Ringing Station Research Articles

Simulation modeling as a means of forecasting passenger traffic at the Moscow Central Ring station

The article presents the results of creating a digital twin of the Moscow Central Ring station “Izmailovo” using simulation modeling methods. The study’s main goal is to create a formal model demonstrating, at given time intervals, the changes in the objects and processes that make up the model when certain input parameters are changed. The results obtained during the simulation of the system behavior allow for evaluating the effectiveness of the concepts for the modernization of the transport system facility in terms of passenger traffic. The conducted structural analysis of the research object allowed to establish all elements and their corresponding characteristics to create models of the behavior of key objects. Additionally, a 3D graphical model has been developed to demonstrate the behavior of all objects and their corresponding processes.

Chewing lice (Phthiraptera, Amblycera, Ischnocera) from shorebirds (Aves, Charadriiformes) in the Kızılırmak Delta, Turkey

This study was carried out in the Kızılırmak Delta Cernek Bird Ringing Station, Central Black Sea Region, during August and September 2020, to survey the louse species found on shorebirds (Aves: Charadriiformes). A total of 241 birds belonging to 13 species were searched for chewing lice. Eleven species in six genera of the family Scolopacidae (Actitis hypoleucos, Arenaria interpres, Calidris alba, Calidris alpina, Calidris falcinellus, Calidris ferruginea, Calidris minuta, Gallinago gallinago, Tringa glareola, Tringa totanus, Xenus cinereus) and two species in one genus of the family Charadriidae (Charadrius dubius, Charadrius hiaticula) were examined. Birds were caught alive with mist-nets, ringed, searched for lice, and released. A total of 153 birds (63.49%) were infested with lice belonging to 16 species, five amblycerans: Actornithophilus bicolor, Actornithophilus ochraceus, Actornithophilus totani, Actornithophilus umbrinus, Austromenopon lutescens, and eleven ischnocerans: Carduiceps fulvofasciatus, Carduiceps meinertzhageni, Carduiceps zonarius, Lunaceps actophilus, Lunaceps falcinellus, Lunaceps schismatus, Quadraceps hiaticulae, Quadraceps obscurus, Quadraceps ravus, Quadraceps strepsilaris and Saemundssonia platygaster frater. These eight species are new records for Turkey: Ac. bicolor, Ac. ochraceus, Ca. fulvofasciatus, Lu. falcinellus, Lu. schismatus, Qu. ravus, Qu. strepsilaris and Sa. platygaster frater. In addition, Qudraceps hiaticulae was recorded from Little ringed plovers (Charadrius dubius)  for the first time in the world in this study. According the lice checklist of wild birds in Turkey, a total of 188 bird species examined and 122 of them were infested, and a total of 217 chewing lice species has been recorded.

AN EVALUATION OF SYLVIIDAE SPECIES IN THE TRANSPORT OF POLLEN: A CASE STUDY OF İSTANBUL

During pollination, pollen grains can be transported to distant distances by various factors such as wind, insects, birds, and reptiles. While there have been numerous studies on pollen transportation by birds in Europe, there is a lack of research concerning the pollen grains transported by bird species in Turkey. In this context, we explored the role of Sylviidae species in pollination and identified the plant species whose pollen is transported by these birds. The temporary ringing station located at İstanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Avcılar Campus was selected as the study area and a total of 35 feather samples were collected from individuals of Sylvia atricapilla (Linnaeus), S. borin (Boddaert), Curruca communis (Latham), C. cantillans (Pallas), C. curruca (Linnaeus) and C. melanocephala (Gmelin) captured at station. Based on the analysis of pollen found on the feather samples, it was determined that the pollen found in 18 feather samples of Curruca curruca and Sylvia atricapilla provided pollen belonging to Pinus (Pine), Aesculus (Horse chestnut), Prunus (Plum), Spiraea (Spiraea), Quercus (Oak), Fraxinus (Ash) and Melia (Bead tree). The most commonly determined pollen on C. curruca were of Prunus (63.5%), while the least common were of Aesculus (0.9%). The most commonly determined pollen on S. atricapilla were of Melia (48.1%), while the least common were of Crocus (0.2%). The presence of pollen among the food sources of Sylviidae species during spring, the synchronization between the arrival time of birds in the study area during migration and the pollination period of the determined plant taxa, and the prevalence of these taxa in the study area suggest that S. atricapilla and C. curruca may be contributing to pollination.

Fuel load and flight range estimation of migrating passerines in the western part of the Carpathian Basin during the autumn migration

Estimating fuel load and potential flight ranges of migrant passerines are basic issues in understanding bird migration strategies. Thirteen sub-Saharan and three pre-Saharan migrant passerine species were analysed in this study. The birds were captured at the Tömörd Bird Ringing Station in the western part of the Carpathian Basin. A general linear model with body mass as the dependent variable and fat score, muscle score and wing length as independent variables were used to estimate lean body mass (body mass without fuel deposits) and fuel load. In ten of the species studied, models considering interactions between factors fit the data better than the main-effect models. Body mass was positively correlated with the fat score in all species, with muscle score in ten species and wing length in 14 species. During autumn, fuel load tended to be larger in the sub-Saharan migrants, especially in four species which pass over the Mediterranean Sea, Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina), Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin) and Barred Warbler (Curruca nisoria). Nine sub-Saharan migrants, Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris), Sedge Warbler (A. schoenobaenus), Eurasian Reed Warbler (A. scirpaceus), European Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata), Wood Warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix), Willow Warbler (Ph. trochilus), Common Whitethroat (C. communis) and Lesser Whitethroat (C. curruca) had estimated flight ranges similar (<1300 km) to two pre-Saharans, European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) and Eurasian Blackap (S. atricapilla). The three short-distance migrants, including the Common Chiffchaff (Ph. collybita) with the shortest distance, had sufficient fuel load to reach their southern European wintering sites without needing to refuel at stopover sites.

Hazard Assessment of Urban Waterlogging Disaster on Underground Substations in Shanghai

Based on the two methods of the index system and the scenario simulation, hazard assessment of urban waterlogging disaster on underground substations in Shanghai was carried out. The results show that: (1) the return period rainfall of underground substations in Shanghai gradually increases with the extension of the return period; in terms of spatial distribution, the return period precipitation of the stations along the river and within the inner ring is higher than that of the stations outside the inner ring. (2) The waterlogging thresholds of stations between the inner ring and the middle ring are highest. The waterlogging thresholds of stations within the inner ring and between the middle ring and the outer ring are higher than those in the suburban stations. (3) Under the 20-year return period extreme precipitation scenario, the urban waterlogging risks of underground substations in Shanghai are mainly at low and medium levels. Under the 50-year and longer return period extreme precipitation scenario, the risks of inner ring stations increase to medium-high level.

Team theAntipodes: Solution methodology for GTOC11

This paper presents the solution approach developed by the team “theAntipodes” for the 11th Global Trajectory Optimization Competition (GTOC11). The approach consists of four main blocks: (1) mothership chain generation, (2) rendezvous table generation, (3) the dispatcher, and (4) the refinement. Blocks 1 and 3 are purely combinatorial optimization problems that select the asteroids to visit and allocate them to the Dyson ring stations. The rendezvous table generation involves interpolating time-optimal transfers to find all transfer opportunities between selected asteroids and the ring stations. The dispatcher uses the data stored in the table and allocates the asteroids to the Dyson ring stations in an optimal fashion. The refinement ensures each rendezvous trajectory meets the problem accuracy constraints, and introduces deep-space maneuvers to the mothership transfers. We provide the details of our solution that, with a score of 5992, was worth 3rd place.

Global trajectory optimization, pathfinding, and scheduling for a multi-flyby, multi-spacecraft mission

The UT Austin team presents their methodology and result for GTOC11, constructing a hypothetical Dyson ring using asteroids encountered by 10 motherships departing from Earth. A pathfinding algorithm for the mothership is designed using a fast lookup table and a robust Lambert solver. Sequencing of unique mothership itineraries is performed by approximating the mass delivered to the ring via a linear data-based estimator trained on simulated asteroid-to-ring trajectories. A detailed derivation for the necessary boundary conditions of the constant-thrust-acceleration indirect optimization problem is presented, with key insights about the magnitudes of the co-states. An indirect boundary value solver finds feasible asteroid-to-ring trajectories for each of the 12 phasing locations in a high-performance parallel computing environment. A genetic algorithm informs the sequencing for the ring station arrival order that gives the highest performance index value. UT Austin’s final submitted solution placed 4th in the competition, with a performance index value of 5885.5, 235 asteroids collected, and a minimum build-station mass of 1.1328×1015 kg.

Transiting species, phenologies and their trends

[In order to contribute to the knowledge of the spatio-temporal progression of post-nuptial migration of birds across the Italian Alps, we present in detail the results of the analysis carried out for 69 species (4 non-Passeriformes; 65 Passeriformes) of the 191 ringed within the Progetto Alpi. Data were collected in 40 ringing stations located in different habitats and at different altitudes (mountain passes, slopes and valley floors) and active in the post-breeding migratory period (1 August - 30 November). Among these, those (n=15) with continuous activity (at least one month) and known sampling effort (daily capture effort described as product of net area in square meters by operating time in hours) were selected. Data from the 6 stations that operated continuously over the years (2001-2017) and with standardised capture effort were used for trend analyses. Species covered refer to those with more than 100 birds ringed within the first eight hours after sunrise (excluding local retraps). Species accounts contain detailed data from datasets from all stations participating in the Alps Project (1997-2017)].
 
 [Article in Italian]

Method for selecting location and capacity of ring station in the urban distribution network

Aiming at the lack of a systematic research method on the distribution of ring station in the existing 10kV urban medium voltage distribution network research, a method of ensuring the location and capacity of ring station based on the weighted Voronoi diagram is proposed. First, analyze the location and capacity of ring station based on the structure of the urban medium-voltage distribution network; Second, in view of the location and capacity of the ring station of the urban medium voltage distribution network, the line investment of the upper-level to the ring station, the investment cost of the ring station, and the line investment of the lower-level to the ring station are comprehensively considered, and build the mathematical model. Third, a method of ensuring the location selection and capacity determination of ring station based on weighted Voronoi diagrams and a solution process are proposed. Finally, an example is used to verify the effectiveness and practicability of the proposed method.

Migration and stopover ecology of European Robins Erithacus rubecula in an oleaster forest in southeastern Hungary

ABSTRACT Secondary wooded habitats provide suitable habitat for many bird species during autumn migration, and they also have an important role in migratory connectivity. In this study, we examined the migration timing and stopover ecology of the European Robins Erithacus rubecula migrating through a bird ringing station in southeastern Hungary. The ringing site is dominated by oleaster Elaeagnus angustifolia mixed with different berries and other shrubs and trees. The fieldwork covered the five years 2016–20, from early August to late October. For the analyses, we used data from a total of 725 ringed and 126 recaptured individuals. Our results show that these secondary habitats play an important role in the migration of this species. Birds migrated through the study site later than in other parts of Hungary, due to its southerly location. The rate of change in body mass was lower than that found at other locations in Europe, but the stopover duration was similar. The rate of change in body mass was influenced by the duration of stopover. Our findings highlight the importance of these secondary habitats in the farmland environment.

Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus recorded at the Turkish Black Sea coast for the first time

On 21 October 2019, a Red-flanked Bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus (Pallas, 1773) was caught at Cernek Ringing Station in the Kizilirmak Delta on the Turkish Black Sea coast. This record is the third rec...

Implementation and Monitoring of Different Sample Collection Methods in Feather Mite Researches in Some Passerine Species

A large majority of the researches on bird mites in the world and in Turkey is based on alive/dead birds and museum specimens. Ringing stations allow doing host and parasite-based monitoring work without harming birds. In this study, it was aimed to monitor the changes of ten mite species carried by bird species belonging to Passeriformes order in Cernek Ringing Station, Samsun in different years according to different collection methods. During the spring and autumn bird migration periods between 2010 and 2013, the feather mites of some passerine species were investigated by applying different sampling methods. Mite samples were collected with three different collection methods (Pyrethrin use, feather collecting, and mite collecting with forceps) and identified. The most appropriate collection method based on species and habitat diversity of mites, ease of operation and duration, and ethics is collecting and investigating the mites with the forceps by using a stereomicroscope. The feather mite species of the genus Dolichodectes, Proctophyllodes , and Trouessartia were determined on tail and wing feathers while the feather mites of Analges and Strelkoviacarus genera were determined on the abdominal feathers. This research, which was conducted at a ringing station where bird migration was investigated, shows that future acarology research in Turkey needs to be planned with experts from different areas of interest through an interdisciplinary approach.

Ticks (Acari: Ixodida) on birds (Aves) migrating through the Polish Baltic coast

Seasonal bird (Aves) migration between breeding and wintering areas, often located on different continents, can facilitate the spreading of tick species (Acari: Ixodida) and of tick-borne pathogens. The aim of the study was to analyse the occurrence of ticks dispersed by birds migrating along the Polish Baltic coast during spring and autumn migration. Field research was conducted at the bird ringing station in Wicie, located on the middle of the Polish Baltic coast, in 2011 and 2012 during spring and autumn migration. A total of 2657 birds from 45 species was examined. The most common species inspected were European robin (Erithacus rubecula) (63.3%), song thrush (Turdus philomelos) (5.13%), and goldcrest (Regulus regulus) (4.5%). Overall, 3129 ticks belonging to six species were collected: Ixodes ricinus (1650 larvae, 1390 nymphs and 1 male), Ixodes frontalis (20 larvae, 20 nymphs), Ixodes arboricola (35 larvae), Dermacentor reticulatus (1 larva), and Haemaphysalis punctata (1 nymph). Ten larvae and one nymph could only be identified to the genus level Ixodes. Ticks were located on various parts of the head: on the corner of the beak (75.0%), near the eyes (14.6%), on the chin (4.4%), near the ears (4.4%), on the neck (1.1%), and in the beak (0.5%). The overall tick prevalence was 40.5%. The highest prevalence was for bird species feeding on the ground, covering a medium distance to wintering grounds and migrating at night. Statistically significant differences between the number of ticks and the sex of the host species were detected in blackbirds: males carried more parasites than females, both, during spring and autumn migration. The fact that I. ricinus and other ticks parasitize birds migrating through Poland extends the possibility of the spread of tick-borne diseases.

The Isolation and Identification of Bacteria on Feathers of Migratory Bird Species.

Worldwide, bacteria are the most ubiquitous microorganisms, and it has been extensively demonstrated that migratory wild birds can increase bacterial global scale dispersion through long-distance migration and dispersal. The microbial community hosted by wild birds can be highly diverse, including pathogenic strains that can contribute to infections and disease spread. This study focused on feather and plumage bacteria within bird microbial communities. Samples were collected during ornithological activities in a bird ringing station. Bacterial identification was carried out via DNA barcoding of the partial 16S rRNA gene. Thirty-seven isolates of bacteria were identified on the chest feathers of 60 migratory birds belonging to three trans-Saharan species: Muscicapa striata, Hippolais icterina, and Sylvia borin. Our results demonstrate the possibility of bacterial transfer, including pathogens, through bird migration between very distant countries. The data from the analysis of plumage bacteria can aid in the explanation of phenomena such as migratory birds’ fitness or the development of secondary sexual traits. Moreover, these results have deep hygienic–sanitary implications, since many bird species have synanthropic behaviors during their migration that increase the probability of disease spread.

Estimation of Local Heading Patterns of Nocturnal Migrants using Orientation Cages

Abstract Busse P. 2018. Estimation of local heading patterns of nocturnal Migrants using orientation cages. Ring 40: 31-58 The main aim of this paper is to compare the results of two data evaluation procedures used for presenting the data from the orientation cage field tests. Both procedures accept multimodality of the data and multimodality of the headings of an individual bird as well as migrating population. The goal is to reach acceptable level of migration patterns presentation in biological sense, taking under consideration a flexibility of the real movements, depending on specific weather and landscape parameters. Such knowledge is absolutely necessary for estimating migration bottle-necks and the long-term studies on influence of the climate changes on migration patterns. The material used for the comparison of the procedures was collected in years 2001-2007 by the team of the Bulgarian Ringing Station Kalimok (44°00’N, 26°26’E) within the frame of the SEEN (SE European Bird Migration Network) activity and kindly shared for evaluation. The data were obtained using the standard SEEN methods, with the standard Busse’s cage working procedure of the field tests. The material contains data on four species of nocturnal migrants living in different habitats: the Great Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus (ACR.ARU), the Sedge Warbler, A. schoenobaenus (ACR.ENO), the Willow Warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus (PHY.LUS) and the Whitethroat, Sylvia communis (SYL.COM). There are confirmed earlier conclusions that so called „classic” unimodal procedure is not applicable to the orientation cage data resulted from any field procedure. There are available two evaluation procedures that base on the same general assumptions: multimodality of distributions that reflects combination of several unimodal partial distributions, that can be described both using sophisticated Bayesian „Calculation” method and much simpler „Estimation” procedure. Results of both procedures are enough close to each other that they can be used for describing local and general heading patterns of migration of the nocturnal migratory movements studied using orientation cages.

The monitoring of feather mites (Acari, Astigmata) of the Warbler (Aves: Sylviidae) species in the Kızılırmak delta, Samsun, Turkey

Feather mites (Astigmata) are among the most common ectosymbionts that live on birds. The present research was conducted between 2010 and 2013 in the Kızılırmak delta Cernek Bird Ringing Station in Samsun, Turkey. Assessments of the taxonomy, collection methods, and the periodic host-species relationships of the mites collected were conducted for 591 individuals of 10 bird species belonging to the family Sylviidae captured using mist nets during the bird migration periods. Ten feather mite species were identified from the families Proctophyllodidae, Analgidae, and Trouesartidae. These species are Strelkoviacarus quadratus (Haller, 1882); Dolichodectes edwardsi (Trouessart, 1885); Proctophyllodes cetti Badek, Mironov, and Dabert, 2008; Proctophyllodes clavatus Fritsch, 1961; Proctophyllodes doleophyes Gaud, 1957; Proctophyllodes sylvia Gaud, 1957; Trouessartia bifurcata (Trouessart) 1884; Trouessartia inexpectata Gaud, 1957; and Trouessartia trouessarti Oudemans, 1904. Among these species, Trouessartia bifurcata (Trouessart) 1884 is a new record for Turkey. New host records were reported from Turkey for 7 feather mite species. The least damaging method for the birds is to collect mites directly by using a stereomicroscope and forceps. The maximum number of feather mite species (7) was detected on Sylvia atricapilla and the minimum (1) on Phylloscopus trochilus. Proctophyllodes clavatus and Proctophyllodes sylvia were the most commonly recorded feather mite species.

Bird number dynamics during the post-breeding period at the Tömörd Bird Ringing Station, western Hungary

Abstract The fieldwork, i.e. catching and ringing birds using mist-nets, was conducted at Tömörd Bird Ringing Station in western Hungary during the post-breeding migration seasons in 1998-2016. Altogether, 106,480 individuals of 133 species were ringed at the station. The aim of this paper was to publish basic information on passerine migration at this site. Migration phenology was described through annual and daily capture frequencies. Furthermore, we provide the median date of the passage, the date of the earliest or latest capture, the peak migration season within the study period, and the countries where the birds monitored at the site were ringed or recovered abroad. To compare the catching dynamics for the fifty species with total captures greater than 200, a reference period was defined: from 5 Aug. to 5 Nov. 2001-2016. Some non-passerines that are more easily caught with mist-nets or that are caught occasionally were listed as well. The two superdominant species, the European Robin and the Eurasian Blackcap, with 14,377 and 13,926 total captures, made up 27% of all ringed individuals. Among the fifty species analysed, there were ten species with a decreasing trend, five species with an increasing trend and thirty-five species with a stable (or uncertain) trend in their numbers from 2001 to 2016. The temporal pattern of migration of long-distance migrants was different from that of the medium- and short-distance migratory species.

Aggressiva talgoxar Parus major: utsvultna fåglar eller tillhörande en annan population?

During autumn 2016, bird ringing stations in east Sweden observed Great Tits Parus major with extremely aggressive behaviour. They attacked smaller birds such as Goldcrests Regulus regulus, killed them and ate the brain or the content of the belly. I examine with data from Ottenby Bird Observatory two explanations: the birds were exhausted after migration and very hungry or they were birds from an eastern population where aggressive behaviour has been suggested to be more common. Fat index and body mass did not indicate low energy stores and the weather was stable with wind from the east so the first explanation was not supported. Unfortunately, wing length cannot be used to differentiate between Swedish and more eastern populations so also the second explanation could not be supported. However, Great Tits from eastern parts of north Europe moult their alula earlier than birds from Sweden. The next time aggressive Great Tits are observed, bird ringers should check the moulting stage of the alula in order to determine their origin.

Detailed description of the Ócsa Bird Ringing Station, Hungary

Abstract The present paper acts as an introduction to a series that will describe the exploratory analyses of migration phenology and morphometrics of the most common passerine species at the Ócsa Bird Ringing Station. This station is situated in the Ócsa Landscape Protection Area that belongs to the Duna–Ipoly National Park, Hungary. The area is somewhat cooler and more humid than the surrounding agricultural fields and tree plantations, covered by a mosaic of diverse hygrophilous vegetation patches. Bird trapping is mostly based on Japanese mist-net lines crossing different plant communities. During the period of 1984–2015, a total of 422,862 birds were trapped and ringed here, while 202,739 local, 1,235 within country, and 443 foreign recaptures were also recorded. Each bird is characterized by the following data: location and time of capture, species, age, sex, scores of fat, pectoral muscle, wing tip abrasion, and moult, length of wing, 3rd primary, and tail, and body mass. After subjected to a rigorous quality check, digital data are deposited in the archive of the Hungarian Bird Ringing Centre, and the EURING data base. From time to time, other research projects also utilized the accessibility of wild birds captured here, thus collection of blood samples, ecto- and endoparasites was carried out at the station. The relatively long time span, large number of species and individuals, and the readily available environmental (weather, vegetation, etc.) data makes the avian data collected here a suitable base for studies of various disciplines like capture methodology, habitat preferences, breeding, migration, and wintering, effects of weather and climate change, and epidemiology of viruses and parasites.

First record of Black-throated Accentor, Prunella atrogularis (Brandt, 1884), in Turkey

We captured an unusual accentor species Prunella sp. on 31 October 2014 around 11.00 am during a ringing session at Cernek Ringing Station located at Kizilirmak Delta, on the Black Sea coast of Tur...