Tree Pipit Research Articles

The Diet of Eleonora’s Falcons (Falco eleonorae) during the Autumn Migration of Passerine Birds across the Aegean Sea

Every year, several hundred million birds cross the Mediterranean on their migration from Eurasia to their wintering quarters in Africa. As many migrants travel at night or at high altitudes, direct observations of bird migration are difficult and thus our information about migrating species, numbers and timing is incomplete. An indirect way to assess autumn migration is the analysis of prey remains of Eleonora’s Falcons (Falco eleonorae). These falcons breed in large colonies on islands in the Mediterranean and on the Canary Islands. Many migrants have to pass these islands on their flight to their African wintering quarters. Eleonora’s Falcons appear to be adapted to the autumn bird migration and raise their young between August and October, when migrating birds are abundant. When nestlings have to be fed, falcons exclusively hunt small birds of 10 to 150 g body mass, whereas they prey mostly on aerial invertebrates (Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Odonata, Lepidoptera) from November to July. We studied Eleonora’s Falcons from 1965 to 2001 on a rocky islet, north of Crete, which harboured a colony of about 200 breeding pairs. In 1969, 1971, 1977, and 1988 we systematically monitored and collected the pluckings and cached food items in 22 to 36 nest sites each year. Pluckings were systematically analysed later in Germany using a reference collection of bird feathers for identification. In total, we determined more than 111 prey species (mostly Passerines) comprising more than 13,450 individuals. The top 12 prey species were: Willow Warbler (27.8% of all prey items), Red-backed Shrike (10.7%), Spotted Flycatcher (9.9%), Whinchat (8.8%), Common Whitethroat (5.1%), Wood Warbler (3.8), Tree Pipit (2.9%), Icterine Warbler (2.5%), Greater Short-toed Lark (2.5%), Northern Wheatear (1.8%), Common Nightingale (1.6%), and European Pied Flycatcher (1.5%). Eleonora’s Falcons are selective hunters to some degree; thus, the phenology and abundance data derived from the plucking analyses are biased towards slow-flying species or smaller birds (only up to a body mass of 150 g). When the young falcons develop and grow, food demand increases concomitantly. Comparing the total weight of prey over time indicates a correlation with food demand and in consequence with the number of prey items brought to the nest sites by the falcons.

A phylogenetic study of the Mongolian Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis, Linnaeus, 1758) population based on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes

Our aim was to identify nucleotide polymorphisms, assess their distribution in haplotype diversity, and construct a phylogenetic tree by analyzing mtDNA markers of the Mongolian Tree Pipits(Anthus trivialis). We conducted this study using partial gene sequencesof mitochondrial marker genes, such as COI, Cyt-b, D-loop, andND2,to determine the genetic diversity of Mongolian Tree Pipits. We successfully amplified 2307 bp of the mitochondrial DNA fragments, including 469bp of COI, 435bp of Cyt-b, 554bp of D-loop and 846bp of ND2 from total 27 individuals of Mongolian (21) and Hungarian (6) populations of Anthus trivialis.The Hd value wasthe highest for ND2 (0.96) as compared with the other gene fragments in all populations, whileit was 0.94 in the Mongolian population. Moreover, the nucleotide diversity (Pi) ranged from 0.00234 to 0.004 in all population, it was observed that the Pi was between 0.00183 and 0.00376 in the Mongolian population. The phylogenetic tree based on combined mtDNA sequences revealed two mean clades. The probability value of the node supporting the posterior between these clades is 0.65,which suggests an indicative support in relationship between the two clades. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis showed that Mongolian Tree Pipits do share common genetic characteristics with other populations and do not form distinct clusters. Publisher correction: Author name Sabor Sramko was revised to Gabor Sramko dated on 2024-10-07.

Are human-induced changes good or bad to dynamic landscape connectivity?

Land managers must find a compromise between rapidly changing landscapes and biodiversity conservation through ecological networks. Estimating ecological networks is a key approach to enhance or maintain functional connectivity by identifying the nodes and links of a graph, which represent habitats and their corresponding functional corridors, respectively. To understand the current state of biodiversity, it is necessary to consider dynamic landscape connectivity while relying on relevant land cover maps. Although a current land cover map is relatively easy to produce using existing data, this is challenging for past landscapes. Here we investigated the impact of changes in landscape connectivity in an urban landscape at a fine scale on the habitat availability of two bird species: the tree pipit Anthus trivialis and the short-toed treecreeper Certhia brachydactyla. These species, exhibiting different niche ecologies, have shown contrasting population trends at a medium-term scale. The occurrences of C. brachydactyla were better correlated with resistance values that maximise the use of corridors, whereas the occurrences of A. trivialis better fitted with intermediate resistance values. The statistical approach indirectly highlighted relevant information about the ecology the capacity of both species to use urban habitats. Landscape connectivity increased for both species over the 24-year study period and may have implications for local abundances, which could explain, at the national scale, the increase in populations of C. brachydactyla, but not the decrease in populations of A. trivialis. Thus, more attention must be paid on rural habitats and their associated species that are more impacted by human activities, but efforts could also be achieved in urban areas especially for highly corridor-dependent species. Studying dynamic landscape connectivity at a fine scale is essential for estimating past and future land cover changes and their associated impacts on ecological networks, to better reconcile human and biodiversity concerns in land management.

Effects of habitat heterogeneity on bird communities in the forests of northeastern Germany

Habitat heterogeneity is a key factor for regulating biodiversity in temperate lowland forests. Specifically, stands associated with late forest development phases provide important habitat structures for many rare and threatened forest bird species. However, how forest stands that differ in their structural complexity, canopy conditions and tree species composition affect forest bird assemblages both at the local and landscape scale remains largely unclear. In a young moraine lake landscape of northeastern Germany, we assessed correlations of bird diversity and bird composition with stand properties. We used data from 48 transects (400 m) established in (1) unmanaged, closed-canopy, mature stands that were dominated by Fagus sylvatica (UDS), and (2) diverse managed, mixed coniferous stands with a mosaic of open and closed canopy patches (MCS). We found that bird communities of the UDS strongly differed from those in the MCS, with open habitat species being more frequent in the MCS. By contrast, differences in diversity measures were less distinct. Moreover, we identified nine indicator species for the UDS (Columba oenas, Cyanistes caeruleus, Muscicapa striata, Leiopicus medius, Certhia brachydactyla, Ficedula parva, Dryobates minor, Sturnus vulgaris, Ficedula hypoleuca) and seven indicator species for the MCS (Periparus ater, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Regulus regulus, Prunella modularis, Lophophanus cristatus, Emberiza citronella, Anthus trivialis). Several famous ancient beech forest patches in Müritz National Park and the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve “Schorfheide-Chorin” were found to harbour the set of the UDS indicator species. The UDS support of bird coenosis is typical for old mature broadleaved forests and can be considered as an effective tool for bird conservation. Our results further indicate that the combination of unmanaged and managed stands associated with different habitat complexities would benefit forest bird assemblages at the landscape scale. Key words: forest specialist birds, bird conservation, non-managed forests, old-growth patches, Ficedula parva, Leiopicus medius, coniferous forest

ФАУНА ГЕЛЬМИНТОВ ПТИЦ НАЦИОНАЛЬНОГО ПАРКА «СМОЛЬНЫЙ» И СОПРЕДЕЛЬНЫХ ТЕРРИТОРИЙ (РЕСПУБЛИКА МОРДОВИЯ)

We studied the helminth fauna in birds 35 species of birds from Passeriformes, Piciformes and Caprimulgiformes in the Smolny National Park and its surroundings in 2018–2022. In total, 23 species of helminths were identifi ed in birds: 8 trematodes, 10 cestodes and 5 nematodes. We presented taxonomic position, host range, rates of infection, and geographical distribution for each helminth species. The most diversity of helminth fauna is in Turdus phylomelos (10 species) and Turdus merula (7). In Parus major and Fringilla coelebs, six and fi ve species were recorded, respectively. The helminth faunas in Anthus trivialis and Ficedula hypoleuca are poor (4 species each). In total, three species of parasites were found in Erithacus rubecula, Poecile montanus, Sylvia atricapilla, Ficedula albicollis and Dendrocopos leucotos. One species, the trematode Morishitium polonicum, was revealed in birds of the Russian fauna for the fi rst time (in Coccothraustes coccothraustes and T. merula). Four cestode species, Capiuterilepis naja, Birovilepis sobolevi, B. spasskayae and Monopylidium passerinum were recorded for the fi rst time in the Middle Volga region. New hosts were identifi ed for nine species of parasitic worms. One species, the nematode Physocephalus sexalatus, found in the birds of the Smolny National Park and its surroundings have veterinary and medical signifi cance as potential pathogen of dangerous helminthiasis.

Aspects of the nonbreeding ecology of the Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis in and around Amurum Forest Reserve, Jos Plateau, Nigeria

To advance our knowledge about the nonbreeding ecology of the Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis, this study investigated its population dynamics, habitat utilisation and foraging behaviour, from October to December 2018, in and around the Amurum Forest Reserve, located in the guinea savannah zone of Nigeria, West Africa. The study area comprises four main habitat types: gallery forest, rocky outcrop, savannah and farmland. Distance sampling along six transect lines (total length ∼14.2 km) were used to estimate Tree Pipit abundance and density, while habitat utilisation and foraging behaviour were determined from 222 focal observations. Tree Pipit density in the study area averaged about 1 ind. ha-1 and differed significantly between habitats, being highest in savannah, followed by rocky outcrop, farmland and gallery forest. The vegetation characteristics percentage of grass cover, fruiting and flowering plants, and shrubs, as well as insect abundance, significantly influenced the distribution of Tree Pipits in the reserve. Tree Pipits were seen capturing their prey using two foraging techniques, of which gleaning on the ground was the most frequently observed. Variation in Tree Pipit abundance across the three-month study period suggests that many may have been on passage, with relatively few individuals remaining in the area as winter residents.

Summer bird populations of burnt bog-forest land of the Kerzhensky Nature Reserve ten years after wildfires (Central Volga region, Russia)

The bird population was monitored during ten years in the Kerzhensky Nature Reserve damaged by severe wildfires in 2010. In the burned territory 126 bird species (120 species in the breeding season) were noted, for which weighted averages of bird abundance were calculated. It was noted that the number of species was increasing gradually in the breeding season. The birds of forest edges and of dry valleys appeared already during the second post-fire year, but their abundance increased only in the third-fourth year. The bird population abundance has increased almost 2 times in the breeding season over ten years, while it has not increased significantly in the post-breeding season. The total biomass and the transformed energy, on the contrary, decreased especially in the post-breeding season. During the first six years Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 was the absolute leader at the abundance, and its co-dominant was Anthus trivialis (Linnaeus, 1758), and in last two years Phylloscopus trochilus (Linnaeus, 1758) was the leader. The share of the leaders in the breeding season gradually decreased, and the species diversity and the alignment grew. The birds fed in the breeding season mostly on the soil surface. The share of shrubby species increased by two times a couple of years after the wildfires, and the share of crowns birds increased after another four years. The similarity of the ornithocomplex of the burnt territory in the first and last two years of the research amounted to only 0.63 units (the Sorensen-Chekanovsky index).

Diversity of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Tick Larvae Feeding on Breeding Birds in France.

Birds play a role in maintaining tick-borne diseases by contributing to the multiplication of ticks and pathogens on a local scale during the breeding season. In the present study, we describe the diversity of tick and pathogen species of medical and veterinary importance in Europe hosted by 1040 captured birds (56 species) during their breeding season in France. Of the 3114 ticks collected, Ixodes ricinus was the most prevalent species (89.5%), followed by I. frontalis (0.8%), I. arboricola (0.7%), Haemaphysalis concinna (0.5%), H. punctata (0.5%), Hyalomma spp. (0.2%), and Rhipicephalus spp. (0.06%). Because they may be representative of the bird infection status for some pathogen species, 1106 engorged tick larvae were screened for pathogens. Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was the most prevalent pathogen genus in bird-feeding larvae (11.7%), followed by Rickettsia spp. (7.4%), Anaplasma spp. (5.7%), Babesia spp. (2.3%), Ehrlichia spp. (1.4%), and B. miyamotoi (1%). Turdidae birds (Turdus merula and T. philomelos), Troglodytes troglodytes, and Anthus trivialis had a significantly higher prevalence of B. burgdorferi s.l.-infected larvae than other pathogen genera. This suggests that these bird species could act as reservoir hosts for B. burgdorferi s.l. during their breeding season, and thus play an important role in acarological risk.

Untangling the role of a novel agroecosystem as a habitat for declining farmland birds

AbstractAs a result of agricultural industrialisation, traditionally managed habitats have dramatically declined throughout Europe. As a result, farmland specialists across several taxa have become increasingly threatened. Concurrently, altered farming practices have also contributed to the emergence of novel agricultural habitats, such as Christmas tree plantations, but knowledge of their impact on biodiversity is still scarce. In the following study, we analysed the drivers behind the territory selection of four declining farmland birds—Common linnet (Linaria cannabina), Tree pipit (Anthus trivialis), Woodlark (Lullula arborea) and Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)—in a landscape dominated by Christmas tree plantations. Our study suggests that Christmas tree plantations provide well‐suited breeding conditions for the species and thus may represent important refuges in human‐modified landscapes. We found that all four species favoured young Christmas tree plantations (<6 years) for territory establishment. In particular, the territories of Tree pipit and Woodlark were characterised by a high proportion of young plantations, which provide open habitat structures rich in bare ground. However, older plantations (>6 years) were also of high importance for some of the model organisms, especially for Common linnet and Yellowhammer. The territory establishment of Yellowhammer was additionally favoured by brushwood plantations, clear‐cut/fringe vegetation and low‐growing shrubland. We attribute the high value of Christmas tree plantations mainly to the coexistence of open habitat structures rich in bare ground and less intensively managed stands, which both represent important foraging sites for the model organisms. At least in intensively used agricultural areas, Christmas tree plantations may represent important refuges for declining farmland birds. Therefore, further measures aiming to promote habitat quality while reducing the use of herbicides in the plantations should be addressed.

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

Body condition of long-distance migrant birds from the Eastern Baltic before and after a population decline

According to standardized bird trapping for banding purposes the population trends of Wrynecks (Jynx torquilla Linnaeus, 1758), Lesser Whitethroats (Sylvia curruca Linnaeus, 1758), Tree Pipits (Anthus trivialis Linnaeus, 1758), and Red-backed Shrikes (Lanius collurio Linnaeus, 1758) over 45 years in the Courish Spit, Eastern Baltic, indicate two periods, an initial population growth and a subsequent significant decline. All results, including the already published data on the Barred Warblers, indicate that 5 species of long-distance trans-Saharan migrants experienced a significant decline in numbers since the mid-1970s. Ringing protocol included determination of age and taking biometric measurements, the wing length as a proxy of structural size, and body mass. During the period of population decline, neither wing length, nor body mass of birds changed. None of the indicators of population productivity (clutch size, average brood size, breeding success) did not change, either. Presumably this may mean that the reasons for the population decline of the species are related to factors affecting birds on migration route or in wintering areas, and not on their breeding grounds. It is known that in catastrophic droughts on the African continent, the quality of habitats deteriorates, and competition for food leads to an increase in the mortality rate of wintering birds.

Evaluating the potential effects of capturing and handling on subsequent observations of a migratory passerine through individual acoustic monitoring

Ringing is the most common technique used for individual marking of passerine birds, informing understanding of many aspects of their behaviour and ecology. Birds caught for ringing may also be substantially handled before release (e.g. to obtain biometric data, blood or feather samples), and all such procedures may affect the subsequent behaviour of a captured individual. Previous field studies that have assessed the potential effects of capturing and handling birds have nevertheless, to date, lacked an entirely independent unhandled control. In this study, we used individual acoustic monitoring to compare the apparent survival and re‐encounter probabilities of male tree pipits Anthus trivialis that were captured with mist nets and intensively handled (measured, blood‐sampled and ringed) with those of a control group of unhandled birds tracked solely by their vocalization. There were no differences between handled and unhandled birds in apparent survival rates, either in simple annual estimates, or in jointly estimated within‐ and between‐breeding season survival estimates. Re‐encounter probabilities in the latter analysis peaked at the start of the breeding season, when song activity would be expected to be greatest, but were higher for handled than unhandled birds in mid‐ to late May. Apart from demonstrating that tree pipits were not affected in the long‐term by capture and associated handling, our study confirms that individual acoustic monitoring is a valuable non‐intrusive method for long‐term monitoring studies.

Changes in the breeding avifauna of Lviv residential part from the period since 2006 till 2018 years

The analysis of breeding avifauna changes has been performed on the base of field studies that took place in residential parts of the Lviv city in 2006-2007 and 2017-2018 breeding seasons. Nowadays 84 breeding species were recorded in the Lviv city. The number of local species in bird population significantly decreased from 51 in 2007 to 41 in 2018. It shows the reduction of some species number together with the growth of their diversity (from 73 to 81) and significant increase in population from 443,0 to 581,6 pairs/10 ha. During 12 years 70 species constantly remain in the fauna. Three species disappeared from nesting, and 11 had appeared. Seven of them appeared for the first time: Marsh Tit, Hooded Crow, Hoopoe, Little Bittern, White-backed Woodpecker, Stonechat, Coal Tit. Four came back to the city for nesting after absence in 2006-2007 years: Partridge, Black Woodpecker, Tree Pipit, Pied Flycatcher. The number of 9 species did not change during the period of the study. 29 species demonstrate decrease of the number and 32 - increase. The main reasons of the number changes were divided into 5 groups: 1) changes in geographical scales or the expansion (peculiar for 3 species), 2) synurbization (29 species), 3) general population changes (38 species) і 4) local environmental changes (45 species), 5) unknown reasons (7). Several reasons worked together for 33 species.

Migratory birds as disseminators of ticks and the tick-borne pathogens Borrelia bacteria and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus: a seasonal study at Ottenby Bird Observatory in South-eastern Sweden

BackgroundBirds can act as reservoirs of tick-borne pathogens and can also disperse pathogen-containing ticks to both nearby and remote localities. The aims of this study were to estimate tick infestation patterns on migratory birds and the prevalence of different Borrelia species and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in ticks removed from birds in south-eastern Sweden.MethodsTicks were collected from resident and migratory birds captured at the Ottenby Bird Observatory, Öland, Sweden, from March to November 2009. Ticks were molecularly identified to species, and morphologically to developmental stage, and the presence of Borrelia bacteria and TBEV was determined by quantitative real-time PCR.ResultsA total of 1339 ticks in the genera Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, and Ixodes was recorded of which I. ricinus was the most abundant species. Important tick hosts were the European robin (Erithacus rubecula), Blackbird (Turdus merula), Tree pipit (Anthus trivialis), Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), Common redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus), and Common whitethroat (Sylvia communis). Borrelia bacteria were detected in 25% (285/1,124) of the detached ticks available for analysis. Seven Borrelia species (B. afzelii, B. burgdorferi (s.s.), B. garinii, B. lusitaniae, B. turdi, B. valaisiana, and B. miyamotoi) were identified. B. turdi was recorded for the first time in ticks in Sweden. The number of Borrelia cells per tick ranged from 2.0 × 100 to 7.0 × 105. B. miyamotoi-containing ticks contained a significantly higher median number of Borrelia cells than B. burgdorferi (s.l.)-containing ticks. B. garinii and B. miyamotoi were the most prevalent Borrelia species in tick larvae. Larvae of I. ricinus with B. garinii were removed from seven bird species, particularly S. communis and A. trivialis, which may suggest that the larvae had contracted the Borrelia bacteria from or via these birds. Also, a high percentage of tick larvae containing B. miyamotoi was removed from E. rubecula. All ticks were negative for TBEV.ConclusionsThe results corroborate the view that the contributions of birds to human disease are substantial, particularly as blood hosts for ticks and for their short-, medium-, and long-distance dispersal. Moreover, several ground-foraging bird species appear to be important for the maintenance and dispersal of Borrelia species. The absence of TBEV in the ticks conforms to other similar studies.Graphical

Comparing the effects of even-aged thinning and selective felling on boreal forest birds

Biodiversity is in decline and therefore alternative forest management approaches have gained interest. One of such approaches is uneven-aged silviculture, which has been suggested to better maintain mature or late-successional forest characteristics and species assemblages than even-aged silviculture. Therefore, it is assumed that uneven-aged silviculture can be a useful tool for landscape planning to benefit biodiversity. Nevertheless, there is a lack of empirical studies regarding bird responses to uneven-aged silviculture in north European boreal ecosystems. Here we test the similarity of bird assemblage structure between mature forests within even-aged silviculture (‘thinning’) and uneven-aged silviculture (‘selective felling’). In spring 2018 we censused breeding birds using territory mapping in 14 thinned stands and 14 selectively felled stands. We found higher abundance and different bird assemblages in thinned stands compared to selectively felled stands. The pied flycatcher, tree pipit and great tit contributed most to the variation of bird assemblages between the two management types. None of the species were more abundant in selectively felled than in thinned stands. According to functional guilds, the abundance of ground breeders, ground feeders and generalists was higher in thinned stands than in selectively felled stands, similar results were found in the species richness of long-distance migrants, ground nesters, secondary cavity nesters and generalists. Independent of management type, time since treatment had an overall effect on assemblage structures, the mistle thrush and wren were negatively correlated with time since treatment, while the chiffchaff showed the opposite trend. Our results suggest that at these locations and given this particular type of uneven-age management, selective felling is less suitable for some abundant generalists than even-aged forest stands reaching the thinning age. However, the results from this study does not provide clear management recommendations aiming to maintain biodiversity, as management guidelines should be based on red-listed species and not on common generalists. Nevertheless, our results stresses the urgent need for more long-term studies comparing the effect of these different silvicultural strategies on bird assemblages.

Long-term Post-fire Monitoring of the Breeding Bird Populations in the Kerzhensky State Nature Biosphere Reserve (Central Volga region, Russia)

In the summer of 2010, about a half of the Kerzhensky State Nature Biosphere Reserve territory suffered from a wildfire. During the 9 following years, monitoring of the bird populations in the breeding season was conducted there. Birds were counted by a route method in 6 main habitats differ in their fire burned types and also in unburned similar habitats. A total of 130 bird species were registered. In the first years after the wildfire impact, bird populations in the habitats affected by different wildfire types were similar according to the Sorensen-Chekanovsky’s index. This similarity increased to 2016. The similarity of the bird populations of burned sites has been decreasing last two years. The species richness changed in different directions. At first study years, the abundance of the breeding bird populations increased both in burnt and unburnt sites, while later this parameter decreased a bit and stabilised. Although interannual changes in indicators are still possible. The bird populations of the unburnt habitats, especially bogs, differ by lower values of indicators for the last five years. The influence of nature-climatic indicators of various months (average the monthly air temperature, the daily amount of precipitation) on the interannual dynamics of the breeding avifauna abundance was noted in only one case, out of 84 indicators. We distinguished the species (e.g. Sylvia communis) recognised as indicators of damaging by fire. Fringilla coelebs was dominant in all habitats studied, but from 2017, Anthus trivialis dominated in the severely burned birch-pine forests and on the raised bogs (burned and unburned). The most intense changes in bird populations were observed within the first five post-fire years.

Living in a time of change: Late Pleistocene/Holocene transitional vertebrate fauna of Grot Skeliastyi (Crimea, Ukraine)

ABSTRACT The paper presents the results of the study of vertebrate fossil assemblages recovered from the Grot Skeliastyi rock shelter in south-western Crimea (Ukraine). The deposition of its fossil-bearing layers covers the time span from the Late Glacial to the early Holocene. The studied sample consists of 2,736 bones belonging to 52 species of vertebrates (including 3 fishes, 1 amphibian, 12 reptiles, 10 birds, 26 small and large mammals). Among them, the past presence of the Aesculapian snake, four-lined ratsnake, squacco heron, tree pipit, and water pipit in the region is here documented for the first time. Extinct taxa in the faunal assemblage of Grot Skeliastyi were represented by wild horse, European ass, steppe bison, and woolly mammoth. Remains of small animals were accumulated due to the feeding activity of the eagle owl, while bones of large mammals could have been a part of the prey of carnivores but mostly are associated with the hunting activity of ancient people who inhabited the rock shelter. Most of the species persisted from the Pleistocene to the Holocene without losses. Our results indicate that the Pleistocene/Holocene transition in Crimea was not characterised by drastic faunal changes unlike those in other parts of Eastern Europe.Not StartedCompletedRejected

High Accuracy Individual Identification Model of Crested Ibis (Nipponia Nippon) Based on Autoencoder With Self-Attention

As the population and the distribution of Crested Ibis (Nipponia nippon) become larger, it is necessary to propose a highly efficient census method to estimate the population size of the Crested Ibis. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has a very good prospect for the Crested Ibis monitoring. To realize the automatic census of the Crested Ibis with PAM, the automatic individual identification method based on the vocalization is the key technology. A novel individual identification model was proposed in this paper, which built the autoencoder based on LSTM to obtain the meaningful latent representation from the raw recording directly, further, embedded self-attention and putted forward a combined training mode to achieve distinctive latent representation. With this model, nine Crested Ibis individuals were identified accurately, the highest accuracy is 0.971, and the average accuracy reaches 0.958. As for other three species, Little owl (Athene noctua), Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) and Tree pipit (Anthus trivialis), the better performances were achieved than the existing method, which means the proposed model can provide an alternative method for the individual identification of other bird species.

Species-specific responses to habitat and livestock management call for carefully targeted conservation strategies for declining meadow birds

In recent decades, upland hay-meadows underwent large transformations due to the modernization of livestock husbandry system. Such changes impacted on biodiversity, but their consequences on the upper levels of the food web (e.g. birds) are largely unknown. Grassland specialists could respond differently to landscape structure and management practices, and such potentially different responses should be integrated into conservation and management strategies.To elucidate the effect of meadow characteristics on avian grassland specialists, we considered three declining bird species regularly found in European meadowlands.We compared their mean densities at 63 landscape plots in the Italian Alps with that reported from other studies and analysed their environmental preferences in relation to landscape (composition and structural elements), management (meadow fertilization and mowing calendar), topographic (slope and elevation), and spatial predictors. Shedding light on their ecological requirements, we identify possible causes of long-term decline as well as conservation strategies for grassland specialists.Mean territory density of ground-nesting species (whinchat, 0.75 territory/10 ha, and tree pipit, 0.42 territory/10 ha) resulted lower than most other estimates obtained in the Alps; conversely, the density of the shrub-nesting red-backed shrike (1.97 territory/10 ha) was comparable to that of many other Alpine areas. Meadow conversion into other crops and the modern livestock husbandry (i.e. first mowing performed before the end of the third week of June, made possible by meadow overfertilization) have likely contributed to regional depletion of whinchat and tree pipit populations, especially below 900–1000 m asl.Heterogeneous landscapes dominated by grassland, with large extents of unimproved meadows, close to meadows interspersed with isolated trees, hedgerows and ecotones, could accommodate the ecological preferences of multiple grassland specialists. As such landscapes have become increasingly rarer, the remaining ones must be preserved via integrated plans for sustainable mountain development.

Patterns of Species Richness and Abundance in Badingilo National Park in South Sudan

The study was carried out to determine patterns of birds’ species richness, alpha and beta diversities; and abundance in Badingilo national park using a 10 m fixed-radius point count method. A total of 2670 individuals were recorded from 182 points in the park. The highest expected number of species (Jack1 estimator) was observed in the Riverine habitat and least was in the Agriculture and Human settlement habitat type. The total number of species observed in the park was 63; however Jack1 estimator indicated that there were 68 species in the park. The majority of the birds observed during the study were resident species, few migratory and Palaearctic bird species. Few birds observed in the park were abundant. The most abundant species was the village weaver (381 individuals), and the rarest species were black-bellied bustard, barn owl, black scimitar bill and tree pipit (one individual each).