Cover: King Eider (Somateria spectabillis) eating ice in the northern Palearctic. As species‚ ranges creep northward, accompanied by concomitant southerly extirpations, protected areas may provide new habitat to accommodate such shifts. Based on 25 years of data on nonbreeding waterbirds in the western Palearctic, Gaget et al. (pp. xxx-xxx) examined colonization-extirpation dynamics in response to climate-related changes inside and outside protected areas. In the future, achieving a coherent protected area network in the western Palearctic may be crucial for waterbird climate adaptation and conservation.

Photographer: Staffan Widstrand's aim over 27 years as a photojournalist has been to tell stories that matter and to try to make a difference. His work is about nature conservation with people rather than against people and the focus has been on ecotourism development, wildlife comeback, rewilding, and mass communication with positive messages that show the splendor of our natural heritage. Staffan is a cofounder of the Wild Wonders of Europe and Wild Wonders of China initiatives, of Rewilding Europe, the Swedish Ecotourism Association, and the Swedish large-carnivore information center, Scandinavian Big Five. He is a cofounder and senior fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers. He is also a multiple prize winner in worldwide photo competitions and has judged the World Press Photo contest, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and Humanity Photo Awards, among others. He has been a Nikon Ambassador since 1997 and a National Geographic Explorer since 2009. Staffan was awarded the Golden Streamer (Gouden Wimpel) in 2012, the highest award from the Dutch Postcode Lotteries. Outdoor Photography magazine called Staffan „One of the world's most influential nature photographers.”