Pub Date : 2023-08-01DOI: 10.1177/17581559231198646
Mourad Zemouri, Mehdi Baba-Ahmed, Khaled Meddouri, Lydia Hani, Meriem Beldjoudi, Sabah Tighlit, Asma Khemis, Abdelazize Franck Bougaham
The Algerian Nuthatch (Sitta ledanti), which is mentioned on the Red List of threatened species, is one of the first protected birds in Algeria. The species’ populations are distributed with low numbers in Babors’ Kabyliain northeastern Algeria. The diet composition of the species has been studied on a large scale in five large forests. The diet analysis method is based on the identification of the different prey items found in the fecal sacs of the nestlings. We divided the 89 identified prey into 81 insects, 7 arachnids and 1 gastropod, giving 88 arthropods and 1 mollusc. According to both the Cluster Dendrogram and the Costello graph, the Algerian Nuthatch becomes a specialist species while searching for prey to feed its nestlings. This supply of specific prey for nestlings has been observed in both evergreen (Atlas cedar or Algerian fir) and deciduous (Algerian or African oaks) forests. Only the relative abundances (RA) of each prey consumed, prey number per fecal sac, and prey diversity by forest type showed differences. The low proportion of gastropods found in the fecal sacs of Algerian Nuthatch nestlings may explain the low nutritional value of this prey or may also be due to its low abundance. The species’ nestlings consumed a lot of European Earwig (Forficula auricularia) and White spotted rose beetle (Oxythyrea funesta) which could be due to their high energy intake and abundance in the area near the nests. Repeated fires and other anthropogenic activity constitute direct threats to the species’ habitat, and its specialised diet on certain prey weakens the survival of this species with endangered conservation status.
{"title":"Potential prey and conservation implications of the Algerian Nuthatch Sitta ledanti (Vielliard 1976)","authors":"Mourad Zemouri, Mehdi Baba-Ahmed, Khaled Meddouri, Lydia Hani, Meriem Beldjoudi, Sabah Tighlit, Asma Khemis, Abdelazize Franck Bougaham","doi":"10.1177/17581559231198646","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17581559231198646","url":null,"abstract":"The Algerian Nuthatch (Sitta ledanti), which is mentioned on the Red List of threatened species, is one of the first protected birds in Algeria. The species’ populations are distributed with low numbers in Babors’ Kabyliain northeastern Algeria. The diet composition of the species has been studied on a large scale in five large forests. The diet analysis method is based on the identification of the different prey items found in the fecal sacs of the nestlings. We divided the 89 identified prey into 81 insects, 7 arachnids and 1 gastropod, giving 88 arthropods and 1 mollusc. According to both the Cluster Dendrogram and the Costello graph, the Algerian Nuthatch becomes a specialist species while searching for prey to feed its nestlings. This supply of specific prey for nestlings has been observed in both evergreen (Atlas cedar or Algerian fir) and deciduous (Algerian or African oaks) forests. Only the relative abundances (RA) of each prey consumed, prey number per fecal sac, and prey diversity by forest type showed differences. The low proportion of gastropods found in the fecal sacs of Algerian Nuthatch nestlings may explain the low nutritional value of this prey or may also be due to its low abundance. The species’ nestlings consumed a lot of European Earwig (Forficula auricularia) and White spotted rose beetle (Oxythyrea funesta) which could be due to their high energy intake and abundance in the area near the nests. Repeated fires and other anthropogenic activity constitute direct threats to the species’ habitat, and its specialised diet on certain prey weakens the survival of this species with endangered conservation status.","PeriodicalId":55408,"journal":{"name":"Avian Biology Research","volume":"16 1","pages":"97 - 106"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49086053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-01DOI: 10.1177/17581559231176756
Anupama Yadav, S. Malik, S. Rani
Food is one of the key environmental factors affecting an organism’s behavior and physiology on daily and seasonal basis. Over the years, studies regarding human food habits and its subsequent impact on their behavior and physiology have been explored a lot but studies on same line are missing with reference to different animal taxa. Thus, in the present study, we investigated the impact of varied food availability over a monotonous food schedule on birds. We were interested in knowing how this treatment affects the birds’ behavior and physiology? The experiment was performed on migratory passerine finch; redheaded bunting (Emberiza bruniceps), wherein two groups of bird (N = 10 each) were taken. Group I (Kakuni group; KG) birds were fed only with seeds of Setaria italica (Kakuni) whereas group II (Mixed Diet group; MG) was provided with seeds of kakuni along with sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum) and egg white, all three separately in different bowls. Results reveal that behaviorally, MG birds were more active with higher gross food intake when compared with KG. MG birds also had significant gain in body mass and testicular volume during the course of experiment, although, the accumulation of fat remained unchanged between the two groups. Thus, the study clearly demonstrates the motivation to eat and stay active besides being reproductively proficient in presence of varied food availability.
{"title":"Food monotony compromises photoperiod induced responses in migratory redheaded bunting","authors":"Anupama Yadav, S. Malik, S. Rani","doi":"10.1177/17581559231176756","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17581559231176756","url":null,"abstract":"Food is one of the key environmental factors affecting an organism’s behavior and physiology on daily and seasonal basis. Over the years, studies regarding human food habits and its subsequent impact on their behavior and physiology have been explored a lot but studies on same line are missing with reference to different animal taxa. Thus, in the present study, we investigated the impact of varied food availability over a monotonous food schedule on birds. We were interested in knowing how this treatment affects the birds’ behavior and physiology? The experiment was performed on migratory passerine finch; redheaded bunting (Emberiza bruniceps), wherein two groups of bird (N = 10 each) were taken. Group I (Kakuni group; KG) birds were fed only with seeds of Setaria italica (Kakuni) whereas group II (Mixed Diet group; MG) was provided with seeds of kakuni along with sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum) and egg white, all three separately in different bowls. Results reveal that behaviorally, MG birds were more active with higher gross food intake when compared with KG. MG birds also had significant gain in body mass and testicular volume during the course of experiment, although, the accumulation of fat remained unchanged between the two groups. Thus, the study clearly demonstrates the motivation to eat and stay active besides being reproductively proficient in presence of varied food availability.","PeriodicalId":55408,"journal":{"name":"Avian Biology Research","volume":"16 1","pages":"68 - 74"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41889005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-01DOI: 10.1177/17581559231174114
Ju-Hyun Lee, Ha-Cheol Sung
Bird call, which is widely used in all species of birds, is short, simple, and functionally diverse in comparison to song. Here, we have recorded call types of Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus) at multiple situations and various communal behaviors. The Eurasian tree sparrow belongs to the oscine (song-learning) group of songbirds, but their calls are more developed than their song. The calls are used to communicate a variety of behaviors in their social flock. In this study, we categorized call types and usages in relation to the situation on the basis of visual categorization of spectrograms and descriptive measurements. Adult Eurasian tree sparrows have 9 call types (including 9 sub-types at A1 family) and chicks have one (including 2 sub-types). Each call type could be classified as A1 contact call, A2 Fight-intention call, A3 Aerial call, A4 Alarm/Anxiety call, A5 Emergency call, A6 Warning/Threat call, A7 Stimulate call, A8 Screaming call, A9 Social calling, and C1 Begging call. Our results suggest that the diversity of Eurasian tree sparrow’s call types is related to the complex social structure of the species, and might be associated to evolution of sociality. Further research on correlation between various call types and social behavior is needed to find social communication characteristics of Eurasian tree sparrows and other social weaver species with similar ecology may reveal whether evolutionary pressures of sociality lead to increased call complexity.
{"title":"The call type variation and usages of the Eurasian tree sparrow Passer montanus","authors":"Ju-Hyun Lee, Ha-Cheol Sung","doi":"10.1177/17581559231174114","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17581559231174114","url":null,"abstract":"Bird call, which is widely used in all species of birds, is short, simple, and functionally diverse in comparison to song. Here, we have recorded call types of Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus) at multiple situations and various communal behaviors. The Eurasian tree sparrow belongs to the oscine (song-learning) group of songbirds, but their calls are more developed than their song. The calls are used to communicate a variety of behaviors in their social flock. In this study, we categorized call types and usages in relation to the situation on the basis of visual categorization of spectrograms and descriptive measurements. Adult Eurasian tree sparrows have 9 call types (including 9 sub-types at A1 family) and chicks have one (including 2 sub-types). Each call type could be classified as A1 contact call, A2 Fight-intention call, A3 Aerial call, A4 Alarm/Anxiety call, A5 Emergency call, A6 Warning/Threat call, A7 Stimulate call, A8 Screaming call, A9 Social calling, and C1 Begging call. Our results suggest that the diversity of Eurasian tree sparrow’s call types is related to the complex social structure of the species, and might be associated to evolution of sociality. Further research on correlation between various call types and social behavior is needed to find social communication characteristics of Eurasian tree sparrows and other social weaver species with similar ecology may reveal whether evolutionary pressures of sociality lead to increased call complexity.","PeriodicalId":55408,"journal":{"name":"Avian Biology Research","volume":"16 1","pages":"59 - 67"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47530821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-01DOI: 10.1177/17581559231176984
P. J. Sarlin, Sancia Morris, S. Morris, SA Morris, Polycarp Joseph, D. Sherly
Corvids have long impressed scientists with their flexibility in problem-solving and innovative tool use. Opportunistic observations of five wild house crows (Corvus splendens), a couple of them approaching burning oil lamps and delicately lifting the flaming wick and extinguishing it to consume the cotton wick are reported here. Although similar behaviour has been reported earlier in a few species, this is the first report of such an observation in house crows. Wild crows probably with no experience performing this fire manipulation, wary of nearby humans, could put the bird or its surroundings in jeopardy. Anecdotal reports of crows setting haystacks and thatched roofs ablaze are popular. The crow’s manoeuvres on the burning lamp and the skilful manipulation of the burning wick without getting hurt are commendable and warrant further research. Studies on the nonhuman fire-handling capability could illuminate our understanding of the behaviour of our ancestral hominins towards the fire that led to their mastery over fire.
{"title":"First report of house crow Corvus splendens removing burning cotton wicks from oil lamps, extinguishing and eating","authors":"P. J. Sarlin, Sancia Morris, S. Morris, SA Morris, Polycarp Joseph, D. Sherly","doi":"10.1177/17581559231176984","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17581559231176984","url":null,"abstract":"Corvids have long impressed scientists with their flexibility in problem-solving and innovative tool use. Opportunistic observations of five wild house crows (Corvus splendens), a couple of them approaching burning oil lamps and delicately lifting the flaming wick and extinguishing it to consume the cotton wick are reported here. Although similar behaviour has been reported earlier in a few species, this is the first report of such an observation in house crows. Wild crows probably with no experience performing this fire manipulation, wary of nearby humans, could put the bird or its surroundings in jeopardy. Anecdotal reports of crows setting haystacks and thatched roofs ablaze are popular. The crow’s manoeuvres on the burning lamp and the skilful manipulation of the burning wick without getting hurt are commendable and warrant further research. Studies on the nonhuman fire-handling capability could illuminate our understanding of the behaviour of our ancestral hominins towards the fire that led to their mastery over fire.","PeriodicalId":55408,"journal":{"name":"Avian Biology Research","volume":"16 1","pages":"75 - 80"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41977892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-19DOI: 10.1177/17581559231152711
Dalila de Fátima Ferreira, Filipe C. R. Cunha, L. Lopes
In sexually colour dimorphic bird species, males can exhibit phenotypic variation, with males breeding in either dull female-like plumage or brightly coloured plumage. Two contradictory hypotheses predict that the male phenotype variation can influence the female investment in a given breeding attempt. Whereas females usually prefer males in bright coloured plumage, the “differential allocation hypothesis” predicts that females should invest more in their reproductive output when mating with them; while the “compensatory investment hypothesis” predicts that females should invest more when mating with non-preferred males. To test those predictions, we analysed reproductive data for two consecutive breeding seasons (2018–2019 and 2019–2020) of Lined Seedeaters Sporophila lineola. S. lineola is a socially monogamous songbird species in which males exhibit two breeding phenotypes, a black-and-white plumage being the most common, and a less common female-like brownish plumage. Our findings show that females mated with brownish males have a higher reproductive investment (i.e., egg volume) than those mated with black-and-white males. Despite the lower investment of females in egg volume, our results showed that black-and-white males have a higher nestling survival, producing more hatchings and fledglings per season than brownish males, which could suggest a higher fitness. Our findings indicate that investment allocation on the eggs and offspring survival rates can be attributed to the plumage colour of males.
{"title":"Male plumage colouration predicts female reproductive investment and nestling survival in a colour dimorphic tropical songbird","authors":"Dalila de Fátima Ferreira, Filipe C. R. Cunha, L. Lopes","doi":"10.1177/17581559231152711","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17581559231152711","url":null,"abstract":"In sexually colour dimorphic bird species, males can exhibit phenotypic variation, with males breeding in either dull female-like plumage or brightly coloured plumage. Two contradictory hypotheses predict that the male phenotype variation can influence the female investment in a given breeding attempt. Whereas females usually prefer males in bright coloured plumage, the “differential allocation hypothesis” predicts that females should invest more in their reproductive output when mating with them; while the “compensatory investment hypothesis” predicts that females should invest more when mating with non-preferred males. To test those predictions, we analysed reproductive data for two consecutive breeding seasons (2018–2019 and 2019–2020) of Lined Seedeaters Sporophila lineola. S. lineola is a socially monogamous songbird species in which males exhibit two breeding phenotypes, a black-and-white plumage being the most common, and a less common female-like brownish plumage. Our findings show that females mated with brownish males have a higher reproductive investment (i.e., egg volume) than those mated with black-and-white males. Despite the lower investment of females in egg volume, our results showed that black-and-white males have a higher nestling survival, producing more hatchings and fledglings per season than brownish males, which could suggest a higher fitness. Our findings indicate that investment allocation on the eggs and offspring survival rates can be attributed to the plumage colour of males.","PeriodicalId":55408,"journal":{"name":"Avian Biology Research","volume":"16 1","pages":"45 - 50"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2023-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"65573368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-12-27DOI: 10.1177/17581559221144896
Ruth Partida-Lara, P. Enríquez, Guillermo Ibarra Núñez, Eduardo Chamé Vázquez
An organism's morphological features can determine the type of prey they consume due to adaptive advantages in capturing them, for example, the shape and length of the bill in birds. Hummingbirds have been considered specialists in nectar consumption. However, they have been documented to also be important insectivores in ecosystems. In this study, we evaluated arthropod consumption by hummingbirds in relation to their bill and capture strategies. We theorized that hummingbirds with short-medium bills (9-11 bill length to body mass cube root ratio) capture a higher proportion of non-flying arthropods, as they have a lower linear speed of closure of the bill tip relative to the base, while species with long bills (13-14) capture mainly flying arthropods. The study was conducted in El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, southeastern Mexico from 2015 to 2016, where seven hummingbird species that captured arthropods, their strategies of capture, and the type of prey consumed were recorded. We also analyzed the stomach contents (n = 72 stomachs) collected in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. We calculated the frequency of occurrence of arthropods and their diversity, as well as the breadth of the feeding niche and the bill-prey relationship of 15 hummingbird species. The Green-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis viridipallens) and Rivoli's Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) presented the highest richness of arthropod consumption. Arthropod prey belonged to eight orders, where Hymenoptera and Diptera were the most frequent. The most recorded capture strategies were on the substrate in sustained flight (37.5%) and hovering in sustained flight (33.3%). A positive association was found between the type of arthropods consumed and the morphological traits of the hummingbirds, non-flying arthropods were captured by hummingbirds with short-medium bills, while hummingbirds with long bills captured flying arthropods. Morphological adaptations for food resource use are a trait that determines food selection, capture, and handling success.
{"title":"Consumption of arthropods by hummingbirds in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, Mexico","authors":"Ruth Partida-Lara, P. Enríquez, Guillermo Ibarra Núñez, Eduardo Chamé Vázquez","doi":"10.1177/17581559221144896","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17581559221144896","url":null,"abstract":"An organism's morphological features can determine the type of prey they consume due to adaptive advantages in capturing them, for example, the shape and length of the bill in birds. Hummingbirds have been considered specialists in nectar consumption. However, they have been documented to also be important insectivores in ecosystems. In this study, we evaluated arthropod consumption by hummingbirds in relation to their bill and capture strategies. We theorized that hummingbirds with short-medium bills (9-11 bill length to body mass cube root ratio) capture a higher proportion of non-flying arthropods, as they have a lower linear speed of closure of the bill tip relative to the base, while species with long bills (13-14) capture mainly flying arthropods. The study was conducted in El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, southeastern Mexico from 2015 to 2016, where seven hummingbird species that captured arthropods, their strategies of capture, and the type of prey consumed were recorded. We also analyzed the stomach contents (n = 72 stomachs) collected in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. We calculated the frequency of occurrence of arthropods and their diversity, as well as the breadth of the feeding niche and the bill-prey relationship of 15 hummingbird species. The Green-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis viridipallens) and Rivoli's Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) presented the highest richness of arthropod consumption. Arthropod prey belonged to eight orders, where Hymenoptera and Diptera were the most frequent. The most recorded capture strategies were on the substrate in sustained flight (37.5%) and hovering in sustained flight (33.3%). A positive association was found between the type of arthropods consumed and the morphological traits of the hummingbirds, non-flying arthropods were captured by hummingbirds with short-medium bills, while hummingbirds with long bills captured flying arthropods. Morphological adaptations for food resource use are a trait that determines food selection, capture, and handling success.","PeriodicalId":55408,"journal":{"name":"Avian Biology Research","volume":"16 1","pages":"21 - 31"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47168164","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-12-06DOI: 10.1177/17581559221145450
Matthew S. Van Den Broeke
Total radar cross-section of birds was quantified in observations of four large bird assemblages with daily sunrise foraging flights for January and February 2021, including the severe February 2021 cold wave. Reduced foraging behavior during the cold wave was expected as birds reduced energy expenditure during the extreme cold. While this was observed with two assemblages in Oklahoma where the cold was most severe, a site in central Texas showed the opposite response, indicating increased foraging to meet increased energy demands. Foraging behavior was influenced by temperature and windspeed, but the direction of this influence differed across sites. This difference seemed partially driven by cold wave severity at individual sites, and may have also been influenced by differing species composition. At the site where waterbirds were the primary contributors, these larger and more cold-tolerant species showed less of a wind/temperature dependence.
{"title":"Radar Indications of Altered Foraging Behavior during the February 2021 Severe North American Cold Wave","authors":"Matthew S. Van Den Broeke","doi":"10.1177/17581559221145450","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17581559221145450","url":null,"abstract":"Total radar cross-section of birds was quantified in observations of four large bird assemblages with daily sunrise foraging flights for January and February 2021, including the severe February 2021 cold wave. Reduced foraging behavior during the cold wave was expected as birds reduced energy expenditure during the extreme cold. While this was observed with two assemblages in Oklahoma where the cold was most severe, a site in central Texas showed the opposite response, indicating increased foraging to meet increased energy demands. Foraging behavior was influenced by temperature and windspeed, but the direction of this influence differed across sites. This difference seemed partially driven by cold wave severity at individual sites, and may have also been influenced by differing species composition. At the site where waterbirds were the primary contributors, these larger and more cold-tolerant species showed less of a wind/temperature dependence.","PeriodicalId":55408,"journal":{"name":"Avian Biology Research","volume":"16 1","pages":"14 - 20"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43523346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-03DOI: 10.1177/17581559221137503
D. Praveenkumar, A. Vinothkumar, Gnanasekaran Saravanan, M. Selvakumar, Alagan Subbaiah Vijayakumar, Pachan Kolanchinathan, S. Kamalakkannan, S. Achiraman
The uropygial gland or preen gland is a complex holocrine structure present only in birds, and plays an important role in avian communication and reproduction. This gland produces preen oil, which helps birds maintain intact plumage, plumage colorage, but also possesses antibacterial and anti-predator properties, and the evidence for these claims is still in infancy. Preen gland harbour a large number of microbiota among which as many as 110 are bacterial genera dominated by Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, etc., families, and the roles of these microbes are largely unknown. However, these microbes are believed to maintain symbiotic relationship with the host and exert positive effects in the host’s physiology and behaviour. Many studies have proven that these microbes produce chemical cues as metabolic by-products that modulate the host’s behavior. In birds, these symbiotic microbes are needed for normal growth, development and even reproduction. Earlier findings about preen gland microbiota of birds connect it to good feather condition, recent evidences connect it to antifungal and antimicrobial activities. Although preen gland plays a major role in bird’s development, symbiotic microbes of preen gland seem to play a crucial role in reproduction and pheromonal communication. Here, we review the role of microbes present in avian preen gland in production of chemical signals and document the relationship between the microbes and preen gland in chemical communication.
{"title":"Symbiotic microbes play a role more important than preen gland in avian pheromone production––A review","authors":"D. Praveenkumar, A. Vinothkumar, Gnanasekaran Saravanan, M. Selvakumar, Alagan Subbaiah Vijayakumar, Pachan Kolanchinathan, S. Kamalakkannan, S. Achiraman","doi":"10.1177/17581559221137503","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17581559221137503","url":null,"abstract":"The uropygial gland or preen gland is a complex holocrine structure present only in birds, and plays an important role in avian communication and reproduction. This gland produces preen oil, which helps birds maintain intact plumage, plumage colorage, but also possesses antibacterial and anti-predator properties, and the evidence for these claims is still in infancy. Preen gland harbour a large number of microbiota among which as many as 110 are bacterial genera dominated by Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, etc., families, and the roles of these microbes are largely unknown. However, these microbes are believed to maintain symbiotic relationship with the host and exert positive effects in the host’s physiology and behaviour. Many studies have proven that these microbes produce chemical cues as metabolic by-products that modulate the host’s behavior. In birds, these symbiotic microbes are needed for normal growth, development and even reproduction. Earlier findings about preen gland microbiota of birds connect it to good feather condition, recent evidences connect it to antifungal and antimicrobial activities. Although preen gland plays a major role in bird’s development, symbiotic microbes of preen gland seem to play a crucial role in reproduction and pheromonal communication. Here, we review the role of microbes present in avian preen gland in production of chemical signals and document the relationship between the microbes and preen gland in chemical communication.","PeriodicalId":55408,"journal":{"name":"Avian Biology Research","volume":"16 1","pages":"32 - 41"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42846102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-10-31DOI: 10.1177/17581559221137309
F. Monti, P. Serroni, F. Rotondaro, Alberto Sangiuliano, A. Sforzi, G. Opramolla, Antonello Pascazi, Samuele Spacca, Filippo La Civita, M. Posillico
Conservation translocations (e.g., restocking, reintroductions) represent efficient tools to prevent the extinction or favouring the return of previously extirpated populations into the wild. Evaluating demographic parameters of translocated populations is a key issue to assess and monitor their conservation status and to provide evidences useful to implement management actions aimed at long-term conservation results. We report first data on survival estimates and related mortality causes for a reintroduced population of Eurasian griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) in the central-southern Apennine, Italy, from satellite telemetry data. Twenty vultures have been fitted with solar-powered Global Positioning System (GPS) tags in Pollino National Park (PNP, southern Italy, N = 9) and Monte Velino Reserve (MVR, central Italy, N = 11). Survival has been estimated on a total amount of 173,568 GPS fixes from December 2016 to October 2020 (1415 days) using the Fleming-Harrington estimator. Five, out of 20 vultures, died by poisoning (40%), collision with wind turbines (20%) and of unknown causes (40%). Two birds dispersed from MVR to France (though they later came back) and one from PNP to Croatia. Estimated survival rate across the whole study period was 0.709 (±0.11, SE; 0.523–0.961, 95% CI), and annual survival rate was 0.915 (±0.06, SE; 0.846–0.990, 95% CI). No significant differences in survival rates have been detected according to sex or age. As mortality in our study was mainly human-caused, we urge relevant institutions and agencies to strengthen and effectively establish anti-poison strategies, as well as implementing mitigation and prevention measures for the existing and planned wind farms. The establishment of a long-term viable population in the central-southern Apennines will depend upon both lower levels of human-caused mortality and habitat preservation.
{"title":"Survival of a small reintroduced griffon vulture population in the Apennines: Insights from Global Positioning System tracking","authors":"F. Monti, P. Serroni, F. Rotondaro, Alberto Sangiuliano, A. Sforzi, G. Opramolla, Antonello Pascazi, Samuele Spacca, Filippo La Civita, M. Posillico","doi":"10.1177/17581559221137309","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17581559221137309","url":null,"abstract":"Conservation translocations (e.g., restocking, reintroductions) represent efficient tools to prevent the extinction or favouring the return of previously extirpated populations into the wild. Evaluating demographic parameters of translocated populations is a key issue to assess and monitor their conservation status and to provide evidences useful to implement management actions aimed at long-term conservation results. We report first data on survival estimates and related mortality causes for a reintroduced population of Eurasian griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) in the central-southern Apennine, Italy, from satellite telemetry data. Twenty vultures have been fitted with solar-powered Global Positioning System (GPS) tags in Pollino National Park (PNP, southern Italy, N = 9) and Monte Velino Reserve (MVR, central Italy, N = 11). Survival has been estimated on a total amount of 173,568 GPS fixes from December 2016 to October 2020 (1415 days) using the Fleming-Harrington estimator. Five, out of 20 vultures, died by poisoning (40%), collision with wind turbines (20%) and of unknown causes (40%). Two birds dispersed from MVR to France (though they later came back) and one from PNP to Croatia. Estimated survival rate across the whole study period was 0.709 (±0.11, SE; 0.523–0.961, 95% CI), and annual survival rate was 0.915 (±0.06, SE; 0.846–0.990, 95% CI). No significant differences in survival rates have been detected according to sex or age. As mortality in our study was mainly human-caused, we urge relevant institutions and agencies to strengthen and effectively establish anti-poison strategies, as well as implementing mitigation and prevention measures for the existing and planned wind farms. The establishment of a long-term viable population in the central-southern Apennines will depend upon both lower levels of human-caused mortality and habitat preservation.","PeriodicalId":55408,"journal":{"name":"Avian Biology Research","volume":"16 1","pages":"3 - 13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47480886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-10-19DOI: 10.1177/17581559221135367
J. Amat, Miguel A. Rendón
Studies on brood desertion in birds have been mainly conducted on species with biparental care, and less often on uniparental species. Females of many duck species remain with their ducklings, unassisted by males, during variable periods of time before the chicks can fledge. In this paper, we examined factors that influence brood desertion by female red-crested pochards (Netta rufina), common pochards (Aythya ferina) and white-headed ducks (Oxyura leucocephala) during a 10-year period in lakes in southern Spain that experienced interannual variations in water levels. At an interspecific level, we found that brood desertion was less frequent in the species that nested earlier (red-crested pochard), while it was more frequent in the species that nested later (white-headed duck). Larger (older) ducklings were deserted more frequently than smaller ones in the three species. However, an interaction between flooding conditions in wetlands and species identity on brood desertion, after accounting for chick age, suggests that there were variations between the ducklings of the three species in their requirements for maternal care, conditioned by environmental conditions. Therefore, our study indicates that environmental conditions may affect parental care. A longer duration of brood attendance by female ducks may buffer against adverse effects of environmental conditions.
{"title":"Interspecific differences in brood desertion by female diving ducks in relation to duckling age and environmental conditions","authors":"J. Amat, Miguel A. Rendón","doi":"10.1177/17581559221135367","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/17581559221135367","url":null,"abstract":"Studies on brood desertion in birds have been mainly conducted on species with biparental care, and less often on uniparental species. Females of many duck species remain with their ducklings, unassisted by males, during variable periods of time before the chicks can fledge. In this paper, we examined factors that influence brood desertion by female red-crested pochards (Netta rufina), common pochards (Aythya ferina) and white-headed ducks (Oxyura leucocephala) during a 10-year period in lakes in southern Spain that experienced interannual variations in water levels. At an interspecific level, we found that brood desertion was less frequent in the species that nested earlier (red-crested pochard), while it was more frequent in the species that nested later (white-headed duck). Larger (older) ducklings were deserted more frequently than smaller ones in the three species. However, an interaction between flooding conditions in wetlands and species identity on brood desertion, after accounting for chick age, suggests that there were variations between the ducklings of the three species in their requirements for maternal care, conditioned by environmental conditions. Therefore, our study indicates that environmental conditions may affect parental care. A longer duration of brood attendance by female ducks may buffer against adverse effects of environmental conditions.","PeriodicalId":55408,"journal":{"name":"Avian Biology Research","volume":"15 1","pages":"194 - 200"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47690118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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