Pelecanus Crispus Research Articles

Changes in the Population of Wintering Waterbirds in Gomishan Wetland at Caspian Sea Coast, Iran

Gomishan wetland located at east of Caspian Sea coast, is a popular tourist destination for both local and outside visitors, disginated as a Ramsar Site and is a Protected Area. Area of the wetland is 20000 hectares. Trend of population, density, and species diversity of waterbirds was analyzed in Gomishan wetland during five years. A total of 74 species belonged to 12 families of waterbirds were recorded during five years in mid-winter waterbirds census in January. The highest number of birds was found during 2007 (115363 individuals) and lowest number was counted 58583 individuals in 2011. Reduction was 50.78 percent. The density of waterbirds was 5.76 birds h -1 in 2007 and reduced to 2. 92 birds h -1 in 2011. Reduction was 50.69 %. There were 59 species of waterbirds in 2007 and 40 species in 2011, reduction is 32.21 percent. The highest density was recorded for Phoencopteridae 27.74% and the lowest was Treskiornitidae (0.016%) in five years. Two globally threatened species were White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala and Dalmatian Pelican Pelicanus crispus (maximum count was 43 and 738 in 2007 respectively). Gomishan wetland may be considered an important site for bird watchers and should be conserved.

A pelican tarsometatarsus (Aves: Pelecanidae) from the latest Pliocene Siwaliks of India.

We report a new fossil specimen of a pelican from the Tatrot Formation of the Siwalik Hills, India. It likely represents Pelecanus sivalensis Davies, 1880, the smaller of the two previously published species from the Siwalik Group stratigraphic sequence. This complete tarsometatarsus is the first fossil bone of a pelican collected in India for over 100 years. It is from the latest Pliocene (∼2.6 Ma), and is the youngest pelican fossil from the region. The new specimen exhibits a derived distoplantar ‘slant’ to the plantar margin of the medial crest of the hypotarsus, and a combination of features related to the morphology of the hypotarsus, the distal foramen, trochleae, and overall size that allow further differentiation from known tarsometatarsi of fossil and extant pelicans, including the three species of extant pelicans that occur in India (Pelecanus crispus, P. onocrotalus, and P. philippensis). It is of appropriate size for Pelecanus sivalensis, which to date has been known only by fragments of other skeletal elements of the wing, leg, and shoulder girdle. Thus, the observation that this tarsometatarsus is morphologically distinct from those of known pelicans provides further support for the distinctiveness of at least one extinct species of pelican from the Siwalik Group sediments. While the morphology of the tarsometatarsus allows for separation from other taxa known from tarsometatarsi, we found no clear shared derived states to place this taxon with any confidence in a phylogenetic context relative to any other pelican species, or even determine if it is part of the crown group of Pelecanidae. However, published molecular data are consistent with an origin of the crown clade prior to the Pleistocene, suggesting (along with one morphological character) the possibility that this species belongs to the Old World clade of pelican species.

Redke vrste ptic v sloveniji v letu 2013 – Poročilo Nacionalne komisije za redkosti / Rare birds in Slovenia in 2013 – Slovenian Rarities Committee's Report

Summary This report by the Slovenian Rarities Committee presents records of rare bird species in Slovenia in 2013, with some addenda for previous years. The numbers in brackets refer to the number of records (first number) and individuals (second number), recorded between 1 Jan 1950 and 31 Dec 2012. Since 1 Jan 2013, submission to the Committee is required for 37 additional species, 17 of which are regional rarities. Records of these species are not numbered, since records from previous years were not collected by the Committee. Four new species were recorded in category A: White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala, Baillon’s Crake Porzana pusilla, Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii and Siberian Rubythroat Calliope calliope. Three species, Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris, Chukar Alectoris chukar and Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus, were added to category E. Other notable observations were the second and third records of Bewick’s Swan Cygnus columbianus and fourth record of Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus. The list of birds recorded in Slovenia (as of 31 Dec 2013) contains 384 species (369 in category A, 7 in category B, 8 exclusively in category C; 4 species are both in categories A and C). Category D contains 6 species, while category E contains 33. These two categories are not part of the list

Environmental and biological monitoring of persistent organic pollutants in waterbirds by non-invasive versus invasive sampling

Three main groups of persistent organic pollutants (POPs); namely organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) were quantified in water and sediment samples, as well as in various invasive and non-invasive samples from waterbirds in the Büyük Menderes River (BMR). Liver and muscle tissues, blood, and preen gland oil samples of yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) and Euroasian coot (Fulica atra) were collected both from the origin (Işıklı Lake) and the estuary (Söke) of the river, blood and preen gland oil samples of grey heron (Ardea cinerea) and pelican (Pelecanus crispus) were collected from the estuary only. In addition, non-hatched eggs from several above species and Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus), in either station were collected. In all samples, POP contamination was measured and the potential usefulness of those invasive and non-invasive sampling for biomonitoring was evaluated. Activities of antioxidant enzymes were measured as potential indicators of POP exposure and of changes in the cellular defence. Venous blood proved to be a promising biomonitor for the concentrations in liver and muscle, especially for PCBs. Activities of antioxidant enzymes were correlated with the liver concentrations of several OCP congeners. The measured egg DDE concentrations were below the established threshold concentrations for the risk of hatch and reproductive success.

Shifts in breeding phenology as a response to population size and climatic change: A comparison between short- and long-distance migrant species

ABSTRACT. Although changes in the mean arrival and breeding dates of some species are expected in response to climate change, other species may respond to direct or indirect climate effects by modifying the duration of their breeding period. We used a 20-year database for two closely related species that breed in sympatry in Europe, the short-distance migrant Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) and the long-distance migrant Great White Pelican (P. onocrotalus), to test for changes in breeding phenology over the past two decades. Median laying dates of the species covaried over time, indicating that the same or similar environmental factors probably influenced both species at their breeding sites. However, direct climate effects were revealed only for the short-distance migrant species, which showed a rapid advancement in its median laying dates (1.4 days year-1). This shift was associated with (1) an increase in population size and (2) weather variation following warmer and wetter winters. Earlier breed...

Spatially correlated environmental factors drive synchronisation in populations of the Dalmatian Pelican

AbstractSpatial synchrony in population dynamics has been documented recently across a range of taxa, and a number of hypotheses about the mechanisms driving spatial synchrony and the consequences of this phenomenon for the persistence of populations have emerged. Spatial environmental covariance is one of the principal factors influencing this synchrony on a large scale. However, most studies focus on population abundances, and little evidence exists on the spatial synchrony of demographic parameters. We used a 15‐year dataset from two populations of a vulnerable bird species, the Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus), to identify local and global environmental factors that cause population synchrony. We show that survival rates were temporally synchronised between the studied populations and that a large part (>50 % for both populations) of this covariation was driven by local environmental conditions. Several components of the North Atlantic Oscillation index were correlated with local climatic conditions, but not all of these components can be used as informative proxies for future variation in survival. We also present evidence that an individual's future survival can be strongly influenced by the conditions occurring during the early period of its life. Environmental factors such as water level and food availability had similar influences on breeding success and juvenile survival. Juvenile survival was lower during dry years and years of low food availability. This finding indicated that intra‐specific competition may act as a limiting factor for species demography, especially in large populations. Estimating the strength of synchrony is important and should be considered in population and metapopulation analyses and in relationship to conservation measures.

Status and development of the population of the globally threatened Dalmatian Pelican, Pelecanus crispus, in Turkey

The Dalmatian Pelican, Pelecanus crispus (Bruch, 1832), used to be a widespread breeding species in Turkey in the past. Until the 1990s, approximately 473–763 pairs were breeding at 20–25 sites. Of these, 53–59% have been lost due to drainage of wetlands, 17–19% due to direct persecution, 16–22% due to both drainage and persecution, and 6–8% due to water level increase. Currently there are only five active breeding colonies: Gediz Delta, Manyas Lake, Büyük Menderes Delta, Aktaş Lake and Işıklı Lake. The colony at Işıklı Lake was discovered in 2010 and comprises 6 pairs. Since 2000, the total breeding population of Dalmatian Pelicans increased moderately from 220–250 to 277–341 pairs. Likewise, the wintering population has also increased from 352 up to 2,344 individuals, which seems to be linked with the increase in the breeding population in the region. Nevertheless, the population size still renders the species susceptible to the risks affecting small populations.

Joint effects of inverse density-dependence and extreme environmental variation on the viability of a social bird species

Environmental stochasticity and density-dependence can have critical synergetic effects on population dynamics, especially when dealing with threatened species. In this study, we examine the effects of these interactions on the dynamics of a vulnerable bird species, the Dalmatian pelican (Pelicanus crispus). We conducted demographic analysis and population dynamics modelling of the Amvrakikos pelican population (western Greece) based on a 20-y dataset. Results indicated that annual juvenile survival probability is low (mean = 0.65) and varies according to both negative (regulation) and positive (Allee effect) density-dependent processes. In contrast, adult survival is relatively high (mean = 0.95) and less variable. Deterministic and stochastic population dynamics models based on means, inter-annual variances, and covariances between vital rates revealed that the population is increasing deterministically. Simulations of the extinction risk for the study population and also for various population sizes revealed that short-term extinction risk remains extremely low, even for very small populations of the species. However, when we considered the possibility of rare catastrophic events and their interactions with density-dependence patterns, the projected extinction risk increased dramatically, especially for small populations. Given that many European Dalmatian pelican populations are small, most of them could be at risk for local extinction. Our results illustrate the critical and general importance of considering interactions between all potential factors of extinction in population viability assessments.

Contracaecum gibsoni n. sp. and C. overstreeti n. sp. (Nematoda: Anisakidae) from the Dalmatian pelican Pelecanus crispus (L.) in Greek waters: genetic and morphological evidence

Two new species of Contracaecum Railliet & Henry, 1912, previously referred to as C. multipapillatum sp. A and C. multipapillatum sp. B by Nascetti et al. (1990) from the Dalmatian pelican Pelecanus crispus (L.) in the Ambracian Gulf off Greece, are described as C. gibsoni n. sp. and C. overstreeti n. sp., respectively. Morphological analysis and the differential diagnosis of genetically recognised male specimens of C. gibsoni and C. overstreeti with respect to C. multipapillatum (von Drasche, 1882) (sensu lato) from Egretta alba (L.) in northern Colombia and other morphologically related Contracaecum spp. enabled the detection of differences between the two species in a number of characters, including spicule length and the shape of its tip, and the arrangement of the proximal and distal papillae on the male tail. Accordingly, formal descriptions are presented for C. gibsoni n. sp. and C. overstreeti n. sp. from P. crispus. The genetic characterisation of the two taxa is based on 20 allozyme loci and sequence analyses (519 bp) of the mtDNA cox2 gene. Reproductive isolation was demonstrated between these two taxa, which sympatrically infect the same definitive host, and fixed allele differences between the two species were found at some (Aat-2, PepC-1, PepC-2 and Pgm-1) of the 20 allozyme loci analysed. Their genetic divergence, estimated at the allozyme level, was D ( Nei ) = 0.31. The genetic relationships of C. gibsoni and C. overstreeti with respect to C. multipapillatum (s. l.) collected from E. alba in Colombia, as well as with other congeners from fish-eating birds which had previously been genetically characterised using the same genetic markers, i.e. C. rudolphii A and C. rudolphii B of Bullini et al. (1986), C. septentrionale Kreis, 1955, C. microcephalum (Rudolphi, 1809), C. bioccai Mattiucci et al., 2008, C. pelagicum Johnston & Mawson, 1942 and C. micropapillatum (Stossich, 1890), were inferred from mtDNA cox2 sequence analysis. The MP, NJ and BI trees obtained were congruent in depicting C. gibsoni and C. overstreeti as closely related species but quite distinct from each other and forming a subclade with specimens of C. multipapilllatum (s. l.) from E. alba (L.) in Colombia. This subclade was also found to be distinct from the remainder of the taxa considered.

Important Bird Areas in Macedonia: Sites of Global and European Importance

Important Bird Areas in Macedonia: Sites of Global and European Importance

A Case of Contracaecum sp. (Ascaridida: Anisakidae) Infection in Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus)

Contracaecum genus (Ascaridida: Anisakidae) is a nematode parasite of the fish-eating birds throughout the world. A heavy infection of Contracaecum sp. was detected at the necropsy of a Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) that had been referred to an animal hospital due to trauma and died before the initiation of any treatment. Intense parasitic infection was seen in the proventriculus and within the lumen of oesophagus to duodenum. This is the first case of intense adult Contracaecum sp. infection in a piscivorous bird in Turkey.

Plattenepithelkarzinom des Schnabels – ein seltener maligner Tumor bei Pelikanen

Neoplasms appear very rare in pelicans. Few cases are described within the literature including 8 chondrosarcomas, 1 bile duct carcinoma, 1 bronchial carcinoma, 1 pheochromocytoma, 1 ganglioneuroma, and 1 case of a recurring squamous cell carcinoma. The present study describes the clinical and histopathological features of an epithelial neoplasm arising from the upper bill of a Dalmatian pelican ( Pelecanus crispus) at Tierpark Berlin. The article deals with the surgery, the patients’ recovery and the pathology of such a neoplasm in detail.

Distribution of breeding birds in the Gediz Delta, Western Turkey

Atlas mapping of breeding birds in Gediz Delta Ramsar Site on the western coast of Turkey was performed in 2002. The study area of 305 km2 was divided into 305 1x1 km square UTM grids. Breeding evidence was obtained for 92 species in 291 UTM squares; 47 were classified as confirmed breeding, 22 as probable breeding, and 23 as possible breeding. Among the breeding species, three were European species of global conservation concern (Falco naumanni, Pelecanus crispus, Emberiza cineracea), 12 were species with a concentrated population and with unfavourable conservation status in Europe, and 34 were species with their population not concentrated in Europe but with unfavourable conservation status in the region. Among those with a threatened status, 7 species were vulnerable, 4 were rare, 2 were localised, 18 were declining, and 18 were depleted species. During the study, various threats were identified in 173 UTM squares out of 291 (59.5%). Among these, the most frequently observed were pollution observed in 30% of the squares, overgrazing in 22% and illegal hunting in 22%.

The origin of out‐of‐range pelicans in Europe: wild bird dispersal or zoo escapes?

We tested whether spatial and annual patterns of occurrence of out‐of‐range Great White Pelecanus onocrotalus, Dalmatian Pelecanus crispus and Pink‐backed Pelicans Pelecanus rufescens recorded in Europe between 1980 and 2004 supported a natural vagrancy theory. Candidate variables tested were those likely to influence dispersal and escape probability (distance to the usual breeding/wintering range, national captive stock), and wild breeding population sizes and their movements (size of breeding colonies, climate conditions on wintering grounds or during dispersal). Spatial vagrancy patterns supported the hypothesis of wild birds dispersing from their normal range, with decreasing national totals with increasing distance to the usual range for the three species. Annual out‐of‐range numbers of Great White Pelican were predicted by breeding colony size and breeding success in Greece, with a further effect of Sahel rainfall during the previous year. Annual numbers of Dalmatian Pelican were related to the North Atlantic Oscillation index and to breeding success in Greece. Finally, annual numbers of Pink‐backed Pelican were predicted by summer Sahel rainfall, which is known to drive dispersal of the species northwards into the sub‐Sahelian steppes during wet summers there. Hence, annual vagrancy patterns in Europe were well predicted for all three species by population size indices, reproductive success and/or climatic components, which presumably influence survival and/or dispersal. We therefore consider that vagrancy patterns were driven by wild birds, whereas escapes – even if potentially numerous – do not create sufficient ‘noise’ to hide these patterns.

Status of the East Asian population of the Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus: the need for urgent conservation action

AbstractThe Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus is a globally threatened species with three distinct populations, the smallest of which is the almost extinct eastern race with an estimated population size of 50 birds breeding in Mongolia and migrating to south-east China during the winter. We analysed recent survey information and published records to construct a picture of the annual life cycle of the Dalmatian Pelican and how it has changed over the years. We were able to obtain a total of 196 records from 82 sites in China and Mongolia dating back to 1862. Seasonal information was available for 168 records. The pelicans breed in western Mongolia and migrate in a south-easterly direction to the Bo Sea and then southwards along the coasts of Shandong and Jiangsu to the wintering area in south-east China. Return migration to the breeding grounds follows the same general path. There is some evidence that part of the population uses an inland migration route linking the wetlands along the Yellow and Huai Rivers and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River; this route was probably more important historically. The pelicans are encountering serious problems at all stages of their annual life cycle: destruction of nesting habitat and hunting in the breeding area, loss of important wetland habitats along the inland migration routes, and land claim, human disturbance and overexploitation of fisheries resources on the coast. It is highly desirable that a simultaneous count be conducted of the key wintering sites so that an accurate population estimate can be obtained. Use of satellite telemetry would provide very useful information on migration strategies and home ranges in the wintering grounds, and assist greatly in identifying key habitats for conservation action at different stages of the annual life cycle.

Feeding frequency influences crèching age in the Dalmatian pelican, Pelecanus crispus

Creching behaviour is common in colonial seabirds; nevertheless, the factors inducing chicks to aggregate remain relatively poorly understood. It has been proposed that brood size, laying date and nest attendance are important factors in the formation of a creche. Moreover, in most species of pelicans, chicks join creches following the development of homoeothermy and coincident with the end of the brooding behaviour. We studied effects of feeding rate, nest attendance, brood size, laying date and homoeothermy on the age at which chicks entered the creche at a colony of Dalmatian pelicans (Pelecanus crispus), in Srebarna, Bulgaria. Single chicks were fed more frequently than chicks from two-chick broods. Unlike American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), Dalmatian pelicans maintained brooding behaviour a further 9 days after chicks had developed thermoregulation abilities. In contrast to nests with two chicks, nests with only one chick were never left unattended by the parents before the chick reached the creching stage. Laying date, nest attendance and brood size did not affect the age that the chick entered the creche. The age the chick entered the creche was not correlated with the age of homoeothermy acquisition, but chicks significantly joined the creche at younger ages when the mean number of feeds per chick per day during the rearing period in the nest was higher. This result suggests an implication of growth rate in the creching age. Joining the creche earlier can provide benefits that could have strong implications for the chicks’ future reproductive lives.

Vinculin binding in its closed conformation by a helix addition mechanism

Erratum19 March 2008free access Vinculin binding in its closed conformation by a helix addition mechanism Guy T Van Nhieu Guy T Van Nhieu Search for more papers by this author Tina Izard Tina Izard Search for more papers by this author Guy T Van Nhieu Guy T Van Nhieu Search for more papers by this author Tina Izard Tina Izard Search for more papers by this author Author Information Guy T Van Nhieu and Tina Izard The EMBO Journal (2008)27:922-922https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.emboj.7601971 This article corrects the following: Vinculin binding in its closed conformation by a helix addition mechanism11 October 2007 PDFDownload PDF of article text and main figures. ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InMendeleyWechatReddit Figures & Info Correction to: The EMBO Journal (2007) 26, 4588–4596. doi:10.1038/sj.emboj.7601863 The publishers inadvertently introduced an error in the spacing of Figure 2 of the above article, which is a stereo figure, and the corrected figure is now printed below. Figure 1.Stereo view of the final 2Fo–Fc electron density map for IpaA-VBS2 bound to the C-terminal helical bundle of Vh1. The contour level ofthe electron density map is 0.6 σ and the resolution is 3.2 Å. Key residues of IpaA-VBS2 that interact with the α2 and α3 helices of the C-terminal helical bundle of vinculin's Vh1 domain are indicated. Download figure Download PowerPoint The publishers sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. The authors apologise for mistakenly citing the study of Johnson et al (1998) in the last paragraph of the Discussion. The correct citation is Jones et al (1989). The authors sincerely apologise for this mistake and for any inconvenience this may have caused. Next ArticlePrevious Article Read MoreAbout the coverClose modalView large imageVolume 27,Issue 6,March 19, 2008Dalmatian pelican ( Pelecanus crispus) - This image was selected by the jury as the best entry in the "non-scientific" section of the EMBO Journal Cover Contest 2008. Once more, the editors and other members of the jury would like to thank all participants of the contest for their enthusiasm and compliment them on the large number of very beautiful images they submitted. We hope that we will be able to display some of the most interesting submissions on future front covers of The EMBO Journal. The photographer of the winning image, Urs Albrecht, is Professor for Biochemistry at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland and works in the field of chronobiology. Volume 27Issue 619 March 2008In this issue FiguresRelatedDetailsLoading ...

Waterbird population estimates for a key staging site in Kazakhstan: a contribution to wetland conservation on the Central Asian flyway

AbstractRealistic population size estimates for waterbirds are crucial for the application of wetland conservation strategies, since the identification of internationally important wetlands is based on local numbers relative to the population size of the respective species. Central Asia is a poorly surveyed region that is situated at the intersection of migration routes that lead waterbirds from Western Siberia to the south-west (South-West Asia, East Africa) and to the south-east (South Asia, India). We calculated waterbird population estimates for the Tengiz–Korgalzhyn region, a large wetland complex in the steppe zone of Central Kazakhstan, based on waterbird surveys conducted between 1999 and 2004. For 20 of 43 species analysed the region supported more than 5% of the relevant flyway populations. Five species occurred with more than 40% of the flyway totals, including the Endangered White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala and the Vulnerable Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus. Peak numbers were recorded in summer and autumn and for most species numbers were more than an order of magnitude lower on spring migration compared with autumn migration. We identified 72 individual sites that held more than 20,000 waterbirds or more than 1% of a particular flyway population at least once. These sites are likely to constitute priorities for conservation. The general conservation status of the region is favourable, since many of the important sites are located within a strict nature reserve. However, outside the reserve hunting, fishing and powerline casualties represent conservation issues that should be monitored more carefully in the future.

The pelican scenario for nature restoration of Aral Sea wetland ecosystems

Sustainability of the wetland ecosystems in the Aral Sea region depends on the ecological dynamic processes resulting from shifting mosaic patterns along the ecotone. The “Pelican Scenario”, a natural dynamism-oriented nature restoration plan for the Aral Sea crisis, should be considered not only for achieving sustainable land use, but also for the conservation of Pelecanus crispus, a vulnerable species.

Status of pelicans and cormorants on the northern Black Sea

The status of breeding pelicans and cormorants is assessed in the area from the Danube delta (Romania) to the northern part of the Crimean peninsula. Four breeding species occur in inland and coastal wetlands: Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus, Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus, Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo and Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus. Data on clutch size and breeding success are given. Historically, all four species were restricted to the Danube delta. Currently, with the exception of Dalmatian Pelican, they all breed successfully on the eastern Black Sea coast in the Ukraine. There are many conservation problems that will jeopardize the breeding of these species in the future if nothing is done.