Search

Loss and/or deterioration of refuelling habitats have caused population declines in many migratory bird species but whether this results from unequal mortality among individuals varying in migration traits remains to be shown.Based on 13 years of body mass and size data of great knots (Calidris tenuirostris) at a stopover site of the Yellow Sea, combined with resightings of individuals marked at this stopover site along the East Asian‐Australasian Flyway, we assessed year to year changes in annual apparent survival rates, and how apparent survival differed between migration phenotypes (i.e. migration timing and fuel stores). The measurements occurred over a period of habitat loss and/or deterioration in this flyway.We found that the annual apparent survival rates of great knots rapidly declined from 2006 to 2018, late‐arriving individuals with small fuel stores exhibiting the lowest apparent survival rate. There was an advancement in mean arrival date and an increase in the mean fuel load of stopping birds over the study period.Our results suggest that late‐arriving individuals with small fuel loads were selected against. Thus, habitat loss and/or deterioration at staging sites may cause changes in the composition of migratory phenotypes at the population‐level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future global energy demand may be met through increased extraction of fossil fuels and production of renewable energy such as biofuels. Renewable energy from biofuels is often proposed as an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels; however, impacts of renewable energy sources on wildlife populations have rarely been evaluated in working landscapes. We used North American Breeding Bird Survey data (1998 to 2021) to assess whether the joint effects of oil and gas and biofuel crop production explained grassland bird population declines. We modeled location‐specific effects of land use on grassland bird habitat use for four grassland bird species (bobolink [Dolichonyx oryzivorus], grasshopper sparrow [Ammodramus savannarum], Savannah sparrow [Passerculus sandwichensis], and western meadowlark [Sturnella neglecta]) in North Dakota, a state experiencing rapid growth in both energy sectors. Our analysis showed that grassland birds responded more negatively to biofuel feedstocks (i.e., corn and soybeans) on the landscape compared with oil and gas development. Furthermore, we found that the effect of feedstocks was not generalizable to other forms of agricultural land use. When combined, these land use changes resulted in distributional shifts of grassland birds, with use by birds being lower in regions dominated by biofuel production, which appears partially responsible for observed abundance trends at the state level. Our results indicate that expansion of oil and gas development has negatively affected habitat use by some grassland birds, but this impact was more localized when compared to biofuel crops. Conservation practitioners may need to adapt their conservation strategies to account for widespread and rapid land use change driven by United States energy policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury (Hg) contamination remains a significant environmental concern. In aquatic ecosystems, Hg can undergo methylation, forming its organic form, methylmercury (MeHg), which bioaccumulates and biomagnifies in the food chain, ultimately reaching the top predators, including waterfowl. The objective of this study was to investigate the distribution and levels of Hg in wing feathers, with a specific focus on evaluating heterogeneity in the primary feathers of two kingfisher species (Megaceryle torquata and Chloroceryle amazona). The concentrations of total Hg (THg) in the primary feathers of C. amazona individuals from the Juruena, Teles Pires, and Paraguay rivers were 4.724 ± 1.600, 4.003 ± 1.532, and 2.800 ± 1.475 µg/kg, respectively. The THg concentrations in the secondary feathers were 4.624 ± 1.718, 3.531 ± 1.361, and 2.779 ± 1.699 µg/kg, respectively. For M. torquata, the THg concentrations in the primary feathers from the Juruena, Teles Pires, and Paraguay rivers were 7.937 ± 3.830, 6.081 ± 2.598, and 4.697 ± 2.585 µg/kg, respectively. The THg concentrations in the secondary feathers were 7.891 ± 3.869, 5.124 ± 2.420, and 4.201 ± 2.176 µg/kg, respectively. The percentage of MeHg in the samples increased during THg recovery, with an average of 95% in primary feathers and 80% in secondary feathers. It is crucial to comprehend the current Hg concentrations in Neotropical birds to mitigate potential toxic effects on these species. Exposure to Hg can lead to reduced reproductive rates and behavioral changes, such as motor incoordination and impaired flight ability, ultimately resulting in population decline among bird populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasslands are globally threatened and their biodiversity, including grassland birds, is declining markedly. To inform grassland bird conservation globally, we systematically reviewed threats and conservation actions for grassland birds, extracting data from 528 papers. Across the 10 primary grassland regions of the globe, agriculture was the most frequently or joint most frequently reported threat in nine regions (reported as a threat in 73% of publications); hunting was the most frequently reported threat in the remaining region. Natural system modifications (reported as a threat in 32% of publications) and climate change and severe weather (24%) were less frequently reported threats compared with agriculture. The types of threat from agriculture varied regionally, but the most pervasive were livestock farming and ranching (reported in 58% of publications where agriculture was a primary threat) and non‐timber cropping (43%). Most agricultural threats relate to intensification, but agricultural abandonment, typically the cessation of grazing, sometimes accompanied by tree planting/succession, poses an emerging threat to some grassland birds (reported in 32% of publications where agriculture was a primary threat). The most frequent conservation actions implemented to date include land/water management and protection, and species‐specific management actions. Authors of reviewed publications in almost all regions recommend more land/water management, followed by calls for further land/water protection. The parlous state of grassland birds globally suggests that existing conservation actions for grasslands are inadequate. Furthermore, our review suggests that these should be primarily targeted at reversing the negative impacts of agriculture, in particular livestock farming and cropping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nests of ground‐nesting birds rely heavily on camouflage for their survival, and predation risk, often linked to ecological changes from human activity, is a major source of mortality. Numerous ground‐nesting bird populations are in decline, so understanding the effects of camouflage on their nesting behavior is relevant to their conservation concerns. Habitat three‐dimensional (3D) geometry, together with predator visual abilities, viewing distance, and viewing angle, determine whether a nest is either visible, occluded, or too far away to detect. While this link is intuitive, few studies have investigated how fine‐scale geometry is likely to help defend nests from different predator guilds. We quantified nest visibility based on 3D occlusion, camouflage, and predator visual modeling in northern lapwings, Vanellus vanellus, on different land management regimes. Lapwings selected local backgrounds that had a higher 3D complexity at a spatial scale greater than their entire clutches compared to local control sites. Importantly, our findings show that habitat geometry—rather than predator visual acuity—restricts nest visibility for terrestrial predators and that their field habitats, perceived by humans as open, are functionally closed with respect to a terrestrial predator searching for nests on the ground. Taken together with lapwings' careful nest site selection, our findings highlight the importance of considering habitat geometry for understanding the evolutionary ecology and management of conservation sites for ground‐nesting birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traci Brynne Voyles's book, "The Settler Sea: California's Salton Sea and the Consequences of Colonialism," provides a comprehensive exploration of the Salton Sea's history and its connection to settler colonialism and environmental justice. The book argues for the inclusion of settler colonialism in California and US history, particularly in environmental histories. It examines the Salton Sea as a microcosm of the West's environmental history, highlighting the knowledge and practices of Indigenous groups. The book is structured chronologically, exploring the Salton Sea through different thematic lenses. It discusses the influx of birds, settler-built infrastructure, settler concerns about disease, militarization, incarceration, toxicity, and the need for decolonization and Indigenous involvement in protecting ancestral lands and waters. [Extracted from the article]

Neonicotinoid (NN) insecticides derived from natural insecticide nicotine are EU chemical crop protection systemic active substances that are controversial regarding their toxicity and ecotoxicity, especially versus pollinators and birds. Clearly, the last European evaluation by the European Food Safety Authority exhibited a danger to wild and managed bees. Concomitantly, the decline in birds was partially attributed to this class of substances, which constitutes a family in itself, both in Europe and the USA. At the regulatory level, following the initial approval waves in 2011 and 2019, and mainly taking into account these ecotoxicological considerations, the commission banned the use of three NN insecticides in 2013 (imidacloprid, clothianidin, and thiamethoxam), and later, only one NN (acetamiprid) was renewed. Four NN approvals were removed by the end of approval or non-renewal in 2019 and 2020, and two are currently concerns for renewals in 2025, even if extensions of the approval durations of these NNs are to be expected due to the current slowness of the renewal procedure. Therefore, from the total number (17) of NN insecticide molecules known all over the world, up to seven NN were approved by the EU plant protection Regulation EC 1107/2009 between 2011 and now. All of these active substances are listed in Parts A and B of Regulation EU 540/2011 managing active substances. The regulatory evolution of these agrochemicals is analysed in this work, from the corresponding global modifications in terms of the number of active substances, employment, functions, uses covered, protected crops, and maximum residue limits. We also analysed their ability to persist as an agrochemical family and the potential of the inclusion of new NN members together with their current restrictions during their active substance life in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birds must contend with an array of anthropogenic threats during their migratory journeys. Many migrants are killed due to encounters with artificial light, introduced species, pollutants, and other anthropogenic hazards, while survivors of these encounters can suffer longer-lasting negative effects. The nonlethal effects of anthropogenic threats on migrating birds are less well understood than direct mortality, yet both potentially contribute to population declines. For example, building collisions frequently kill migrating birds, but the numbers of migrants that survive with an impaired ability to fly, refuel, or navigate to their destination on time is not well understood. Though not immediately fatal, such injuries can lead to delayed mortality and, ultimately, reduced lifetime reproductive success. Furthermore, migrants are likely to encounter multiple threats on their journeys, which can interact synergistically to further reduce fitness. For instance, light pollution attracts and disorients migrants, increasing the likelihood of window strikes, and surviving birds may be more vulnerable to predation from introduced predators. While considerable attention has focused on the lethal effects of anthropogenic threats, here, we review nonlethal effects of eight types of threats during migration, their interactions, and the pathways through which they can exert fitness costs. In doing so, we identify knowledge gaps and suggest areas for future research. In the absence of more information, we propose that the greatest reduction in the cumulative lethal and nonlethal impacts of anthropogenic hazards will be achieved by addressing threat types, like artificial light at night, that interact with and compound the impact of additional threats. Direct mortality from anthropogenic sources is recognized as a key driver of population declines, but a full understanding of the impacts of human activity on migrating birds must include the cumulative and interacting effects that extend beyond immediate mortality en route to influence overall migration success and lifetime fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora invaded coastal China, native birds started avoiding the green desert, and bird diversity declined. After many years, a few passerine birds began to enter and use smooth cordgrass, but only birds with a nonspecialised habitat. In this study, we found that a native reed‐specific bird, the parrotbill Calamornis heudei, flocked and sang in a smooth cordgrass habitat throughout the overwintering period near Sheyang Port in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province. This observation suggests that native obligate birds may be forced to adapt to exotic smooth cordgrass habitats after long‐term coexistence, which would, obviously, affect the distribution, feeding and reproduction of birds. The concern is that this could be an ecological trap, leading to unknown consequences. More research is required to examine the process occurring along the Chinese coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ibis is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Simple Summary: We aimed to investigate how an invasive cavity-breeding bird, the common (Indian) myna, and a native nest predator, the common brushtail possum, influence urban nest box use by native birds in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. We quantified nest box use by invasive and native species, assessed nesting success and failure rates, and explored what environmental factors might influence nest box occupancy and nesting success. We found that the native possums were the most common nest box users and that possum occupancy of boxes was associated with higher rates of nesting failures by all bird species. More common myna nesting attempts were observed in areas where mynas have been established longer. We found no evidence of a significant negative impact by the common myna on other birds in our study locations, which may be partly due to the low rates of use of our nest boxes by native birds. Nevertheless, better nest box design and guidelines for setting them up are needed if we aim to provide more nesting opportunities for native birds to replace the decline in big old cavity trees. Many bird species in Australia require tree hollows for breeding. However, assessing the benefits of urban nest boxes to native birds requires frequent monitoring that allows to assess nesting success. To better understand the benefits of nest boxes for native birds, we examined the impact of local habitat characteristics, invasive species (common myna, Acridotheres tristis), and native mammalian predators on urban nest box use and nesting success of native birds. We installed 216 nest boxes across nine locations in southeastern Australia (S.E. Queensland and northern New South Wales) in both long-invaded sites (invaded before 1970) and more recently invaded sites (after 1990). We monitored all boxes weekly over two breeding seasons. We recorded seven bird species and three mammal species using the nest boxes. Weekly box occupancy by all species averaged 8% of all boxes, with the species most frequently recorded in the nest boxes being the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), a native cavity user and nest predator. We recorded 137 nesting attempts in the boxes across all bird species. The most frequent nesting species were the invasive alien common mynas (72 nesting attempts). We recorded an average nesting failure rate of 53.3% for all bird species. We did not record any common mynas evicting other nesting birds, and found that several native species used the same box after the common myna completed its nesting. We recorded native possums in 92% of the boxes, and possum occupancy of boxes per site was negatively correlated with bird nesting success (p = 0.021). These results suggest that when boxes are accessible to invasive species and native predators, they are unlikely to significantly improve nesting opportunities for native birds. To ensure efficient use of limited conservation resources, nest boxes should be designed to target species of high conservation importance and limit other species of both predators and competitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the fastest declining pinyon-juniper bird species, the Pinyon Jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) has generated considerable interest and conservation concern. The Pinyon Jay is named for its mutualistic relationship with pinyon pines (Colorado pinyon [Pinus edulis], single-leaf pinyon [P. monophylla]). Pinyon Jays are critical to the establishment and maintenance of pinyon-juniper woodlands impacted by climate-related drought, fire, and insect outbreaks, a role that may be compromised by the birds' declining abundance. Management for Pinyon Jays is an urgent need, and an improved understanding of their habitat ecology is a priority. Although Pinyon Jay social behavior has been well studied for decades, only recently has the habitat ecology of Pinyon Jays been investigated and only in New Mexico, the Great Basin, and the Colorado Plateau. Knowledge gaps remain, and less is known in other areas. Here we assemble and integrate information on Pinyon Jay habitat ecology from a diverse set of sources. Received 23 October 2022. Accepted 11 May 2023. Al ser la especie de ave en asociación con piñones y juníperos que está en declive más pronunciado, la chara piñonera (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) ha generado interés considerable y preocupación por su conservación. La chara piñonera recibe su nombre por su relación mutualista con los pinos piñoneros (piñón de Colorado [Pinus edulis], piñón de una sola hoja [P. monophylla]). Las charas piñoneras son críticas en el establecimiento y mantenimiento del arbolado de pino- junípero impactados por las sequías relacionadas al cambio climático, el fuego y los brotes de insectos, un papel que podría estar en peligro por el declive de abundancia de las aves. El manejo de chara piñonera es una necesidad urgente y mejorar la comprensión de su papel ecológico en el hábitat es una prioridad. A pesar de que el comportamiento social de la chara piñonera ha sido bien estudiado por décadas, no ha sido hasta hace poco que se ha empezado a estudiar el hábitat ecológico de la chara piñonera y este estudio se ha limitado a New Mexico, el Great Basin y el Colorado Plateau. Quedan vacíos de conocimiento y se conoce menos en otras áreas. Aquí unimos e integramos información de la ecología del hábitat de la chara piñonera de diversas fuentes. Palabras clave: ámbito hogareño, colonia de anidamiento, escala, nido, piñón-junípero. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North American bird populations have declined significantly since 1970 due to a variety of causes. We estimated long term changes in abundance of wintering waterbirds at Tomales Bay, Marin Co., CA, from 1992-2022. Average total waterbird numbers decreased 11.8%. The most concerning declines for taxa whose numbers in 1992 accounted for at least 5% of the combined numbers of waterbirds were for Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata), Brant (Branta bernicla), Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis), American Coot (Fulica americana), and Western (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clark's (Aechmophorus clarkii) Grebe. Of 29 taxa that we estimated trends for, 13 declined across our study period. Fourteen taxa had negative trends of ≥2% year–1 for at least 10 consecutive years, meeting the IUCN's Red List criteria for Near Threatened or higher. We accounted for two influencers of primary productivity in the bay: the Northern California Multivariate Oceanic and Climatic (MOCI) index and winter freshwater inflow. MOCI was included in the best model for six taxa while freshwater inflow was informative for eight taxa. A local wetland restoration project led to increases in three of the seven species we modeled. The dynamics of waterbird numbers on Tomales Bay are linked partly to herring but other local to global factors are important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Declines in European bird populations are reported for decades but the direct effect of major anthropogenic pressures on such declines remains unquantified. Causal relationships between pressures and bird population responses are difficult to identify as pressures interact at different spatial scales and responses vary among species. Here, we uncover direct relationships between population time-series of 170 common bird species, monitored at more than 20,000 sites in 28 European countries, over 37 y, and four widespread anthropogenic pressures: agricultural intensification, change in forest cover, urbanisation and temperature change over the last decades. We quantify the influence of each pressure on population time-series and its importance relative to other pressures, and we identify traits of most affected species. We find that agricultural intensification, in particular pesticides and fertiliser use, is the main pressure for most bird population declines, especially for invertebrate feeders. Responses to changes in forest cover, urbanisation and temperature are more species-specific. Specifically, forest cover is associated with a positive effect and growing urbanisation with a negative effect on population dynamics, while temperature change has an effect on the dynamics of a large number of bird populations, the magnitude and direction of which depend on species' thermal preferences. Our results not only confirm the pervasive and strong effects of anthropogenic pressures on common breeding birds, but quantify the relative strength of these effects stressing the urgent need for transformative changes in the way of inhabiting the world in European countries, if bird populations shall have a chance of recovering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birds are important indicators for monitoring both biodiversity and habitat health; they also play a crucial role in ecosystem management. Declines in bird populations can result in reduced ecosystem services, including seed dispersal, pollination and pest control. Accurate and long-term monitoring of birds to identify species of concern while measuring the success of conservation interventions is essential for ecologists. However, monitoring is time-consuming, costly and often difficult to manage over long durations and at meaningfully large spatial scales. Technology such as camera traps, acoustic monitors and drones provide methods for non-invasive monitoring. There are two main problems with using camera traps for monitoring: (a) cameras generate many images, making it difficult to process and analyse the data in a timely manner; and (b) the high proportion of false positives hinders the processing and analysis for reporting. In this paper, we outline an approach for overcoming these issues by utilising deep learning for real-time classification of bird species and automated removal of false positives in camera trap data. Images are classified in real-time using a Faster-RCNN architecture. Images are transmitted over 3/4G cameras and processed using Graphical Processing Units (GPUs) to provide conservationists with key detection metrics, thereby removing the requirement for manual observations. Our models achieved an average sensitivity of 88.79%, a specificity of 98.16% and accuracy of 96.71%. This demonstrates the effectiveness of using deep learning for automatic bird monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation in evolutionary rates among species is a defining characteristic of the tree of life and may be an important predictor of species’ capacities to adapt to rapid environmental change. It is broadly assumed that generation length is an important determinant of microevolutionary rates, and body size is often used as a proxy for generation length. However, body size has myriad biological correlates that could affect evolutionary rates independently from generation length. We leverage two large, independently collected datasets on recent morphological change in birds (52 migratory species breeding in North America and 77 South American resident species) to test how body size and generation length are related to the rates of contemporary morphological change. Both datasets show that birds have declined in body size and increased in wing length over the past 40 y. We found, in both systems, a consistent pattern wherein smaller species declined proportionally faster in body size and increased proportionally faster in wing length. By contrast, generation length explained less variation in evolutionary rates than did body size. Although the mechanisms warrant further investigation, our study demonstrates that body size is an important predictor of contemporary variation in morphological rates of change. Given the correlations between body size and a breadth of morphological, physiological, and ecological traits predicted to mediate phenotypic responses to environmental change, the relationship between body size and rates of phenotypic change should be considered when testing hypotheses about variation in adaptive responses to climate change [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change affects timing of reproduction in many bird species, but few studies have investigated its influence on annual reproductive output. Here, we assess changes in the annual production of young by female breeders in 201 populations of 104 bird species (N = 745,962 clutches) covering all continents between 1970 and 2019. Overall, average offspring production has declined in recent decades, but considerable differences were found among species and populations. A total of 56.7% of populations showed a declining trend in offspring production (significant in 17.4%), whereas 43.3% exhibited an increase (significant in 10.4%). The results show that climatic changes affect offspring production through compounded effects on ecological and life history traits of species. Migratory and larger-bodied species experienced reduced offspring production with increasing temperatures during the chick-rearing period, whereas smaller-bodied, sedentary species tended to produce more offspring. Likewise, multi-brooded species showed increased breeding success with increasing temperatures, whereas rising temperatures were unrelated to reproductive success in single-brooded species. Our study suggests that rapid declines in size of bird populations reported by many studies from different parts of the world are driven only to a small degree by changes in the production of young. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shorebirds are declining to a greater extent than many other avian taxa around the world. In North America, shorebirds, along with aerial insectivores and grassland birds, have some of the highest proportions of declining species of any group. Here, we apply a new hierarchical Bayesian model to analyze shorebird migration monitoring data from across North America, from 1980 to 2019, and present the most recent available estimates of trends for 28 species. Point estimates for survey-wide trends in abundance were negative for 26 of 28 species (93%). Despite challenges with low precision associated with migration count data, trends for 19 species had 95% credible intervals that were entirely negative. More than half of the species were estimated to have lost >50% of their abundance. Furthermore, estimated rates of decline have accelerated during the last three generations for most species. Point estimates of trend were more negative for 18 species (64%) during the most recent three-generation period in comparison to the previous three-generation period. Many species now exceed international criteria for threatened species listing. The analytic approach used here allows us to model regional variation in trends, although survey coverage and strength of inference were greatest in the eastern portions of North America (east of 100°W). We found the greatest declines at staging sites along the Atlantic Coast from North Carolina to Nova Scotia, and lesser declines along the Gulf Coast and in the midcontinental United States. The declines in shorebird populations reported here are worrisome and signal the urgent need for conservation action. In addition, it would be beneficial to validate these results through the collection and analysis of complementary data, and to initiate demographic studies throughout the annual cycle to determine where and when declines are most likely to originate. This improved information will allow for the development of more targeted efforts to reverse declines through conservation action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term records of Water Level Fluctuations (WLF) and nutrient dynamics in Lake Kinneret have indicated an independence between them. The winter's high WLF with nutrient-rich conditions and the summer's low WLF with nutrient-poor conditions are recurrent states. Are Water Level Fluctuations and Lake Kinneret's pelagic water quality related directly or indirectly? Overall, the results found that WLF and nutrient dynamics in the pelagic zone of Lake Kinneret are not co-partners, but independent escorts. The common periodical (monthly) distribution of nutrient concentrations in the epilimnion of Lake Kinneret indicates that a 20 m deep epilimnion formed following a decline in water input, temperature, and evaporation elevation, resulting in the decline of WL. There was a seasonal correlation between summer's natural conditions and pelagic nutrients' deficiency. Low WL in summer is the result of natural subtropical climate conditions, whilst dry or high rainfall seasons induce water input modification and consequently, the WL decline of nutrient inputs and independent followers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agri‐environment schemes (AES) are the primary policy mechanism for addressing farmland biodiversity declines across Europe. Despite previous studies on the impacts of AES on biodiversity, there is little empirical evidence on the scale of provision required to reverse declines.Across three regions of lowland England with contrasting farm systems (arable, pastoral, mixed), we estimated avian population growth rates (PGRs) on farmland with high AES provision ('higher‐tier': average bird‐friendly option cover = 7.4%), low AES provision ('lower‐tier': 2.3%) and no bird‐friendly AES ('no AES'). Ten‐year PGRs were derived for 24 species and three multi‐species groups comprising farmland‐associated species ('farmland birds'), species of conservation concern ('priority birds') and species restricted to farmland ('specialist birds'). We used PGRs to simulate the proportion of the regional farmland landscape that would have to be assigned to higher‐ and lower‐tier agreements to stabilise or increase populations.In the arable and pastoral regions, 13/23 and 13/22 species, respectively, had more positive PGRs under higher‐tier AES than on no AES farmland (none had more negative PGRs), compared to 4/22 (positive) and 1/22 (negative) in the mixed region. Only two to four species per region exhibited more positive PGRs under lower‐tier AES compared to no AES farmland.Multi‐species PGRs in the arable and pastoral regions increased from no AES (strong decline), to lower‐tier (decline or stability) to higher‐tier (moderate or strong increase). There was no overall AES effect in the mixed region.To increase regional farmland bird populations by 10% over 10 years, 47% and 26% of the farmed landscape would need to be devoted to higher‐tier agreements in arable and pastoral landscapes respectively. This falls to 34% and 17% when higher‐tier is targeted at localities supporting higher abundances of target species, and to 29% and 10% when 30% of the farmed landscape is also devoted to lower‐tier. Priority and specialist birds require higher provision levels.Policy implications. Where farmland bird recovery is an AES objective, farms should prioritise higher‐tier agreement delivery over lower‐tier. Farmland bird responses to AES provision are likely to vary regionally, but careful targeting will reduce the amount needed in the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latin American cityscapes are growing fast, posing risks to many bird communities and ecosystem services (e.g. seed dispersal and arthropod population control), but few studies have addressed how bird functional diversity respond to urbanization in Neotropical cities. In this study, we tested which biotic (i.e. vegetation characteristics and human and pet disturbances) and abiotic variables (i.e. area size, number of vehicles, and glass panes) influence functional diversity indices of insectivores, frugivores‐nectarivores, migrants, residents, and total bird community at urban green spaces in São Paulo megacity, southeastern Brazil. A rich avian community (235 species) from 25 studied sites was recorded. Generalized linear models (GLM) analyses showed that large‐sized areas of urban green spaces and shrub cover are the main characteristics that drive high bird functional diversity. Small‐sized sites were less favourable for preserving bird functional diversity. We showed that these areas were related to some negative impacts for bird species (e.g. absence of shrub layer, heavy traffic and massive presence of glass panes, and domestic animals), thus causing declines in avian functional diversity. Off‐leash and homeless dogs and cats may cause declines in bird ecological functions (e.g. insect control, seed dispersal and pollination), which are essential to sustain biodiversity. Therefore, as management actions to improve bird diversity and better provisioning of ecosystem functions, we recommend that urban planners and managers should prioritize large‐sized areas with high shrub cover. Additionally, we highlight the need to mitigate the negative impact on birds caused by glass panes, traffic of vehicles, and off‐leash and homeless dogs and cats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the combination of river disruption and irrational human activities has caused serious damage to wetlands. Based on long-time-series remote-sensing images, this study applied the land use transfer matrix and landscape index method to investigate the dynamic evolution and driving forces of the Qingtongxia wetland in the upper reaches of the Yellow River from 1999 to 2020. The results show that the land use types of Qingtongxia wetland changed insignificantly from 1999 to 2020, with the area of water and grassland decreasing and the area of reed wetland, beach, farmland and forest increasing. The spatial changes in the watershed changed the distribution of other land uses within the wetland, with the watershed concentrating in a southwest–northeast direction and shrinking in the southwestern part of the wetland area between years. From 1999 to 2011, the wetlands were restored, the landscape became less fragmented and simpler in shape and the dominant species developed significantly. From 2010 to 2020, the wetlands were disturbed and, as a new tourist destination, the planning and renovation work increased fragmentation and the complexity of the patches. The complexity of the patch shape increased, and, at the same time, with the implementation of various conservation measures, the development of the dominant species within recovered. The drivers of change in the different land use areas within the wetlands of the Qingtongxia reservoir are dominated by flow, and the drivers of the evolution of landscape patterns within the wetlands are closely related to the population and gross regional product, in addition to being influenced by flow. In recent years, increased fragmentation has been the main reason for the decline in bird habitat quality. Maintaining bird diversity in the wetlands of the Qingtongxia reservoir can be based on rational planning of the proportion of different land uses within the wetlands, reducing landscape fragmentation by limiting human activities in the corresponding areas, as well as appropriate flow control measures. This study provides some reference for biodiversity conservation within wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization requires enormous amounts of material inputs especially sand to fulfilling the demands of the increasing human population through sand mining. It has negative environmental impacts in terms of physical, chemical, and biological aspects like river-associated biodiversity, especially on river dolphins, fishes, crocodiles, turtles, otters, and birds. The temporary sand islands of Rivers with their abundant food supplies for birds are ideal nesting grounds for a variety of avian species, like Indian Skimmer, Black-bellied Tern, River Tern, Great Thick-knee, and River Lapwing. Extensive sand mining is degrading the breeding grounds of these sandbar nesting birds which can eventually lead to their population decline. Inadvertent erosion of river beds and banks also may occur as a result of extreme extraction practices. The use of heavy machinery is also affecting the collective environment. Conservation priority areas can be identified using select birds as environmental indicators and model organisms for biodiversity conservation. Long-term avifaunal survey data could also be useful for effective monitoring of the changes in the riverine habitat quality and biodiversity. Increasing natural riparian vegetation and conservation awareness among local people could make a positive impact on conserving these habitats along with some of the threatened avian species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global declines in bird and arthropod abundance highlights the importance of understanding the role of food limitation and arthropod community composition for the performance of insectivorous birds. In this study, we link data on nestling diet, arthropod availability and nesting performance for the Coastal Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus sandiegensis), an at-risk insectivorous bird native to coastal southern California and Baja Mexico. We used DNA metabarcoding to characterize nestling diets and monitored 8 bird territories over two years to assess the relationship between arthropod and vegetation community composition and bird reproductive success. We document a discordance between consumed prey and arthropod biomass within nesting territories, in which Diptera and Lepidoptera were the most frequently consumed prey taxa but were relatively rare in the environment. In contrast other Orders (e.g., Hemiptera, Hymenoptera)were abundant in the environment but were absent from nestling diets. Accordingly, variation in bird reproductive success among territories was positively related to the relative abundance of Lepidoptera (but not Diptera), which were most abundant on 2 shrub species (Eriogonum fasciculatum, Sambucus nigra) of the 9 habitat elements characterized (8 dominant plant species and bare ground). Bird reproductive success was in turn negatively related to two invasive arthropods whose abundance was not associated with preferred bird prey, but instead possibly acted through harassment (Linepithema humile; Argentine ants) and parasite transmission or low nutritional quality (Armadillidium vulgare; "pill-bug"). These results demonstrate how multiple aspects of arthropod community structure can influence bird performance through complementary mechanisms, and the importance of managing for arthropods in bird conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding population mixing, movements, and connectivity of populations is an important first step towards effective conservation, particularly for long distance migrants that are suffering the greatest population declines, as this allows researchers to recognize how populations may face different risks throughout the annual cycle. We combined population genetic and individual tracking data to quantify the genetic structure and full-cycle movements of the declining North American Black Tern (Chlidonias niger surinamensis). A total of 147 genetic samples were collected from 9 breeding colonies across the range (Maine, Ontario, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Saskatchewan, and Oregon), and 19 light-level geolocators were recovered from 3 colonies (Ontario, Michigan, and Saskatchewan). Our results demonstrated weak genetic structure, and tracking data demonstrated the use of shared nonbreeding areas between central (Saskatchewan) and eastern (Ontario and Michigan) breeding populations. Our tracking data also provide novel evidence of long-distance breeding dispersal (~1,400 km between breeding locations across years) based on an individual tracked across multiple years, as well as short distance dispersal (~2.5–57 km) based on new recovery locations of 6 tracked individuals. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the shared use of nonbreeding areas influences physical condition, timing of departure, and subsequent reproductive timing in such a way as to facilitate dispersal across the breeding range and contribute to weak genetic structure among breeding populations. This study is the first to explore population genetics and migration of North American Black Terns. Extensive movement of individuals may pose a challenge from a conservation perspective as important areas and habitats throughout the annual cycle may be difficult to predict, and future studies should build on our work via extensive mark-resight effort using color bands, tracking individuals from more breeding sites, and examining carry-over effects to further investigate when in the annual cycle populations are most limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migratory bird populations can be limited by events in disparate parts of the world. Birds wintering in tropical regions are facing rapid habitat loss, climate change, and intensive agricultural regimes, potentially contributing to population declines. However, an understanding of basic nonbreeding ecology of species, such as habitat and space use, is critical for determining if this is the case. Populations of the nocturnal/crepuscular Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) have declined by 70% since the 1960’s, yet data on the species are sparse outside of the breeding season. We extracted data from 41 archival GPS tags deployed on whip-poor-wills and estimated nonbreeding home ranges and land covers used. We used satellite imagery and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values from claws grown during the nonbreeding season to analyze how land cover and habitat moisture impacted home range size and relative trophic level. Forest was by far the most prevalent land cover used by whip-poor-wills, occurring in all home ranges and accounting for >80% of diurnal roosting points. We found that less forest, the presence of agriculture, and more edge (irrespective of land cover) were associated with larger home ranges. Stable isotope values differed by broadscale ecoregion but not local land cover characteristics in our study, indicating that regional idiosyncrasies or broadscale processes can be more important in determining stable isotope ratios. Our findings suggest that the loss, fragmentation, and replacement of forest by agriculture in the core of the whip-poor-will’s nonbreeding range may represent a threat to the species, as they rely heavily upon forest, and appear to alter space use in response to changes in forest cover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Documenting patterns of spatiotemporal change in hyper‐diverse communities remains a challenge for tropical ecology yet is increasingly urgent as some long‐term studies have shown major declines in bird communities in undisturbed sites. In 1982, Terborgh et al. quantified the structure and organisation of the bird community in a 97‐ha. plot in southeastern Peru. We revisited the same plot in 2018 using the same methodologies as the original study to evaluate community‐wide changes. Contrary to longitudinal studies of other neotropical bird communities (Tiputini, Manaus, and Panama), we found little change in community structure and organisation, with increases in 5, decreases in 2 and no change in 7 foraging guilds. This apparent stability suggests that large forest reserves such as the Manu National Park, possibly due to regional topographical influences on precipitation, still provide the conditions for establishing refugia from at least some of the effects of global change on bird communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many global agricultural problems, such as the decline of agricultural land, soil pollution, climate change, water scarcity, and rural poverty threaten the sustainability of agricultural production systems. This study aimed to (i) develop a methodology to measure the sustainability of beef cattle farms, (ii) measure economic, social and environmental sustainability, and (iii) determine the impact of farm size on the sustainability of beef cattle farming. The study data were collected from 155 beef cattle sample farms via face-to-face surveys in Samsun Province, Turkey. A multi-stage process was employed to measure sustainability. The most important factors contributing to sustainability were determined as the debt-asset ratio, beef yield, and production cost for economic sustainability; the adequacy of educational institutions in the village or district and misunderstanding with neighbours for social sustainability; paying attention to meteorological conditions for pesticide use and nature conservation for environmental sustainability. The composite sustainability index was determined as 0.43 in small farms, 0.51 in medium farms and 0.61 in large farms. It has been found that an increase in the farm size had a positive impact on economic, social, and environmental sustainability of beef cattle farming. The methodology and indicators developed can be used to ensure the sustainability of different agricultural sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife management aims to halt and then reverse the decline of threatened species, to sustainably harvest populations, and to control undesirable impacts of some species. We describe a unifying framework of three feasible options for evaluation of wildlife management, including conservation, and discuss their relative strengths of statistical and causal inference. The first option is trends in abundance, which can provide strong evidence a change has occurred (statistical inference) but does not identify the causes. The second option assesses population outcomes relative to management efforts, which provides strong evidence of cause and effect (causal inference) but not the trend. The third option combines the first and second options and therefore provides both statistical and causal inferences in an adaptive framework. We propose that wildlife management needs to explicitly use causal criteria and inference to complement adaptive management. We recommend incorporating these options into management plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many migratory species are in decline across their geographical ranges. Single‐population studies can provide important insights into drivers at a local scale, but effective conservation requires multi‐population perspectives. This is challenging because relevant data are often hard to consolidate, and state‐of‐the‐art analytical tools are typically tailored to specific datasets.We capitalized on a recent data harmonization initiative (SPI‐Birds) and linked it to a generalized modelling framework to identify the demographic and environmental drivers of large‐scale population decline in migratory pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) breeding across Britain.We implemented a generalized integrated population model (IPM) to estimate age‐specific vital rates, including their dependency on environmental conditions, and total and breeding population size of pied flycatchers using long‐term (34–64 years) monitoring data from seven locations representative of the British breeding range. We then quantified the relative contributions of different vital rates and population structure to changes in short‐ and long‐term population growth rate using transient life table response experiments (LTREs).Substantial covariation in population sizes across breeding locations suggested that change was the result of large‐scale drivers. This was supported by LTRE analyses, which attributed past changes in short‐term population growth rates and long‐term population trends primarily to variation in annual survival and dispersal dynamics, which largely act during migration and/or nonbreeding season. Contributions of variation in local reproductive parameters were small in comparison, despite sensitivity to local temperature and rainfall within the breeding period.We show that both short‐ and long‐term population changes of British breeding pied flycatchers are likely linked to factors acting during migration and in nonbreeding areas, where future research should be prioritized. We illustrate the potential of multi‐population analyses for informing management at (inter)national scales and highlight the importance of data standardization, generalized and accessible analytical tools, and reproducible workflows to achieve them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities are driving rapid defaunation of Earth's ecosystems through increasing rates of extinction. However, the ecological consequences of species loss remain unclear, in part due to the limited availability of high‐resolution functional trait data.To address this, we assess how predicted extinctions will reshape avian functional diversity quantified using a multidimensional trait space, or morphospace, reflecting variation in eight key morphological traits closely linked to ecological function across 9943 (>99%) extant bird species.We show that large regions of this morphospace are represented by very few species and, thus, vulnerable to species loss. We also find evidence that species at highest risk of extinction are both larger and functionally unique in terms of ecological trait dimensions unrelated to size, such as beak shape and wing shape.Although raw patterns suggest a positive relationship between extinction risk and functional uniqueness, this is removed when accounting for phylogeny and body mass, indicating a dominant role for clade‐specific factors, including the combination of larger average body size and higher extinction risk in the non‐passerine clade.Regardless of how a threat is related to uniqueness, we show using simulations that the loss of currently threatened bird species would result in a greater loss of morphological diversity than expected under random extinctions.Our results suggest that ongoing declines of threatened bird species may drive a disproportionately large loss of morphological diversity, with potentially major consequences for ecosystem functioning. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Urbanization and its associated impacts on biodiversity are increasing globally. There is a need to enhance our understanding of species responses to inform strategies for sustainable urbanization. Objectives: Three extensive bird monitoring campaigns took place over the last three decades in the city of Naples, Italy, providing a comprehensive longitudinal dataset to analyse occurrence trends of urban birds. We aimed to assess both species-specific and assemblage-level changes in urban birds according to land cover dynamics. Methods: We extracted bird data for the periods 1990–95, 2000–05, and 2014–18, and explored the spatial and temporal relationships between bird presence/avian assemblage composition, and land cover variation. Results: The species richness of breeding birds remained stable over time, despite a notable species turnover, influenced by changes in the species' key land cover classes. Species associated with forest and urban land cover tended to colonise the area, while those dependent on abandoned and cultivated areas decreased or went locally extinct. Birds changed their degree of dependence upon their key habitat type over time, as species from marginal and open habitat types needed larger amounts of habitat to persist within the area, while forest species showed an opposite trend. Conclusions: Habitat-driven changes in avian assemblages within the urban landscape led to an increase in forest-associated species, and a decrease in birds associated with declining habitat types. Our findings may inform urban planning to promote more wildlife-friendly cities, which for our study area should prioritise open and marginal habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding populations of many wading birds have declined globally, primarily caused by habitat degradation and loss. In the UK, population declines have been particularly notable on lowland wet grasslands. In response, some areas of lowland wet grassland have been restored and are under ongoing management to improve the breeding conditions of target species. Here, we assess the efficacy of management measures using a Bayesian framework and controlling for confounding factors. We focus on four wader species, Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata, Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago and Common Redshank Tringa totanus, that breed in numbers on wet grassland reserve sites in the UK. We collated annual site‐specific climate variables, management information (e.g. the creation of wet features and predator control measures) and bird counts between 1994 and 2018. We found the effects of conservation actions varied between intervention types and species. For Lapwing and Redshank, excluding predators by predator‐exclusion fencing, especially in combination with fox control, was generally associated with higher breeding counts. For all study species, sites with longer histories of management were associated with higher breeding numbers, with the effect of site age being particularly notable for management on former arable land. Our findings support the effectiveness of targeted conservation actions to achieve high numbers of breeding waders on lowland wet grassland reserves, and also highlight the value of consistent and reliable monitoring data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The avian influenza A virus (H7N9), first detected in China in 2013, is a zoonotic virus that remains persistent in bird populations despite a decline in human cases owing to control measures. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a vaccine as one preventive strategy in anticipation of the potential entry of H7N9 into Korea. Using the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase consensus sequences of H7N9 from 2018–2019, a recombinant H7N9 vaccine, rgAPQAH7N9, was developed, and its protective efficacy in specific pathogen-free chickens was evaluated. The rgAPQAH7N9 vaccine exhibited proliferation in eggs and demonstrated high immunogenicity, with a hemagglutination inhibition titer of 9.3 log 2. Furthermore, the vaccine provided complete protection, as vaccinated chickens did not exhibit clinical signs or viral shedding. Moreover, when the rgAPQAH7N9 vaccine was boosted, the resulting immunity was long-lasting, with hemagglutination inhibition titers > 7 log2 persisting after 6 months. Therefore, the rgAPQAH7N9 vaccine virus may be considered a potential candidate for inclusion in the avian influenza antigen bank to ensure preparedness for emergency vaccination in poultry. • A recombinant H7N9 vaccine (rgAPQAH7N9) was established. • The rgAPQAH7N9 vaccine demonstrated robust immunogenicity in SPF chickens. • rgAPQAH7N9 induced complete protection, preventing clinical signs & viral shedding. • Boosting the rgAPQAH7N9 vaccine yielded long-lasting immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low intensity grazing is an increasingly used tool in conservation. It creates beneficial conditions for biodiversity by shaping structural diverse habitats. An important resource provided by grazing are dung pats because many species are associated with those, especially arthropods. Because most birds depend on arthropods as a food source, dung pats may improve food availability. To investigate the role of dung pats as food-providing resources for birds, we conceived a camera trap study in the Black Forest National Park (Germany). Up to eight camera traps were simultaneously placed at dung pats of Heck cattle ( Bos taurus ) and Konik horses ( Equus caballus ) on low intensity grazing pastures. They recorded 229 foraging events of 26 different bird species between June 2021 and January 2022. Common Blackbirds ( Turdus merula ) were the most common foraging birds, typically breaking up dung pats in search of food and foraging up to 21 minutes at a single dung pat. Most other birds mainly picked up food items from the surface of dung pats. Birds used dung pats for foraging during the whole study period, even if they were covered with snow. Our study shows that dung pats can provide food for many bird species and highlights the importance of permanent low intensity grazing in conservation.

The decline of woodland birds around the world is well known. There are likely to be many causal factors acting together and interacting synergistically, such as habitat fragmentation and the invasion of exotic species. Similarly, insect declines, which likely have been occurring for some time in Australia, have been recorded around the world in recent years, especially in areas of intensive agriculture or urbanisation. Because a large proportion of woodland birds are insectivorous, we ask whether the loss of food resources could also be a driver of bird declines. We encourage more research into this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on the distribution and abundance of the Great Snipe in northwestern Russia and in neighboring Finland over the past 150 years are summarized. There was a decrease in the number of birds, which went from west to east, in this part of the range in the 20th century. The Finnish population declined to a critical level by the middle of the 20th century; a noticeable decline in the number of birds occurred in the 1960s–1970s in the Leningrad region and in the 1980s in Karelia. At present, the Great Snipe retains the status of a breeding and migratory species in the region, but its distribution area continues to shrink and break up into fragments, and its northern border has receded to the south and southeast. The Great Snipe is sporadically distributed throughout the Leningrad and Vologda regions, but it now breeds in separate isolated groups to the north of these borders: in Karelia and the Arkhangelsk region. In Karelia, the range boundary receded from 63° to 62° N, and it is limited to lands located near the shores of lakes Ladoga and Onega. In the western part of the Arkhangelsk region, birds are occasionally found up to 62°–63° N during breeding time; along the floodplain of the Northern Dvina, they reach Arkhangelsk; near the eastern border of the region, they go up to 65°; and in the western part of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, up to 67° N. A lack of data does not allow us to indicate the exact boundary of the range of the species, but the obtained results can serve as a starting point for further studies of its distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS PubMed WorldCat 14 Blanquart F, Gandon S, Nuismer SL. 2012. Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS PubMed WorldCat 10 Bensch S, Andrén H, Hansson B, Pedersen HC, Sand H, Sejberg D, Wabakken P, Åkesson M, Liberg O. 2006. Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS Google Preview WorldCat COPAC 113 Poo S, Whitfield SM, Shepack A, Watkins-Colwell GJ, Nelson G, Goodwin J, Bogisich A, Brennan PL, D'Agostino J, Koo MS et al. 2022. Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS PubMed WorldCat 13 Bi K, Linderoth T, Vanderpool D, Good JM, Nielsen R, Moritz C. 2013. Google Scholar Crossref Search ADS PubMed WorldCat 15 Bradburd GS, Ralph PL, Coop GM. 2013. [Extracted from the article]

(1) The intercorrelated effects of climatic processes and anthropogenic land use changes have been shown to govern the population declines in several bird species, which have led to global extinctions. Ground-nesting birds are especially sensitive to modifications in spatial as well as temporal patterns of climatic change. The Great Bustard (Otis tarda) is one of the most endangered species, which has suffered considerable range contractions and population declines in extensive areas of its historical distribution. (2) Here, we aim to (i) identify the key climatic predictors governing the historical distribution of the Great Bustard within the Carpathian Basin during the past three decades, (ii) provide spatial predictions for the historical range of the study species, and (iii) identify areas where species-specific conservation planning initiatives need to focus on by predicting the distribution of the Great Bustard for future time periods. To do so, here we apply bioclimatic niche modeling implemented in the MaxEnt software package, which is fitted on historical occurrence locations as a function of potential bioclimatic predictors. (3) We show that (i) the most important bioclimatic predictors governing the distribution of the Great Bustard are the annual mean temperature, mean temperatures of the wettest and driest quarters, as well as the annual precipitation; (ii) all lowland areas of the Carpathian Basin were suitable for the Great Bustard during historical time periods; (iii) the SDM predictions show the historical suitability of the Muntenia and Dobrodgea regions and the Upper Thracian Plain; and (iv) the future projections show a substantial decrease in the core distribution area, whereas the boundary areas are expected to remain stable. In summary, our study emphasizes that the distribution modeling of endangered taxa using historical records can strongly support species-specific conservation planning initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, bird communities associated with agricultural systems have declined in Western and Central Europe and in North America, but how widely these dynamics extend to other regions is poorly known. In this study, we assessed the dynamics and the main drivers of the changes in the abundance, richness, and composition of breeding bird communities over a 30-year period in the various types of habitats of southeastern Ukraine (Azov region), a region that has undergone agricultural intensification for several decades. This study was conducted in the valley of the Molochna River during the 1988 to 2018 nesting seasons. The area studied hosted 81 bird species. Species richness varied from three species in salt marshes to thirty-three in reed beds but did not show a general trend over time. However, we identified a decline in bird communities' total abundance over time in all habitats except shelterbelts and meadows. Similarly, species composition changed over time, reflecting the way in which species varied in their abundance changes. Climatic variables contributed to bird community turnover, but with decreasing importance over time. Overall, our results indicate that the recent declines in bird populations in farmland regions also extend to eastern Europe, with land-use effects interacting with climate to shape temporal dynamics of bird communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal changes in the bird community of an agricultural landscape in northeast Germany were analysed covering three different analytical foci (landscape-wide, habitat types, sample plots) and two aggregation levels of bird observation data (whole bird community, bird guilds). The analyses are based on a systematic data sampling over two multi-year campaigns (1999–2002; 2013–2015). Our analyses address the question of how changes in the occurrences of agricultural birds (numbers of species and of individuals) at local spots manifest themselves in the landscape as a whole. By summarizing all findings concerning single variables (number of species, observation frequencies, abundances, different habitat types, bird guilds), a dramatic, systematic decline of the bird community at sample plots was discovered between the campaigns, which is not yet recognisable across the whole landscape in terms of species richness. Furthermore, we found that landscape-wide, the birds' use of habitat changed; the variability between single sample plots increased strongly and most species occurred at fewer sample plots over the whole landscape. Obviously, sample plots with high bird occurrences are becoming more relevant for maintaining bird communities over the whole landscape. Bird community composition changed significantly within the observation period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grassland biomes in North America are threatened by agricultural intensification with implications for grassland‐associated bird populations via habitat loss, alteration, pesticide use, and declining landscape heterogeneity. Despite decades of conservation concern, steep declines of grassland birds continue. Key to optimizing conservation effort is understanding how land‐use practices, such as agriculture, across the annual cycle affect population status. Determining the relative influence of impacts on grassland bird declines is difficult given that the most robust estimate of trends, the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), is conducted throughout agriculturally dominated regions. Our goal was to explore whether agriculture during the breeding season is a major driver of grassland bird declines, by evaluating population trends in regions with different amounts of agricultural development. We derived trends for 16 bird species spanning 23 years (1994–2016) at a large (459 km2), native prairie site, Suffield National Wildlife Area (SNWA) in Alberta, Canada. We compared those trends with the BBS across three spatial scales, a regional monitoring scheme with higher than average native grass cover (Grassland Bird Monitoring [GBM]), Bird Conservation Region 11 Canada (Canada), and all of Bird Conservation Region 11 (BCR 11). Trends measured as annual percent change and credible interval varied greatly among species and survey strata. Across all species, declines were greatest for Canada (−1.3%, CI: −2.8, 0.0) and BCR 11 (−1.9%, CI: −3.2, −0.6). This contrasts with positive trends for GBM routes (1.0%, CI: −0.4, 2.3) and the SNWA data (1.7%, CI: 0.3, 3.3). Six of 16 species at SNWA were increasing with one decreasing. Five species increased at GBM and four declined. Canada had 10 species declines and 3 increases and BCR 11 had 10 declines and no increases. None of the six grassland obligate species declined at SNWA, two declined at GBM, and all six declined over the two larger BBS strata. Our results showing fewer negative population trends at a large native grassland site compared with BBS at three spatial scales across the North American prairies support the prediction that agricultural intensification on breeding grounds may be driving population declines and protection of native grasslands is a key component of grassland bird conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In warm regions or seasons of the year, the planetary boundary layer is occupied by a huge variety and quantity of insects, but the southward migration of insects (in East Asia) in autumn is still poorly understood. Methods: We collated daily catches of the oriental armyworm (Mythimna separata) moth from 20 searchlight traps from 2014 to 2017 in China. In order to explore the autumn migratory connectivity of M. separata in East China, we analyzed the autumn climate and simulated the autumn migration process of moths. Results: The results confirmed that northward moth migration in spring and summer under the East Asian monsoon system can bring rapid population growth. However, slow southerly wind (blowing towards the north) prevailed over the major summer breeding area in North China (33°–40° N) due to a cold high-pressure system located there, and this severely disrupts the autumn 'return' migration of this pest. Less than 8% of moths from the summer breeding area successfully migrated back to their winter-breeding region, resulting in a sharp decline of the population abundance in autumn. As northerly winds (blowing towards the south) predominate at the eastern periphery of a high-pressure system, the westward movement of the high-pressure system leads to more northerlies over North China, increasing the numbers of moths migrating southward successfully. Therefore, an outbreak year of M. separata larvae was associated with a more westward position of the high-pressure system during the previous autumn. Conclusion: These results indicate that the southward migration in autumn is crucial for sustaining pest populations of M. separata, and the position of the cold high-pressure system in September is a key environmental driver of the population size in the next year. This study indicates that the autumn migration of insects in East China is more complex than previously recognized, and that the meteorological conditions in autumn are an important driver of migratory insects' seasonal and interannual population dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive rewilding is a potential tool for expanding woodland cover and restoring biodiversity by abandoning land management and allowing natural vegetation succession to occur. Land can be abandoned to passive rewilding deliberately or due to socio-economic change. Despite abandonment being a major driver of land use change, few have studied the long-term outcomes for vegetation and biodiversity in Western Europe. Studies are also biased towards sites that are close to seed sources and favourable to woodland colonisation. In this case-study, we reconstruct a time series of passive rewilding over 33 years on 25 ha of former farmland that had been subject to soil tipping, far from woodland seed sources. Natural colonisation by shrubs and trees was surveyed at three points during the time series, using field mapping and lidar. Breeding birds were surveyed at three time points, and compared with surveys from nearby farmland. Results showed that natural colonisation of woody vegetation was slow, with open grassland dominating the old fields for two decades, and small wetlands developing spontaneously. After 33 years, thorny shrub thickets covered 53% of the site and former hedgerows became subsumed or degraded, but trees remained scarce. However, the resulting habitat mosaic of shrubland, grassland and wetland supported a locally distinctive bird community. Farmland bird species declined as passive rewilding progressed, but this was countered by relatively more wetland birds and an increase in woodland birds, particularly songbirds, compared to nearby farmland. Alongside biodiversity benefits, shrubland establishment by passive rewilding could potentially provide ecosystem services via abundant blossom resources for pollinators, and recreation and berry-gathering opportunities for people. Although closed-canopy woodland remained a distant prospect even after 33 years, the habitat mosaic arising from passive rewilding could be considered a valuable outcome, which could contribute to nature recovery and provision of ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on birds in the Shumagin Islands. Topics include hypothetical species being recorded in the Shumagins where aquatic birds constituting 67 percent and terrestrial birds 33 percent; and overgrazing by introduced cattle degrading already limited habitat and the introduction of ground squirrels.