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Wild birds have experienced unprecedented, near‐global mass mortalities since 2021, driven by outbreaks of high‐pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5N1 lineage 2.3.4.4b. Managing this panzootic requires identification of transmission pathways. We investigated potential HPAIV transmission via kleptoparasitism (food theft) by examining the distribution, behaviors, and movements of two globally widespread and commonly kleptoparasitic seabird families: Fregatidae (frigatebirds) and Stercorariidae (skuas). These kleptoparasites force other seabirds (targets) to regurgitate food, which the kleptoparasite then ingests, potentially facilitating direct transfer of viral particles from target to kleptoparasite. Scavenging and predation probably contribute further to viral spread. Although frigatebirds use kleptoparasitism on a year‐round basis, skuas more commonly do so outside of the breeding season. Both frequently forage, disperse, or migrate across oceans and hemispheres. Dense aggregations of kleptoparasitic and target seabirds at breeding and/or roosting sites may facilitate the spread of HPAIV. In addition, the migration of these species could also facilitate broadscale geographic spread of HPAIV. Surveillance of kleptoparasites for HPAIVs could aid in early detection and may be important for seabird conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity knowledge gaps, which limit scientific research and conservation planning, are especially acute for the most poorly known organisms. Citizen science offers a powerful and effective means to fill these gaps. The recent growth of citizen‐science platforms has resulted in near‐complete coverage of global avian diversity (~11,849 species). Because shrinking knowledge gaps increasingly reveal meaningful absences, we evaluated the potential of citizen‐science data to establish "lost" bird taxa: those without documentation for more than 10 years. Collating more than 42 million photographic, audio, and video records returned 144 bird species (1.2%) as lost, the majority of which (62%) are in danger of extinction. The higher the coverage by citizen scientists and the longer the interval since their last documented record, the more likely that lost birds are to be imperiled. Our approach provides a data‐driven and reproducible method to identify lost species and elucidates high‐priority knowledge gaps to inform future conservation action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kangean islands are a biologically poorly known archipelago situated in the Java Sea, Indonesia, 120 km directly north of Bali and 124 km off East Java. These islands host an avifauna comprising at least 13 endemic subspecies, two of which have by some sources recently been considered species. We combine historical published literature with our own surveys of the archipelago in 2007-2008, 2010 and 2023 to produce an updated list of the islands' birds (n=140 species) and their distribution across the islands. We evaluate in more detail the conservation status of all endemic taxa, as well as several others we consider to be of concern. Despite its current listing as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, the endemic Kangean Tit-babbler Mixornis prillwitzi is common in highly degraded habitats, including scrub, and is probably one of the islands' least threatened birds. However, because of trapping, the archipelago's endemic taxon of Red-breasted Parakeet Psittacula alexandri kangeanensis, and its populations of Green Junglefowl Gallus varius and Common Hill Myna Gracula religiosa are likely at risk of extirpation. The endemic taxon of White-rumped Shama Copsychus malabaricus nigricauda, sometimes afforded species rank as 'Kangean Shama', may already be (at least functionally) extinct in the main archipelago, with no record since 2007-2008. We recommend longer and more detailed surveys of the islands' birds, and that an effective protected area is established on the main Kangean island, which hosts the largest area of remaining forest in the archipelago and most of its endemic taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia recently committed through the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) to halt human-induced extinction of known threatened species and to reduce extinction risk of threatened species significantly by 2030. We review recent trends in extinction risk of Australian birds to provide context for current and future conservation efforts. We calculate the Red List Index (RLI) for all Australian birds as well as subsets based on geography, habitat and taxonomy. Over the period 2010 to 2020, the number of taxa reassigned to lower categories of extinction risk (n = 20; 1.5% of all taxa included) was greatly outweighed by the number moved to higher categories owing to deteriorating status (n = 93; 7%). This resulted in the steepest decadal decline in the RLI since data were first compiled in 1990. It was chiefly driven by rapid population declines in migratory shorebirds, loss of suitable habitat for species affected by wildfire in 2019–2020 and, to a lesser extent, declines in the abundance of upland rainforest birds. To a small extent, these losses were counterbalanced by improvements in status of some bird species resulting from local eradication of invasive mammals, primarily from Macquarie Island. For Australia to meet the commitments recently adopted through the GBF, conservation interventions (and hence funding) will need to be scaled up substantially. The RLI is well placed for monitoring progress towards the GBF targets and for communicating trends in the extinction risk to national avifaunas. Australia is committed to reducing extinction risk through its adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. A Red List Index (RLI) for all Australian birds from 1990 to 2020 shows their extinction risk increased by 3.34%. More than 50% of the increase in extinction risk between 2010 and 2020 was caused by the 2019–2020 wildfires. The greatest increases in overall avian extinction risk were in Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales, where drought and wildfire effects were most pronounced. Red List Index trends can reflect the impact of individual threats or conservation interventions, and represent an important tool for monitoring national and global progress towards international agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most biodiversity monitoring globally tends to concentrate on trends in species' populations and ranges rather than on threats and their management. Here we review the estimated impact of threats and the extent to which their management is understood and implemented for all threats to all Australian threatened bird taxa. The assessment reports the situation in 2020 and how this differs from 2010. The most marked finding was that the impact of climate change has increased greatly over the last decade, and now surpasses invasive species as the threat imposing the heaviest threat load. Climate change has driven recent massive population declines from increased temperatures in tropical montane rainforests and from fire. For both direct climate change impacts and fire management, progress in understanding how to relieve the threats has been slow and patchy. Consequently, little effective management has occurred. By comparison, our analysis showed that the single successful campaign to eradicate introduced mammals from Macquarie Island relieved the total threat load on Australian threatened birds by 5%, and more than halved the load on the birds from oceanic islands. Protection or rehabilitation of habitat, particularly on islands, has also delivered measurable benefit as have, in the longer term, controls on longline fishing. Our approach can be used with other taxonomic groups to understand progress in research and management and to allow quantification of potential benefits from proposed actions, such as the national threatened species plan. Climate change is now the biggest threat to Australian threatened birds, but almost no research or management to mitigate this threat has been undertaken. Most successful threatened species management has been on small islands with invasive species eradication, habitat protection and restoration providing substantial benefits. The approach taken can be used to quantify the benefits of both past conservation interventions and potential interventions. Monitoring trends in threat load complements indices assessing trends in population size and extinction risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing extinction risk is a common aim of threatened species management. However, over the period 1990 to 2020, extinction risk was recently assessed as having declined in only 25 out of the 199 Australian bird taxa eligible for assessment. Here we analyse patterns that emerge from these taxa. Some of these improvements may be only temporary; the extinction risk of three taxa increased after it had initially declined. Invasive predator control on islands was the conservation intervention with greatest impact, benefitting 13 taxa (with nine of these from Macquarie Island). For four taxa, intensive management was the primary driver of reduced risk. Another four benefited from habitat protection and one from law enforcement. For seven taxa, conservation actions had no discernible effect; for two albatrosses a shift in fishing patterns may have reduced bycatch, for one, losses on the mainland meant that most birds now persist only in a stable island population and, for four taxa, reasons for changes in population trend are unknown. Never was there only one driver of reduced extinction risk with most taxa benefitting from at least five drivers. Macquarie Island was the only geographic cluster of taxa; there was little overlap among other taxa. Although the number of improvements is small, our results demonstrate that reduced extinction risk can be achieved with the right combination of targeted actions and, in some cases, serendipity. However, due to insufficient data, our ability to predict accurately the drivers of, or changes in, extinction risk for most species remains poor. Reductions in extinction risk are rare but achievable. Up to ten different factors contributed to reduced extinction risk in a taxon; there were rarely fewer than five. Extinction risk reduction had no geographical focus apart from the cluster of taxa on Macquarie Island. There is currently no widely accepted approach to classifying the many ways in which extinction risk can be reduced. Over a quarter of risk reduction examples were not the result of conservation interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 750 native bird species reside in or regularly migrate to Australia, many of which have experienced rapid changes in habitat extent over the past two centuries. By 2020, eight taxa were considered Extinct and 10% threatened with extinction. Understanding the underlying extrinsic and intrinsic factors that increase extinction risk can allow prioritisation of conservation management and research. Here, we use state-of-the-art phylogenetic comparative models to reveal the most important biological traits that predispose Australian bird species to elevated extinction risk. We use an extensive database of their biological traits and relate these to each species' national and global IUCN extinction risk status as assessed over the past three decades (in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020). We show that high evolutionary distinctiveness (uniqueness), island endemism, and an inability to take advantage of agricultural habitats were the most important traits explaining elevated extinction risk in species when phylogeny is controlled for, suggesting that extinction risk is disproportionately high in species with high evolutionary distinctiveness. Extinct taxa were characterised by large body mass and island endemism compared to taxa extant in 2020. Our study provides the largest and most up-to-date analysis of the intrinsic traits of Australian birds in relation to their extinction risk, and can be used as a baseline in future studies, for prioritisation of conservation actions, and for policy advice on a broad scale. Phylogenetic analyses are a useful tool for anticipating extinction risk. Extinction risk over the past three decades is highest among species with a high level of evolutionary distinctiveness. Species-level assessments can mask higher extinction risk at the subspecies-level. Conservation actions that reduce extinction risk can influence the variables deemed important in predictive models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on assessing the critically endangered mandar dengkur, or snoring rails (Aramidopsis plateni Blasius 1886), within Indonesia's Gandang Dewata National Park. Despite its importance in regional biodiversity, the species remains poorly documented. The primary objectives of this research are to investigate the population and ecological role of the mandar dengkur in Gandang Dewata National Park. It aims to understand their population status, the factors influencing their survival, and the level of global threats facing this species. Field surveys from July to August 2023 employed point counts and interviews with local residents, revealing a population of 20 snoring rails. Tondok Bakaru was identified as the primary subpopulation, with the highest count and probability of occurrence. Tondok Bakaru, characterized by remote and isolated areas, plays a crucial role in snoring rails' survival, mirrored by discoveries of other sensitive species like the Anoa. Environmental variables analysis through Generalized Linear Modeling (GLM) identified the nearest food source and settlement as significant factors influencing snoring rail populations, aligning with their elusive nature. The selected GLM model highlighted the impact of average NDVI, distance to the nearest food source, and distance to the nearest settlement on snoring rail density, guiding conservation efforts. This study underscores the urgency of upgrade the snoring rails' conservation status to Endangered (EN) and implementing global conservation measures by improving data collection with technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cage-bird trade is one of the principal threats to songbird conservation in Asia. Both Kangean trappers named the island in question unprompted, and one of them had personally visited it to trap shamas in 2018, 2019 and, ominously without success, 2022. [Extracted from the article]