Ornithological Research Research Articles

What do we really know about the water repellency of feathers?

Feathers are complex integument structures that provide birds with many functions. They are vital to a bird's survival, fundamental to their visual displays, and responsible for the evolutionary radiation of the avian class. Feathers provide a protective barrier for the body; their water repellency is a key feature. Despite hundreds of years of ornithological research, the available literature on how feathers repel water is both limited and puzzling. Most hypotheses from the early 1900s suggested uropygial gland oil provided feathers with a hydrophobic coating. Subsequent studies showed that the feather's hierarchical structure creates a porous substrate that readily repels water with or without oil. Numerous studies and methods have been published attempting to explain, quantify, and compare the water repellency of feathers. Many overlook the role of barbules and the effect of their variation, which both likely play a crucial part in water repellency. The goal of this paper is to synthesize this research to better understand what has been done, what makes sense, and more importantly, what is missing. Previous reviews on this subject are mostly over 30 years old and did not use modern methods for systematic review. Here, we performed a systematic review to capture all relevant published papers on feather water repellency. We emphasize the crucial role of barbules in feather water repellency and why their morphological variation should not be ignored. We answer the question, what do we really know about the water repellency of feathers?

Morphological description of the White-throated treerunner (Pygarrhichas albogularis, King 1831) in the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, Chile

The sub-Antarctic Magellanic ecoregion is one of the most pristine wilderness areas remaining on the planet, and is home to the southernmost forest ecosystems in the world, which are protected by the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve (CHBR). In these forests, birds are the group of vertebrates with the largest number of species. However, essential aspects of the ecology and morphology of several species in this region are still understudied. These species include the White-throated treerunner (Pygarrhichas albogularis, King 1831), considered a “living fossil” as it is the only living species of the genus Pygarrhichas. In addition, this Furnariid is endemic to the temperate forests of South America. Using the 23-year database of the Long-Term Ornithological Research Program of Omora Park (54º56’S, 67º38’W), based on monthly captures and banding of forest birds, we describe the morphology, longevity, and presence of the White- throated treerunner in the CHBR. Between 2000 and 2022, 91 individuals were captured, including 29 recaptures. Based on these recaptures we determined that this species can live for at least five years. Morphometric measures showed a positive correlation between bill measures and tarsus length with both tail and wing lengths. The average weight varied for each season but not significantly. The greater presence on old-growth forests sites suggests a dependence of treerunners on large trees. This study expands the knowledge about the natural history of the White-throated treerunner, particularly about its populations inhabiting the world’s southernmost forests

Citizen science mitigates the lack of distributional data on Nigerian birds.

Citizen science projects are expanding globally, with the African continent, particularly Nigeria, registering significant growth. Here, we document and analyse novel operations of the Nigerian Bird Atlas Project (NIBAP), 2015-2022. This project has employed the use of ornithologists, mainly trained at the A. P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute (APLORI) located in Jos, Nigeria, and its 28 bird clubs established across Nigeria to enlist 827 bird enthusiasts that contribute regular and near real-time data about bird distribution and relative abundance in the country. Interestingly, NiBAP has recorded about 75% of the bird species known from Nigeria in only about 50% of Nigeria's total surface area, including 39 nationally threatened species. The Common Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus, Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis, and Grey-backed Camaroptera Camaroptera brevicaudata were the most commonly recorded species, while Amurum Forest Reserve, Rennajj Fish Farm, and Obudu Cattle Ranch were the most surveyed sites during the period. Thus, our approach reveals how to increase involvement of nature enthusiasts, ornithologists, and a regional research institute to build local capacity and contribute rich information necessary to alleviate the lack of distributional data about Afrotropical avifauna. We strongly recommend our approach to boost other citizen science projects across Africa and beyond to address the huge lack of biodiversity data, create public awareness, and foster conservation education.

Science as a Family Affair: Won Pyong-Oh and the Transwar Origins of South Korean Ornithology

Won Pyong-Oh (1929-2020) and his ornithological research played a significant role in the emergence of South Korean ornithology and nature conservation, which previous scholarship has attributed to US scientific aid and the resulting interactions that occurred in the 1960s. Focusing on his family’s scientific activities—including the work of his father Won Hong Gu (1888-1970) and his eldest brother Won Pyung Hooi’s (1911-1995)—from the colonial period to the 1960s, this paper argues the crucial role played by transwar interactions between the Won family and Japanese biologists in Won Pyong-Oh’s ornithological turn. In particular, it traces the Won family’s natural history collection activities as what I call “science as a family affair,” that is, a division of scientific labor between senior and younger family members as a principal investigator and an assistant/collector. By tracing these activities within the family as well as their continued engagements with Japanese biologists, this paper will reveal that Won Pyong-Oh’s ornithological research and conservationist work developed in the wider context of the reconstruction of Asian ornithological and conservationist networks in the 1960s.

Parrot Species Recognition by using CNN & SVM

This research project addresses the imperative task of parrot species recognition through the integration of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) methodologies. Focused on three distinct parrot species—'Blue and Gold Macaw,' 'Ringneck Parakeet,' and 'Sun Conure'—the study explores the efficacy of advanced machine learning techniques in ornithological research. The CNN serves as a robust feature extractor, autonomously learning intricate visual patterns crucial for species identification. Meanwhile, the SVM acts as a discriminative classifier, optimizing decision boundaries in the feature space. Comparative analysis reveals the CNN's superior accuracy of 95%, surpassing the SVM's 83.33%. The visual representation, a bar chart, provides a clear and accessible depiction of the research findings. Titled "Comparative Analysis of CNN and SVM for Accuracy Assessment of Parrot Species," the chart ensures relevance and context for the audience. Overall, this research contributes valuable insights into the potential of deep learning in parrot species recognition, with implications for automated wildlife monitoring and biodiversity conservation in the realm of ornithology.

Beyond birds’ conservation: Engaging communities for the conservation of urban green spaces

Urban green spaces are important for bird conservation, functioning as a buffer against the impacts of human actions on their surroundings. However, green spaces also provide several benefits to humans, such as the improvement of climatic conditions and a more intimate contact with nature. In this point of view, divided into three sections, we describe how ornithological research in a peri-urban vegetation patch in a tropical metropolis culminated in an environmental protection movement. This vegetation patch is composed of a mosaic of typical phytophysiognomies of the transition zone between two biodiversity hotspots: Cerrado and Atlantic Forest. Its vegetation presents characteristics that indicate high degradation, but the region still harbors 108 bird species (including threatened and endemic species), suggesting that even under intense impacts, the area presents characteristics of resilience to shelter the local biodiversity. Given these findings, we discuss the potential of this urban green space for scientific research, environmental education, and birdwatching. We highlight the possibility of influencing community engagement in the conservation of the area, whether for the preservation of charismatic species or for leisure and educational activities. Reducing the gap between academia and society can assist in the conservation of urban green spaces, especially in a region that presents high social environmental vulnerability.

Sulfur isotopic discrimination factors differ among avian tissues and diets: Insights from a case study in Gentoo Penguins

Abstract The use of stable isotopes of sulfur (δ34S) to infer avian diets, foraging habitats, and movements is relatively uncommon, resulting in a lack of information on patterns of δ34S incorporation in avian tissue. In a controlled study of Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua), we found that diet-tissue isotopic discrimination factors (Δ34Sdiet-tissue) differed among egg components and feathers synthesized from a common diet, ranging from –0.4 to –1.7‰. We also found that methodical choices such as lipid extraction and prey tissue selection influenced calculated Δ34Sdiet-tissue values. Specifically, Δ34Sdiet-tissue values were lower (i.e., more negative) when calculated using whole fish relative to fish muscle and lipid-extraction biased egg yolk, but not fish tissue, δ34S values. The Δ34Sdiet-tissue values obtained for Gentoo Penguins fed a marine fish diet were generally lower than those reported for freshwater fish consumption by Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus), the only other bird species in which Δ34Sdiet-tissue has been quantified. We found support for the hypothesis that tissue Δ34Sdiet-tissue values are inversely related to dietary δ34S values in birds, similar to what has been observed in mammals. Given this relationship, the discrimination factors reported here for Gentoo Penguins may be broadly applicable to other avian species with a similar marine diet. Finally, we provide recommendations for future studies seeking to quantify Δ34Sdiet-tissue in avian tissues and guidance to allow for greater application of sulfur stable isotope analysis in ornithological research.

Honorary Lifetime Membership Award: Ellen D. Ketterson.

Honorary Lifetime Membership Award: Ellen D. Ketterson.

Орлы в государственном национальном природном парке «Бурабай»

From August 20 to September 17, 2022 and in the spring of 2023, the authors conducted ornithological research in the State National Natural Park “Burabay”. In the course of the research, information was obtained on encounters with eagles in the territory of the park. Imperial Eagles (Aquila heliaca) were observed throughout the area on a daily basis. A total of 44 observations were recorded during the research period, some of which were definitely migrants rather than local breeding birds. Only four out of 44 individuals observed were this year's birds. To the northeast of Big Chebachee Lake on 14/09/2022, adult birds were feeding a nestling, indicating the presence of a breeding territory of eagles here. In April 2023, a nest with two eggs was found. A large eagle nest, presumably of the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), was found in the forest north of Zhukey Lake in the 40th district on September 6, 2022. The nest was located on an old pine tree and was approximately 1.5 m in diameter. Bone remains of prey and feathers of various birds of prey (e.g. Buzzards Buteo buteo) were found under the nest. Shortly afterwards, an eagle, identified by us as this year's Golden Eagle, wasseen in the vicinity of the nest, and on 13/09/2022 an adult bird was observed between the lakes Maloye Chebacheeand Bolshoye Chebachee, north of Lake Maibalyk. An adult Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila [Clanga] clanga) was observed near the Kairaktin Forest District on 26/08/2022. The bird was carrying food in its beak to a juvenile bird calling from the forest (Becker/ebird.org; Wassink, 2023). This is the first case of breeding of the Greater Spotted Eagle in the State National Natural Park «Burabay». Another juvenile bird, uncertainly identified as the Great Spotted Eagle, was seen a few hours later about 12 km south of the previous encounter site. The Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis) was observed twice, once on 25/08/2022 in Saule aul and once on 05/09/2022 over Ulkensor Lake. Steppe eagles are likely to be migrants or nomads within the Park after the breeding season, but do not breed in the Park. The Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus) was observed four times, on August 22 and 23 in the territory of Barmashinskoye Forestry, and on September 8 and 15, 2022 in the vicinity of Borovskoye Forestry, with birds of both light and dark morphs (Becker/ebird.org). In addition, on 21/07/2021, the Booted Eagle was recorded by a trap camera set up in the forest between Burabay and Sarybulak (Wassink, 2023). The nearest known breeding territory is located approximately 430 km to the southeast in Bayanaul National Park (Reznichenko, 2012; 2020). Proposed measures for the conservation of the considered bird species on the territory of the State National Natural Park «Burabay»: – introduce a ban on any logging within a radius of 1.5 km from eagle breeding territories; – sanitation cutting, with mandatory reforestation of native tree species, only after nestlings have learned to fly; – limit the presence of livestock and people within 500 m of eagle nests during the breeding season; – during the incubation period and before fledglings take wing, inspectors should conduct daily rounds of the breeding areas (within 500 meters of the nests) to prevent possible violations by park visitors; – restrict watering of livestock on the banks of water bodies near eagles' nests.

Казахстанская орнитология в ХХ и первой четверти XXI века

The review is devoted to the development of ornithological science in the territory of present-day Kazakhstan over the last century, namely, from the expeditionary survey of the territory in the first third of the 20th century to systematic scientific research that began after 1932 with the formation of the primary academic center in Kazakhstan (later turned into the National Academy of Sciences). The history of the creation and development of the ornithological school in Kazakhstan («the School of Dolgushin»), the compilation and publication of the 5-volume ornithological summary “Birds of Kazakhstan” (1960–1974) and the subsequent formation of the main directions of ornithological research, faunistic, migratory, autecological, and environmental (foundation of protected areas, conservation of rare and endangered species, publication of Red Data books), are considered. The appearance and development of amateur ornithology and another social aspect of ornithology – the popularization of science and the objects of its study with the promotion of the protection of these objects at the boundary of the 20th and 21st centuries – are described. As weaknesses of ornithological science in Kazakhstan, there is a lack of knowledge on the study of bird communities, including their cartography; poor knowledge of the nutrition and winter ecology of birds; the lack of a general analysis of changes in landscapes of an anthropogenic nature in the second half of the 20th century and the impact of these changes on the composition of the avifauna, the number and distribution of individual bird species. Attention is drawn to the problems with the training of ornithological personnel in connection with the liquidation of the departments of zoology in the universities of the country.

Poorly studied Black-headed Penduline Tit (Remiz macronyx) recorded for the first time in Turkey (Aves: Remizidae)

The first Black-headed Penduline Tit (Remiz macronyx) in Turkey was recorded in April 2022, where it was captured and ringed at the Aras River Ornithological Research Station. This is a poorly studied species with a disjunct range consisting of four subspecies. We provide an overview of how to identify, age, and sex individuals within this species in comparison to the similar Eurasian Penduline Tit (Remiz pendulinus), as well as insight into the age and sex of our bird, and summarize current knowledge on the taxonomic situation and challenges of identifying this species. This study brings awareness to a poorly known species and can be useful for others that may either be looking for or potentially encounter this species as a vagrant in the Caucasian region.

Raptor Research in India: Inadequate Data and Species' Status Uncertainty for Many Species

ABSTRACT Despite the recent surge in ornithological research in South Asia, raptors remain poorly studied. Inadequate information on the regional status and ecology of birds of prey hinders development of effective conservation measures. Our meta-analysis that focused on trends of scientific research on diurnal raptors in India found 478 published articles on 78 raptor species. We used the online databases of Google Scholar, Scopus, and the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society to develop regional research and conservation priority indices (RCPI) for raptors, using the tool originally developed by Buechley et al. (Diversity and Distributions 25:856–869, 2019) for the raptors of the world. Published literature on raptors in India was highly skewed; most were either anecdotal reports about common species, or studies focused on vultures, whose local extirpations received significant attention. Twenty-one raptor species, of which two are near threatened and three vulnerable, were specifically studied in fewer than five publications. Even many common species are similarly poorly studied. The regional raptor RCPI was highest for the Andaman Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis elgini; 0.71) and lowest for Black Kites (Milvus migrans; 0.11). Several species that received high priority scores are vulnerable to extirpation due to factors such as habitat loss, poisoning, electrocutions, and other threats. We conclude that assessment of the species-bias in published studies will help researchers identify and address the knowledge gaps. This will ultimately help conservationists and managers devise effective regional and country-specific management strategies. We recommend further regional contextualization of the RCPI.

Corrigendum to: Knowledge gaps and biases in the Pantanal indicate future directions for ornithological research in large wetlands

Corrigendum to: Knowledge gaps and biases in the Pantanal indicate future directions for ornithological research in large wetlands

Ornithological research in the Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity: from the past (Institute of Biology and Soil Science, FEB RAS) to the present

Ornithological research in the Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity: from the past (Institute of Biology and Soil Science, FEB RAS) to the present

Особенности фауны и летнего населения птиц Ашинского природного биологического заказника (Челябинская область)

Based on the results of ornithological research conducted in the Ashinsky State Biological Reserve during several nesting seasons during the period 1990–2021, a preliminary list of bird species was compiled. It includes 107 species, the vast majority of which nest or are expected to nest. To study the bird population, the main types of habitats in the southeastern and southwestern parts of the reserve were examined. The highest indicators of species diversity (42 species) and population density (568.0 ind./km²) were found in avian associations of dark coniferousdeciduous forests. The communities of upland meadows were found to be the most impoverished (16 species and 227.5 ind./km²). Based on these indices, avian associations of floodplain habitats of the Biyanka River occupied an intermediate position (34 species and 385.5 ind./km²).). In the communities of the forest biotopes of the reserve, the chaffinch, redwing, tree pipit, willow tit, white wagtail, garden warbler, common rosefinch and greenish warbler prevailed. In the associations of upland meadows, the skylark, tree pipit, whinchat and yellowhammer dominated. Almost half (43 %) of the nesting species were representatives of the European fauna; the proportions of species of the Euro-Chinese, Siberian and Nomadic types are 19, 15 and 10 %, respectively

ПИТАНИЕ КPЕЧЕТА (FALCO RUSTICOLUS, FALCONIFORMES, FALCONIDAE) НА КАМЧАТКЕ

In Kamchatka, an investment project is being implemented for the artificial reproduction of rare species of falcons, primarily gyrfalcon. For successful breeding of birds, it is necessary to know their trophic preferences in nature. The article analyzes information on the nutrition of the gyrfalcon in Kamchatka, collected over the entire history of ornithological research in the region. In the diet of the gyrfalcon, minimum 41 species of birds and 11 species of mammals are identified. The composition of the food of specific individuals is determined by their habitat in a given season of the year. During the breeding season, ptarmigans (Lagopus lagopus, L. mutus) are crucial for most gyrfalcons, and small mammals (specially American (arctic) ground squirrel Spermophilus parryi) are also important in the mountains. On migrations and in winter (especially on Kamchatka Peninsula), an important role is played by water, near-water and synanthropic species of birds. In Koryak Highland in winter an important role is played ptarmigans as usual. Occasionally they feed on fish processing waste and bait in hunters' traps.

한국 자연생태계의 일원이 된 야생동물: 자연환경보전정책의 등장과 보전 조류학 연구, 1956-1999

This paper examines the history of wildlife management and its relationship with biological research in South Korea. By the mid-1970s, while national wildlife management focused mainly on hunting regulations, ornithological research was being conducted to rationalize the conservation of wild birds and mammals in the context of forestry management and protecting natural monuments. It was only after the 1990s, when Korean nature conservation policy was institutionalized, that conserving wildlife began to be considered an aspect of conserving nature in Korean. This paper argues that ornithological research has played a significant role in providing a rationale for conserving wildlife in Korea. In this paper, ornithological research in the context of governing nature is referred to as conservation ornithology, which differs from broader academic ornithological research. This paper also explores the institutionalization of nature conservation, which began in the 1990s and has led the Ministry of the Environment to collect statistics about Korean natural ecosystems in order to better conserve and manage them. Korean ornithologists are the biologists who have actively supported the Natural Environmental Survey with their expertise. This paper attempts to shed light on intersection of the history of Korean ornithology with the history of governing nature.

An Algorithm for Obtaining 3D Egg Models from Visual Images

Mathematical models for describing the shape of eggs find application in various fields of practice. The article proposes a method and tools for a detailed study of the shape and peripheral contours of digital images of eggs that are suitable for grouping and sorting. A scheme has been adapted to determine the morphological characteristics of eggs, on the basis of which an algorithm has been created for obtaining their 3D models, based on data from color digital images. The deviation from the dimensions of the major and minor axes measured with a caliper and the proposed algorithm is 0.5–1.5 mm. A model of a correction factor has been established by which the three-dimensional shape of eggs can be determined with sufficient accuracy. The results obtained in this work improve the assumption that the use of algorithms to determine the shape of eggs strongly depends on those of the bird species studied. It is approved with data for Mallard eggs which have a more elliptical shape and correspondingly lower values of correction coefficient ‘c’ (c = 1.55–4.96). In sparrow (c = 9.55–11.19) and quail (c = 11.71–13.11) eggs, the form tends to be ovoid. After testing the obtained model for eggs from three bird species, sparrow, mallard, and quail, the coefficient of the determination of proposed model was R2 = 0.96. The standard error was SE = 0.08. All of the results show a p-value of the model less than α = 0.05. The proposed algorithm was applied to create 3D egg shapes that were not used in the previous calculations. The resulting error was up to 9%. This shows that in the test, the algorithm had an accuracy of 91%. An advantage of the algorithm proposed here is that the human operator does not need to select points in the image, as is the case with some of the algorithms developed by other authors. The proposed methods and tools for three-dimensional transformation of egg images would be applicable not only for the needs of poultry farming, but also in ornithological research when working with different shaped varieties of eggs. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has sufficient accuracy.

Научно-организационная роль и наследие А. В. Андреева в развитии орнитологических исследований и охране природы Северо-Востока Азии.

The authors analyze the scientific and organizational activities of A. V. Andreev as a leader of ornithological research in Russia\'s North-East as well as his personal contribution in organization and development of nature conservation. The article is illustrated with previously unpublished photographs and presents the reference list of A. V. Andreev major scientific publications since 1971.

2021 AOS Kessel Fellowship for Ornithological Research to Michelle Roper

2021 AOS Kessel Fellowship for Ornithological Research to Michelle Roper