We describe seasonal changes in the physiology of reproductive organs of Saker Falcons electrocuted on an electricity power line in Mongolia. Macroscopic examination of the gonads revealed asymmetry in testes size, with bias to the left body side. This asymmetry declined with seasonal increase in testes size during the main egg-laying period of the breeding season. In females, 91% possessed both left

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) plays a pivotal role in food intake and body weight regulation in both birds and mammals. Unlike imported broilers and layers, native Thai chicken, a tropical non-seasonal breeding species, has lower body weight and exhibits strongly maternal behaviors which, in turn, affect feeding behavior during the reproductive cycle. The aim of this study was to investigate the role(s) of

Conspicuous coloured displays from ultraviolet to bright red have been documented in many species throughout the animal kingdom. These colours often occur as sexual signals and can be incorporated into different types of integuments (e.g. scales, feathers, skin). Two main mechanisms are known to produce coloured integuments: pigmentation and tissue structure. Although pigmental and structural coloration

Among the most ornate animal traits in nature are the angle-dependent (e.g. iridescent) structural colors of many fishes, damselflies, birds, beetles, and butterflies. Though we now have a solid understanding of the mechanisms that create angle-dependent coloration in several groups, we know little about whether pigmentary colors reflect light in an angle-dependent fashion or if similar or different

Many avian species are in danger of extinction due to anthropogenic activities and climate change. Human activities have led to eradication of many natural habitats and climate change has altered species distribution especially in mountainous habitats. In the present study, we used distribution records of a Near Threatened avian scavenger, bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) that were collected through

The diversity, distribution, and relative abundance of avifauna were studied at and Around Ansas Dam, Debre Berhan Town, Ethiopia, from early September 2018 to early February 2019, covering both wet and dry seasons. Line transect technique was employed to study the diversity, abundance and distribution of birds species in the farmland site while total count employed on the dam. Data were collected

Animals with a slow pace of life and high mass-specific metabolic rates are expected to invest less in innate immune responses. We measured skin inflammation and the resting metabolic rate (RMR) of ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) after their immune system was challenged with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and compared with the response of birds injected a saline solution. The PHA test measures

Resource availability, particularly food, can limit the size of bird populations during the nonbreeding season. Resident and short-distance migrant birds, wintering in colder environments, should show strong effects of food limitation on winter survival. Here, we introduce a novel experiment testing for the effect of supplemental feeding on the winter survival of the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)

Several species of hornbills are known to develop dorsal air sacs after hatching, which present as a pocket of air under their skin. These increase in size as the chicks grow, and gradually disappear as the chicks develop feathers. However, this feature is not well-described, nor do we know the extent it occurs in Bucerotids. Here, it is reported in a clutch of hand-reared Von der Decken’s hornbills

The Algerian Nuthatch (Sitta ledanti) is the only endemic bird species in Algeria. It is located in the Kabylia of Babors (north-eastern Algeria). It is classified as an endangered species by IUCN and its populations are decreasing. In this study, we are interested in the inventory of the number of Sitta ledanti’s individuals in the Tamentout forest, carried out by the EFP method along line-transect

The quality of breeding habitat may directly affect the survival and development of progeny. Therefore, the selection of a suitable nest-site is an important factor affecting the reproductive success of birds. The most important reason for a bird’s reproductive failure is nest predation. Predation may cause birds to change their nest-sites and even nest morphology. Here we investigated the nest-site

The analysis of bird nest parameters is often constrained by the traditional linear measurements. The shape of every nest is unique, and conventional measurements cannot describe all spatial characteristic of these three-dimensional structures. In this study, we used 3D scanning to obtain three-dimensional images of nests and estimate their parameters and compared the results with the values obtained

Evolutionary selection pressures, and species-specific ecology and behavior, promote a great variability in the size and composition of nests. However, it would be expected that phylogenetically close species, with similar ecological needs, breeding at the same time in the same place, would also build similar nests. In contrast with this, previous studies have found differences in nest mass and composition

Some passerines incorporate aromatic plants in their nest cups, and several hypotheses have been formulated to explain this behaviour. One of those, the Drug Hypothesis, states that aromatic plants present in nests have positive effects on nestlings’ development through increased immune function. In this study, we aimed to examine if experimental addition of aromatic plants had positive effects on

Nesting success is defined as the percentage of nests that have at least one chick that successfully fledges from them. In this regard, this study was conducted in the Gangetic plain of district Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh), India, to investigate nesting success, resolve factors affecting the probability of nest failure and identify the predominant nest predators of the river lapwing, Vanellus duvaucelii

Tail flicking is a common behavior that can be observed in many bird species. Various studies have investigated this behavior in different contexts such as during foraging, social interactions, or during predator–prey interactions. Nonetheless, there has been no statistical synthesis of results concerning the most commonly hypothesized functions of tail flicking. We conducted meta-analyses of published

Egg rejection is a common and effective defense against avian brood parasitism in which the host either marginalizes or removes the parasitic egg or deserts the parasitized clutch. The ability to recognize and reject a parasitic egg depends on bill morphology, sensory systems, and cognition, all of which are also shaped by other selective processes such as foraging. This begs the question whether specific

Guinea-Bissau is a small country in West Africa, which in spite of its rich biodiversity and the high proportion of protected areas remains under-surveyed in relation to most animal groups, including raptors. The first scientific articles about raptors were only very recently issued. Here, we report raptor occurrence data from eastern Guinea-Bissau. Raptors were surveyed in the dry season along transects

Stable isotopes are well documented as effective intrinsic markers to infer migratory connectivity which provides key information for establishing an effective conservation strategy in migratory birds. However, there are few studies using stable isotopes that have been applied to long-distance migratory shorebirds globally and such studies are especially scarce along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway

Species distribution models have many applications in ecology, conservation, biogeography, and even paleoecology. In this study, we modeled the distribution of the Eastern Rock Nuthatch (Sitta tephronota), a common rock dweller bird in Iranian Plateau, and determined most important climatic variables affecting the distribution of the species. We then projected the species distribution into the past

Domestic pigeons have high polymorphism in plumage morphs and colours. The genes that affect colour and coat patterns can be used to estimate genetic profiles that allow us to deduce the structures of populations, establish whether they are in a population equilibrium and learn the genetic similarity among them. This article tested these population components and the existing relationships among cities

Avian pox is a disease caused by Avipoxvirus spp. that is known to produce self-limiting, proliferative epithelial lesions in over 275 bird species from 70 families. Although generally benign, this emerging disease can sometimes provoke significant outbreaks of mortality. In rallids, there is a single serological record of Avipoxvirus. In this study, we report on field evidence for two avian pox-like

The genetic changes accompanying a relocation of population to the captivity are mostly adverse and usually associated with deterioration of its status. These alterations are greater in small populations in which a loss of genetic variation limits the capability to adaptation. In this work, a status of small-sized guinea fowl and pheasant population relocated to the breeding is presented. These populations

Climatic scenarios for the Mediterranean predict an increase in drought and erratic precipitation, which may affect waterbirds breeding in freshwater habitats. Artificial wetlands may provide an alternative for these species when conditions in natural habitats deteriorate. We studied Little Ringed Plovers Charadrius dubius nesting in natural streams and agricultural ponds in southern Portugal. Based

The non-invasive collection of biological samples has proven useful to study a diverse array of research topics worldwide. Here, we present a systematic bibliographical synthesis exploring how the non-invasive collection of genetic samples has been used to study avian populations in the Neotropics. We searched international online databases for scientific publications, spanning from 2007 to 2017, to

In this study, we describe the nest size characteristics and the breeding attempt of Little Crake (Zapornia parva) in the abandoned nest of Common Coot (Fulica atra) at the small mid-field pond in the Masurian Lake District, northeast Poland. Based on the 6-year study during five breeding seasons, we found 123 nests of Little Crake, but such an instance was observed only once. To the best of our knowledge

WITHDRAWAL - Administrative Duplicate Publication: Influence of habitat composition features on nestling physiological condition and breeding success in Pied Flycatchers, Ficedula hypoleuca

Overexploitation of resources represents a major factor in biodiversity loss. The illegal capture and trade of wildlife species pose a serious threat to them. Algeria is a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since 1982, thereby joining the dynamics of wild fauna and flora protection. The list of wildlife species was last updated by Executive

This study examined foraging niche partitioning among coexisting species of shorebirds on a sandy beach dominated by a single food type, Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) eggs, where use of foraging microhabitats of limited variety is temporarily restricted due to tidal cycle. The major goal of the study was to examine whether co-occurring species differed in selection of foraging microhabitats and

Seed dispersal by birds is a pivotal ecosystem function worldwide; yet, the rapid and ongoing global biodiversity loss poses a major threat to this essential ecosystem service. Seed dispersal effectiveness (SDE) is a key outcome of the interaction, represented by the product of seed dispersal quantity (number of seed dispersed) and quality (probability of recruitment of dispersed seeds). Therefore

The brood size in the Finnish Northern Goshawks seems to be associated with the breeding habitat and the availability of suitable prey. In this study, we examined these relationships in three study areas of different landscape structure in southern Finland, including a recently colonized urban area. The most abundant prey categories found in the food remains of the goshawk included corvids, turdids

The Hazel Grouse (Tetrastes bonasia) is considered an indicator of the naturalness and heterogeneity of the forest environment. This species occurs in various woods and forages on a variety of plants. The aim of this study was to verify the hypothesis that, in Norway spruce-dominated forest stands, the Hazel Grouse compensates for habitat poverty using non-forest areas and harsh topography, which deliver

Several North African wetlands are classified as wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites and Important Bird Area) because thousands of Shelducks (Tadorna tadorna) winter in these habitats. However, Shelduck’s patterns of habitat use in these protected wetlands during the wintering season are still hindered by lack of information in arid and semi-arid regions regarding population dynamics

The Brolga (Antigone rubicunda) is a large Australian crane species with a broad distribution spanning from the tropical north to the south-eastern regions of the continent. Brolga populations throughout New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia have been in decline since the early twentieth century, with the species being listed as vulnerable in each state. To aid future conservation of the species