Migratory Flyways Research Articles

Simulation of broad front bird migration across Western Europe

The spatial and temporal patterns of broad front bird migration are governed by the geospatial distributions of landmasses, mountain ranges, and weather conditions. These distributions interact with the birds' innate program during migration and are critical to successful migration. Hence, favourable environmental conditions for migration consequently lead to spatio-temporal concentrations, and the evolution of specific migratory flyways. Based on the aerodynamic properties of the ten most abundant nocturnal long-distance migrants, we developed a computational framework to simulate millions of individual trajectories across Europe using an agent-based simulation approach. We simulated a three-week period of autumn migration with a temporal resolution of 30 s. Departure conditions were derived from bird densities observed within the first two hours after sunset, which were extracted from the weather radar network. Individual itineraries were strongly influenced by the behavioural reactions to the environment such as the wind flow, coastlines and mountain ranges. Wind speed and direction are among the key factors that shape migration patterns such as reverse movements observed within some nights. Accumulation of migration was triggered by the combined effect of geographic barriers (coastlines, mountain ranges) and wind. The overall result of the simulation corresponds well with the large-scale pattern of bird migration intensities measured across the study area, for instance the high migration intensity observed between the Atlantic coast and the Pyrenees. Our model framework conjoins all important domains, such as the birds’ preconditions and behavioural scope, as well as the spatio-temporal dynamics of the environment. However, for the time being we cannot decide whether local discrepancies between model and data are due to environmental effects that are not yet captured by our simulation (i.e. effect of rain on migration intensity), or caused by differences in the sensitivity of the local weather radar systems. Due to the limited time period and lack of more accurate data for validation, our findings are preliminary. Further progress in data quality and hopefully better access of bird profiles from the continent-wide weather radar network will allow to improve model performance and implement a bird migration forecasting similar to weather forecasts. Apart from assessing conflicts between human activities and bird movements, this would greatly enhance our understanding of biomass flow on a large scale.

Avian influenza virus surveillance in migratory birds in Egypt revealed a novel reassortant H6N2 subtype

BackgroundAvian influenza viruses (AIVs) have been identified from more than 100 different species of wild birds around the globe. Wild migratory birds can act as potential spreaders for AIVs to domestic birds between different countries. Egypt is situated on important migratory flyways for wild birds between different continents. While much is known about circulation of zoonotic potential H5N1 and H9N2 AIVs in domestic poultry in Egypt, little is known about the pivotal role of migratory birds in the maintenance and transmission of the viruses in Egypt.MethodsTargeted AIV surveillance has been conducted in 2017 in different wetlands areas in Northern and Eastern Egypt.ResultsAIV of subtype H5 was detected in two bird species. In addition, a novel reassortant strain of the H6N2 subtype was identified which reveals the continuous risk of new influenza virus(es) introduction into Egypt. This novel virus possesses a reassortant pattern originating from different AIV gene pools.ConclusionsIntervention control strategies should be performed to minimize the possible contact of domestic birds with wild birds to lower the risk of virus transmission at this interface. In addition, constant monitoring of AIVs in migratory birds is essential in the early detection of influenza virus introduction into Egypt.

High Throughput Bioacoustic Monitoring and Phenology of the Greater Noctule Bat (Nyctalus lasiopterus) Compared to Other Migratory Species

Conventional monitoring tools are seldom effective for studying the ecology of rare and elusive mammals. In the present study, we use automated ultrasound detectors to provide information about seasonal activity of the greater noctule bat (Nyctalus lasiopterus), the largest and one of least known European bats. We selected localities within Central Europe with diverse geomorphological contexts, including rivers of different sizes and mountain passes. The study demonstrates the capability of the automatic recording approach to achieve bioacoustic discrimination of this species, but also pointed to the persistent need of integrating results from automatic classification software applications with the feedback from manual approaches. The high throughput capacity of the assay proved to be efficient, and the regular occurrence of the species was identified at two localities. These locations are associated with two known and intensely used migratory corridors of winged animals going through Vltava River valley and Cervenohorske Saddle in Jeseniky mountains, as illustrated also by the activity patterns of other migratory species. Together with the occurrence of spring and autumn peaks in activity, these findings are in concordance with the plesiomorphic condition in pipistrelloid bats, showing also migratory behavior, and represent further indirect evidence of migration of the greater noctule. This pattern could be facilitated by the trophic niche of the species, involving predation of migrating songbirds. Differences in phenology of migratory species observed at particular sites likely mirror position of the locality in relation to migration flyways, seasonal and geographic variation in prey availability and energy demands etc. Further application of bioacoustic monitoring and other tools is necessary to obtain detailed information about the range and movement ecology of the species in higher latitudes.

Moult and plumage patterns of the critically endangered Yellow-breasted Bunting (Emberiza aureola) at a stopover site in Korea

Travelling from across its breeding range in northern Eurasia, Yellow-breasted Buntings (Emberiza aureola) stopover in China before migrating to their wintering areas in South-East Asia and the Indian subcontinent. This species is now considered critically endangered because its global population has declined dramatically; moreover, it is overexploited by illegal trapping at its stopover sites during the moult. Currently, two subspecies of the Yellow-breasted Bunting are recognized: aureola and ornata. However, the moult strategies of these subspecies at their stopover sites remain unknown. In the present study, we analysed the moult and plumage patterns of E. a. ornata in Korea (n = 262) between 2005 and 2018 as part of a long-term bird ringing project at a key migrant stopover site. We observed significant sexual dimorphism in the morphological characteristics of both adults and immatures: the males had longer wings, tails, and tarsi, and weighed more than the females. Moult patterns were distinct in relation to age. Adults underwent a complete post-breeding moult, entirely replacing their body and flight feathers before the onset of autumn migration over a breeding range. Remarkably, 93.4% of first-winter birds underwent an eccentric primary moult, having moulted the 3–4 outermost primaries (P6–P9 or P7–P9) before arriving at the stopover site. Males achieve full adult breeding plumage in their second summer. More than three types of median wing coverts were identified in the first-winter males, with various plumage colours and patterns. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the moulting and plumage patterns in the subspecies ornata as it passes through an East Asian migratory flyway stopover site in Korea. Our results will contribute to an understanding of the migration behaviour and subspecies populations that are at risk in their specific environments. This is essential for ecological monitoring to facilitate the conservation of this critically endangered species.

Characterization of avian influenza H5N3 reassortants isolated from migratory waterfowl and domestic ducks in China from 2015 to 2018.

Wild and domestic aquatic birds are the natural reservoirs of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). All subtypes of AIVs, including 16 hemagglutinin (HA) and nine neuraminidase (NA), have been isolated from the waterfowls. The H5 viruses in wild birds display distinct biological differences from their highly pathogenic H5 counterparts. Here, we isolated seven H5N3 AIVs including three from wild birds and four from domestic ducks in China from 2015 to 2018. The isolation sites of all the seven viruses were located in the region of the East Asian-Australasian Migratory Flyway. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the surface genes of these viruses originated from the wild bird H5 HA subtype and the N3 Eurasian lineage. The internal genes of the seven H5N3 isolates are derived from the five gene donors isolated from the wild birds or ducks in Eastern-Asia region. They were also divided into five genotypes according to their surface genes and internal gene combinations. Interestingly, two of the seven H5N3 viruses contributed their partial internal gene segments (PB1, M and NS) to the newly emerged H7N4 reassortants, which have caused first human H7N4 infection in China in 2018. Moreover, we found that the H5N3 virus used in this study react with the anti-serum of the H5 subtype vaccine isolate (Re-11 and Re-12) and reacted well with the Re-12 anti-serum. Our findings suggest that worldwide intensive surveillance and the H5 vaccination (Re-11 and Re-12) in domestic ducks are needed to monitor the emergence of novel H5N3 reassortants in wild birds and domestic ducks and to prevent H5N3 viruses transmission from the apparently healthy wild birds and domestic ducks to chickens.

Monarch Butterfly Conservation Through the Social Lens: Eliciting Public Preferences for Management Strategies Across Transboundary Nations

The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), an iconic species that migrates annually across North America, has steeply declined in numbers over the past decade. Across the species' range, public, private, and non-profit organizations aim to reverse the monarch decline by engaging in conservation activities such as habitat restoration, larvae monitoring, and butterfly tagging. Urban residents can actively participate in these activities, yet their contribution can also be realized as an electorate body able to influence the design of conservation programs according to their interests. Little is known, however about their preferences towards the objectives and design of international monarch conservation policies. In this paper, we investigate these preferences via a survey design using Discrete Choice Experiments (DCEs) and Latent Class Analysis (LC) of urban residents across the main eastern migratory flyway in Ontario, Canada, and the eastern United States. Attributes in the DCE included the size and trend of overwintering butterfly colonies, the type of institution leading the conservation program, international allocation of funds, and the percentage of funds dedicated to research. From the general populace, we isolated respondents already engaged in monarch conservation activities to explore how they compare. We sent a smaller set of surveys deliberately withholding the expected-success forecast of the monarch recovery program to assess the value of information for urban residents within a conservation context. The LC distinguished three groups of respondents among urban residents: 1) the main group, labelled ‘Eager’, accounting for 72.4% of the sample, that showed a high potential for supporting conservation policies and had remarkable similarities with the monarch enthusiasts' sample; 2) a ‘Pro Nation’ group (18.4%) marked by their increased willingness to support conservation initiatives solely focused within their country of residence; and 3) an ‘Opinionated’ segment (9.23%), that was highly reactive to changes of the leading institution, resources allocation, and economic contribution proposed. Key findings from this research reveal that to maximize potential support amongst urban residents in the monarch’s breeding range, a conservation strategy for the monarch butterfly should be led by not-for-profit organizations, should strive for transboundary cooperation, and should include the communication of anticipated ecological outcomes.

A30 Avian influenza viruses in wild birds: Virus evolution in a multi-host ecosystem

Wild ducks and gulls are the major reservoirs for avian influenza A viruses (AIVs). The mechanisms that drive AIV evolution are complex at sites where various duck and gull species from multiple flyways breed, winter, or stage. The Republic of Georgia is located at the intersection of three migratory flyways: the Central Asian Flyway, East Asian/East African Flyway, and Black Sea/Mediterranean Flyway. For six consecutive years (2010–6), we collected AIV samples from various duck and gull species that breed, migrate, and overwinter in Georgia. We found substantial subtype diversity of viruses that varied in prevalence from year to year. Low pathogenic (LP)AIV subtypes included H1N1, H2N3, H2N5, H2N7, H3N8, H4N2, H6N2, H7N3, H7N7, H9N1, H9N3, H10N4, H10N7, H11N1, H13N2, H13N6, H13N8, and H16N3, plus two H5N5 and H5N8 highly pathogenic (HP)AIVs belonging to clade 2.3.4.4. Whole-genome phylogenetic trees showed significant host species lineage restriction for nearly all gene segments and significant differences for LPAIVs among different host species in observed reassortment rates, as defined by quantification of phylogenetic incongruence, and in nucleotide diversity. Hemagglutinin clade 2.3.4.4 H5N8 viruses, circulated in Eurasia during 2014–5 did not reassort, but analysis after its subsequent dissemination during 2016–7 revealed reassortment in all gene segments except NP and NS. Some virus lineages appeared to be unrelated to AIVs in wild bird populations in other regions with maintenance of local AIV viruses in Georgia, whereas other lineages showed considerable genetic inter-relationship with viruses circulating in other parts of Eurasia and Africa, despite relative under-sampling in the area.

Migration flyways of geese in Central Siberia

Observations of geese abundance and migration in Central Siberia are especially relevant for international scientists due to the lack of objective data on this topic in English literature. The goal of this paper is to summarize the results of a long-term study (1980-2016) on migration of geese in Central Siberia, to distinguish and describe their migration routes in the environment of Continental Asia. The authors used a methodological complex comprising universally accepted techniques of ornithological studies, such as visual and instrumental observations at staging sites and along geese migration routes, registration of birds on the ground (travelling on foot, by boat or by car) and in the air (using aircraft). To clarify the subspecies, the authors carried out collection of birds or their body parts (heads, wings, legs, n = 1032 units). Capture and banding of nesting geese was done in the Altai-Sayan Ecoregion. The places and dates of maximum geese concentration, as well as the time of their departure, are quite permanent; that made it possible to carry out their definite registration using aircraft (25.5 thousand km). The works at each of the most significant sites were performed annually, at the same time of the year. They also analyzed data available in scientific literature and reports on returns of rings from the Ringing Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as information about geese received from hunters and specialists of environmental services. The paper shows main migration routes and their territorial connections. The Great Lakes Depression in Mongolia is a kind of “migration dead end” for a great number of waterfowl migrating in spring.

Phylogeographic evidence for the inter- and intracontinental dissemination of avian influenza viruses via migration flyways.

Genetically related highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) of H5N6 subtype caused outbreaks simultaneously in East Asia and Europe—geographically distinct regions—during winter 2017–2018. This situation prompted us to consider whether the application of phylogeographic analysis to a particular gene segment of AIVs could provide clues for understanding how AIV had been disseminated across the continent. Here, the N6 NA genes of influenza viruses isolated across the world were subjected to phylogeographic analysis to illustrate the inter- and intracontinental dissemination of AIVs. Those isolated in East Asia during winter and in Mongolia/Siberia during summer were comingled within particular clades of the phylogeographic tree. For AIVs in one clade, their dissemination in eastern Eurasia extended from Yakutia, Russia, in the north to East Asia in the south. AIVs in western Asia, Europe, and Mongolia were also comingled within other clades, indicating that Mongolia/Siberia plays an important role in the dissemination of AIVs across the Eurasian continent. Mongolia/Siberia may therefore have played a role in the simultaneous outbreaks of H5N6 HPAIVs in Europe and East Asia during the winter of 2017–2018. In addition to the long-distance intracontinental disseminations described above, intercontinental disseminations of AIVs between Eurasia and Africa and between Eurasia and North America were also observed. Integrating these results and known migration flyways suggested that the migration of wild birds and the overlap of flyways, such as that observed in Mongolia/Siberia and along the Alaskan Peninsula, contributed to the long-distance intra- and intercontinental dissemination of AIVs. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the movement of migratory birds and the dynamics of AIVs in breeding areas—especially where several migration flyways overlap—in forecasting outbreaks caused by HPAIVs.

Managing the challenges of a highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 outbreak in Uganda: a case study.

In 2016-2017, the H5N8 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) spread worldwide and Uganda reported the first occurrence of the disease in its poultry and wild birds. Genetic analysis revealed that the virus clusters with 2.3.4.4 group B strains from birds in central and southern Asia, and thus forms part of the 2.3.4.4 group B clade. Since Uganda is in the path of two major migratory bird flyways, it is likely that infected migratory wild birds played a crucial role in the introduction of H5N8 HPAI viruses into Uganda. The outbreaks happened in the districts of Wakiso, Masaka and Kalangala and affected domestic and wild birds. A One Health Multisectoral Coordination Committee, consisting of a National Task Force, Technical Working Groups and District Disaster Management Committees, was immediately activated to coordinate the preparedness and response efforts to control the disease. In all the affected districts, surveillance was intensified on both domestic and wild birds; biosecurity measures were increased; and movement controls, culling, cleaning, disinfection and safe disposal of carcasses were implemented. Awareness of the disease was raised through education materials, leaflets and brochures distributed to farmers. Finally, Uganda successfully controlled the H5N8 outbreak, using its national preparedness and response mechanisms and through collaboration with international partners. The emergence and spread of this virus strain in Uganda and other parts of Africa poses a significant threat to the poultry industry and food security.

Factors shaping distribution and abundance of raptors wintering in two large Mediterranean islands

A growing number of ecological studies suggest that animal distributions are not only influenced by classical ecological features such as habitat availability, but also by the motion capacity of the studied animal. Here we analyse the diversity and density of two wintering raptor communities from Crete and Sicily, two large Mediterranean islands located along migratory flyways. We performed 611 and 1030 km of transects in Crete and Sicily respectively, examining the spatial distribution of raptors in relation to land use, topography, raptor species diversity and abundance. Our results show that community diversity and specific abundance are strictly related in accordance with the ‘More Individuals Hypothesis’. Comparing the two most common raptors, the density of the Eurasian kestrel was the highest in Sicily and that of the common buzzard in Crete. An overall positive effect of Eurasian kestrel density on that of the common buzzard was found in both islands, but higher in Crete. Our findings suggest that the distribution and density of the Eurasian kestrel, because of its higher movement ability, are less influenced by the presence of ecological barriers along potentially migratory flyways. We cannot exclude that higher inter specific competition with common buzzards in Crete might have pushed the smaller species to cross the Mediterranean Sea in order to overwinter in Africa.

A spatio-temporal individual-based network framework for West Nile virus in the USA: Spreading pattern of West Nile virus.

West Nile virus (WNV)—a mosquito-borne arbovirus—entered the USA through New York City in 1999 and spread to the contiguous USA within three years while transitioning from epidemic outbreaks to endemic transmission. The virus is transmitted by vector competent mosquitoes and maintained in the avian populations. WNV spatial distribution is mainly determined by the movement of residential and migratory avian populations. We developed an individual-level heterogeneous network framework across the USA with the goal of understanding the long-range spatial distribution of WNV. To this end, we proposed three distance dispersal kernels model: 1) exponential—short-range dispersal, 2) power-law—long-range dispersal in all directions, and 3) power-law biased by flyway direction —long-range dispersal only along established migratory routes. To select the appropriate dispersal kernel we used the human case data and adopted a model selection framework based on approximate Bayesian computation with sequential Monte Carlo sampling (ABC-SMC). From estimated parameters, we find that the power-law biased by flyway direction kernel is the best kernel to fit WNV human case data, supporting the hypothesis of long-range WNV transmission is mainly along the migratory bird flyways. Through extensive simulation from 2014 to 2016, we proposed and tested hypothetical mitigation strategies and found that mosquito population reduction in the infected states and neighboring states is potentially cost-effective.

A Comprehensive Model for the Quantitative Estimation of Seed Dispersal by Migratory Mallards

Long-distance seed dispersal is an important ecosystem service provided by migratory animals. Plants inhabiting discrete habitats, like lakes and wetlands, experience dispersal limitation and rely heavily on zoochory for their spatial population dynamics. Granivorous waterbirds may disperse viable seeds of wetland plants over long distances during migration. The limited knowledge of waterbird migration long hampered the evaluation of the importance of waterbirds in seed dispersal, requiring key metrics such as realistic dispersal distances. Using recent GPS tracks of mallards on spring migration, we built a mechanistic seed dispersal model to estimate realistic dispersal distances. Mallards are abundant, partially migratory ducks known to consume seeds of >300 European plant species. Based on the tracking data, we informed a mallard migration simulator to obtain a probabilistic spring migration model for the mallard population wintering at Lake Constance in Southern Germany. We combined the spring migration model with seed retention curves to develop seed dispersal kernels. We also assessed the effect of pre-migratory fasting and the availability of suitable deposition habitat for aquatic and wetland plants. Our results show that mallards at Lake Constance can disperse seeds in northeastern direction over median distances of 293 and 413 km for seeds with short and long retention times, respectively, assuming departure immediately after foraging. Pre-migratory fasting strongly affected the dispersal potential, with only 1-7% of ingested seeds left for dispersal after fasting for 12 h. Availability of suitable deposition habitat was generally <5% along the migratory flyway. High probability of seed deposition in freshwater habitat during the first stopover, after the mallards completed the first migratory flight, makes successful dispersal most likely to happen at 204-322 km from Lake Constance. We conclude that the directed long-distance dispersal of plant seed realized by mallards on spring migration may contribute significantly to large scale spatial plant population dynamics, including range expansion in response to shifting temperature and rainfall patterns under global warming. Our dispersal model is the first to incorporate detailed behavior of migratory waterbirds and can be readily adjusted to include other vector species when tracking data are available.

Diversity of avian blood parasites in wild passerines in Serbia with special reference to two new lineages

Avian haemosporidians are vector-transmitted blood parasites that are distributed worldwide, abundant in many bird families and well studied across Europe and North America. Since avian haemosporidians have been poorly examined in the Palearctic migratory flyways of the Western Balkans, the goal of this study was to investigate which species of three haemosporidian genera, Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon, infect both resident and migratory passerines in Serbia. The prevalence, distribution and parasitaemia of avian haemosporidian infections were screened using both a nested PCR method and microscopy. Out of 202 birds sampled at seven localities, 66 were infected with haemosporidians, and the total prevalence was 32.7%. The great majority of infected birds (29 individuals) had moderate levels of parasitaemia. The most abundant haemosporidian genus was Haemoproteus at 26.1% prevalence. All infected birds were adults; none of the tested juveniles were infected. Mixed infection was only recorded in one bird. We identified 31 genetic lineages of haemosporidians. Two new cytochrome b lineages, of Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon, were identified and found in the hosts Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) and Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus), respectively. We identified three new host records for previously known lineages. The lineage GRW06 (Plasmodium elongatum) occurred in Common Chaffinch, while the lineages PARUS20 and PARUS25 (Leucocytozoon sp.) were recorded in Willow Tit (Poecile montanus) and Crested Tit (Lophophanes cristatus), respectively. We found statistically significant differences in the prevalence of three haemosporidian genera among residents and partial migrants. The difference in mean parasitaemia was significant only between residents and partial migrants.

Migratory flyways in Far-East Asia and spatial-temporal relationship to HPAI H5N6 outbreaks in South Korea

Event Abstract Back to Event Migratory flyways in Far-East Asia and spatial-temporal relationship to HPAI H5N6 outbreaks in South Korea Seong-Keun Hong1*, Kwang-Nyeong Lee1, Hachung Yoon1, Dae-Sung Yoo1, Ilseob Lee1 and Han-Mo Son1 1 Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (South Korea), Republic of Korea Since 2016, 365 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIv) outbreaks by the Asian-origin H5N6 lineage of HPAIv have reported in South Korea and resulted in serious socio-economical losses. In this study, we demonstrated that the risk of HPAIv H5N6 in domestic poultry is related to wild birds. We expanded previous geospatial risk analysis method to East Asia including South Korea and integrated the analysis method with migration data of satellite-tracked wild birds along the far-east Asian flyway. We caught wild migratory birds around Lake Khanka (southeast area) collaborate with Russian researchers and attached a location tracker. From April to November 2018, we studied movement of 21 wild birds which carrying location tracker: 4 mallards, 2 spot-billed ducks, and 15 great egrets. The great egrets showed highest tracking success rate. During the migration, they stopped at several stopover sites (Russia to Japan; 1 mallard, 1 spot-billed duck, 1 great egret), and stayed for several weeks at those sites. We also demonstrated that migratory pathway of wild birds is correlated with HPAI H5N6 outbreaks, poultry density and latitude in East Asian Flyways. Spatial and statistical analysis was performed in ArcGIS 10.4.1(ESRI) and R 3.5.3. In addition, satellite-based movement patterns of wild birds showed that wild birds followed the East Asian flyway along the coast to breeding areas in eastern Russia. Taken together, our results suggest that it is important to analyze the tracking records of the movement of wild birds in various ways for making inference on the relationship between the migration of wild birds and outbreaks of HPAIv. Acknowledgements For field assistance with wild bird studies, we acknowledge the corperation of dedicated staff at Russian institutions, including Igor Katin and Ivan Tinuov(NSCMB FEB RAS). Additional support for tracking system was also provided by Korea Ecology Environment Research Institute, South Korea, including Han-Soo Lee. Any use of product or firm names is for descriptive purposes and does not imply endorsement by the South Korea Government.

Automatic generation of agent-based models of migratory waterfowl for epidemiological analyses

Seasonal migration of waterfowl, in which avian influenza viruses are enzootic, plays a strong role in the ecology of this disease. Consequently, detailed analysis of migratory patterns and its influence on disease ecology is needed to aid design and assessment of prophylaxis and containment strategies. Accordingly, this paper proposes a novel methodology for generating a global agent-based model involving detailed migratory patterns of waterfowl. The methodology transforms geographic information systems (GIS) data to generate metapopulation for agents that model collocated flocks of birds. Generic migratory corridors are suitably adapted to model migratory flyways for each waterfowl metapopulation. The resulting data is generated in XML format compatible with our simulation-based epidemiological analysis environment called SEARUMS. Case studies conducted using SEARUMS and the generated models for high-risk waterfowl species indicate good correlation between simulated and observed viral dispersion patterns, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

Automatic generation of agent-based models of migratory waterfowl for epidemiological analyses

Seasonal migration of waterfowl, in which avian influenza viruses are enzootic, plays a strong role in the ecology of this disease. Consequently, detailed analysis of migratory patterns and its influence on disease ecology is needed to aid design and assessment of prophylaxis and containment strategies. Accordingly, this paper proposes a novel methodology for generating a global agent-based model involving detailed migratory patterns of waterfowl. The methodology transforms geographic information systems (GIS) data to generate metapopulation for agents that model collocated flocks of birds. Generic migratory corridors are suitably adapted to model migratory flyways for each waterfowl metapopulation. The resulting data is generated in XML format compatible with our simulation-based epidemiological analysis environment called SEARUMS. Case studies conducted using SEARUMS and the generated models for high-risk waterfowl species indicate good correlation between simulated and observed viral dispersion patterns, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

Isolation of H8N4 avian influenza virus from wild birds in Shanghai, China.

The H8 subtype viruses are rarely isolated from wild ducks. Shanghai is one of the important wintering or stopover sites on the East Asia-Australia Migration Flyway. An influenza virus, subtype H8N4, was firstly isolated from a common teal (Anas crecca) in Shanghai during 2017-2018 in this study. To clarify the genetic characteristics of the H8N4 virus, the whole genome sequences were analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes showed that they shared highest nucleotide identity (99.19%-99.64%) with the Japan duck-origin H8N4 virus collected in 2016 (A/duck/Aichi/231003/2016) and belonged to the Eurasian-like avian lineage. Six other genes of the H8N4 isolated virus were all highly similar to the corresponding genes of a wide range of AIV subtypes including H9N2, H5N7, H3N8, H1N2, H4N6 and H1N1. The results indicated that the H8N4 virus was a multiple reassortant virus. The study emphasized that the continuous surveillance of influenza virus in wild birds should be strengthened. Keywords: avian influenza virus; H8N4; phylogenetic analysis; Shanghai.

Как быстро снижается численность популяции степного орла? Результаты наблюдений в Эйлате, Израиль

The world Steppe Eagle ( Aquila nipalensis ) population is considered Endangered and is rapidly declining across most of it range. Eilat, in southernIsrael, is a bottleneck for this species on its migration route fromAfrica in spring. We conducted a series of surveys, counting the passing Steppe Eagles in springs 2015 to 2018 and collecting data about the age of the passing birds. We then compared our data with the Steppe Eagle data collected during four springs between 1977 and 1988. We did not find a significant decline in Steppe Eagle numbers passing Eilat on their spring migration between the two data sets. This implies that the overwintering sites in Africa and the migration flyway to and fromAfrica are relatively safe for the Steppe Eagles. We furthermore found that 75% of the eagles passing are adults and that their main passage is during the third week of February. This information helps to adjust conservation efforts.

License to Extract

This article explores the deployment of Louisiana’s highly touted $50 billion, fifty-year Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast, which is often characterized as saving Louisiana’s Working Coast of disappearing marshlands that are home to several major industry sectors, along with migratory flyways, seafood estuaries, and two million residents. As a concept, the Working Coast attempts to signify the importance of Louisiana’s coastal zone to the nation’s economy in order to justify expensive restoration projects. By complicating the euphemism and the extractive logic it signifies, I hope to show that the state’s current approach to slow the disappearance of its coastline in fact rationalizes the very practices sinking it. The Working Coast reifies the state’s fragile marshlands through metrics that can only be realized through continued extraction.