Bird Migration Monitoring

Shorebird  habitats  have  great  importance  in  maintaining  biodiversity  and  estuaries  are  among  the  most  important  habitats  in this regard. The estuaries of Algeria are key habitats for migratory coastal birds along the Eurasian-African Flyway. The present study, conducted from February 2022 to December 2023, surveyed shorebirds in three estuaries located in Algiers: Réghaïa Estuary, Sablette, and Zéralda. Observations were made twice a month during early morning and late afternoon. A total of 27 shorebird species were recorded across the three estuaries, with each site showing distinct patterns of distribution, phenology, and conservation status. Réghaïa supported the highest bird diversity with 21 species recorded, reflecting its ecological richness, and suitability as a stopover, and wintering site for birds. Sablette exhibited the lowest diversity with eight species, attributable to significant human activity, and a lack of suitable habitats in the area. Zéralda recorded 13 species, indicating moderate diversity, and potential urban impacts on habitats. By assessing the status of birds and characterizing estuaries as habitats for shorebirds in Algeria, our observations provide support for shorebird conservation, and habitat management.

Eggshells in birds are primarily composed of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which provide mechanical strength and protection to the developing embryo. In this study, CaCO3 content in the eggshells of the domestic hen (Gallus gallus domesticus) as a control species, compared with three wild bird species — Baya weaver (Ploceus philippinus), Spotted munia (Lonchura punctulata), and Red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus) — collected from different districts of the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India. Eggshells were collected from poultry farms and natural nesting sites, then cleaned, dried, powdered, and analysed using a simple acid-base back titration method involving hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Among the species, the Red-wattled lapwing exhibited the highest average CaCO3 content (95.18% ± 1.95), followed by the domestic hen (94.93% ± 0.92), Baya weaver (93.20% ± 2.53), and Spotted munia (91.50% ± 2.43). Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed statistically significant differences among species (F = 28.74, P < 0.001), districts (F = 4.79, P = 0.0118), and their interaction (F = 14.64, P < 0.001). These findings provide important baseline data for avian ecological studies and suggest that nesting strategies and habitat variability play key roles in eggshell mineral content. The use of backyard-raised hens as a domesticated control enhances the ecological relevance of the comparisons and highlights the utility of simple analytical methods in avian physiology and conservation research.

Avian diversity is used to assess the functionality of diverse types of habitats around Salt Lake Djendli, Northeast Algeria. The landscape is stratified into five habitat types in a gradient from wetland to forested mountains. Bird species found in these habitats can be classified into four ecological groups with decreasing degrees of aquatic specialisation and increasing forest specialisation. For each surveyed species, five ecological status were assigned. Overall, there was lower species richness in urban areas compared to other "natural" habitats. Birds have a biogeographical affinity to the western Palaearctic according to the dominant faunal types. Interactions of ecological status with phenological traits reveal that water birds are different from non-aquatic species because most of them are migrants. Moreover, overall, there is no worrying conservation status for surveyed birds. Bird diet is dependent on the ecological status that differentiate bird groups from each other due to differences in the food resources of the habitats they frequent. Phenological categories tend to link together birds of urban and open-lands. These two groups are affected by seasonal human activities. Our findings emphasise the importance of using combinations within the birds' ecological status, which would give information on the actual state of avifauna. This approach is relevant for future programmes and conservation actions.

Avian diversity is used to assess the functionality of diverse types of habitats around Salt Lake Djendli, Northeast Algeria. The landscape is stratified into five habitat types in a gradient from wetland to forested mountains. Bird species found in these habitats can be classified into four ecological groups with decreasing degrees of aquatic specialisation and increasing forest specialisation. For each surveyed species, five ecological status were assigned. Overall, there was lower species richness in urban areas compared to other "natural" habitats. Birds have a biogeographical affinity to the western Palaearctic according to the dominant faunal types. Interactions of ecological status with phenological traits reveal that water birds are different from non-aquatic species because most of them are migrants. Moreover, overall, there is no worrying conservation status for surveyed birds. Bird diet is dependent on the ecological status that differentiate bird groups from each other due to differences in the food resources of the habitats they frequent. Phenological categories tend to link together birds of urban and open-lands. These two groups are affected by seasonal human activities. Our findings emphasise the importance of using combinations within the birds' ecological status, which would give information on the actual state of avifauna. This approach is relevant for future programmes and conservation actions.

Understanding the dynamics of stopover site quality and the adaptive response of birds within these contexts is essential for comprehending migratory strategies and their impact on individual survival and fitness. to investigate these dynamics, we examined 16 years of bluethroat Luscinia svecica monitoring at txingudi, one of its key stopover sites in northern Iberia. Our aim was to examine annual variations and potential temporal trends in demographic structure (characterised by subspecies, age and sex ratios), population size, timing of passage, stopover duration, fuel load and fuel deposition rate. Such variations could signal a shift in the ecological value of this stopover site. the number of bluethroats declined at an annual rate of 2.3%. Stopover probability and body mass varied annually, the latter showing a negative trend. however, population structure, passage timing and fuel deposition rate remained remarkably constant, with only minor deviations from the mean in specific years for certain parameters. the observed population decline mirrored that in the breeding population in France, suggesting changes in major stopover sites like txingudi may reflect dynamics within breeding areas. Future research, including comparative studies across flyways, will be essential for comprehension of the long-term temporal dynamics of major stopover site usage.

Responding to environmental changes, a variety of bird species have recently been displaced, leading to changed behavior. Migrant and sedentary birds show interpersonal survival differences in rates, population count, and lifetime of 180 individuals radio-tracked throughout, including partially displaced Great Bustards (Otis tarta), with 16 years of data for analysis. We utilized population migration patterns in this study, automating the step of screening ecological phenomena from radar data. This approach will significantly assist in conducting large-scale research. We employed Fisher on SIFT descriptors as the basis of the vector model, comparing it to convolutional neural networks (CNNs). By comparing the performance of these models, we can use various techniques for this new mission. We evaluated the performance of deep and shallow network structures, comparing the conventional CNN model with deep structure models and trained them on radar imagery before fine-tuning using ImageNet. We compared the results obtained. There may be several reasons why many birds migrate. The primary reason is the availability of food during their migration. If they remain in one place, their food supply during the breeding season will eventually run out. Therefore, they move to areas where food is plentiful to reproduce. During this period, a decrease in food does not affect incoming birds, but it does attract predators who view them as an easy meal. Additionally, birds usually migrate to ensure healthy conditions for raising their offspring. Another reason for migration is changes in climate or weather conditions. If there is a change in these conditions, it may trigger their migration. Severe situations such as predators and diseases can drive them to migrate in order to protect themselves and their descendants. Generally, they migrate to places that are safe and inaccessible to predators.

This paper explores the unusual influx of Little Crakes Zapornia parva in Malta in April 2024, analysing ecological and meteorological factors that may have contributed to this event. The research utilizes field observations and analysis of migration patterns to put the unusual occurrence in a proper context. Historically, Little Crakes were described
as “abundant” in Malta during the 19th century but saw a decline in sightings over time, shifting from being “common” to “rare” according to late 19th and early 20th-century ornithological records. The present study notes that, despite this long-term decrease, a recent count of 22 birds marks a significant event, highlighting the species’ fluctuating status in the Maltese Islands.

The Giant Reed Arundo donax has a long-standing presence in the Maltese Islands, playing a significant role in both agriculture and as a habitat for migratory birds. Despite its historical utility, it has recently been classified as an invasive species, prompting removal efforts that may overlook its ecological importance. This paper explores the reed’s
dual nature as both a beneficial component of local biodiversity and a target of eradication campaigns. It examines the impact of reedbed habitats on migratory birds, particularly in providing crucial roosting sites for species such as Marsh Harriers, Circus aeruginosus, Yellow Wagtails, Motacilla flava and hirundines. Using a combination of field observations, historical data, and an analysis of existing literature, the study highlights the need for balanced management practices that protect bird habitats while addressing invasive species concerns.
The findings advocate for a re-evaluation of current environmental policies, emphasizing a more sustainable and scientifically informed strategy that takes birds into consideration while managing Giant Reed populations in the Maltese Islands.

Four new species: Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis ptilorhynchus orientalis, Brown Booby Sula leucogaster, Franklin’s Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan, Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea were recorded between 2023 and 2024. These species bring the number of species of birds recorded in the Maltese Islands to 476.  The list of the birds recorded in Malta that had been updated in 2010 (Fenech 2010) was later updated with new species that were recorded between 2010 and 2015 (Fenech & Sammut 2015).  More new species were added in 2017 (Fenech 2017), in 2020 (Fenech & Sammut 2020), and in 2022 (Fenech & Sammut 2022).

Food availability and acquisition are critical components of a stopover site's suitability, but we know relatively little about how changes in food availability affect the stopover ecology of migrating landbirds. We examined fruit and arthropod availability in three habitats, studied foraging behavior and diet, and investigated use versus availability for passerines migrating through southwestern Idaho in autumn. Hemiptera dominated foliage-dwelling arthropod communities in all three habitats, whereas Hymenoptera were most numerous among ground-dwelling arthropods. Mountain shrubland had relatively high biomass of both ground-dwelling and foliage-dwelling arthropods, whereas conifer forest had high biomass of foliage-dwelling arthropods only and shrub steppe had high biomass of ground-dwelling arthropods only. Species' foraging behavior varied , but most species foraged in mountain shrubland more often than expected by chance. Diets of most species included a high proportion of certain Hemiptera and Hymenoptera with smaller proportions of Coleoptera, Diptera, and Heteroptera; Coleoptera and some Hemiptera were consistently preferred by most species. Importantly, all 19 bird species examined consumed some fruit, and this is the first documentation of frugivory for two warbler species. These data point to the importance of several arthropod taxa, especially the Hemiptera and Hymenoptera, and fruits to landbirds migrating in mountain shrubland in autumn. Finally, we found no effect of annual variation of fruit or arthropod abundance on migrants' energetic condition, suggesting that food was sufficient for mass gain in all years of this study and/or that foraging behavior may be plastic enough to allow birds to gain mass despite annual differences in food availability.

Responding to environmental changes, a variety of bird species have recently been displaced, leading to changed behavior. Migrant and sedentary birds show interpersonal survival differences in rates,
population count, and lifetime of 180 individuals radio-tracked throughout, including partially displaced Great Bustards (Otis tarta), with 16 years of data for analysis. We utilized population migration patterns in
this study, automating the step of screening ecological phenomena from radar data. This approach will significantly assist in conducting large-scale research. We employed Fisher on SIFT descriptors as the basis
of the vector model, comparing it to convolutional neural networks (CNNs).

regional-to continental-scale populations of some species and to provide coverage for others that are not monitored elsewhere. This paper evaluates the use of Veracruz migration counts to monitor populations, documents the adjustments made to a currently existing method to analyze migration count data and fit it to the specific properties of our dataset, and presents estimates of population change over a decade. We used long-term, effort-adjusted migration count data to generate annual indexes of abundance. The series of annual indexes is fitted to a polynomial regression to produce an estimate of the annual rate of change. The use of this methodology with Veracruz data shows its usefulness to datasets of many species, as well as limitations to datasets from species with high interannual variation in migration counts, and those recorded rarely. In seven species, the authors found significant population change. Six of them, Swallow-tailed Kite, Mississippi Kite, Cooper's Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Zonetailed Hawk, and Peregrine Falcon show increases at an annual rate between 1.9-15.7% per year-1 in the period 1995-2005. One species, the Northern Harrier, is decreasing at a rate of-8.4% year-1 during the same period. Trends reported here reveal population increases in most cases, and concur with the pattern found in migration counts from surveys such as the Breeding Bird Survey and the Christmas Bird Count.

publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics. These reports are of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Report Series is used to disseminate comprehensive information and analysis about natural resources and related topics concerning lands managed by the National Park Service. The series supports the advancement of science, informed decision-making, and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series also provides a forum for presenting more lengthy results that may not be accepted by publications with page limitations. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received informal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data.

The avifauna of Moldova is represented by 119 species of aquatic birds and waders from nine orders – Podicipediformes 5, Gaviiformes 2, Pelecaniformes 4, Ciconiiformes 12, Anseriformes -28, Gruiformes 6, Charadriiformes 47, Coraciiformes – 1 (105 species) and Passeriformes (the rest of 14 species). All the bird species of this group are migratory species, except the passage birds that can visit in various seasons and with various success the territory of the republic. As a rule, the visits of such species are irregular and their individual number is always moderate. There are only 9 species of them, of which 6 species are representatives of Mongolian or Mediterranean fauna types. The fauna of the republic is represented by many species that don’t breed on our territory, but can be met only on migration. From 42 species the majority belong to the Siberian (15) and Arctic (13) fauna types. These are various species of curlew, gooses, ducks, gulls. The geographic position of the Republ...

Se ha revisado la presencia pasada y actual de los buitres leonado, negro, alimoche y quebrantahuesos en islas del Mediterraneo y se describe el proceso de colonizacion y asentamiento en Mallorca del buitre leonado desde 2008. De las cuatro especies de buitres las mayores poblaciones de buitre leonado estan en Creta (Grecia) y Cres (Croacia). Las Baleares acogen las mejores y casi unicas poblaciones de Buitre negro (solo presente en Mallorca) y Alimoche (existe ademas una pequenisima poblacion en Sicilia) mientras el Quebrantahuesos apenas cuenta con una veintena de parejas entre Creta y Corcega conjuntamente. El proceso de colonizacion de Mallorca por el buitre leonado fue singular, favorecido por fuertes vientos del suroeste que empujaron a cientos de aves juveniles en migracion desde la Peninsula Iberica. La observacion de un buitre marcado secuencialmente y en escaso tiempo en Murcia y dias despues en Mallorca permitio determinar el origen de estas aves. A los cuatro anos de ase...

Islands during the years 1996-1999 has been compiled from the observation records, which were submitted by several observers, as well as from the daily log of birds of the nature reserves at Ghadira and Simar. The regular contributors for the 4 years under review were

We have described the first nesting attempt of the Common Redshank Tringa totanus in the Kopački rit Nature Park. Four adults were observed feeding in the Podunavlje fishponds within the Park’s border on 19th April and 7th May. On 10th May, a singing male was observed at the same spot – a small island formed in the middle of a pond, together with two incubating pairs of Black-winged Stilts Himantopus himantopus, and four, presumably breeding, Lapwings Vanellus vanellus pairs. Unfortunately, heavy rains in May caused an increase in the water level, so that the island was flooded and the breeding interrupted

Various members contributed their records through the Birders Diary Programme, which is coordinated by Manwel Mallia. Records of species, which have appeared less than twenty times in the Maltese islands, and which are appearing in this list have been controlled by John Attard Montalto Coordinator of the Rarities Committee. The sequence and the scientific nomenclature of the last systematic list, which covered the years 1 993-1995 and which was published in 1999 (/1-Meri//29: 30-57) followed those adopted by the Concise Edition of Birds of the Western Palearctic (Snow & Perrins 1998). Since then there were several taxonomic developments due to the publication of various phylogenetic studies. The British Ornithologists Union (Ibis (2002), 144:707-710) recommended, amongst others, a new taxonomic order, in which Anseriformes and Galliformes are placed at the start of the list, as well as correcting the spelling of various scientific names (e.g Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida and not C. hybridus; Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla and not R. ignicapillus). Since then other modifications and corrections in scientific names (Ibis (2004), 146: 153-157; and Ibis (2005), 147: 821-826) were also recommended (e.g. a reappraisal of the taxa of Aquila and Hieraaetus recommended that Booted Eagle should be treated as Aquila pennata; that Skuas should be treated as a single genus (Great Skua is now Stercorarius skua); and that Yellow-Legged Gull L. michahellis, Armenian Gull L. armenicus and Herring Gull L. argentatus are best treated as three separate species). Changes in the generic limits of terns and swallows have also been made. These have put Little Tern with the genus Sternula, Caspian Tern with Hydroprogne, Gull-billed Tern goes back to Gelochelidon; and Red-rumped Swallow with genus Cecropis. Other changes include the correction of scientific names: House Martin is De/ichon urbicum not D. urbica while Stonechat is Saxicola torquatus not S. torquata. The sequence of the genus Sylvia was changed starting from Blackcap Sylvia atricapilia and ending with Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala; while Corn Bunting is back with the genus Emberiza. In compiling this list we have taken up these recommendations, which are becoming widely adopted. The English names used in the last systematic list were those adopted by British Birds in 1993 (Brit. Birds 86: 1-2). Unfortunately some of these 'new' English names did not become widely used even in Britain. Some names such as 'Hedge Accentor', 'Rufous Nightingale' and 'Rufous-tailed Scrub-robin' were completely ignored so much so that after 1 i years British Birds felt it was appropriate, particularly in view of all the taxonomic development, to review and update the list of English names (Brit. Birds (2004) 97: 2-5). We are here following this reviewed and updated list, which can be found and down-loaded from www.britishbirds.co.uk (the British Birds Website). Thus, amongst others, Levantine Shean.vater is novv Yelkouan Shearwater5 Hedge Accentor goes back to Dunnock, Rufous Nightingale changes its adjective to Common, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin becomes Rufous Bush Robin, etc. For those species, which did not appear in all the 4 years under review, the year during which a species has not been recorded has been omitted. (M) or (G) following a place name refers to Malta and Gozo respectively.

BIRDLIFE !\MLTA. was founded as The Malta Ornithological Society (MOS) in 1962 to work for the protection and study of birds and their habitats in Malta. BIRDUFE MALTA is a partner of Birdlite International and it is the oldest and largest environmental NGO in the country. Among its commitments, the Society coordinates a research group to carry out bird studies in Malta. The group also runs the Valletta Bird Ringing Scheme, which is a member of EURI!\!G. BIRDLIFE MALTA publishes a bimonthly Newsletter BirdTa!k and its annual review Bird's Eye View for its members. It has a junior section Kiabb Huttaf, with its own activities and a bimonthly magazine 11-Huttafa. BIRDLIFE MALTA manages two nature reserves-Ghadira and ls-Simar. Membership of BIRDLIFE MALTA LM4 for Adults (overseas £13 I 20 €) per annum.

La eficacia de las áreas protegidas para la conservación depende del conocimiento de los patrones regionales de diversidad. Este estudio describe las comunidades de aves de bosque tropical del oriente de Guatemala y su estado actual de conservación. Se muestrearon 26 sitios con redes y/o puntos de conteo en ocho reservas, en todo el gradiente altitudinal (0-1300 m.s.n.m). Se detectaron 199 especies (38 familias y 13 órdenes), siendo 29 especies migratorias neárticas. La riqueza de especies fue mínima en bosques inundables (promedio para capturas = 21.0 ± 8.8, promedio de conteos para especies de estratos inferiores (no dosel) = 17.7 ± 6.4; promedio de conteos para especies de dosel = 26.0 ± 7.0), aumentando rápidamente en los no inundables, para mantenerse relativamente constante en el intervalo altitudinal, con valores máximos a elevaciones bajas–medias (100-500 m.s.n.m) (promedio para capturas = 34.5 ± 4.8, promedio de conteos para especies de estratos inferiores (no dosel) = 38.3 ± 6.0; promedio de conteos para especies de dosel = 34.5 ± 7.9). Las cimas montañosas fueron más singulares, con especies típicas de bosques nubosos al oeste de la región estudiada. Según los análisis multivariados, la estructura de las comunidades de aves estuvo fuertemente asociada a la variación altitudinal, definiéndose cinco comunidades relativamente distintivas: 1) bosques inundables; 2) 0-100 m.s.n.m. (no inundables); 3) 100-400 m.s.n.m., 4) 400-800 m.s.n.m.; 5) 800- 1300 m.s.n.m. Esta información, complementada con aquella de otros grupos taxonómicos, puede servir para re-evaluar la zonificación en áreas protegidas o definir áreas prioritarias para la conservación en la región.

This paper presents a novel bird monitoring and recognition system in noisy environments. The project objective is to avoid bird strikes to aircraft. First, a cost-effective microphone dish concept (microphone array with many concentric rings) is presented that can provide directional and accurate acquisition of bird sounds and can simultaneously pick up bird sounds from different directions. Second, direction-of-arrival (DOA) and beamforming algorithms have been developed for the circular array. Third, an efficient recognition algorithm is proposed which uses Gaussian mixture models (GMMs). The overall system is suitable for monitoring and recognition for a large number of birds. Fourth, a hardware prototype has been built and initial experiments demonstrated that the array can acquire and classify birds accurately.

On the territory of the Altai Territory, the Eurasian Crane (Grus grus) is a common migratory, nomadic and breeding species, but its breeding distribution, summer congregations and autumn staging areas are extremely mosaic, which is associated with the diverse landscape and features of agricultural lands using in the various landscape provinces.
Numbers and distribution of the Eurasian Crane in the XX–XXI centuries were analyzed based on literature and our own data for 2014–2023, collected mainly incidentally across most of the territory of the region. To clarify the current breeding grounds in the Altai Territory, and sites of summer gatherings, we used our own observations in breeding area, including the method of direction finding by voices (Markin, 1978), inquiries of local residents, hunters, inter-district state hunting inspectors, state inspectors of specially protected natural areas and nature lovers. A significant amount of information was obtained from the electronic resources “Birds of Siberia” (sibirds.ru) and iNaturalist.org – more than a thousand observations were received and processed from these sources.

Wetlands are an important habitat for all kinds of dependent water birds. They are vital habitats for resident as well as migratory birds for foraging, roosting and breeding activities. Kopra wetland is an important and suitable bird habitat for both resident and migratory birds in Chhattisgarh. This wetland fulfills the need of water for the surrounding agricultural land and it also acts as a site for food as well as a roosting ground to many resident and migratory bird species. Every year a huge number of birds including Waterfowl, waders and Terrestrial Birds migrate to this wetland between the months of October to March. A study was carried out to estimate the avifaunal diversity during three consecutive winter seasons from 2016 to 2018 and estimated 133 avifauna species belonging to 18 orders and 47 families. Out of 133 avifauna 80 resident and 53 migratory species were recorded, including four Near Threatened species which are Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala), Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus), Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), Blacktailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) and one Vulnerable (VU) Woolly-necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus) and one Endangered (EN) Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus).

To effectively conserve migratory landbirds, we need to be involved in conservation beyond our political borders. This has been a central tenet of Partners in Flight (PIF) since the initiative began in 1990 with a focus on Nearctic-Neotropical migrants. Implementation of this concept has also been fundamental to the success of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (e.g., NAWMP 2004). Actions by individual states, provinces and territories are key to the success of PIF efforts at the continental scale, and great progress has been made in recent years through various initiatives. Currently, U.S. state Wildlife Action Plans are outlining a vast array of actions to benefit priority species. However, it is also very important to take action in regions that support these same species at the other end of their migratory movements, to ensure effective protection year-round (Rappole et al. 1983, Webster and Marra 2005, Elliott et al. 2005). For instance, conservation action is needed ...

Long-term bird-banding programs provide knowledge of the demographic rates of avian populations, but we currently lack information on demographic rates of most bird populations in species-rich tropical ecosystems. Banding in tropical regions is typically conducted with protracted or irregular sampling occasions that make the choice of the proper capture-mark-recapture (CMR) model difficult. Here, we address common challenges related to collecting and analyzing data to estimate survival rates of resident Neotropical birds using  years of banding efforts in Mexico as a case study. We applied Cormack-Jolly-Seber and Barker models to estimate apparent survival and recapture probabilities of species with sufficient data for survival analyses. We were able to analyze  resident species of  total species; apparent survival probabilities ranged from . to ., and recapture probabilities from . to .. For monitoring programs with existing data collected at continuous, uneven, or irregular intervals, we recommend the application of the Barker model over other models because it was more efficient in the use of available banding data and less often violated CMR assumptions. We recommend that monitoring programs last > years and provide additional protocol suggestions for primary and secondary sampling occasions, as well as the number of nets, potential net configurations, and the extent of the spatial scale. These baseline recommendations are likely to foster an increase in our knowledge of avian survival rates in tropical ecosystems, which is imperative for managing tropical bird populations under changing environmental conditions.

The results of a preliminary sur vey of the air quality in Malta during May-December 1990 with respect to sulphur dioxide are pre sented. One-hour-average S02 concentrations as high as 320 ug m• 3 have been measured from ar eas proximate to the Marsa power station. The concentration of S02 in ambient air was found to be strongly dependent on atmos pheric conditions and especially on wind direction. At Paola, meas S kit.#tr-n ured concentrations varied from below the detection limit of 25 ug m• 3 to about 160 ug m•J. These FIGURE 1: Map of sites which have been sampled in this study and their preliminary results suggest that relation to Marsa Power Station. specific areas in Malta which are close to the Marsa power station may have an air pollution problem which is significantly more pro nounced than that in other areas. The results also indicate the need for a thorough air monitoring pro gramme which would allow the pollution problem to be assessed more accurately and to be followed con tinually.

BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Background The long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis) was categorized as ´Vulnerable` by the IUCN after a study revealed a rapid wintering population decline of 65% between 1992–1993 and 2007–2009 in the Baltic Sea. As knowledge about the European long-tailed duck’s life cycle and movement ecology is limited, we investigate its year-round spatiotemporal distribution patterns. Specifically, we aimed to identify the wintering grounds, timing of migration and staging of this population via light-level geolocation. Results Of the 48 female long-tailed ducks tagged on Kolguev Island (western Russian Arctic), 19 were recaptured to obtain data. After breeding and moulting at freshwater lakes, ducks went out to sea around Kolguev Island and to marine waters ranging from the White Sea to Novaya Zemlya Archipelago for 33 ± 10 days. After a rapid autumn migration, 18 of 19 birds spent their winter in the Baltic Sea and one bird in the White Sea, where they stayed for 212 ± 3 days. There, they us...

An electric network frequency (ENF) signal can be found in multimedia recordings due to propagation from the power grid. There a variety of applications based on ENF signal use, such as video and audio stream synchronization, and origin determination of multimedia recordings. In this paper, we propose the use of ENF to synchronize real-time audio streams from different, non-synchronized sound devices, for instance from wireless sound cards or low cost USB sound cards. Synchronization of separate audio streams can be achieved by aligning their embedded ENF signals. Our goal is to find out how accurate a synchronization using ENF at different SNR levels can be. We show simulation and real-time experimental results of audio stream synchronization. We found that with sufficient ENF level we can achieve an accuracy of the estimated delay difference of four samples at 44.1 kHz sampling rate.

The Atlantic Coast and Eastern Habitat Joint Ventures hosted two international planning workshops to begin the process of integrating bird conservation strategies under the North American Bird Conservation Initiative in the Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain Bird Conservation Region. The workshops identified priority species and habitats, delineated focus areas, discussed population and habitat objectives, and began developing a long-term conservation plan. The objective of this effort is to provide a seamless, coordinated effort to deliver on-the-ground conservation for high priority species among the partners in the United States and Canada in the Lower Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Plain Bird Conservation Region.

1. Our understanding of movement patterns in wildlife populations has played an important role in current ecological knowledge and can inform landscape conservation decisions. Direct measures of movement can be obtained using marked individuals, but this requires tracking individuals across a landscape or multiple sites. 2. We demonstrate how movements can be estimated indirectly using single-site, capturemark-recapture (CMR) data with a multi-state open robust design with state uncertainty model (MSORD-SU). We treat residence and transience as two phenotypic states of overwintering migrants and use time-and state-dependent probabilities of site entry and persistence as indirect measures of movement. We applied the MSORD-SU to data on eight species of overwintering Neotropical birds collected in 14 countries between 2002 and 2011. In addition to entry and persistence probabilities, we estimated the proportions of residents at a study site and mean residence times. 3. We identified overwintering movement patterns and residence times that contrasted with prior categorizations of territoriality. Most species showed an evidence of residents entering sites at multiple time intervals, with transients tending to enter between peak resident movement times. Persistence and the proportion of residents varied by latitude, but were not always positively correlated for a given species. 4. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that migratory songbirds commonly move among habitats during the overwintering period. Substantial proportions of populations appear to be comprised of transient individuals, and residents tend to persist at specific sites for relatively short periods of time. This information on persistence and movement patterns should be explored for specific habitats to guide landscape management on the wintering grounds, such as determining which habitats are conserved or restored as part of certification programmes of tropical agroforestry crops. We suggest that research and conservation efforts on Neotropical migrant songbirds focus on identifying landscape configurations and regional habitat networks that support these diverse overwintering strategies to secure full life cycle conservation.

Racial identification and assessment in Britain White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons frontalis, A. a. elgasi, A. a. gambelli and A. a. albicans Only A. a. albifrons from northern Europe and western Siberia and A. a. flavirostris from Greenland are on the British List. The diagnosability of potential vagrant races has been poorly studied, though quite large differences exist in biometrics and structure and, more subtly, in plumage and bill colour.

Partial migration, where populations are composed of both migratory and resident individuals, is extremely widespread across the animal kingdom. Researchers studying fish movements have long recognized that many fishes are partial migrants, however, no detailed taxonomic review has ever been published. In addition, previous work and synthesis has been hampered by a varied lexicon associated with this phenomenon in fishes. In this review, definitions and important concepts in partial migration research are discussed, and a classification system of the different forms of partial migration in fishes introduced. Next, a detailed taxonomic overview of partial migration in this group is considered. Finally, methodological approaches that ichthyologists can use to study this fascinating phenomenon are reviewed. Partial migration is more widespread amongst fishes than previously thought, and given the array of techniques available to fish biologists to study migratory variation the future of the field looks promising.

Seasonal migration is a complex and variable behaviour with the potential to promote reproductive isolation. In Eurasian blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla), a migratory divide in central Europe separating populations with southwest (SW) and southeast (SE) autumn routes may facilitate isolation, and individuals using new wintering areas in Britain show divergence from Mediterranean winterers. We tracked 100 blackcaps in the wild to characterize these strategies. Blackcaps to the west and east of the divide used predominantly SW and SE directions, respectively, but close to the contact zone many individuals took intermediate (S) routes. At 14.0° E, we documented a sharp transition from SW to SE migratory directions across only 27 (10–86) km, implying a strong selection gradient across the divide. Blackcaps wintering in Britain took northwesterly migration routes from continental European breeding grounds. They originated from a surprisingly extensive area, spanning 2000 km of the breeding...

Through population growth, the passage of time, and the advancement of technology, development inevitably happens, but how to create development and pay attention to its sustainability by considering various indicators and comprehensive foresight is principal. Examining the biological and ecological conditions of seabirds over time at Musa multi-branch Creek (Khur-e Musa) and offshore Islands is one of the indicators in an aquatic ecosystem that can indicate the success or failure of sustainable development management. This study measured the status of the population and breeding habitats of the Lesser crested Tern, Swift Tern, and Bridled Tern in Khur-e Musa Islands and nearby areas, and the changes of the last decades in the development path were examined. The results indicated unbalanced development at Khur-e Musa. Lack of education and promotion, lack of attention to scientific standards and guidelines, lack of adherence to international protocols and agreements, and lack of adequate budget allocation for independent environmental studies were evaluated among the principal factors of development instability and need to be modified. It is recommended to change the management approach and become environmentally friendly.

В представленной работе показаны механизмы воздействия таких климатических факторов, как индекс Северо-Атлантического Колебания и температура, на сроки, продолжительность и темпы весенней миграции и гнездования модельного вида куликов-чибиса (Vanellus vanellus) на юге Беларуси. Выявлены долговременные тенденции в изменении сроков прилета и гнездования в зависимости от ранней, нормальной или поздней весны. Ключевые слова: пойменный луг, кулики, фенология гнездования, весенняя миграция, климатические факторы.

We also assessed population trends over previous years using data from earlier surveys. We estimated the number of nests and eggs, and recorded loss of eggs by predation, including harvesting by fishermen. Using a structured questionnaire, we interviewed 800 respondents from Kavaratti Island in the Lakshadweep Archipelago to assess the number of people involved in seabird egg harvesting and trade, and to evaluate their attitudes towards seabird conservation. We recorded three species of terns: Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus, Brown Noddy Anous stolidus, and Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii, but only Sooty Terns were nesting during our field visits. Levels of natural predation on this species were low (<1%), whereas fishermen removed 14%-45% of the eggs. Approximately 72% of the 800 respondents interviewed on Kavaratti Island were either directly or indirectly involved in the harvest and local trade of seabird eggs. Respondents involved in egg harvesting were significantly less inclined to support seabird conservation. Although Pitti Island is a protected area, tern numbers have declined since 1963. This key breeding site will likely be lost unless stringent conservation measures are implemented to monitor and protect the nesting colony, and to divert the local people away from the seabird egg trade.

Seabirds, which comprise 3% of the world’s avifauna, are found in diverse oceanic habitats worldwide. A significant number of these seabirds are globally threatened (Croxall et al. 2012). An appreciable amount of research has been conducted on seabirds in tropical areas (Ballance & Pitman 1999), and more recently, important seabird research has been conducted in the Western Indian Ocean (De Monte et al. 2012, Mannocci et al. 2014, Thiers et al. 2014). However, seabirds of the Eastern Indian Ocean have received less attention. Therefore, studies are required to shed light on their population status and the threats they face (Mondreti et al. 2013).

Measurement of stable-hydrogen isotopes (dD) in feathers of migrating birds can provide information on where feathers were grown in North America, at least to an approximate band of latitude. This approach has greatly increased our ability to investigate aspects of avian migration and stopover ecology, since origins of unmarked individuals at migration stopover sites can be estimated for the first time. However, few studies have explored the power of combining isotope measurements with geographic information system (GIS) methods. We measured dD values in feathers of hatching-year (HY) Swainson's Thrushes (Catharus ustulatus; n 5 60), Wood Thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina; n 5 113), and Gray Catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis; n 5 158) at Ft. Morgan Peninsula, Alabama (30u109N, 88u009W), a migration stopover site along the Gulf coast. By applying an elevation-corrected hydrogen isotope basemap for birds in North America, we derived a GIS surface depicting expected feather dD values across the continent. We then used GIS to constrain the possible origins of the sampled populations by considering only values falling within the North American breeding ranges of the species. We depicted likely origins of migrating birds by the 50% and 75% tolerance limits of the data. Our GIS analysis indicated that our captured populations represented much-reduced regions of possible origin based on the North American breeding distributions. Gradients in abundance data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) allowed us to further narrow possible origins within isotopic boundaries for Wood Thrushes and Gray Catbirds. This exercise provided a means by which priority regions and habitats could be assessed at large continental scales based on actual productivity. We suggest the combination of isotopic and GIS tools provides a powerful means to derive conservation priorities and to investigate key factors involved in the ecology of avian migration and stopover.

Background: Tracking small migrant organisms worldwide has been hampered by technological and recovery limitations and sampling bias inherent in exogenous markers. Naturally occurring stable isotopes of H (d 2 H) in feathers provide an alternative intrinsic marker of animal origin due to the predictable spatial linkage to underlying hydrologically driven flow of H isotopes into foodwebs. This approach can assess the likelihood that a migrant animal originated from a given location(s) within a continent but requires a robust algorithm linking H isotopes in tissues of interest to an appropriate hydrological isotopic spatio-temporal pattern, such as weighted-annual rainfall. However, a number of factors contribute to or alter expected isotopic patterns in animals. We present results of an extensive investigation into taxonomic and environmental factors influencing feather d 2 H patterns across North America.