Collection Of Birds Research Articles

The Occurrence of Quill Mites (Arachnida: Acariformes: Syringophilidae) on Bee-Eaters (Aves: Coraciiformes: Meropidae: Merops) of Two Sister Clades.

Simple SummaryParasitic mites of the family Syringophilidae (quill mites) represent the most diverse prostigmatan family associated with birds. Here, we aim (i) to investigate quill mites of a well-defined monophyletic clade of nine bee-eater species, containing mostly migratory African and Asian species; (ii) to establish ectoparasite geographic ranges; and (iii) to discuss patterns of host-parasite relationships and possible host-switches. We have found that despite quill mites being highly specific on the host species or genus level, host-switches may occur, particularly when the ecology of host species overlaps.We studied the quill mite fauna of the family Syringophilidae, associated with bee-eaters. We examined 273 bird specimens belonging to nine closely related species of the genus Merops, representing two phylogenetic sister clades of a monophyletic group. Our examination reveals the presence of two species of the genus Peristerophila, as follows: (1) a new species Peristerophila mayri sp. n. from Merops viridis in the Philippines, M. leschenaulti in Nepal and Sri Lanka, and M. orientalis in Sri Lanka; and (2) P. meropis from M. superciliosus in Tanzania and Egypt, M. persicus in Sudan, Tanzania, Liberia, Senegal, Kenya, and D.R. Congo, M. ornatus in Papua New Guinea, M. philippinus in Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, and M. americanus in the Philippines. The prevalence of host infestations by syringophilid mites varied from 3.1 to 38.2%. The distribution of syringophilid mites corresponds with the sister clade phylogenetic relationships of the hosts, except for P. meropis associated with Merops americanus. Possible hypotheses for the host lineage shift are proposed.

New records of feather mites (Sarcoptiformes: Proctophyllodidae) on tanagers (Passeriformes: Thraupidae) from Brazil

Herein, three feather mite species (Analgoidea: Proctophyllodidae) are reported from tanagers (Passeriformes: Thraupidae) in Brazil: Proctophyllodes thraupis Atyeo & Braasch, 1966 on Thraupis ornata (Sparrman, 1789), Thraupis palmarum (Wied, 1821), and Stilpnia peruviana (Desmarest, 1806); Amerodectes thraupicola (Černý, 1974) and Amerodectes bilineatus (Berla, 1958) on T. ornata. Proctophyllodes thraupis is herein reported for the first time on the hosts mentioned above. Amerodectes thraupicola is reported in synoxenism with A. bilineatus on the same bird specimen of T. ornata, a new host for both mites. Despite being described from a Cardinalidae (Passeriformes) host, this latter mite species was subsequently recovered only from tanagers, which reinforces the suggestion that non-thraupid hosts might be accidental records.

Colonial birding in the Thai-Malay Peninsula: Birds from the Selangor Museum now in World Museum, Liverpool

In the early 1900s the zoological staff of the Selangor Museum regularly collected birds in mountainous parts of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, giving hill stations a prominent role in Malaysian ornithology. H. C. Robinson published a synopsis of the Selangor Museum's collections of mountain birds in 1909, drawing connections to the work of other prominent European and American bird collectors. The Selangor Museum made a large donation of specimens to the Liverpool Museums in 1914, and several of these mountain birds are now in the World Museum, National Museums Liverpool. An examination of the provenance of these specimens reveals the synergy between the growth of bird collections from the peninsula, the transition to bird 'watching', and the development of some of these hill stations into enduringly popular resorts.

Preliminary study of the avifauna of the families Numididae and Phasianidae (Galliformes) of the Bombo-Lumene hunting area and reserve in Kinshasa (DR Congo)

The present study consisted of the identification of Numididae and Phasianidae birds of the Bombo-Lumene Hunting Estate and Reserve with a view to a domestication trial of one or two of their species. It focuses on direct field observations and trapping of birds. The following parameters were targeted in relation to domestication: weight, size, diet of these birds. A total of 468 bird specimens were observed (105) and captured (363) in various habitats. Of the individuals captured, 31 or 8.5% were Numididae and 332 or 91.4% were Phasianidae. The identification revealed five (5) species, three (3) genera, two (2) families and a single order. The species Francolinus afer, Numida meleagris and Francolinus coqui are the richest with respectively 364 individuals, 58 individuals and 42 individuals. On the other hand, the species Guttera pucherani and Francolinus streptophorus are the least rich with three individuals and one individual respectively. As millet farming has already been successfully experimented elsewhere and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the results obtained from the targeted parameters indicate that among the species identified, only the species Guttera pucherani (Numididae) and Francolinus afer (Phasianidae) are eligible for a domestication trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Tick infestation on birds in an urban Atlantic Forest fragment in north-eastern Brazil.

Birds are important hosts for various tick species, playing a significant role in their biological life cycle and dispersion. In this study, we investigated tick infestations on birds trapped in an urban remnant of Atlantic Forest in Pernambuco state, Brazil. From February 2015 to March 2017, 541 birds belonging to 52 species were trapped with mist nets and examined for ectoparasites. Birds trapped in the late successional forest were significantly more infested than birds trapped in the early successional forest. In the same way, ectoparasite infestation varied significantly according to bird weight and collection plot. Overall, 198 birds (36.6%) belonging to 27 species were parasitized by ectoparasites (i.e., ticks, lice and/or mites). Ectoparasites were effectively collected from 111 birds, of which 99 belonging to 20 species were infested by ticks (n = 261), namely, Amblyomma longirostre (13 nymphs), Amblyomma nodosum (21 nymphs), Amblyomma varium (one nymph), and Amblyomma spp. (five nymphs and 221 larvae). Most of the ticks (> 90%) were collected from Passeriformes. This study provides the second record of A. varium in Pernambuco state and confirms that birds, especially Passeriformes, are important hosts for larvae and nymphs of Amblyomma spp. in the Atlantic Forest biome of Pernambuco.

Type specimens of birds of the genus Batis (Aves: Platysteiridae) at the Museum fr Naturkunde Berlinnbsp.

The ornithological collection of the Museum fr Naturkunde Berlin houses an important collection of birds of the genus Batis, with many type specimens used in descriptions dating from the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Some of these scientific names are still in use today, but others are synonyms. We herein provide an updated list of all this type material for 10 names (species and subspecies) with 34 types and 21 paratypes, and we designate a lectotype for Batis puella Reichenow, 1893.

Birds specimens of the zoological collection of the Universidad de Nariño, Colombia

We provide a complete dataset of bird specimens of the zoological collection at the Universidad de Nariño, Colombia. For every specimen, we reviewed taxonomic identifications to species level by applying curatorial procedures, including the comparison of skins, the use of taxonomic keys and primary literature, and by confirming georeferenced locality data. We present 1249 specimens from 419 species. Most records come from ecosystems in southwestern Colombia, department of Nariño. All records are in the Darwin Core standard and have been made available through the Colombian biodiversity portal (SiB-Colombia) and the GBIF. In addition, we projected these bird occurrences in a geographic context to analyze the density, representation of ecosystems, biogeographic regions, and administrative units (municipalities). We also examine the representation of relevant species regarding their endemism, migratory, or conservation status. With this information, we want to support research and training initiatives to support ecological planning with biogeographic approaches to understand the temporal changes in bird faunas.

Captain Vivian Hewitt and the fate of his collection of birds’ eggs and specimens

Vivian Hewitt was a little-known collector of natural history specimens (mainly birds and their eggs) during the early and middle years of the twentieth century. Although an obscure figure his influence on the museum world of his time – and later – was considerable and his collection of Great Auk material became almost legendary. Some of his story and that of his collection is a matter of published record but many elements remain obscure. In this study, we present previously unpublished details of Hewitt’s extraordinary life.

William Elias Helman Pidsley (1867–1905) and his collection of birds

William Elias Helman Pidsley (1867–1905) and his collection of birds

Two passeriform birds (Aves: Passeriformes) from the Middle Miocene of Austria

Two newly discovered specimens of passerine birds—an isolated sternum and an associated skeleton—from the upper Middle Miocene (ca. 12 Ma) are the oldest representatives of Passeriformes from Austria. Although the condition of the specimens prevents their accurate identification, they provide further clues on the morphological diversity of the avifauna during this period and fill gaps in the paleobiogeography of Miocene passerines. The associated skeleton represents a bird similar in size to the extant Sylvia atricapilla or Erithacus rubecula, and the delicate beak indicates that the bird fed mainly on small invertebrates and possibly also soft fruit. The isolated sternum belonged to a small thrush-sized bird and, considering the fragility of this skeletal element, is one of the best-preserved Miocene passerine sterna in the world.

Implementation of Mini-FLOTAC in Routine Diagnosis of Coccidia and Helminth Infections in Domestic and Exotic Birds.

Mini-FLOTAC (MF) has recently been proposed for the fecal quantification of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites in birds due to its higher sensitivity and precision in comparison with the McMaster method. The current research aimed to test the use of MF in routine diagnosis of coccidia and helminth infections in several domestic and exotic bird collections in Portugal. Between July 2020 and April 2021, a total of 142 fecal samples from organic layers, peacocks and ratites were collected in four Portuguese bird collections and processed using MF and fecal cultures to identify and calculate GI parasite shedding and prevalence. The McMaster method was also used to compare the shedding levels obtained for both quantitative techniques. MF’s relative sensitivity and specificity were also assessed, using McMaster as the reference technique. The implementation of MF resulted in an average Eimeria spp. shedding higher in peacocks from bird collection 2 (502 OPG), followed by peacocks from collection 1 (107 OPG) and organic layers (24 OPG) and peacocks from collection 3 (9 OPG). Peacocks were also positive for Capillaria spp., Trichostrongylus tenuis and Strongyloides pavonis, whereas ostriches and emus were infected by L. douglassii. The MF protocol for exotic animals and the McMaster method did not differ significantly for each parasitic agent and bird species, and MF achieved relative sensitivities and specificities higher than 70% for Galliform Eimeria spp., peacock helminths and ratites’ L. douglassii infections. Higher L. douglassii EPG values were identified using the MF protocol for exotic species (2 g of feces/38 mL of sucrose solution), followed by McMaster 2/28, MF 5/45 and MF 2/18. The use of MF allowed for obtaining different intestinal parasitic populations in several bird species and locations, and MF 2/38 is globally proposed as the most suitable protocol for bird fecal samples as an alternative to the McMaster method in the diagnosis of avian intestinal parasitic infections.

Selection Process for Non–Releasable Birds: The First Step in Bird Welfare

The selection of ambassador animals coming out of wildlife rehabilitation facilities is an evolving process as information grows regarding long–term physical impacts of disabilities on an animal’s quality of life. Ambassador animal welfare traditionally addressed nourishment, length of life, and physical safety while in human care. More facilities are now focusing on cognitive well–being, including examining if individuals are free from pain, fear, and distress as a measure of welfare. And, as more trainers are adopting choice–based training methods using the least number of aversive stimuli possible, candidate selection is the first step in the welfare process. Cascades Raptor Center has developed rigorous criteria for all birds before they are added to our team. Because many of our resident birds are wild–hatched individuals deemed non–releasable by rehabilitation facilities, it became necessary to devise a thorough assessment process. Data collected from wellness monitoring of our current bird collection coupled with over 25 years of comprehensive necropsy reports have provided information indicating that many disabilities that result in non–releasable status also preclude individuals from having a high quality of life in human care. Setting an ambassador animal up for a successful life in human care begins with appropriate, well considered selection.

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A total of 45 voucher specimens of falcons which are deposited in the bird's collection of the Iraq Natural History Research Center and Museum (INHM) were reviewed. Mummified falcons were preserved as voucher study specimens and tagged with museum collection labels. In the current study, morphometrics of six species of the genus Falco Linnaeus, 1758: Lanner falcon F. biarmicus Temminck, 1825; Sacker Falcon F. cherrug Gray, 1834; Lesser Kestrel F. naumanni Fleischer, 1818; Peregrine Falcon F. peregrines Tunstall, 1771; Eurasian Hobby F. subbuteo Linnaeus, 1758 and Common Kestrel F. tinnunculus Linnaeus, 1758 were documented. These species were recorded previously in the ornithological literatures by several authors and deposited in the museum collection; nevertheless, breeding and migrating of these birds are still occurring throughout Iraq. Furthermore, the current distribution ranges and conservation status of each of the mentioned species throughout Iraq were reviewed and comprehensively discussed.

Use of a portable thermograph as a potential tool to identify nocturnal airport bird risks / Uso de um termógrafo portátil como uma ferramenta potencial para identificar riscos noturnos de aves em aeroportos

Worldwide, wildlife-aircraft collisions constitute a major human health and safety concern. About 98% of wildlife-aircraft strikes involve bird species (i.e., bird strikes) resulting in an annual loss of $1.2 billion to the aviation industry and costing 194 human lives. Thus, airport managers desire better tools to identify wildlife aircraft risks and management option to mitigate them. A number of variables have been identified that can attract the birds and other animals to the airport area. These variables include increased food availability, clear views of predators, and open water. Regular bird surveys can help managers to identify bird strike risks and prioritize management actions to reduce avian hazards. However, bird species detection efficiency at the airports can vary according to the applied methodology. We compared the efficiency of a portable thermograph to detect bird risk in a Brazilian airport using the transection methodology at night. Linear transects adjacent to the airstrip were traveled, by foot, at an average speed of 1 km/h, with and without the device, looking for birds. With the device, transects were traveled with the thermograph in mode on and at each bird visualization a photo was taken. Without the device transects were traveled with a flashlight looking for birds. A portable thermograph allows warm-blooded animals to become easily visible against the environment, both day and night, once it can detect and produce radiation images in the long infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (approximately 9,000 to 14,000 nanometers or 9 to 14 µm). Our evaluations were conducted in the Regional Airport of Itanhaém, São Paulo, Brazil, in September and October 2015. Our results show that the thermography detected 13 locations with 25 specimens of birds, while the same method applied without the device recorded three locations with three specimens, resulting in nine times more bird specimens per hour. We believe that the thermographs may be considered as a new method in nocturnal airport bird risks and even common nocturnal bird surveys, with benefits exceeding its U$ 20.000,00 costs.

Nontarget Screening of Organohalogen Compounds in the Liver of Wild Birds from Osaka, Japan: Specific Accumulation of Highly Chlorinated POP Homologues in Raptors.

Nontarget screening studies have recently revealed the accumulation of typically unmonitored organohalogen compounds (OHCs) in various marine animals, but information for terrestrial food chains is still lacking. This study investigated the accumulation profiles of known and unknown OHCs in the liver of representative wild bird specimens from Osaka, Japan using nontarget analysis based on two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A large number of unmonitored OHCs were identified, including anthropogenic contaminants and marine halogenated natural products (HNPs), and their accumulation profiles were considered to be influenced by terrestrial and brackish water-based diets. Anthropogenic OHCs were highly accumulated in terrestrial predator species (peregrine falcon, hawks, and black kite), and some unmonitored highly chlorinated contaminants reached the levels of microgram per gram lipid in the liver, i.e., C10-/C15-based chlordane related compounds (CHLs) and their epoxides, dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) homologues, and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCTs). In contrast, HNPs were accumulated at higher levels in piscivorous birds (gray heron and common cormorant). Considering the enrichment of the unmonitored C10-/C15-based CHLs, PCTs, and DDE homologues relative to structurally similar persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in high trophic-level species such as raptors, further studies are needed to elucidate their environmental levels, behavior in terrestrial food chains, and ecotoxicological impacts.

Considerations on an alleged specimen of a Tingitan raven <em>Corvus corax tingitanus</em> Irby, 1874 from the Arrigoni degli Oddi Collection

[The Common raven Corvus corax is an holoartic species, divided into 12 subspecies, three of which are present in Italy. Based on the most recent systematics, the sub-specific attribution of the Italian populations has been discussed. In the Arrigoni degli Oddi’s bird collection a specimen from Sardinia was attributed to C. c. tingitanus, a subspecies of the North Africa coasts and accidental in Italy. Some biometric parameters have been measured and compared with the literature data. This work allowed to review the attribution of this specimen by Arrigoni degli Oddi and report it to C. c. hispanus.]
 
 [Article in Italian]

Users of a citizen science platform for bird data collection differ from other birdwatchers in knowledge and degree of specialization

Citizen Science (CS) projects are important for scientific research and for biodiversity conservation. In ornithology, citizen scientists make important contributions to biological conservation, because they have a highly developed knowledge about birds, making their data more valuable than those from lay persons. However, to make the data even more valuable for conservation, it is important to learn more about the citizen scientists themselves. In this study, birdwatchers using a CS portal for data collection (ornitho) were compared with birdwatchers not using it. The theoretical framework was based on the recreation specialization concept. Different measurements for birding specialization and demographics were used in an online questionnaire survey. A total of 2964 people participated in the study (1119 (37.8%) were ornitho users; mostly from Germany; 1551 (52.3%) were males). Men more than women were submitting observations to the CS platform. Users of the platform scored significantly higher in skill/competence, behavior, and in commitment than non-users, with medium to large effect sizes. However, CS users were significantly younger than non-users. CS users reported to be able to identify 4 times more bird species by song and appearance and spent more days birdwatching, owned more bird books and a more expensive equipment compared with non-users. Higher specialized birdwatchers contributed more observations to the citizen science platform. The study shows considerable differences between birdwatchers using the CS platform ornitho and non-using birdwatchers. This gives some insight into different specialization grades and supports the view that CS data from such portals have important conservation implications.

Specimens of Aquatic Bird Deposited at Mosul Natural History Museum, Mosul, Iraq

There are (11) aquatic Birds specimens deposited at Mosul natural history Museum, these belong to five orders namely: order Ciconiiformes, Phoenicopteriformes, Pelecaniformes, Anseriformes and Caradiformes. Ciconiformes include Ardea purpurea, Egretta garzetta, Ciconia ciconia, Nycticorax nycticorax, Ixobrychus minitus. Order Phoenicopteriformes include Phoenicopterus aguorum, order Pelecaniformes include Pelecanus onocrotalus, order Anseriformes include Anas crecca and Anas platyrhynchos, Casarca ferruguinea and order Charadriiformes include ,Larus canus.

The conundrum of an overlooked skeleton referable to Imperial Woodpecker Campephilus imperialis in the collection of the Natural History Museum at Tring

The discovery of an overlooked skeleton of Imperial Woodpecker Campephilus imperialis in the bird collection of the Natural History Museum at Tring (NHMUK) is documented, one of very few known to exist worldwide of this almost certainly extinct species. We present evidence that, on balance of probabilities, it is one of two collected by Alphonse Forrer in 1882 near the settlement of La Ciudad in the Sierra Madre Occidental, Durango, western Mexico; the whereabouts of the other, which did not come to NHMUK, appears currently unknown. During research into the NHMUK specimen, we demonstrated that the supposed Imperial Woodpecker skull held in the collection of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, must in fact be that of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker C. principalis.

A revision of bird skin preparation aimed at improving the scientific value of ornithological collections

The methods used to preserve bird skins in museums have a potentially crucial impact on the feasibility and use of these specimens as a source of biological knowledge, although this subject is rarely broached. Study skins of birds are usually prepared with folded wings and straight legs to facilitate storage in the collection; yet, this method can hamper the measurement and examination of certain important features such as wing-feather moult. To make consultation easier for ornithologists, alternative preparation methods such as the splitting of wings and tarsi from the rest of the animal have been proposed by curators. Our aim was to study whether or not preparing bird specimens with spread limbs makes consultation simpler. First, we used two different methods to prepare two specimens each of two common European passerine species: (1) ‘traditional’ (folded wings and straight tarsi) and (2) ‘spread’ (limbs spread on one side of the body). Then, we asked 22 experienced ornithologists to identify moult limits and take three biometric measurements (wing chord, length of the third primary feather and tarsus length) from all four specimens. Subsequently, we asked which preparation method they preferred for obtaining data. The ‘spread’ preparation was preferred for moult, third primary feather length and tarsus length, whilst the ‘traditional’ preparation was preferred for wing chord. Data obtained from the folded and spread preparations were very highly repeatable within each method but only moderately to highly repeatable between methods. One of the handicaps with the ‘spread’ preparation is the increase in storage space required, a factor that should be taken into account before it is employed. Nevertheless, this specimen preparation technique can greatly facilitate consultation and therefore improve the scientific value of ornithological collections.