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Improving waterbird monitoring and conservation in the Sahel using remote sensing: a case study with the International Waterbird Census in Sudan IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-12-30 Marie Suet; Juan Guillermo Lozano‐Arango; Pierre Defos Du Rau; ClÉmence Deschamps; Mohammed Adam Abdalgader Mohammed; Elfirdous Elbashary Adam; Eltayeb Mohammed Eldegair; Mohamed Elmekki Ali Elbadawi; Ibrahim Mohammed Hashim; Noman Kirrem Kpoore; Mohammed Adam Mohammed; Manal Mohammed Ibrahim Bihery; Mutassim Essa Abdallah Adam; Olivier Pineau; Jean‐Yves Mondain‐Monval
In several regions of the world, the remoteness of potential bird hotspots and lack of trained observers have often prevented countries from effectively designing proper monitoring schemes at a national scale. For many countries, it is not known whether certain bird strongholds have been missed that should be included for more complete censuses. Such gaps at national scales, sometimes large, may be
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Upwelling systems in the migration ecology of Roseate Terns (Sterna dougallii) breeding in northwest Europe IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-12-30 Chris P. F. Redfern; David Kinchin‐Smith; Stephen Newton; Paul Morrison; Mark Bolton; Daniel Piec
For migratory seabirds, staging and wintering areas may be important targets for conservation. Declines of Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii populations have led to conservation initiatives at breeding sites on both sides of the North Atlantic. However, these could be compromised by environmental conditions in non‐breeding areas. The migratory ecology of Roseate Terns is poorly known and we used light‐level
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Carry‐over effects of environmental stochasticity of the California Current on body condition and wing length of breeding Black‐vented Shearwaters (Puffinus opisthomelas) IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2021-01-06 Cecilia Soldatini; Martha Patricia Rosas‐Hernandez; Yuri V. Albores‐Barajas; Giulia Bambini; Adrian Munguia‐Vega; Giulia Giambalvo; Giacomo Dell’Omo
Recent climatic variation has led to a change in size or mass in some species. The Black‐vented Shearwater Puffinus opisthomelas is endemic to the California Current System, a highly variable system, giving us cues as to the effects of interannual variability on predators. Here, we report the results of a comparison of biometrics measurement in the short term, 4 years, with different environmental
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Demography of a widespread raptor across disparate regions IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-12-30 Christopher J. W. McClure; Jessi L. Brown; Sarah E. Schulwitz; John Smallwood; Kathleen E. Farley; Jean‐Francois Therrien; Karl E. Miller; Karen Steenhof; Julie A. Heath
Demographic differences between stable and declining populations can lend insight into drivers of population decline. The American Kestrel Falco sparverius is a widespread and often‐studied falcon, yet its demography is poorly understood, and the causes of observed population declines across much of North America remain unknown. Using integrated population models and sensitivity analysis, we examine
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Nocturnal vocal behaviour of the diurnal Undulated Tinamou (Crypturellus undulatus) is associated with temperature and moon phase IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-12-30 Cristian Pérez‐Granados; Karl‐L. Schuchmann
Some diurnal birds vocalize at night but the reason for this has seldom been studied. We monitored the nocturnal vocal activity of the Undulated Tinamou Crypturellus undulatus from June 2015 to May 2016 at three recording stations in the Brazilian Pantanal. We tested whether an index of nocturnal vocal output (number of vocalizations automatically detected) of the species varied over the monitored
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Unraveling diet composition and niche segregation of colonial waterbirds in a mediterranean wetland using stable isotopes IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2021-01-19 María Antón‐Tello; Vanessa Oliveira Britto; José Antonio Gil‐Delgado; Eugenio Rico; José Ignacio Dies; Juan Salvador Monrós; Pablo Vera
Rice fields and waterbirds are an example of a synergy that can occur between agriculture and conservation. This connection is especially relevant during the farming period, when nesting waterbirds need to obtain resources to cover their energy requirements and that of their chicks in rice fields. However, new farming techniques may potentially put at risk the fulfilment of this role. Studies on how
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The role of wind fetch in structuring Antarctic seabird breeding occupancy IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-12-30 Michael Schrimpf; Heather Lynch
Avian breeding sites located along shorelines may allow easy access to aquatic food sources, but risk exposing birds and nests to high wind and wave action. One measure of exposure is wind fetch, the distance of open water over which wind can blow uninterrupted. By calculating fetch weighted by prevailing wind direction for breeding colonies of pursuit‐diving seabirds in the Antarctic Peninsula, we
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The influence of egg presence and eggshell colour in the attraction of visually‐oriented predators to nests of a tropical forest bird IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2021-01-18 Paulo V.Q. Zima; Daniel F. Perrella; Mercival R. Francisco
Several hypotheses have been proposed to account for the function of eggshell pigmentation. One predicts that patterns of colour and markings provide camouflage against visually‐oriented nest predators. However, the effectiveness of any anti‐predatory function of eggshell colour may be reduced if predators can use the nests per se as foraging cues (nest‐crypsis hypothesis). Here, we tested whether
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The effect of habitat quality on the blood parasite assemblage in understorey avian insectivores in the Eastern Himalaya, India IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2021-01-18 Rohan K. Menzies; Joli R. Borah; Umesh Srinivasan; Farah Ishtiaq
The anthropogenic alteration of natural habitats can modify interactions between various biotic and abiotic factors. The prevalence of avian blood parasites in free‐living host species in the tropics has shown contrasting patterns in altered landscapes. Here, we investigate these potential associations between understorey insectivorous bird species of the Eastern Himalayas and avian haemosporidians
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Higher experimental ambient temperature decreases female incubation attentiveness in Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata) and lower effort yields negligible energy savings IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2021-01-15 Riccardo Ton; Laura L. Hurley; Simon C. Griffith
In birds ambient temperature can influence adult incubation behaviour, energy budget, egg temperature, and embryonic development with downstream effects on offspring survival. Surprisingly, experimental manipulations of the whole nesting environment to test causes and consequences of variation in incubation pattern, energy balance, egg temperature, and the duration of development are lacking to date
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Patterns of taxonomic and functional diversity of birds in riparian forests with natural and agricultural matrices in the Argentine Austral Yungas IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2021-01-15 Daniela Gomez; Román A. Ruggera; Luis O. Rivera; Natalia Politi
Birds represent a diverse group that responds markedly to changes in structural characteristics of the habitat. In this study, we evaluated the response of birds to changes generated by the landscape anthropization in riparian forests of the Austral Yungas. These forests are vulnerable to unnatural disturbances and are within an ecoregion that has a high risk of degradation due to historical and current
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Behavioural and heart rate responses to stressors in two populations of Little Penguins that differ in levels of human disturbance and predation risk IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2021-01-15 Rebecca Schaefer; Diane Colombelli‐Négrel
Species that are constantly exposed to disturbances, such as human disturbance or non‐lethal contacts with predators or conspecifics, can experience chronic stress. Within a species range, variation in the frequency and predictability of such disturbances can lead to population differences in stress response. Here, we investigated the stress response of Little Penguins Eudyptula minor to an introduced
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Methods to quantify avian airspace use in relation to wind energy development IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2021-01-13 Nicola Largey; Aonghais S.C.P. Cook; Chris B. Thaxter; Aly MCluskie; Bård G. Stokke; Ben Wilson; Elizabeth A. Masden
It is likely that there will continue to be a substantial increase in the number of wind turbines as we aim to meet global energy demands through renewable sources. However, these structures can have adverse impacts on airborne wildlife, such as posing a potential collision risk with the turbine structure. A range of methods and technologies have been applied to the collection of bird flight parameters
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Weather conditions explain reproductive success and advancement of the breeding season in Western Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2021-01-12 Joy Coppes; Jim‐Lino Kämmerle; Karl‐Eugen Schroth; Veronika Braunisch; Rudi Suchant
Climate change and associated changes in weather patterns have globally widespread effects on natural systems. Shifts in phenology can affect reproductive success of birds by causing a mismatch between the onset of breeding and favourable conditions for reproduction, such as a peak in food availability. Weather conditions and their changes have also long been discussed as affecting the reproductive
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Social information affects prospecting, but not settlement, by Black‐and‐white Warblers (Mniotilta varia) IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2021-01-12 Justin T. Mann; Evan A. Mann; Anne B. Clark
Birds use social as well as environmental cues to inform their habitat selection decisions. By manipulating social cues with song playbacks, biologists can influence where individuals search for breeding territories, which could be useful for conservation. Yet before we can predict how birds will respond to playback treatments, we must first understand how they integrate social cues with information
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Sex and age differences in the diet of the Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) using web‐sourced photographs: exploring the feasibility of a new citizen science approach IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2021-01-06 Connor T. Panter; Arjun Amar
Diet differences between the sexes and ages have often been recorded for bird species. Many raptor species show extreme sexual size dimorphism with females often considerably larger than the males and these differences may be reflected in their diets. Diet studies in raptors most frequently focus on analysing prey remains or pellets collected at nest sites. These methods are subsequently limited to
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Sex‐specific environmental sensitivity on the postnatal growth of a sexually size‐dimorphic seabird IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-12-30 Walter S. Svagelj; Agustina Gómez‐Laich; María Rita Pérez; Gustavo M. Somoza; Flavio Quintana
The environment experienced during development is a key factor determining intraspecific variation in postnatal growth. In sexually size‐dimorphic species, the larger sex typically grows at a higher absolute rate and consequently is more sensitive or vulnerable to restrictive environments. In addition, this sensitivity can be intrinsic when it is caused by physiological disadvantages of the larger
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Post‐fledging migration and wintering strategies of individual juvenile Lesser Black‐backed Gulls (Larus fuscus) IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-12-30 Rahel M. Borrmann; Richard A. Phillips; Thomas A. Clay; Stefan Garthe
Research into the patterns and drivers of juvenile migration is important for understanding the development of individual migration strategies. Although several recent studies have tracked adult large gulls throughout the annual cycle, the movements of juveniles remain poorly understood. We fitted Global Positioning System (GPS) devices that transmit locations through the Global System for Mobile Communications
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Evidence of Incubation Trade‐offs in Leach's Storm‐Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa): Ptilochronology as a Measure of Reproductive Investment in a Long‐lived Seabird IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-12-30 Lisa H. Elliott; Jennifer Grady; Jack Cerchiara; Mark F. Haussmann; Robert A. Mauck
Avian incubation investment represents a trade‐off between the energetic demands of the parent and the thermal needs of the embryo. Parental energy balance and investment in somatic maintenance relative to incubation investment can be indexed by the rate of feather growth. Feather growth rates, or ptilochronology, of adult Leach’s Storm‐Petrels Oceanodroma leucorhoa were used to assess parental investment
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Yearly temperature fluctuations and survey speed influence road counts of wintering raptors IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-12-30 Christopher J.W. McClure; Brian W. Rolek; Gregory W. Grove; Todd E. Katzner
Globally, evaluation of population trends is the most pressing research need for many species of conservation concern. Road counts for birds of prey are useful for monitoring long‐term population trends and examining year‐to‐year variations in abundance. We examined data from 2,155 road surveys conducted from 2001–2018 by community scientists who recorded > 85,000 individuals of 14 species of raptors
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Bucerotidae from the early Miocene of Napak, Uganda (East Africa): the earliest hornbill with a modern‐type beak IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-12-04 Ségolène Riamon; Martin Pickford; Brigitte Senut; Antoine Louchart
Hornbills (Bucorvidae and Bucerotidae) are among the most recognizable groups of birds. Their large, curved beak topped by a casque is their most obvious feature. Here, we describe the earliest fossil of a hornbill, and more precisely a Bucerotidae, from the early Miocene of Napak, Uganda. This fossil is a proximal part of a maxilla that can be tentatively assigned to the genus Tockus and which attests
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Killing of raptors on grouse moors: evidence and effects IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-10-11 Ian Newton
Owing to the intensity of game management in Britain, managers of grouse moors have illegally killed raptors to increase the numbers of Red Grouse Lagopus l. scotica available for shooting. This paper summarizes evidence for the recent scale of illegal raptor killing on grouse moors and its effects on populations. It provides insights into how raptors themselves respond demographically to different
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Urban gulls adapt foraging schedule to human‐activity patterns IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-11-02 Anouk Spelt; Oliver Soutar; Cara Williamson; Jane Memmott; Judy Shamoun‐Baranes; Peter Rock; Shane Windsor
Numerous animals are able to adapt to temporal patterns in natural food availability, but whether species living in relatively novel environments such as cities can adapt to anthropogenic activity cycles is less well understood. We aimed to assess the extent to which urban gulls have adapted their foraging schedule to anthropogenic food source fluctuations related to human activity by combining field
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Erratum IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-10-13
In Remisiewicz et al. (2019), in the last paragraph on page 835, the Applied Behavioural Ecology and Ecosystem Research Unit (ABEERU) was thanked for hosting the research at Telperion. ABEERU is a unit of University of South Africa (UNISA), not the University of Pretoria as incorrectly stated in the paper.
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Book reviews IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-12-03
The titles reviewed in this section of Ibis are available for reference at the Alexander Library of the Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, c/o Sherardian Library, Plant Sciences Department, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, UK. Please write, telephone +44 (0) 1 865 271143 or email sophie.wilcox@bodleian.ox.ac.uk prior to your visit to make an appointment. The aim of the Alexander Library
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A general scenario to evaluate evolution of grassland birds in the Neotropics IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-11-20 Heraldo V. Norambuena; Paul Van Els
Neotropical grassland birds are intimately tied to their habitat and form a phylogenetically diverse group that has been poorly studied from an evolutionary point of view. Here we present a brief review of the biogeographical history of Neotropical grasslands of relevance to grassland birds. Based on this review, we have formulated the most relevant hypotheses related to the diversification and evolution
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Combining citizen science and weather radar data to study large‐scale bird movements IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-11-20 Nadja Weisshaupt; Teemu Lehtiniemi; Jarmo Koistinen
The study of large‐scale animal mass movements requires suitable large‐scale sampling methods. Weather radar (WR) has been known to register biological targets since the 1960s. Arranged in large networks, radar is suitable to study regional to continent‐wide dynamics of aerofauna and to respond to increasing human–wildlife conflicts in the air. Tools for the spatiotemporal validation of faunistic interpretations
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Citizen science data reveals the cryptic migration of the Common Potoo Nyctibius griseus in Brazil IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-11-09 Lucas W. DeGroote; Erika Hingst‐Zaher; Luciano Moreira‐Lima; James V. Whitacre; Jacob B. Slyder; John W. Wenzel
The Common Potoo Nyctibius griseus is abundant, charismatic and generally considered to be sedentary across its range. Using citizen science data from eBird and WikiAves, we demonstrate that the Common Potoo may be a partial migrant whose breeding populations depart southeastern Brazil, Uruguay and northern Argentina in May to August during the region’s austral winter. MaxEnt models revealed that spatio‐temporal
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Cross‐icecap spring migration confirmed in a high‐Arctic seabird, the Ivory Gull Pagophila eburnea IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-11-09 Morten Frederiksen; Olivier Gilg; Glenn Yannic
Seabirds rarely cross major terrestrial barriers during seasonal migration, possibly because they have a limited ability to build up fat stores. For the first time, we tracked two Ivory Gulls with GPS loggers during spring migration from the wintering area in Davis Strait to the breeding colony in north‐east Greenland. While one bird migrated in March around the southern tip of Greenland, the other
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The meaning of purely structural colour: white plumage reflectance indicates feather condition IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-11-08 Miklós Laczi; Julia Balogh; Xavier Nardou; János Török; Gergely Hegyi
White plumage areas are widespread among birds but the mechanisms generating individual differences in white feather reflectance are poorly known. Additionally, the proximate mechanisms of within‐season feather colour changes in general are also poorly known. Here we explored within‐individual changes in macrostructure and reflectance of the white wing‐patch of female Collared Flycatchers Ficedula
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Hornbill abundance and breeding incidence in relation to habitat modification and fig fruit availability IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-10-17 Pooja Yashwant Pawar; Divya Mudappa; T. R. Shankar Raman
Asian hornbills are known to forage and breed in fragmented rainforests and agroforestry plantations in human‐modified landscapes adjoining contiguous protected forests. However, the factors influencing year‐round hornbill abundance, demography and tracking of key food resources such as wild fig Ficus fruits in modified habitats and protected forests remain poorly understood. We carried out monthly
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Sex‐, landscape‐ and climate‐dependent patterns of home‐range size – a macroscale study on an avian generalist predator IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-10-15 Paweł Mirski; Zdzisław Cenian; Mindaugas Dagys; Szilárd Daróczi; Deivis Dementavičius; Grzegorz Maciorowski; Sebastian Menderski; Damian Nowak; Ádám Pongrácz; Matyas Prommer; Urmas Sellis; Joachim Siekiera; Peter Szinai; Tomasz Tumiel; Janusz Wójciak; Robert Zeitz; Ülo Väli
Animal home‐ranges are expressions of the biology and ecology of a species, and their size is often considered to be a proxy for habitat quality. Understanding the factors affecting variation in home‐range size may aid prediction of the impact of local or global environmental change on studied populations. To this end, we established an international collaborative programme to gather GPS telemetry
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Non‐random sampling along rural–urban gradients may reduce reliability of multi‐species farmland bird indicators and their trends IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-10-17 Magne Husby; Katrine S. Hoset; Simon Butler
The continued global biodiversity crisis necessitates the continuation and development of new well‐designed monitoring strategies and action plans with particular focus on under‐represented countries and regions. However, limited resources in terms of budget and availability of qualified field personnel can restrict the geographical coverage of monitoring efforts. Focusing monitoring efforts on a representative
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Phenotypic divergence in two sibling species of shorebird: Common Snipe and Wilson’s Snipe (Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae) IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-10-02 Tiago M. Rodrigues; Edward H. Miller; Sergei V. Drovetski; Robert M. Zink; Jon Fjeldså; David Gonçalves
Natural and social selection are among the main shapers of biological diversity but their relative importance in divergence remains understudied. Additionally, although neutral evolutionary processes may promote phenotypic divergence, their potential contribution in speciation is often overlooked in studies of comparative morphology. In this study, we investigated phenotypic differentiation in two
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Split moult: time constraints or endogenous strategy? IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-10-15 Yosef Kiat; Ido Izhaki
Plumage renewal is an important process in the avian yearly cycle, yet knowledge about the factors that shape moult strategies is far from complete. A varying proportion of individuals of several Palaearctic passerine species divide their flight‐feather moult between breeding and wintering areas. Here we focus on split moult, which includes retaining some or all the secondary feathers during the main
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Habitat selection of foraging male Great Snipes on floodplain meadows: importance of proximity to the lek, vegetation cover and bare ground IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-10-15 Michał Korniluk; Paweł Białomyzy; Grzegorz Grygoruk; Łukasz Kozub; Marcin Sielezniew; Piotr Świętochowski; Tomasz Tumiel; Marcin Wereszczuk; Przemysław Chylarecki
Drainage of wetlands and agricultural intensification has resulted in serious biodiversity loss in Europe, not least in grasslands. Consequently, many meadow birds have drastically declined, and the habitats they select for breeding currently rely on land management. However, the selection of habitats maintained by agriculture may contribute to reduced fitness and thus remain maladaptive for individuals
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Long‐term trends in the survival rates of adult female Common Eider Somateria mollissima at three colonies in Iceland IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-10-02 Kevin A. Wood; Sverrir Thorstensen; Smári J. Lúðvíksson; Kane Brides; Aevar Petersen
Identifying temporal and spatial patterns in demography is critical to understanding long‐term fluctuations in population size. Common Eider Somateria mollissima numbers have shown a long‐term decline, resulting in the species being uplisted in 2015 to ‘Endangered’ within European Union countries. Obtaining improved estimates of survival rates of Common Eiders (and other seaducks) has been identified
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Occurrence and function of melanin‐based grey coloration in Western Palaearctic songbirds (Aves: Passeriformes) IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-09-04 Adrian Surmacki; Piotr Minias; Karolina Kudelska
Melanin is the most common pigment in avian plumage and has various functions, including signalling individual condition, social status, aiding in camouflage and strengthening feathers. To date, most research focusing on melanin‐based colours has focused on eumelanin black and pheomelanin rusty traits. The occurrence and function of grey melanin‐based coloration, however, remains largely unstudied
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Using citizen science to assess drivers of Common House Martin Delichon urbicum breeding performance IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-10-02 Esther F. Kettel; Ian D. Woodward; Dawn E. Balmer; David G. Noble
Many hirundine (swallows and martins) species are declining throughout their ranges. The Common House Martin Delichon urbicum is a migratory hirundine that breeds throughout Europe but has shown recent declines in some parts of the UK, particularly in the south. We conducted a large‐scale citizen science survey to assess how the breeding performance of House Martins, measured by the number of attempted
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More than just refuelling: lengthy stopover and selection of departure weather by sandpipers prior to transoceanic and transcontinental flights IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-10-02 Sébastien Roques; David B. Lank; Emmanuelle Cam; Roger Pradel
The evolutionary and behavioural ecology of migratory birds has received much theoretical and empirical attention. We contribute to this field by contrasting the weather at departure and stopover durations of a long‐distance migratory sandpiper prior to initiating lengthy transoceanic vs. transcontinental flights of potentially variable duration. Transoceanic flights provide few if any stopover options
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Discovery of a morphologically and genetically distinct population of Black‐tailed Godwits in the East Asian‐Australasian Flyway IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-10-02 Bing‐Run Zhu; Yvonne I. Verkuil; Jesse R. Conklin; Ailin Yang; Weipan Lei; José A. Alves; Chris J. Hassell; Dmitry Dorofeev; Zhengwang Zhang; Theunis Piersma
Occurring across Eurasia, the Black‐tailed Godwit Limosa limosa has three recognized subspecies, melanuroides, limosa and islandica from east to west, respectively. With the smallest body size, melanuroides has been considered the only subspecies in the East Asian‐Australasian Flyway. Yet, observations along the Chinese coast indicated the presence of distinctively large individuals. Here we compared
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Habitat and weather conditions influence reproductive rates of suburban and rural Red‐shouldered Hawks Buteo lineatus IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-09-04 Cheryl R. Dykstra; Jeffrey L. Hays; Melinda M. Simon; Ann R. Wegman; Laura R. Dykstra; Kelly A. Williams
Both habitat and weather can strongly influence reproductive rates of birds. We measured reproductive rates of suburban and rural Red‐shouldered Hawks Buteo lineatus in southern Ohio, USA, from 1997 to 2016, and then tested how weather conditions and habitat in the areas surrounding the nest‐sites were related to two measures of reproductive rate. Reproductive rates of Red‐shouldered Hawks did not
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Insights on the effect of aircraft traffic on avian vocal activity IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-09-21 Hannah Vincelette; Rachel Buxton; Nathan Kleist; Megan F. McKenna; Davyd Betchkal; George Wittemyer
Aircraft noise is pervasive across the USA, including in national parks, but its effects on wildlife remain unresolved. As with other noise sources, aircraft noise may affect species physiology and behaviour by being perceived as a threat, distracting individuals, or degrading the sensory environment. This study aimed to understand the effect of aircraft traffic and associated noise on the richness
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Godman Salvin Prize IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-10-10 Theunis Piersma
Theunis Piersma's contribution to ornithology goes far beyond his 500 plus peer‐reviewed scientific papers and 14 books, generally focused on migratory birds, to his role in their conservation including via innovative use of the arts as well as influencing policies and management prescriptions. The strength of influence in the scientific and conservation worlds of ‘waderologists’ is in no small part
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Phylogeographical history of the Olive Woodpecker Dendropicos griseocephalus, a species widely distributed across Africa IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-08-11 Jérôme Fuchs; Rauri C. K. Bowie; Martim Melo; Giovanni Boano; Marco Pavia; Jon Fjeldså
Few studies have quantified the extent of genetic differentiation within widely distributed polytypic African bird species with disjunct ranges. Current knowledge indicates that high levels of genetic differentiation are found for such lineages but generalization of the pattern requires further comparisons with other co‐distributed taxa. We assessed the extent of phylogeographical structure across
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Non‐breeding movements of Gentoo Penguins at the Falkland Islands IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-09-09 Alastair M. M. Baylis; Megan Tierney; Rachael A. Orben; Daniel González de la Peña; Paul Brickle
Although many penguin species migrate during the non‐breeding period, Gentoo Penguins Pygoscelis papua are year‐round residents. Despite being characterized as inshore feeders, the at‐sea spatial usage of Gentoo Penguins during the non‐breeding period, when central place foraging constraints are relaxed, is poorly understood. Here, we tracked the movements of Gentoo Penguins from five breeding colonies
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Four‐legged foes: dogs disturb nesting plovers more than people do on tourist beaches IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-09-02 Miguel Ángel Gómez‐Serrano
Recreational activities in nature have increased considerably in recent decades. Human disturbance may trigger similar trade‐offs in birds that the natural risk of predation generates on productivity through parental investment decisions. To estimate how the impact of human presence affects breeding birds on Mediterranean beaches, the behaviour of incubating Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus
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Evaluation and recommendations for greater accessibility of colour figures in ornithology IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-09-30 Ingrid L. Pollet; Alexander L. Bond
People who are colour‐blind or have some form of colour vision deficiency form an invisible minority and scientists should strive to be as inclusive as possible. We reviewed 2873 figures published in 2019 from 1031 scientific papers in 27 ornithological journals to determine those that were colour‐blind compatible, and those that were black‐and‐white printer friendly. About 26% of the published figures
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Implications of bacterial, viral and mycotic microorganisms in vultures for wildlife conservation, ecosystem services and public health IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-08-04 Pablo I. Plaza; Guillermo Blanco; Sergio A. Lambertucci
The effects that microorganisms (bacteria, viruses and fungi) have on their hosts remain unexplored for most vulture species. This is especially relevant for vultures, as their diet consists of carcasses in various stages of decomposition, which are breeding grounds for potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Here we review current knowledge of bacterial, viral and mycotic microorganisms present in
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Book reviews IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-08-22
The titles reviewed in this section of Ibis are available for reference at the Alexander Library of Ornithology, c/o Sherardian Library, Plant Sciences Dept., University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK. Please write, telephone +44 (0) 1 865 271143 or email sophie.wilcox@bodleian.ox.ac.uk prior to your visit to make an appointment. The aim of the Alexander Library is to build up a comprehensive
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A large‐scale survey of bird plumage colour aberrations reveals a collection bias in Internet‐mined photographs IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-08-08 Adam Zbyryt; Peter Mikula; Michał Ciach; Federico Morelli; Piotr Tryjanowski
Birds with plumage colour aberrations are of interest to both the general public and scientists. However, due to their rarity in nature, information on the presence of colour aberrations is rarely found in the peer‐reviewed literature. Exploration of public observations using modern information technologies such as Internet‐based search engines could facilitate cost‐effective and rapid broad‐scale
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Applications of digital imaging and analysis in seabird monitoring and research IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-09-15 Alice J. Edney; Matt J. Wood
Rapid advances in digital imaging technology offer efficient and cost‐effective methods for measuring seabird abundance, breeding success, phenology, survival and diet. These methods can facilitate understanding of long‐term population trends, and the design and implementation of successful conservation strategies. This paper reviews the suitability of satellites, manned aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles
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Stable isotopes demonstrate intraspecific variation in habitat use and trophic level of non‐breeding albatrosses IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-08-11 William F. Mills; Rona A. R. McGill; Yves Cherel; Stephen C. Votier; Richard A. Phillips
The non‐breeding period is critical for restoration of body condition and self‐maintenance in albatrosses, yet detailed information on diet and distribution during this stage of the annual cycle is lacking for many species. Here, we use stable isotope values of body feathers (δ13C, δ15N) to infer habitat use and trophic level of non‐breeding adult Grey‐headed Albatrosses Thalassarche chrysostoma (n = 194)
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The importance of guano birds to the Inca Empire and the first conservation measures implemented by humans IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-08-18 Pedro Rodrigues; Joana Micael
The Inca Empire was the largest ancient civilization in South America, extending across almost 4000 km of distinct environments from the Pacific coast to the Andes, and throughout most of the arid desert between. The present study highlights the importance of guano birds (Guanay Cormorant Leucocarbo bougainvillii, Peruvian Pelican Pelecanus thagus and Peruvian Booby Sula variegata) for the expansion
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Moulting season corticosterone correlates with winter season bodyweight in an Arctic migrant bird IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-08-11 Susan Doyle; David Cabot; John Furlong; Yixin Liu; Kendrew Colhoun; Alyn J. Walsh; Barry J. McMahon
In vertebrates, the endocrine system translates environmental changes into physiological responses on which natural selection can act to regulate individual fitness and, ultimately, population dynamics. Corticosterone (CORT) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) are important regulators of the avian endocrine system but relatively few studies have investigated their downstream effects on key morphological
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Seabird species‐ and assemblage‐level isotopic niche shifts associated with changing prey availability during breeding in coastal Newfoundland IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-08-08 Edward J. Jenkins; Gail K. Davoren
Shifting prey availability can lead to altered species interactions, indicated by variation in the dietary niche breadth and position of species within an assemblage. On the Newfoundland coast, annual inshore spawning migration of the dominant forage fish, Capelin Mallotus villosus, provides an excellent opportunity to investigate the influence of varying prey availability on dietary niche breadth
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The potential utility of carotenoid‐based coloration as a biomonitor of environmental change IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-07-09 Chloe Peneaux; Philip M. Hansbro; Andrea S. Griffin
In the past 30 years, carotenoid‐based animal signals have been an intense focus of research because they can potentially broadcast an honest reflection of individual reproductive potential. Our understanding of the underpinning physiological functions of carotenoid compounds is still emerging, however. Here, we argue that wildlife researchers and managers interested in assessing the impact of environmental
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High genetic diversity despite drastic bottleneck in a critically endangered, long‐lived seabird, the Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-06-10 Jade Lopez; Natacha Nikolic; Martin Riethmuller; Jérôme Dubos; Patrick Pinet; Patxi Souharce; François‐Xavier Couzi; Matthieu Le Corre; Audrey Jaeger; Laurence Humeau
The Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima is a critically endangered seabird endemic to Reunion Island, with an extremely small population suffering several threats. Fifteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated from this species to analyse genetic diversity, estimate contemporary effective population size, search for evidence of a population bottleneck and see whether results support the
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Winter feeding influences the cost of living in boreal passerines IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-06-10 Juli Broggi; Esa Hohtola; Kari Koivula
The plastic regulation of internal energy reserves is acknowledged as the main adaptive response to winter conditions of resident small birds in northern latitudes, a strategy that may be altered whenever human‐supplemented food is available. We investigated the effects of supplementary feeding on the energy management strategy of two wild passerine species, the Willow Tit Poecile montanus and Blue
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Buildings promote higher incubation temperatures and reduce nest attentiveness in a Neotropical thrush IBIS (IF 2.076) Pub Date : 2020-06-10 Augusto F. Batisteli; Leonardo B. De Souza; Isadora Z. Santieff; Guilherme Gomes; Talita P. Soares; Marianela Pini; Rhainer Guillermo‐Ferreira; Marco A. Pizo; Hugo Sarmento
Incubation is an energetically costly parental task of breeding birds. Incubating parents respond to environmental variation and nest‐site features to adjust the balance between the time spent incubating (i.e. nest attentiveness) and foraging to supply their own needs. Non‐natural nesting substrates such as human buildings impose new environmental contexts that may affect time allocation of incubating