One of the challenges facing conservation biologists and land managers is to determine which species in the biota should receive conservation priority. This is particularly challenging in regions with comparatively little baseline ecological data, such as the Arabian Peninsula. Here we create a list of high conservation priority species for the birds of Saudi Arabia using objective criteria. In total

Surrogate-species concepts are prevalent in animal conservation. Such strategies advocate for conservation by proxy, wherein one species is used to represent other taxa to obtain a conservation objective. The efficacy of such approaches has been rarely assessed empirically, but is predicated on concordance between the surrogate and sympatric taxa in distribution, abundance, and ecological requirements

Grasslands are one of the most imperiled ecosystems globally, and the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) is an iconic grassland-obligate species with high conservation priority in the USA. Lesser Prairie-Chicken conservation is compounded by its requirement for a spatial hierarchy of heterogeneous habitats, coupled with nearly all (> 95%) of its range being privately owned. The U.S

Migratory species are threatened worldwide by climate change, overexploitation, and habitat changes. Availability of suitable habitat is important for flying migrants, and in particular for large birds that use the energetically expensive flapping flight mode, such as the Bewick’s Swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii). Bewick’s Swans largely feed on aquatic macrophytes during migration that may disappear

We conducted playback-response experiments to assess whether the Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla) population found on Grand Bahama Island might be a distinct and critically endangered species. In one experiment, Brown-headed Nuthatch individuals in north Florida were presented with calls from: (1) a male conspecific in North Carolina; (2) a male recorded on Grand Bahama Island; (3) a male Pygmy

The critically endangered White-winged Flufftail, Sarothrura ayresi, was first described in 1877 and yet significant data deficiencies in the vocalization and breeding status of this species still exist. This species currently faces a high extinction risk, largely due to extensive habitat loss, and respective data deficiencies have hampered conservation efforts. The species’ elusive behavior, cryptic

Grassland birds, including Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), have experienced steep population declines across their breeding range in North America. Because of these declines, Bobolinks were listed as threatened by the Ontario and Canadian governments. We assessed nest survival across land-cover types and uses to identify pertinent factors important for conservation of this species-at-risk. We analyzed

Nest box supplementation is a widely used technique to aid in the conservation of cavity nesting bird species. However, the criteria to choose the best location for nest boxes has seldom considered the likely exposure of cavity-users to parasites. Birds host an impressive diversity of ectoparasites that may have detrimental effects on their fitness. Here we focus on the ectoparasite infracommunity

Historic population trajectories for most North American bird species are largely unknown for years prior to circa 1970. Additionally, current estimates of population trajectories of boreal and Arctic breeding species are imprecise or biased because of lack of coverage by Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) routes in that region. Citizen science data, in particular eBird data, could fill these information gaps

Wetland loss is cause for concern for populations of many wetland bird species throughout North America. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, the primary resource for broad-scale avian population data, does not provide sufficient data for many marsh bird species. Targeted marsh bird monitoring programs have been implemented across the continent in an attempt to fill this gap. Despite these efforts

The interactive effects of climate and human socioeconomic factors on biodiversity in the Anthropocene may be studied most effectively from a social-ecological perspective. Climate can affect avian abundance, and socioeconomics may affect the human propensity to contribute to conservation. Yet, little is known about how these two factors interact to affect species. We assessed the relative influence

Many shorebirds (Order: Charadriiformes; Family: Charadriidae, Recurvirostridae, Scolopacidae, Haematopodidae, Jacanidae) are highly migratory, traversing thousands of kilometers between high latitude breeding and low latitude nonbreeding sites. In doing so, they are dependent on networks of coastal and interior wetland ecosystems. To aid in the effective conservation and management of their populations

Intersexual differences in habitat choice can arise if males and females differ in morphology, physiology, niche partitioning, or resource use, and can be influenced by variation in habitat structure, quality, and management. To better understand such intersexual differences, we studied habitat choice in female Great Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus), a long-distance migrant flagship species

Agricultural expansion and intensification are some of the leading drivers of biodiversity loss globally. Effective conservation and management strategies for threatened species in agroecosystems require information on how these species are affected by (1) the amount and configuration of natural habitats, and (2) the type and extent of agricultural land covers. The Eastern Whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus

With expanding anthropogenic disturbances to forests around the world, forest restoration is increasingly important for bird conservation. Restoration monitoring is critical for understanding how birds respond to forest regeneration and for assessing the effectiveness of restoration efforts. Using bioacoustic monitoring, we recorded bird communities during both dry and wet seasons at 62 sites along

Recent research on boreal birds has focused on understanding effects of human activity on populations and their habitats. As bird populations continue to decline, research is often intended to inform conservation and management policies and practices. Research produced under the typical “loading dock” model by Western-trained researchers often fails to achieve desired conservation outcomes. There is

Migratory sheldgeese (continental Upland Goose Chloephaga picta, Ashy-headed Goose C. poliocephala, and continental Ruddy-headed Goose C. rubidiceps) are endemic birds of southern South America. They are currently threatened by illegal hunting, overgrazing, and invasive predators. Because their breeding area is intensely grazed by sheep and cows, we studied the interaction of sheldgeese flocks and

The effective conservation of birds requires knowledge of species-specific population dynamics. Yet these dynamics during migration and across age and sex categories are poorly understood for small birds. The goal of this study was to assess large-scale fall migration patterns of Rufous Hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus). Because the age and sex categories of this species depart from the breeding grounds

Incorporating information about habitat use and success of breeding birds contributes to a more complete understanding of their ecology and distribution, and can also inform management strategies for species of conservation concern. We used occupancy data that accounted for imperfect detection from a two-year field study of two territorial waterbird species in southcentral Saskatchewan (n = 172 ponds

Noise is an increasingly common component of the natural world, due in large part to human activity. Anthropogenic noise negatively impacts abundance, health, and reproduction in many songbird populations. A few studies have reported altered abundance at larger scales. But whether continental trends are being detected at banding stations, which also offer data on productivity and survivorship, is unknown

Habitat use and movement patterns in animals are usually determined by the availability of food, morphological and physiological traits, social systems, and safe sites to complete vital cycles. The objective of this study was to estimate the home-range area, daily traveled distance, and patterns of space use by Oilbirds (Steatornis caripensis), and the factors that can affect them in Cueva de Los Guacharos

For migratory species such as Black Scoters (Melanitta americana) whose range encompasses a variety of habitats, it is especially important to obtain habitat use information across the species’ range to better understand anthropogenic threats, e.g., marine development and climate change. The objective of our study was to investigate the winter movement patterns and habitat use of Black Scoters in the

Management of heather moorland for driven Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica) shooting in the British uplands may benefit some raptors by reducing predation risk, especially when breeding, and by increasing food availability. We describe changes in abundance and breeding success of four raptor species and Common Raven (Corvus corax) during a 27-year study on a grouse moor in southwest Scotland in

A major step in the development of conservation measures would be to study and understand the sources of non-natural mortality in wild fauna. The implementation of such measures should be a priority in oceanic islands because biodiversity hotspots are concentrated in these locations. Furthermore, anthropogenic changes have a greater impact on island species than on their mainland relatives. This situation

Vegetation characteristics can influence nest-site selection and nest survival of birds. The Florida Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus) is a critically endangered ground nesting grassland bird endemic to central Florida. Currently, the two largest remaining populations are found on sites with differently managed habitats. One site is burned regularly to maintain native dry prairie

Land management may combine with air temperature to influence the persistence of animal populations, so both must be evaluated in concert to understand how populations respond to increased forest management intensity and projected climate change. We used a large-scale study that experimentally manipulated herbicide application intensity within regenerating forests to test how herbicide-mediated changes

The awe-inspiring seasonal migrations of birds between breeding and wintering grounds has long attracted the interest of casual naturalists and professional ornithologists alike. Although new technologies improve our ability to follow individual migrants throughout their annual cycle, the scale and detail provided by banding records remain incredibly valuable. The focus of avian migration studies is

Gallocanta lagoon, NE Spain, is one of the main stopover and wintering areas of Common Cranes (Grus grus) migrating through Western Europe. We investigated how the water level of the lagoon where cranes roost, precipitation, and air temperature might have influenced the species’ migration and wintering patterns in this area between 1973 and 2018. Over the study period, the mean annual air temperature

The Sierra Madre Sparrow (Xenospiza baileyi) is an endangered species microendemic to subalpine grasslands of central and northwestern Mexico. Given that land use change is highly dynamic in central Mexico, there is a need for a continuous monitoring of the distribution and conservation status of the species across the region. We here update the distribution of the Sierra Madre Sparrow by surveying

The Bay of Fundy, Canada is a critical migratory stopover for Semipalmated Sandpipers (Calidris pusilla) during fall migration. Recent ecological changes combined with range-wide population declines indicate that a re-evaluation of habitat use and regional fidelity is required. The Bay of Fundy is divided into three regions, each of which contains multiple foraging and roost sites. In this study, we

Urban areas are rapidly expanding and natural habitats are being transformed changing the face of the local biota and the resources available for it. We studied how a purported sensitive species, the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus), breeds and survives in response to rapid and extensive land cover change as urbanization reduces and potentially isolates forest. From 2009 to 2013, we used radio-telemetry