivity (rM = .58), associated with a relatively high population (637 km) and non‐breeding range (1,149 km) spread. Main conclusions: Our comprehensive analysis of the non‐breeding distribution of European lesser kestrel populations revealed a strong migratory connectivity, a rare occurrence in long‐distance avian migrants. The geographical conformation of the species’ breeding and non‐breeding ranges, together with broad‐front migration across ecological barriers, promoted the differentiation of migratory routes and non‐breeding areas. Strong connectivity could then arise because of both high population spread and broad non‐breeding range. CLH; FCC Energía/Enerstar Villena S.A.; Alcalá de Henares Municipality; EDF Énergies Nouvelles S.A.; EuroNatur; Fundación Iberdrola España, Grant/Award Number: Project Migra; MAVA Foundation; French Ministry of Ecology, Grant/Award Number: Lesser Kestrel National Action Plan; Greek Green Fund; European Commission, Grant/Award Number: LIFE11 NAT/IT/000068, LIFE11 NAT/BG/000360 and NAT/GR/001011; Córdoba Zoo; Seiit‐R‐4; Consejería de Agricultura, Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo Rural de Castilla‐La Mancha; MIUR, Grant/Award Number: PRIN 2010‐2011/20180‐TZKHC.

We used the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (coI) gene DNA to barcode 117 endemic Gulf and cosmopolitan Indo-West Pacific fish species belonging to 54 families and 13 orders. Novel DNA barcodes were provided for 18 fish species (Trachinocephalus sp., Nematalosa sp., Herklotsichthys lossei, Upeneus doriae, Trachurus indicus, Apogonichthyoides taeniatus, Verulux cypselurus, Favonigobius sp., Suezichthus gracilis, Sillago sp., Brachirus orientalis, Pegusa sp., Lepidotrigla bispinosa, Lepidotrigla sp., Grammoplites suppositus, Hippichthys sp., Paramonacanthus sp. and Triacanthus sp.). The species delimitation analysis, conducted with Poisson tree processes- Bayesian PTP (PTP-bPTP) and nucleotide-divergence-threshold (NDT) models), found 137 and 119 entities respectively. Overall, NDT method, neighbour-joining species tree and the prior taxonomic assessment provided similar results. Among the 54 families considered, only 10 (Ariommatidae, Ephippidae, Leiognathidae, Nemipteridae, Plotosidae, Pomacanthidae, Pomacentridae, Priacanthidae and Rachycentridae) showed the occurrence of molecular diagnostic pure characters. The DNA barcoding database developed during this study will help ichthyologists to identify and resolve the taxonomic ambiguities they may encounter with the fishes occurring in The Gulf and throughout the region.

Sympatric species derive benefits by attending to information conveyed by heterospecifics. Our previous finding of reduced vigilance among jackdaws and lesser kestrels residing in mixed-species colonies suggested a reliance on interspecific communication of information regarding predatory threats. To test for interspecific communication of threat, we first determined whether jackdaw and lesser kestrel call structure varied with perceived threat. In this call production phase of our study, free-living birds in mixed-species colonies were presented with models representing a potential nest predator (European magpie) or with non-threatening stimuli (wood pigeon or wooden dowel) in proximity to nests. We recorded and subsequently analysed those calls to determine if any temporal or frequency-related call parameters differed by model type. In a second, perceptual phase of our study, we tested whether receivers perceive threat-related variation in both conspecific and heterospecific call structure by playing back call exemplars recorded in response to the predator model or to innocuous control stimuli, to determine whether free-living jackdaws or lesser kestrels respond differentially to playbacks of the different call types. We detected differences in vocalizations of both jackdaws and lesser kestrels relative to the model type presented, with more broadband (lesser kestrel) or noisy calls (jackdaws) in response to magpie versus innocuous model types. We also detected differential behavioural responses to call playbacks, with both jackdaws and lesser kestrels increasing vigilance and alarm calling in response to magpie-elicited jackdaw calls, but not to other call types. Taken together, our results suggest that jackdaw, but not lesser kestrel vocalizations, communicate enhanced threat associated with European magpies as possible nest predators. This interspecific alarm communication benefits both jackdaws and lesser kestrels, and, at least in part, explains asymmetric responses of jackdaws and lesser kestrels to magpies attending mixed-species colonies in nature.

Climate warming would theoretically create conditions for the breeding range expansion of pseudo-steppe Mediterranean and long-distance migrant species and provide the possibility for these to overwinter in the same breeding areas. However, contemporary changes in rainfall regimes might have negative effects on the climate suitability and in turn, shrink species potential range. The lesser kestrel Falco naumanni is highly sensitive to rainfall oscillations and has recently extended its Italian breeding range towards northern latitudes and increasing its wintering records. We modelled the effects of temperature and rainfall on current and future climate suitability for lesser kestrels in both the breeding and wintering periods by using MaxEnt. Models were based on the distribution of 298 colonies and 40 wintering records. Future climate suitability was assessed under eight different scenarios. Spring rainfall amount resulted as the main determinant of breeding climate suitability, so its predicted reduction will determine a shrinkage in suitable areas (–42.10% in 2050; –32.07% in 2070). Specifically, the 66.05% of Italian colonies will be outside the climatically suitable area by 2050. However wide areas, suitable under current climate conditions, are still not occupied by lesser kestrel and allow the potential expansion of its Italian breeding range in the short term. Temperature seasonality mainly determined the species’ winter climate suitability, which is overall predicted to boost in the next decades (+145.03% in 2050; and +123.91% in 2070). All but one future scenarios predicted a northward shift of about 40 km for both breeding and wintering climate suitability. Despite its recent expansion, we have found that climate change will pose conservation concerns for the Italian breeding population of lesser kestrels. Indeed, changes in non-climate factors will also outline the future suitability of the Italian range for lesser kestrels in both seasons with effects that might both strengthen or mitigate climate effects.

Illegal trade in wildlife has been identified as one of the main challenges to wildlife conservation. In 2010, an illegal trade-ring trafficking in birds of prey was uncovered in Sicily (southern Italy). This illegal trade targeted the three most endangered species in Italy: Bonelli's eagle Aquila fasciata, Lanner falcon Falco biarmicus and Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus, all of them long-lived territorial raptors threatened with extinction across their European distribution. Illegal harvest primarily involved young birds and eggs taken from nests. After the discovery of these activities, surveillance camps and camera traps connected to the mobile Global System for Mobile communications network were established in nine Bonelli's eagle breeding sites in which illegal harvest was reported. Surveillance activities resulted in a sharp reduction in illegal harvest that has contributed to the recent increase in population size and number of breeding pairs of Bonelli's eagle in the island. This population represents 95% of the entire Italian population and is catalogued as Critically Endangered in this country. Importantly, our results highlight the impact of illegal harvest on the population dynamics of endangered species as demonstrated by a population viability analysis. This is particularly important in the case of insular species for which demographic recovery due to immigration from other geographic areas is unlikely. Systematic patrols by forestry police authorities, a resolute application of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species legislation via legal punishment, and the requirement of including all live captive specimens used for falconry in an obligatory DNA data bank would contribute to reducing the risk of extinction for small populations of endangered species of birds of prey.

Quaternary climatic oscillations and geographic barriers have strongly influenced the distribution and diversification of thermophilic species occurring in the Mediterranean Basin. The Western Mediterranean pond turtle, Mauremys leprosa, is widely distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula, southern France and most of the Maghreb region, with two subspecies currently recognized. In this work, we used 566 samples, including 259 new individuals, across the species range, and sequenced two mitochondrial markers (cytochrome b gene and control region; 163 samples in a concatenated mtDNA dataset) and one nuclear intron (R35; 23 samples representing all identified sublineages) to study the evolutionary history of M. leprosa. We combined phylogenetic methods and phylogeographic continuous diffusion models with spatial analysis. Our results (1) show a high level of genetic structure in Morocco originated during the Pleistocene; (2) reveal two independent population expansion waves from Morocco to Tunisia and to southern Europe, which later expanded throughout the Iberian Peninsula, and (3) identify several secondary contact zones in Morocco. Our study also sheds new light on the role of geographical features (Moroccan mountains ranges and the Strait of Gibraltar) and Pleistocene climatic oscillations in shaping genetic diversity and structure of M. leprosa, and underlines the importance of the Maghreb as a differentiation centre harbouring distinct glacial refugia.

A model derived from the negative binomial distribution (NBD) has been proposed to solve the problem of predicting abundance of species from occurrence maps. The viability of NBD was explored for predicting the breeding abundance of five threatened species of raptor: Bonelli's Eagle Hieraaetus fasciatus, Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos, Peregrine Falco peregrinus, Lanner Falco biarmicus and Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni. First, the accuracy of the NBD was tested in a reference area where the species abundance and occurrence were known through intensive field surveys. Next, an estimation of regional abundance derived from NBD was made for each species. These estimates were then compared to the existing regional data for the five raptors. The spatial distributions of the species were strongly aggregated, with F. peregrinus correctly showing the most widespread area of occupancy. The NBD gave a good approximation of the breeding abundance of the raptors, but tended to overestimate real data, particularly the regional data for falcons. Difficulties in species detection, insufficient sampling effort (F. biarmicus) or data collected over long time spans when population size increased (F. naumanni) may have reduced the NBD's resolution power. The ability of the method to predict local abundances over large areas from readily available presence-absence data, with relatively low fieldwork effort, could have considerable applications in conservation biology. © 2008 The Author.