Animal response to different levels of human activity is relevant to applied ecology and to guide conservation actions. Evidence on animal responses to the COVID-19 lockdown spans a wide range of biological and ecological proofs, albeit an evaluation at the level to which vital rates drive population dynamics is still lacking. We examined changes in the demographic contribution of survival and recruitment processes to population growth before, during, and just after the COVID-19 lockdown, in a shorebird species that is subject to human perturbation on breeding habitats, mainly due to recreational activities. We applied a model-based approach, that allows inference on variation of population growth rate and associated vital rates (apparent survival probability and per-capita recruitment) over time, to capture-mark-reencounter data from the Italian kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus breeding population. A temporary change in demography was recorded following the COVID-19 lockdown carried out during the 2020 breeding and pre-breeding season. Prior to COVID-19 lockdown, the study population was decreasing, with a higher contribution of survivors from the previous year to the breeding population of the following year than from recruitment. This pattern was temporarily reversed during and just after the lockdown, when per-capita recruitment and its contribution to population growth rate more than doubled, leading to an increase in the population. Our study provides insights into the response of demographic processes of a bird species to the halting of human perturbation, as happened during the COVID-19 lockdown. Key words: Charadrius alexandrinus, Human exclusion, Kentish plover, Population growth rate, Recruitment, Survival

Predicting citril finch Carduelis citrinella response to climatic change: An analysis of survival and recruitment probabilities in relation to meteorological covariates. Understanding the impact of climate change on species’ demography is essential for assessing their vulnerability to environmental shifts. We analysed a dataset of 6,967 citril finches Carduelis citrinella captured at a Pyrenean site between 1991 and 2014. Survival and recruitment were used as overall measurements of fitness, and both parameters were related to a set of meteorological variables using Cormack-Jolly-Seber and Pradel capture-recapture models. We found that survival of both adult and juvenile birds was negatively affected by the number of rainy days during the breeding season (June). In contrast, no meteorological variable significantly influenced recruitment rates. The number of rainy days in June has declined over the past 50 years and is projected to decrease by an additional 10-25 % in the Pyrenees by 2070. We used Pradel ‘Survival and Lambda’ models to evaluate the direct effects of June rainfall on population growth rate (Lambda, λ) in citril finch populations. Predictions across the observed range of rainy days (2-10) revealed that λ dropped below 1 when June rainfall fell below ~7 days, indicating population decline. Based on these estimates, we then projected future population dynamics under climate change scenarios involving a 10 % and 25 % reduction in June rainfall over the next decades. Simulations showed a progressive decrease in λ under both scenarios, supporting the prediction that climate change will lead to long-term declines in citril finch population size in the Pyrenees. Key words: Climate change, Rainfall, Population dynamics, Lambda, Population growth rate, Population projections

Law enforcement effectiveness is a key strategy for understanding how wildlife trafficking is addressed and sanctioned upon detection or occurrence. To this end, an evaluation model of institutional response to wildlife crimes was developed to assess how these offenses are managed and penalized. The institutional response to wildlife crimes in Mexico between 2016 and 2024 was assessed using a systemic model that integrates 14 indices of capacity, efficiency, surveillance, and judicialization. The findings reveal low budgetary efficiency, high levels of impunity (SII > 0.98), and an alarming decline in conviction rates. Only 11 states reported prosecuted wildlife crimes. This model helps identify systemic bottlenecks and can guide multisectoral strategies to strengthen environmental governance.

Mantled howler monkeys Alouatta palliata display a daily behavior pattern, but the time they rest can vary with the use of thermal behaviors to prevent endogenous heat production, maintain body temperature, and reduce the need to consume water or energy. The primary objective of this exploratory study was to determine the effects of fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity and behavioral thermoregula¬tion (body postures and tree stratum selection) on the resting time of A. palliata introduced in Agaltepec Island, Veracruz, Mexico. Focal animal sampling was carried out between October 2018 and August 2019, collecting 384 hours of fieldwork (observation/data recording) with 628 thermal behavioral records. We used a generalized linear mixed-effects model (GLMM) to observe the possible influence of the weather variables and behavioral thermoregulation on the rest time. The results showed differences in the temperature recorded in each posture and tree strata but according to the statistical models, the adoption of postures better explained (percentage of variance: 48.21 %) the time A. palliata rests. At higher ambient temperatures and lower humidities, the monkeys adopted an ex¬tended posture in the lower tree stratum and increased their resting time. These warm conditions likely pose a significant thermoregulatory challenge for howler monkeys, promoting the use of specific thermal behaviors that may affect resting times and potentially time allocated to other behaviors, such as locomotion and feeding. These changes in their behavior could compromise their survival if the temperature continues to rise and the relative humidity decreases due to the effect of climate change. Key words: Temperature, Thermoregulation, Body postures, Arboreal stratum, Daily behavior

Citizen science reveals sharp decline of the Mediterranean tree frog Hyla meridionalis over 40 years in southeastern Iberia: potential causes and proposed solutions to prevent regional extinction. Several previous studies have suggested that the Mediterranean tree frog Hyla meridionalis, a species highly sensitive to habitat alterations, is currently threatened in this region. Here, we provide an update on the distribution and conservation status of the hylid in this area, based on monitoring through nocturnal acoustic surveys and visual prospections in sites with favorable characteristics for the species during 2016-2019. Some of these points had historical occurrence data (1980s-1990s), allowing us to analyze temporal variations in the species’ presence. Furthermore, we examined how habitat transformation and levels of protection were related to changes in the local presence of the anuran in the Adra basin, an area where human-induced environmental modifications and frog persistence have been documented over the past 40 years. The Mediterranean tree frog was found at low numbers in only 17 of the 144 sampled points, mostly isolated, during 2016-2019, and had disappeared from 27 of the 43 points where it was previously present 40 years ago. We found that the loss of favorable habitat and the absence of legally protected areas were directly linked to the decline in sites inhabited by the species. Based on the changes observed and IUCN criteria, we classified the Mediterranean tree frog as ‘endangered’ in southeastern Iberia. Conservation measures are proposed to support the recovery of the hylid in the study area. Key words: Agricultural impact, Conservation, Distribution, Greenhouses, Hyla meridionalis, Temporal evolution

Fecal samples from five representative age classes of Pongo pygmaeus ssp. wurmbii were collected between 18/02/2022 and 29/11/2022. Intestinal parasites were screened using the MiniFlotac technique. We hypothesized that home range reflects the energy budget while the burden of intestinal parasites may influence the fitness of orangutans across age group. Variations in behavior were predicted to affect parasite species richness, prevalence, and intensity of infection, measured as egg per gram (EPG)/oocyst per gram (OCG)/cyst per gram (CPG) in fecal samples. We identified a variety of Protozoa (including Entamoeba, Endolimax, and Giardia) and nematode (such as Trichuris, Ascaris, Enterobius, and hookworms). One un-identified larval form was also observed. The highest prevalence was recorded for Entamoeba coli (100 % of individuals), followed by hookworm egg (70 %), Ascaris lumbricoides (50 %), Dientamoeba fragilis (40 %), Entamoeba hartmanni (20 %) and Giardia sp. (10 %). The CPG of E. coli ranged from 50 to 120 in all orangutan fecal samples. Site-specific differences were observed between sites Punggualas (PA) vs. Natural Peat Laboratory (NPL), hereafter referred to as NPL-CIMTROP, and between male and female orangutans. However, no significant differences were detected in parasite burden relative to home range size. To our knowledge, this is the first report documenting the parasite burden of wild orangutans in Punggualas. Notably, a high prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides eggs was detected (p-value = 0.0000). Our findings imply that environmental disturbances such as the 2021 flooding event and subsequent pseudo-gaharu collection activities in Punggualas may have contributed to this elevated prevalence of Ascaris spp. Further investigation is urgently needed to elucidate the dynamics of zoonotic transmission between humans and orangutans and to assess risks related to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

Revising the geographic distribution of western European Forficula (Dermaptera) using mitochondrial DNA data. The taxonomy and biogeography of Forficula earwigs remains contentious, largely due to the challenges in using morphological traits for their identification. Here we analysed populations of Forficula from south-western Europe by combining morphological and molecular mitochondrial DNA data. As a result, we confirm the presence of F. mediterranea in the island of Menorca, and also in the islands of Sardinia and Tenerife, both of which are located at a considerable distance from its currently known distribution (Iberian Peninsula and Northwest Africa). Additionally, we confirmed the presence of F. auricularia in Italy, and found that the distribution of F. iberica extends to southern Spain, which also clarifies the phylogenetic position of local populations. Despite our predictions, we did not find F. iberica to be closely related to the Italian F. silana, with which it shares similar general facies. Here we confirm the presence of F. decipiens in Spain, a species for which previous records were scarce, old, and imprecise. Furthermore, we determined that it is closely related to the F. auricularia species complex, as well as to F. silana. Key words: Earwigs, Mediterranean Basin, Tenerife, Sardinia, Balearic Islands

Age determination of the invasive monk parakeet <i>Myiopsitta monachus</i> has been hampered by its juvenile plumage showing only subtle differences from subsequent plumages, and little is known about its moult. Here we examined three specific traits (grey patch on forehead, scalloped breast, and notch on primary P9) and three general juvenile traits (bill cornification, pale margins on wing feathers, and shape of flight feathers) and tested their potential as age determination criteria using 709 specimens of this parakeet collected from the metropolitan area of Barcelona in 2023 and 2024. We also studied five moult components: phenology, duration, extent, sequence, and intensity. Bill cornification, forehead patch, and scalloped breast (with continuous maturation) were exclusively associated with juvenile birds, while pale margins, shape of flight feathers (especially those of rectrices), and notch on P9 (all with discrete maturation) allowed us to age birds throughout the entire first annual moult cycle. The moult season stretched from March to November, although the mean moult duration was 168 days. Post-juvenile moult included the body and an average of 16 wing and tail feathers, while postnuptial moult was characterised by retention of several primary coverts, and frequently also of outer secondary coverts and inner primary coverts. The primary moult sequence was clearly divergent across tracts, with alula, tertials, and secondaries being less clearly so, while it tended to be convergent in rectrices. Moult intensity described a parabola for both primary and body feathers. We integrated this information in an age-determination protocol that may help increase our understanding of the population dynamics of monk parakeets.

The rapid pace and potentially irreversible consequences of global change create an urgent need to predict the spatial responses of biota for conservation to better inform the prioritization and management of terrestrial habitats and prevent future extinctions. Here, we provide an accessible entry point to the field to guide near-future work building predictive species distribution models (SDMs) by synthesizing a technical framework for the proactive conservation of avian biodiversity. Our framework offers a useful approach to navigate the challenges surrounding the large spatio-temporal resolution of datasets and datasets that favor hypothesis testing at broad spatio-temporal scales and coarse resolutions, which can affect our ability to assess the validity of current predicted distributions. We explain how to improve the accuracy of predictive models by determining the extent to which: 1) dispersal limitation impacts the rate of range shifts, 2) taxa are rare at their range limits, and 3) land use and climate change interact. Finally, we offer approaches to filling knowledge gaps by creatively leveraging existing methods and data sources.