Fulica Atra Research Articles

Waterfowl habitat restoration in a seasonal island wetland

The wetland of Chortarolimni is an island, seasonal wetland with brackish waters. Due to a drainage ditch installed in the 1970s the breeding wildfowl of the wetland (Mallard, Common Shellduck, Ruddy Shellduck, Black-winged stilt and Eurasian Coot) suffers from the early seasonal draught. After an ecological assessment of the site, which involved a site visit and analysis of previous reports on the wetland, restorative measures were identified and designed to conserve the breeding waterfowl by enhancing the availability of open water and pond habitats during the waterfowl breeding period. Successful monitoring of the restoration measures will enhance the wetland ecosystem services and the ecotourism potential of the area.

Determination of spectrum of winter migratory birds in Yamuna nagar district in Haryana (India)

During the three years of study (2005-08), some 58 species of wetland birds were observed in approximately 120 village ponds; out of these, atleast 28 species of wetland birds are winter migratory, coming from far off places located across the Himalayas. During the winter sojourns, these winter migratory birds face multiple threats in rural ponds of Haryana due to cipher attention of conservation authorities and persistent and accelerated utilization of rural ponds by the resident villagers. If the present admixture of interference and disturbance continues, then winter migratory birds like Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus, Greylag Goose Anser anser, Common Coot Fulica atra, Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Common Teal Anas crecca, Gadwall Anas strepera, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos, Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Tufted Pochard Aythya fuligula, Brahminy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea and Red-crested Pochard Rhodonessa rufina will be wiped out just like Siberian Cranes arrived in Keoladeo National park in Rajasthan in India. The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India should pay timely attention to save migratory birds that visit India every winter in Lakhs and Crores.

Serosurvey of West Nile Virus and Other Flaviviruses of the Japanese Encephalitis Antigenic Complex in Birds from Andalusia, Southern Spain

Flaviviruses of the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) antigenic complex, including West Nile virus (WNV), are recognized as emerging and reemerging pathogens. Circulation of flaviviruses has been recently detected in different mosquito and vertebrate species in several European countries. A serosurvey study was carried out to evaluate the circulation of WNV and other flaviviruses of the JEV antigenic complex in different wild bird species in Spain between 2006 and 2009. Seropositiviy against JEV using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was found in common coot, Montagu's Harrier, black kite, black vulture, Bonelli's eagle, Spanish imperial eagle, Egyptian vulture, and Eurasian spoonbill. Seropositivity to JEV antigenic complex viruses was significantly higher in samples collected during autumn compared with animals sampled during summer. Significantly higher seroprevalence was also observed in 2007 compared with 2009, whereas there were no significant differences in seropositivity among taxonomic levels, migratory versus resident behavior, body size (large vs. medium), or habitats (free-ranging vs. captivity). Neutralizing antibodies against WNV were detected in common coot and Spanish imperial eagle using a virus-neutralization test. Oral shedding of WNV was not detected in any of the Spanish imperial eagles, Egyptian vultures, Eurasian Spoonbills, Lammergeiers, and the Black vultures analyzed by means of real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The results indicate that WNV and others flaviviruses of the JEV antigenic group circulated in migratory and resident wild bird species in Spain between 2007 and 2008. Further studies are necessary to determine the precise role that each of these wild bird species, some of them cataloged as "near threatened," "vulnerable," or "endangered," play in the epidemiology of those viruses.

The effects of flock size and human presence on vigilance and feeding behavior in the Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra L.) during breeding season

Group size influences individual vigilance in different bird species. Most studies have shown that animals spend more time for feeding and less time on vigilance when in groups. Apart from group size, additional factors, such as group density, age, sex, and season, are considered to influence vigilance behaviors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of flock size and human presence on vigilance and feeding in the Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) during the breeding season. This work was performed in Yorukkirka Lake (Eskisehir, Turkey) from March to August 2005. No correlation was found between flock size and vigilance rates during either human absence or presence. On the other hand, when comparing behavioral differences between human presence and absence, humans appeared to have an important negative effect on vigilance rates, vigilance duration, and feeding behavior, regardless of flock size.

Frequency of occurrence of a set of water-related bird species in an archipelago of remnant marshlands of Central Italy

In an archipelago of marshland fragments in Central Tyrrhenian Italy, we calculated the frequency of occurrence (i.e., the probability that an individual of a sensitive species occurs in a fragment of determined size area) of a set of water-related breeding bird species. Only one species (Cettia cetti) occurred in marshland fragments within the 0–1 size area class while all species were present in larger size classes. Acrocephalus scirpaceus is the only species that showed a significant increase in frequency of occurrence moving from 0–1 to 1–10 ha size area classes. However, our study supports the hypothesis that the frequency of occurrence of several other area-sensitive species (e.g., Tachybaptus ruficollis, Ixobrychus minutus, Gallinula chloropus, Fulica atra) increases toward larger size area classes, although these trends here are not significant. Therefore, the frequency of occurrence of these species should be a focus of further research in a wider range of marshland fragments. These results will be useful in terms of wetland management implications (e.g., selection of suitable fragments for sensitive species).

Clutch and egg size variation in the coot Fulica atra breeding on fishponds in eastern Poland – test of the optimal egg dimensions hypothesis

POLAK M. 2010. Clutch and egg size variation in the coot Fulica atra breeding on fishponds in eastern Poland – test of the optimal egg dimensions hypothesis. Acta zoologica cracoviensia, 53A(1-2): 35-40. Abstract. Clutch and egg size variation of the coot, Fulica atra, was studied in eastern Poland from 2005 to 2008. The study areas were extensively managed fish farms in the Lublin region. A total 797 eggs from 106 clutches were measured during four nesting seasons. Mean clutch size was 7.52 ± 1.59 (range 5-14), modal clutch size was 7. Average values of the egg dimensions are as follows: egg length – 52.70 ± 2.33 mm, egg breadth – 36.52 ± 1.22 mm and egg volume 35.72 ± 3.44 cm3. Egg dimensions were positively correlated. No significant differences in clutch and egg sizes during the four seasons were found. This suggests that the environmental conditions in the studied fishponds during the study period did not change or had no influence on egg size. There was no significant relationship between egg dimensions and clutch size and the study does not support predictions based on the hypothesis of optimal clutch/egg size.

Are Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) really limiting fishpond use by waterbirds in the Dombes, Eastern France

The Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is a protected species whose population has shown a dramatic demographic expansion over the last decades in France. Today, Mute Swans are suspected of causing damages to wetlands, partly through their territorial behaviour towards other waterbirds. The behaviour of Mute Swan pairs and the distribution of other waterbirds was monitored over 84 fishponds in the Dombes, Eastern France, from April to July 2008. Interspecific aggressive behaviours by Mute Swan pairs were not detected during behavioural observations, and no negative impact of swan pair presence was demonstrated on waterbird distribution. Waterbirds were more abundant on fishponds where Mute Swan pairs were present, maybe due to the flocking of waterbirds where Mute Swans were established owing to shared habitat preferences. Indeed, the waterbirds whose presence was the most closely correlated to that of Mute Swan pairs were Coot (Fulica atra), Common Pochard (Aythya ferina) and Red-Crested Pochard (Netta rufina), all foraging on deep macrophyte beds as do the swans. All these species, including swans, may therefore be attracted to the same fishponds without massive interspecific competition occurring, due to abundant submerged aquatic vegetation resources.

An account concerning arrival and departure time of few selected winter migratory birds in Haryana rural ponds

The present study has been carried out in few selected Northern Districts of Haryana State for a period of three years w.e.f. 2005-08. Attention has been focused on winter migratory birds that sojourn in Haryana and other parts of north Haryana. These birds come to Haryana from far off places, across the rim of great Himalayas and beyond. Only eighteen birds’ departure and arrival time was recorded for study convenience. These migratory birds do not arrive in Haryana in one lot, on one date and at one time. Instead, these display a definite, pattern, decorum and time table, specific to species and even specific to place subject to varying temperature barometer.
 The present study reveal that Northern Shoveller (Anas clypeata) Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) Common Teal (Anas crecca) and Gadwall (Anas strepera) arrive in October; Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) Graylag Goose (Anser anser) Spot billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha) arrive in November. As far as departure time is concerned, it is interesting to note that Mallard generally depart in February. Birds like Greylag Goose (Anser anser) Spot-billed Duck (Anas poecilorhyncha), Common Pochard (Aythya ferina), Eurasion Wigeon (Anas penelope), Tufted Pochard (Aythya fuligula) Red-crested Pochard (Rhodonessa rufina) and Rudy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) departs in March every year. On the other hand, Common Coot (Fulica atra) Northern Shoveller (Anas clypeata) Northern Pintail (Anas acuta), Common Teal, (Anas crecca), Gadwall (Anas strepera) and Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus) depart as late as April. Simultaneously, another aspect of gradual increase in number from October to December and conversely gradual decrease in number from January to February was also analyzed in case of few birds only. Greatest flocks of nearly 250 or so were in case of Northern Shoveller (Anas clypeata), Northern Pintail (Anas acuta), Common Teal (Anas crecca) and Common Coot (Fulica atra). Contrary to this, least number in a flock less than fifteen was seen in case of Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus), Greylag Goose (Anser anser) etc.

Concentration of lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic in leg skeletal muscles of three species of wild birds

The aim of this study was to monitor accumulation of lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic in leg skeletal muscle of some wild birds from selected areas of Slovakia and the correlations among the heavy metals. A total of 160 wild birds representing 3 species—Eurasian coot (Fulica atra) (n = 24), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) (n = 68) and pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) (n = 68) were involved for analyses. Concentrations of heavy metals from samples were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Metal concentrations are expressed as mg/kg wet weight. The order of lead and arsenic concentrations in muscles of wild birds were as follows: mallard > pheasant > Eurasian coot; in the case of arsenic the differences were significant (P < 0.05). Muscle of Eurasian coot accumulated the highest concentration of cadmium and mercury followed by pheasant and the lowest in mallard, but differences were not significant (P > 0.05). Moderately negative correlations were noted in pheasant between cadmium and mercury (r = −0.39), and between mercury and arsenic (r = −0.45). Moderately negative correlation between cadmium and arsenic (r = −0.31) was found for Eurasian coot.

Bioaccumulation of uranium 234U and 238U in marine birds

In the paper was presented results of our study about uranium 234U and 238U radioactivity in the marine birds samples, collected in the Polish area of the southern Baltic Sea. We chose 11 species of sea birds: three species permanently residing at southern Baltic, four species of wintering birds and three species of migrating birds. The obtained results indicated that uranium is very irregularly distributed in organs and tissues of marine birds. The highest uranium content is characterized in liver, rest of viscera and feathers, the smallest in skin and muscles. The uranium concentration was higher for carnivorous species (long-tailed duck (C. hyemalis), common eider (S. mollissima), lower for species eating fish (great cormorant (P. carbo), common guillemot (U. aalge), red-throated diver (G. stellata) and razorbill (A. tarda)), but the biggest amounts for herbivorous species [tufted duck (A. fuligula) and eurasian coot (F. atra)]. About 63–67% of uranium, which was located in feathers of two species of marine birds: razorbill (A. tarda) and long-tailed duck (C. hymealis), was apparently adsorbed, which suggests that uranium adsorption on the feathers may be an important transfer from air to water.

The Effect of Clutch Size on Egg and Hatchling Mass and Measurements in the Common Coot Fulica atra

Studies were conducted in 2008 on Poyrazlar Lake, located in NW Turkey. The clutch size of the Common Coot Fulica atra varied from 3 to 14. The mean clutch size was 6.6±0.34 (N=23 clutches). The clutch size increased with the increase of nest distance from the edge of the Lake. As the clutch size increased, the average egg mass decreased. With the increase of clutch size, the egg diameter and egg perimeter slightly increased but, there was no correlation between these parameters. Out of 66 marked and measured eggs, 54 (81.8%) hatched, 5 (7.6%) were unfertile, and 7 (10.6%) were lost. There was a positive correlation between the egg mass and hatchling mass, hatchling length, beak length, and leg length.

Biological and genetic characterization of a low-pathogenicity avian influenza H6N2 virus originating from a healthy Eurasian coot

Influenza A virus, A/Eurasian coot/Western Australia/2727/79 (H6N2), from an apparently healthy coot was characterized. This virus was able to grow on MDCK cells and produce a cytopathic effect in the absence of exogenous trypsin and was further characterized as a low-pathogenicity avian influenza virus, with an intravenous pathogenicity index of 0.15 and a (321)PQAETRG(328) motif at the cleavage site of the haemagglutinin gene. It infected domestic chickens, resulting in seroconversion and intermittent virus excretion via cloaca and oropharynx under experimental conditions. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the viral genes were closely related to other waterfowl isolates from the same geographic area and time period.

Changes in populations of waterbirds on a wetland following water storage

Toombullen was an intermittently flooded wetland near the Murrumbidgee River in southern inland New South Wales. In 1980 it was converted to an off-river storage. In the decade following impoundment, waterbirds at Tombullen showed a range of responses to permanent inundation. Abundances of Australia pelican, little pied cormorant, great cormorant, yellow-billed spoonbill, black swan, grey teal, maned duck, great crested grebe, Australasian grebe, freckled duck, Eurasian coot, great egret, little egret and intermediate egret decreased. Numbers of Pacific heron and straw-necked ibis increased, while Australia darter, little black comorant, Pacific black duck, Australian white ibis and royal spoonbill did not show consistent trends in abundance. The death of permanently inundated red gums coincided with cessation of egrets breeding and enhanced breeding of Pacific herons. Permanent impoundment of water in Tombullen disadvantaged most species, did not affect a few, had positive impacts on two species of waterbird and reduced species diversity.

Pelecitus Bartneri SP. Nov. (Nematoda: Filarioidea) from the Subcutaneous Tissues of the Leg of Psephotus Chrysopterygius Gould, 1858 (Psittaciformes)

Pelecitus bartneri sp. nov. (Nematoda: Filarioidea) is described from the subcutaneous tissues of the leg of a Golden-shouldered Parrot, Psephotus chrysopterygius Gould, 1858 (Psittaciformes) from an aviary in Brisbane, Queensland. It represents the first species of Pelecitus described from an endemic bird in Australia, although P. fulicaeatrae Diesing, 1861, previously known from the Nearctic, Palaearctic and Ethiopian regions, has been recorded from the Eurasian coot, Fulica atra, Linnaeus, 1758. The new species is distinguished from P. fulicaeatrae and P. galli by the presence of granular or hyaline inclusions in the caudal alae of males. It is further distinguished from these species and other species of Pelecitus in avian hosts by the combination of morphometrics of males and females, the presence of only four or five pedunculated pre- and post-cloacal papillae in each caudal ala and the absence of any semi-pedunculate or sessile papillae in the male. It is clearly distinguished from the only species known from Australian marsupial hosts, P. roemeri (Linstow, 1905) of kangaroos and wallabies, by the much smaller size of males and females, the small number of cloacal papillae, the presence of granular inclusions in the caudal alae of males, and the much shorter length of the left spicule.

Cross-Species Chromosome Painting Corroborates Microchromosome Fusion during Karyotype Evolution of Birds

The stone curlew, also known as thick-knee (Burhinus oedicnemus, BOE), represents a phylogenetically young species of the shorebirds (Charadriiformes) that exhibits one of the most atypical genome organizations known within the class of Aves, due to an extremely low diploid number (2n = 42) and only 6 pairs of microchromosomes in its complement. This distinct deviation from the ‘typical’ avian karyotype is attributed to repeated fusions of ancestral microchromosomes. In order to compare different species with this atypical avian karyotype and to investigate the chromosome rearrangement patterns, chromosome-specific painting probes representing the whole genome of the stone curlew were used to delineate chromosome homology between BOE and 5 species belonging to 5 different avian orders: herring gull (Charadriiformes), cockatiel (Psittaciformes), rock pigeon (Columbiformes), great gray owl (Strigiformes) and Eurasian coot (Gruiformes). Paints derived from the 20 BOE autosomes delimited 28 to 33 evolutionarily conserved segments in the karyotypes of the 5 species, similar to the number recognized by BOE paints in such a basal lineage as the chicken (28 conserved segments). This suggests a high degree of conservation in genome organization in birds. BOE paints also revealed some species-specific rearrangements. In particular, chromosomes BOE1–4 and 14, as well as to a large extent BOE5 and 6, showed conserved synteny with macrochromosomes, whereas homologous regions for BOE7–13 are found to be largely distributed on microchromosomes in the species investigated. Interestingly, the 6 pairs of BOE microchromosomes 15–20 appear to have undergone very few rearrangements in the 5 lineages investigated. Although the arrangements of BOE homologous segments on some chromosomes can be explained by complex fusions and inversions, the occurrence of homologous regions at multiple sites may point to fission of ancestral chromosomes in the karyotypes of the species investigated. However, the present results demonstrate that the ancestral microchromosomes most likely experienced fusion in the stone curlew lineage forming the medium-sized BOE chromosomes, while they have been conserved as microchromosomes in the other neoavian lineages.

Changes in Behavioral Time Allocation of Waterbirds in Wing-Molt at Lake Constance

The reduced mobility of flightless waterbirds during wing-feather molt should influence time allocation during the day, but time-budget studies are lacking in most species. Here, time budgets of flightless and fully-winged individuals at Lake Constance, Central Europe, were compared for five waterbird species with different feeding ecology and varying sensitivity to disturbances or predation pressure. Significant differences in diurnal activity budgets of flightless and fully-winged birds were observed in all five species. Different behaviors were responsible for the observed differences. Flightless Mute Swans Cygnus olor spent more time feeding while decreasing locomotory activity. Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina also increased feeding, but, in addition, had increased locomotory activity while resting less. In contrast, flightless individuals of both Gadwall Anas strepera and Tufted Ducks Aythya fuligula spent less time foraging, while there was no such change in Eurasian Coot Fulica atra. More consistent patterns were observed in vigilance behavior, which increased in three of the five species. Comfort activities, such as preening, increased in two species, and were unchanged in the remaining three. Social interactions, which constituted only a small part of the daily budget, only changed in Gadwall. The present data suggest that the five waterbird species meet the increased energy demands during molt by either one or a combination of behavioral adaptations, i.e. different strategies, such as higher nutrient intake (e.g. Mute Swan, Red-crested Pochard), lower energy consumption by reducing the locomotory component (e.g. Mute Swan, Tufted Duck) or a breakdown of energy reserves deposited prior to the molting period resulting in more time spent resting (e.g. Gadwall). Also, increased resting times during the day may indicate nocturnal feeding, which needs to be examined in more detail.

Glycosaminoglycans in the tongue of birds

We examined the literature to verify whether adaptations and modifications in the structure and glandular secretions of birds' tongues are related to habitat and can be ascribed to evolutionary processes. The data are discussed in relation to species taxonomy, following the Sibley and Ahlquist classification [C. G. Sibley and J. E. Alquist, Philogeny and Classification of Birds. A Study in Molecular Evolution (Yale University Press, New Haven, 1990)]. The following conclusions are drawn: gustatory papillae and taste buds are present in varying numbers in most species. The composition of gland secretions is also found to be variable. Proteic secretion is documented in Larus modestus, Sula variegata, Fulica atra only. Acid proteoglycans both with sulfomucins and carboxymucins, and also glycoproteins, are consistently found. Sialic and hyaluronic acids are found in many species. Our overview indicates that the presence or absence of gustatory papillae is related to adaptation processes that these structures undergo in response to environmental factors, and that the absence of front tongue glands can be ascribed to habitat and feeding habits. Referring to the Sibley and Ahlquist classification, proteins are present in the glandular secretion of less evolved species, whereas more evolved species exhibit a gradual decrease in proteins with the exception of hyaluronic acid, which is absent, and a progressive increase in glycoproteins and acid proteoglycans.

The Status of Wintering Avifauna in Eastern Areas of Jeju Island

This study was conducted from November 2008 to March 2009. Three eastern areas of Jejudo (Hado-ri wintering area, Jongdal-ri and Siheung-ri coastal area, Seongsanpo wintering area) were examined. A total of 12,411 individuals of 79 species were observed in the three areas. By region, the fish farm in Hado-ri was observed to have 5,479 individuals of 55 species, Jongdal-ri and Siheung-ri coastal area 1,669 individuals of 46 species and the fish farm in Seongsanpo 5,253 individuals of 60 species. The dominant species were Anas strepera with 3,870 individuals (31.18%), followed by Anas penelope with 1,572 individuals (12.67%), Anas poecilorhyncha with 1,410 individuals (11.36%), Fulica atra with 942 individuals (7.59%), and Larus argentatus with 742 individuals (5.98%). For species diversity, Seongsanpo fish farm was 2.77, Jongdal-ri and Siheung-ri coastal area 2.59 and Hado-ri fish farm 2.05. The natural monuments were six species like Platalea minor, Platalea leucorodia, Aix galericulata, Circus spilonotus, Falco peregrinus, and Falco tinnunculus. The endangered species designated by the Ministry of Environment were seven species: Platalea minor, Platalea leucorodia, Circus spilonotus, Falco peregrinus, Pandion haliaetus, Buteo buteo, and Anser fabalis.

Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) Wetting More than its Boots While Catching a Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)

Booted Eagle (H<scp>ieraaetus pennatus</scp>) Wetting More than its Boots While Catching a Eurasian Coot (F<scp>ulica atra</scp>)

Testing the relationship between clutch size and brood size in the Coot (Fulica atra)

The time between egg laying and chick fledging is of crucial importance for the survival of young birds. I analyzed breeding output at consecutive phases of growth of young Coots (Fulica atra) relative to the clutch size and laying date. Considering the specific breeding biology of the Coot, I tested whether chick survival reveals clutch size-dependent variability. Clutch size did not affect hatching success; it only affected brood size, and that merely temporarily. During the first 20 days after hatching, i.e. during the time of the highest chick mortality, birds with larger clutches lost chicks at a higher rate. As a result, the number of fledged chicks was independent of the initial number of chicks, and pairs with different clutch sizes had a similar number of fledglings. The laying date had no effect. This pattern of age-related chick survival points to the greater role of the type of chick growth (semi-precocial) and behavior in their survival.