Intermediate Egret Research Articles

Effect of climate change‐induced increases on the range of rice‐barley double cultivation on the intermediate egret

Abstract Intensification of cultivation methods and land‐use types, particularly in the face of climate change, has steadily weakened the habitat function of rice fields for waterbirds. Intermediate egrets (Ardea intermedia) are highly dependent on rice field habitats. Here, we examine the effect of a shift from rice monoculture to rice–barley double cultivation on the use of rice fields by intermediate egrets in South Korea. Rice–barley double cultivation has been increasing steadily in the southern region of South Korea due to changes in the rice growth period under climate change and maximization of economic benefits. We studied rice fields to determine the effect of the rice–barley double cultivation area on the abundance of intermediate egrets on the regional scale and their potential distribution pattern in response to double cultivation in relation to climate change using national‐scale climate, altitude and land cover data from 1 May to 23 June 2018. Compared to the irrigation practices used for rice monoculture, irrigation was stopped for some time in rice–barley double cultivation prior to planting, compromising the role of rice fields as a food ground for intermediate egrets. The potential abundance of intermediate egrets rapidly decreased by half when the double cultivation area increased to >40% of the total rice‐field area, and was less than one individual if the area increased to >80%. Furthermore, according to climate change projections, by 2100, the double cultivation area would account for 75.74% of the predicted range of intermediate egret foraging ground. Synthesis and applications. Double cultivation areas should be <40% of existing rice fields to minimize the impact of the change in cultivation practices. This approach can also convert rice fields to other types of land use. Consequently, appropriate conservation and management measures may be developed to maintain suitable habitats despite rapidly changing cultivation practices resulting from climate change.

Waterbirds in the Wetlands of Casiguran, Aurora, Philippines

The wetlands of Casiguran, Aurora, Philippines are primarily the source of livelihood for most of the coastal communities of the area. However, this also serves as a feeding ground for many of the migratory and resident waterbirds. There are waterbird species occurring in the area that need protection but only a few studies of these species exist. This study was conducted from February to March 2019 to census and identify the water birds present in the study site, determine the conservation status and index of abundance of identified waterbirds, and describe their habitat association. Based on the result, 18 waterbird species in five families were present in the area. Family Ardeidae had six representative species, Family Charadriidae had five representative species, Family Scolopacidae had five representative species while only one species represents the Family Anatidae and Family Rallidae. Two waterbird species observed (Anas luzonica and Egretta eulophotes) were listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as vulnerable and another species (Numerius madagascariensis) was listed as endangered. In terms of abundance, Intermediate Egret (Egretta intermedia) was revealed as the most abundant (94.68%) among waterbirds. Different waterbird species prefer specific habitats. Some usually frequent freshwater and saltwater habitats, including mangroves, open sea, and watercourses inside forests while some were observed in mudflats, and rice fields during the survey.

Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane in Biota from Qilianyu Island, South China Sea.

Six biota species were collected from Qilianyu Island, South China Sea to determine the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs). Concentrations of ΣPCBs and ΣDDTs in biota from Qilianyu Island ranged from 6.88 to 519.1 ng/g lipid weight (lw) and 7.0 to 19,413 ng/g lw, respectively. Significant differences for PCBs and DDTs concentrations were found among the six biota species from Qilianyu Island. The levels of PCBs and DDTs in intermediate egret were significantly higher than the other five biota species, which can be attributed to their different feeding and living habits. Significantly negative relationships between concentrations of PCBs and DDTs and δ13C values in the six biota species confirmed that dietary source is an important factor to determine the levels of PCBs and DDTs in biota species. ΣPCBs, ΣDDTs, PCB 28/31, PCB 52, and p,p′-DDE were biomagnified in the biota species from Qilianyu Island, and native species are suitable for studying the biomagnification of the contaminants. The toxic equivalent concentrations in birds from Qilianyu Island were significantly and positively correlated with PCBs concentrations, indicating that high concentrations of non- and mono-ortho-PCB congeners may induce adverse effects on bird species.

ABANDONED SITES: BOON OR BANE FOR URBAN BIRD NESTINGA CASE STUDY FROM TIRUNELVELI, TAMIL NADU (INDIA)

A short duration observation on birds' nesting in an abandoned bungalow premise in the heart of Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli district in Southern Tamil Nadu is reported as a case study. Three species of water birds namely Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), Intermediate Egret (Mesophoyxin termedia), and Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger) were found to show mixed roosting. Recently infrastructural modification of the premise was undertaken, which influenced the nesting site of these colonial birds, considering their high sensitivity to disturbance.

Taxonomic revision, occurrence, and identification of Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia in North Queensland, Australia

Between May and July 2021, five individual white egrets observed in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, appeared to have the physical characteristics of the nominate Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia in non-breeding plumage, based on the mensurate bill methodology established by Cake et al. (2016). We review the taxonomic status of the Intermediate Egret complex, including A. intermedia (breeding in Asia), A. plumifera (breeding in Australia) and A. brachyrhyncha (breeding in Africa), using the species ranking criteria of Tobias et al. (2010). We subsequently performed an expanded comparative image-based morphometric analysis of the bills of 110 A. intermedia and A. plumifera from Asian and Australasian locations, including scaled digital photographic comparisons, and several multivariate and univariate analyses, as a test of taxon identification. In addition, we used Donegan’s (2018) universal effect size to determine if the taxa could be separated using only cranial–bill morphometry. The study showed a statistically significant dissimilarity in bill morphometry between the geographic populations, with five of the 55 Australian individuals being similar to A. intermedia. These analyses support our initial suspicion that the five birds at Cairns were A. intermedia, becoming the first recorded occurrence of A. intermedia in North Queensland or the eastern coast of Australia.

Susceptibility of herons (family: Ardeidae) to clade 2.3.2.1 H5N1 subtype high pathogenicity avian influenza virus

ABSTRACT The pathogenicity of the H5 subtype high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) in Ardeidae bird species has not been investigated yet, despite the increasing infections reported. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the susceptibility of the Ardeidae species, which had already been reported to be susceptible to HPAIVs, to a clade 2.3.2.1 H5N1 HPAIV. Juvenile herons (four grey herons, one intermediate egret, two little egrets, and three black-crowned night herons) were intranasally inoculated with 106 50% egg infectious dose of the virus and observed for 10 days. Two of the four grey herons showed lethargy and conjunctivitis; among them, one died at 6 days post-inoculation (dpi). The viruses were transmitted to the other two cohoused naïve grey herons. Some little egrets and black-crowned night herons showing neurological disorders died at 4–5 dpi; these birds mainly shed the virus via the oral route. The viruses predominantly replicated in the brains of birds that died of infection. Seroconversion was observed in most surviving birds, except some black-crowned night herons. These results demonstrate that most Ardeidae species are susceptible to H5 HPAIVs, sometimes with lethal effects. Herons are mostly colonial and often share habitats with Anseriformes, natural hosts of influenza A viruses; therefore, the risks of cluster infection and contribution to viral dissemination should be continuously evaluated. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Clade 2.3.2.1 H5N1 HPAIV causes lethal infections in Ardeidae sp. Viruses are transmitted among grey herons. Some herons with HPAIV showed conjunctivitis or neurological symptoms. HPAIV systemically replicated in herons tissues.

ĐA DẠNG THÀNH PHẦN LOÀI CHIM Ở VƯỜN CHIM ĐÀO MỸ, HUYỆN LẠNG GIANG, TỈNH BẮC GIANG

The study on Dao My Stork Garden with an area of 3 hectares located in Tan Phuc village, Dao My commune, Lang Giang district, Bac Giang province during 2017 - 2018 has identified 32 bird species belonging to 29 genera, 18 families, 7 orders, including 21 resident species, 11 winter migratory species. There is one species listed in the Vietnam Red Data Book (2007) which is Anastomus oscitans. There are 6 species of water birds living and colony nesting in the stork garden: Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Chineses pond Heron (Ardeola bacchus), Egret Cattle (Bubulcus coromandus), Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), Intermediate Egret (Egretta intermedia) and Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans). The water bird species with the highest number of population in breeding season is the Little Egret. There is a stratification of the habitat and nesting areas of water birds according to the vegetation in the stork garden. Birds mainly nest and live on eucalyptus and bamboo trees. Since this stork garden formed on the land is owned by the household, in order to preserve the stork garden for sustainablity, it is necessary to support from the local government and organizations to invest in the restoration of trees in the garden and protecting the stork garden from illegal bird hunting.

Waterbirds roosting on gas drilling platforms in Mahakam Delta, East Kalimantan: the Unexpected Impact of Landscape Transformation

Since 2014 some offshore gas platforms operated by Pertamina Hulu Mahakam near Mahakam Delta has been used by hundreds of egrets as roosting sites, causing nuisance to the platform and hampering the duty of workers/operator. The objective of this paper was to analyse the situation of the waterbirds’ nuisance, analyse the possible causes, and provide some recommendations. Field visits were conducted in August 2019 and February 2020 to three unmanned platforms (Ax, D, C) that suffered the most from the bird roost. Birds that infested the platforms were identified as great egret and intermediate egret, both are very similar in appearance and ecological requirements. The maximum number of egrets visiting C-Platform (the worst platforms) was 671 birds. These birds roost at night in the platform and leave the platform in the morning to forage for fish, eel, and shrimps in the wetlands of Mahakam Delta, about 2-4 km from the platform. The root cause of the infestation was believed to be the landscape transformation in the Mahakam Delta. Mangrove forest has been diminished and heavily converted into shrimp-ponds. The egrets’ foraging areas became ubiquitous, while the roosting/nesting site greatly decreased, forcing the egrets to roost on gas platforms. In the short-medium term, platforms need to be managed as bird tolerated-zone and bird-free zone (using deterrent), while in the long term, land-use in Delta Mahakam need to be restored.

Biodiversity of birds and mammals in the Lake Siombak ecosystem, Medan North Sumatra

The Lake Siombak ecosystem is one of the important ecosystems in the north coast of Medan City, North Sumatra because it’s a combination of lake ecosystems, mangroves, and aquaculture areas. Therefore, it brings into a habitat of various flora and fauna, both aquatic and terrestrial area. This study aims to map the spatial and temporal distribution of terrestrial biota, especially birds and mammals in Lake Siombak ecosystem. This research was conducted in Lake Siombak, from September 2018 to August 2019. The data collected is the number of individuals of birds and mammals. The results of research found 12 species of birds and 2 species of mammals. There are 3 rare species and protected species by both the government and internationally, namely the rhinoceros’ hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), Brahminy kite (Haliastur indus), and Silvery lutung (Trachypithecus cristatus). Great egret (Ardea alba), Intermediate egret (Egretta intermedia), and Gull billed tern (Sterna nilotica) are also government-protected bird species, but they have not received international attention. Spatially and temporally, Great egret and Intermediate egret are found in abundance at the Lake Siombak ecosystem. Meanwhile, the rhinoceros’ hornbills, Brahminy kite, and Silvery lutung were only found once at the study site.

Urban heronry birds tolerate human presence more than its conspecific rural birds

ABSTRACT Urbanisation is a major threat to biodiversity by forcing animals to either adapt to it, emigrate or face extinction. Wetland depended birds, and in particular heronry birds, are known to be adapted to fresh urban conditions in Kerala, India. They nest on large trees and forage at waste yards and fish markets in urban sites. We used flight initiation distance (FID) as a measure of bird’s tolerance level to humans and to study urban adaptation in heronry birds. When a foraging bird of interest was spotted, we walked towards it holding a rangefinder to measure the FID. We studied this for 237 and 217 foraging birds in urban and rural sites, respectively. We also counted the number of birds in the foraging ground before walking in order to study the effect of group size on FID of the targeted bird. The FID of all bird species, except the intermediate egret, was significantly shorter in urban sites. While the habitat type affected FID, the group size and the interaction between group size and habitat type did not. This study concludes that heronry birds tolerate human presence in urban habitats more than in rural habitats, indicating urban adaptation of heronry birds.

Neighborhood effects in mixed-species flocks affect foraging efficiency of intermediate and little egrets

Birds aggregate for various survival needs, and ardeids form both conspecific and mixed-species flocks. However, it remains unclear whether and how ardeids’ foraging while joining a flock is affected differently in conspecific versus mixed-species flocks. We studied egret flocks in southwestern Taiwan to assess the flock size and neighborhood effects on flock formation and foraging performance of egrets by examining landing tendencies and expelling behaviors of Little (Egretta garzetta) and Intermediate (E. intermedia) egrets, and assessing strike rates, strike efficiency, and intake rates of singles and egrets in conspecific and mixed-species flocks. We found no evidence of non-random landings to mixed-species flocks by either species, but egrets showed a trend of landing closer to conspecifics when conspecifics represented lower proportions in flocks. Intermediate Egrets displayed expelling behavior more frequently. Expelling by earlier arrived egrets interrupted subsequent flock formation on 45.2 % occasions, but was not affected by egrets’ foraging performance. Solitary Little Egrets had higher strike and fish intake rates, but lower strike efficiency, than solitary Intermediate Egrets, whereas their biomass intake rates were similar. Strike and fish intake rates increased in flocks compared to singles in both species, but declined for Little Egrets as flocks increased from medium (11–30 birds) to large sizes (> 30). Intermediate Egrets had higher strike, fish intake, and biomass intake rates, but Little Egrets had lowered strike efficiency and fish- and biomass-intake rates, when near each other than when near conspecifics. Overall, Intermediate Egrets in mixed-species flocks improved foraging efficiency and food intakes by neighborhood effects at costs of reduced foraging efficiency to Little Egrets. The variation in landing tendency over flock compositions suggests potential interactions of the neighborhood effect with egrets’ conspecific attraction.

Avian Surveys in the Korean Inner Border Area, Gimpo, Republic of Korea.

BackgroundBirds are useful environmental indicators as their presence reflects the health of the food web. Bird occurrence, rarity and abundance are reliable indicators of ecosystem health. Monitoring of avian populations in the Republic of Korea (ROK) is a primary requirement due to plummeting populations and the risks to threatened species. The Ministry of Environment of ROK started conducting winter bird censuses in 1999, including inland areas and coast areas, such as Cheorwon, Yeoncheon, Junam Reservoir and Han River. Cheolwon, Yeoncheon and some extent islands in the West Sea have been survey extensively due to iconic bird species, such as White-naped Crane (Grus vipio) or Red-Crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) wintering there. However, the winter bird census has not covered Yu Islet, Han River Estuary. Yu Islet is located within the Han River Estuary, a protected wetland in the Neutral Zone between the two Koreas and north of Gimpo in the ROK. The Islet currently supports a large, mixed breeding colony of waterbirds, such as one of the nation’s largest concentration of breeding Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) and smaller numbers of breeding Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor), Grey Heron (Ardea cinereal), Great Egret (Ardea alba) and Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia). Access to the area has long been restricted for military reasons, but recently, regular survey activity is possible supported by Gimpo City and the military base in Gimpo from November 2018.New informationHere, we provide data demonstrating that Yu Islet is important for breeding for waterbirds; and that the northern Gimpo part of Han River Estuary is also internationally important for waterbirds during the migratory bird season, as defined by the Ramsar Convention (Ramsar 1971, RRC-EA 2017). In particular, four waterbird species were found during the survey in the Main Survey Area: Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides), Taiga Bean Goose (Anser fabalis), Tundra Bean Goose (Anser serrirostris) and Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser frontalis). Once considered widespread in East Asia and abundant, the world population of Swan Goose is now estimated at only 60,000 - 78,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2020) and the species is assessed by BirdLife International as globally Vulnerable (BirdLife International 2020). The 1,010 Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides) counted on the vegetated mudflats at Jogang-Ri in the Main Survey Area on 27 November 2018 represents more than 1% of the total world population of this species. Notably, it is also the highest count of this species in the ROK for at least a decade. The count confirms the continuing international importance of the Han River Estuary for the survival of the Swan Goose. The number counted in November had fallen to 250 by 28 December 2018; and none was recorded in the Main Survey Area in January or February 2019. Although searched for in March, none was noted during the northward migration either. The surveys also found small numbers of nationally-scarce Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (Yungipicus canicapillus) in several areas of woodland surrounded by the Han River Estuary. By selecting the most species-rich count within a given month in each of the two survey sectors, the number of species we recorded ranged from a minimum 29 in January to a maximum of 65 in April 2019. Based on the species recorded, the survey area is clearly important for avian conservation. Its importance derives from the combination of the extensive areas of high-quality wetland and its geographic location within one of the Korea Peninsula’s largest and most important remaining wetland ecosystems, the Han River Estuary. Our surveys resulted in the detection of a substantial number of bird species, especially in March and April when forest-breeding birds are more obviously vocal. The survey result is provided in the supplementary material (Suppl. material 1).

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Apharyngostrigea pipientis Faust, 1918 (Trematoda: Diplostomidea) from Ardeacinerea jouyi, Egretta intermedia and Nycticorax nycticorax in Korea

An intestinal strigeiid trematode, Apharyngostrigea pipientis, was detected from Ardea cinerea jouyi, Egretta intermedia and Nycticorax nycticorax between July, 2006 and June, 2020 in Daejeon metropolitan city and Kangwondo, Republic of Korea. It was observed with a light and scanning electron microscope (SEM), and molecularly analyzed with 18S rRNA genes. The infection rate of the strigeiid trematode was 25.9% (7/27). The body is cylindrical in whole mount, greatly elongated in outline and shows a strong dorsal curvature. The overall measurements are: length 4.1-4.8 ㎜; fore-body 1.00-1.20 ㎜ by 0.8-0.9 ㎜; hind-body 3.2-3.6 ㎜ by 0.43-0.46 ㎜. The body is covered by a relatively thick cuticle, devoid of spines. The oral sucker leads into a short esophagus that is devoid of a muscular pharynx. The holdfast organ is enormously developed. The vitelline follicles distributed dorsal wall of fore-body and hind-body. This strigeiid trematode especially differs from other species of genus Apharyngostrigea in morphology. Although these A. pipientis are several morphological distinctions from Apharyngostrigea cornu, the partial sequence of 18S rRNA showed the sequence homology of A. pipientis (99.9%) and A. cornu (99.8%), and this result revealed their conspecific relationship between A. cornu and A. pipientis. This is the first report of A. pipientis in the Republic of Korea.

Prevalence and potential risk of Salmonella enterica in migratory birds from South Korea

Salmonella is a type of zoonotic bacteria that represents an economic and public health concern worldwide. Difficulties in sample collection from migratory birds mean little is known about their importance as a reservoir of Salmonella. The present study evaluated the prevalence and potential risk of Salmonella enterica in migratory birds. From 2012–2017, 3661 cloacal swabs from migratory birds were collected in South Korea and tested to isolate S. enterica. Strains were tested for antimicrobial resistance and the presence of virulence genes. Thirty-six S. enterica strains, including S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (n = 19), S. Berta (n = 16), and S. Virchow (n = 1), were isolated from 34 birds. Two migratory birds were simultaneously co-infected with two serotypes. S. enterica was isolated from the Mallard duck, Northern pintail, Eurasian wigeon, Spot-billed duck, Eastern great egret, and Intermediate egret. S. Virchow was resistant to ciprofloxacin, with a point mutation (Ser-83-Phe) in the gyrA gene. Ten virulence genes were detected; sixteen strains were positive for all ten virulence genes. Salmonella was isolated from different migratory bird species and geographic locations with up to 100 % similarity of PFGE type. Eight S. Virchow strains taken from migratory birds, poultry farms, and chicken meat showed the same PFGE type. Salmonella was transmitted across species, space, and time in migratory birds. These birds may play a role in the dispersal of pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella and sporadic Salmonella infections in poultry; therefore, they may represent a direct or indirect public health threat.

Change in nest site and population size of great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) in relation to different Ardeidae species in inland breeding sites in Korea

We investigated the changes in the population size and inter-specific space usage for breeding in mixed breeding sites of the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), grey heron (Ardea cinerea), great egret (Ardea alba modesta) and intermediate egret (Egretta intermedia) in Gammul-myeon, Goesan-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea, in 2016–2017. These species bred in two adjacent habitats (site A and site B). The number of breeding pairs of all species and the size of the breeding area at site B increased in 2017. In 2017, great cormorants at site B occupied the breeding sites previously occupied by the other species in 2016, while the grey heron and great egret occupied the sites around the great cormorant breeding site. The heights of nest trees and nests of great cormorant and grey heron did not differ temporally, but these heights in site B were significantly higher than those in site A for great cormorants. For great egrets, these greatly decreased in site B in 2017. Thus, the great cormorant either moved to favourable nest sites for breeding success or selected nest sites used by the herons in the previous year. Further studies of these two possibilities are necessary.

Waterbird Community in A Plantation Forest of An Industrial Area

Waterbird mostly were found in natural wetlands, nesting on mangrove trees. An unusual case was found in a human-made (plantation) forest in an automotive company within an industrial area. The objective of the research was to reveal the species and number of waterbirds that utilized the non-mangrove plantation forest and to record the number of nests and the nest tree preference. Waterbird census was conducted in June and July 2017 (beginning of rainy season) by direct total count of all individuals in the late afternoon (4-6pm). Waterbirds were able to use non-mangrove, plantation forest to roost and nest. On average, there were 4,482 individual resident waterbirds in the study area, consisted of 6 species and occupying 1.77 ha of semi-wetland area (inundated during rainy season), with an average roosting density of 9.4 nests/100m2. The dominant waterbird species were Intermediate Egret (30%), Little Egret (20%), and Black-crowned Night Heron (25%). Other observed species were Cattle Egret (15%), Javan Pond-Heron (5%), and Great Egret (5%). Breeding season was in progress and there were 535 active nests. Although the percentage of nests laid on M. leucadendra trees (49.9%) was similar to A. mangium (47.3%), statistical test suggested that M. leucadendra were highly preferred for nesting trees.

The mixed breeding site of Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and birds in the family Ardeidae in inland of South Korea

This study investigated the mixed breeding site of Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and birds in the family Ardeidae in the forest near the reservoir located in Goesan-gun, chungcheongnam-do from May to August, 2016. In order to reveal the use of breeding site and the habitat environment of Great Cormorant and Ardeidae, we measured nest tree and nest height, and observed the number of individuals remaining in nests. Great Cormorant and Grey Heron preferred False acasia (Robinia pseudoacacia), Sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima) and Great Egret (Ardea alba modesta), Intermediate Egret (Egretta intermedia) preferred False acasia as nest tree in A site. The height of the nest of Great Cormorant was 10.9±2.7m, the height of the Grey Heron nest was 10.5±1.83m, and the height of the Ardeidae nest was 7.8±1.3m. Great Cormorant, Grey Heron and Ardeidae were preferred to False acasia, Oriental white oak (Quercus aliena) at B site in the study area. The height of the nest of Great Cormorant was 13.1±1.7m, the height of Grey Heron nest was 10.1 ± 1.9m and the height of the nest of Ardeidae was 11.3±2.3m. The average individual of adults and juveniles of Great Cormorant in the mixed breeding species decreased during the noon and rapidly increased at the sunset. During the study period, the average individual decreased during the noon, and the individual increased rapidly at sunset, it indicates that all the individuals came in after feeding. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) used the study area as a sleeping place since mid June while no other birds used as roosting sites for 1 - 3 weeks. After that, the site has been used for 11 weeks.

Diversity and Temporal Variation of Avian Fauna in a Rice Growing Landscape in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka

Rice fields are man-made semi-aquatic ecosystems maintained for the purpose of paddy cultivation. Five contrastingly different successive culture stages viz, preparatory stage, vegetative stage, ripening stage, harvesting stage and post-harvest stage occur along a single paddy culture cycle. Although it has been recorded that a wide variety of fauna are associated with these culture stages, there is a dearth of information on the temporal variation of avian fauna along these culture stages. Therefore, a study was carried out in a rice growing landscape at Katugampola, a rural village in Kurunegala District, to investigate if there is any temporal variation of avian diversity along the culture stages of a paddy culture cycle there. It was hypothesized that the physical and biological characteristics vary along the successive culture stages, and that each culture stage offers a predictable habitat for a distinct assemblage of birds. The sampling protocol of the study included in situ observation, identification and enumeration of different bird species using the fixed radius point count sampling method, and assessing the physical and biological parameters such as the percentage area covered by paddy plants, height of the paddy plants, number of people, number of off road vehicles, number of cattle, number of dogs, sound level, wind speed and the associated insect fauna at each culture stage using appropriate standard field sampling techniques. The study was commenced in May 2014 and lasted until September 2014. Altogether 1892 bird counts were made during the study period where the birds belonged into 19 different species and to 12 different families. Physical and biological parameters also varied significantly (p<0.05 Oneway ANOVA) along the paddy culture cycle. Distinct bird assemblages characteristic to each culture stage were recorded during the study. For example, large predatory birds such as Cattle Egret, Intermediate Egret and Little Egret became abundant during the preparatory stage while small seed eating birds such as sparrows became abundant during the ripening and mature stages. Further, large seed eating birds such as Green Imperial Pigeon and Rose-ringed Parakeet became abundant both during the vegetative stage and the post-harvest stage. The temporal variation of the above bird assemblages appeared to have a direct relationship with the variation of the biological and physical parameters along the paddy culture cycle at Katugampola rice field. Keywords: Avian diversity, Rice growing landscapes, Paddy culture cycle

Complete mitogenome of Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia (Ciconiiformes: Ardeidae)

The Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia belongs to family Ardeidae, and it is widely distributed over east Africa across the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia and Australia. In the present study, the total mitochondrial genome of A. intermedia was determined. The genome is 18,578 bases in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and 2 non-coding regions (CR and CRR), with a base composition of A 30.8%, G 14.0%, T 24.3% and C 30.9%. The dn/ds values of ten PCGs (ND1, ND2, ATP8, ATP6, Cox3, ND3, ND4L, ND4, ND5 and ND6) are below 1. Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods generated similar topologies. Phylogenies showed that Ardea novaehollandiae and A. intermedia should be assign to Egretta and Ardea, respectively. The mitogenomic data of A. intermedia will be useful in the conservation genetics and phylogeny of the species.

English

This study was carried out to examine avian species richness and diversity at the Dschang Municipal Lake and to determine the effects of ecotourism infrastructural development on the avifauna distribution. The habitat around the lake was stratified into the undeveloped eastern part with natural/farm bush vegetation cover and the infrastructural developed western part with buildings and carpet grass lawns. A total of six transects each of 400 m length were established for bird census by vision and through their calls/songs. Sixty one (61) bird species were observed at the Dschang Municipal Lake amongst which seven were Palearctic migrants, 10 Inter-African migrants and 44 Residents. Two rare and occasional species were observed; the Fulvous Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) and Intermediate Egret (Egretta intermedia). No significant seasonal variation was observed for bird species richness and diversity as our survey seasons were not very distinct. Similarly, species richness did not vary significantly between the undeveloped and the ecotourism infrastructural developed parts but varied in diversity index. Diversity index for water birds was greater in the undeveloped part of the lake while for terrestrial birds it was the reverse. Overall, this landscape heterogeneity at the Dschang Municipal Lake with developed and undeveloped parts provide a variety of habitat types for the diversity of bird species recorded and should be properly managed and conserved from a landscape approach. Key words: Bird, wetlands, dam, seasonal variations,habitat variations.