scholarly journals Selecting a suite of potential partner sites for the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary to aid shorebird conservation in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Mehlman ◽  
James A. Fitzsimons ◽  
Arkellah Irving ◽  
Jason Irving ◽  
Boze Hancock
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Management ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Austral Summer ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Mobile Species ◽  
Migratory Shorebirds ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

Migratory shorebird species depend on a suite of interconnected sites and protection of these sites as part of a network is an increasingly used conservation approach. Partnering sites based on shared migratory bird species can be a powerful tool for implementing conservation action. To assist the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary (AIBS), South Australia, in expanding their conservation impact across the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, we generated a list of 81 sites to consider for potential partnerships. We developed the list using existing shorebird count data for seven high priority migratory shorebirds that spend the austral summer at AIBS, such as Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) and Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris). We computed a scaled abundance across all species to develop a categorical indicator of importance of each potential site for its shared species richness and abundance. Based on assessments of literature, existing conservation plans, and interviews with experts, we also evaluated each potential site’s feasibility for ecotourism, conservation management, and existing or potential partnerships. This process resulted in a list of 20 sites for the AIBS to consider for possible partnerships in nine countries that met some combination of values for shared shorebird species, inclusion in one or more current site designation schemes, existing or potential opportunities for tourism, habitat management, or partnerships. Additional sites that either have high or medium abundances of shared shorebird species or that have been designated as important by other criteria (Ramsar, Important Bird and Biodiversity Area) were identified. We recommend this methodology be applied to other sites seeking to form cross-boundary partnerships to help further the conservation of highly mobile species.

scholarly journals Developing indicators for European birds

2005 ◽  
Vol 360 (1454) ◽  
pp. 269-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard D Gregory ◽  
Arco van Strien ◽  
Petr Vorisek ◽  
Adriaan W Gmelig Meyling ◽  
David G Noble ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Level ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Population Data ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Farmland Birds ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
Biodiversity Indicators ◽  
Farmland Bird

The global pledge to deliver ‘a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss by 2010’ is echoed in a number of regional and national level targets. There is broad consensus, however, that in the absence of conservation action, biodiversity will continue to be lost at a rate unprecedented in the recent era. Remarkably, we lack a basic system to measure progress towards these targets and, in particular, we lack standard measures of biodiversity and procedures to construct and assess summary statistics. Here, we develop a simple classification of biodiversity indicators to assist their development and clarify purpose. We use European birds, as example taxa, to show how robust indicators can be constructed and how they can be interpreted. We have developed statistical methods to calculate supranational, multi-species indices using population data from national annual breeding bird surveys in Europe. Skilled volunteers using standardized field methods undertake data collection where methods and survey designs differ slightly across countries. Survey plots tend to be widely distributed at a national level, covering many bird species and habitats with reasonable representation. National species' indices are calculated using log-linear regression, which allows for plot turnover. Supranational species' indices are constructed by combining the national species' indices weighted by national population sizes of each species. Supranational, multi-species indicators are calculated by averaging the resulting indices. We show that common farmland birds in Europe have declined steeply over the last two decades, whereas woodland birds have not. Evidence elsewhere shows that the main driver of farmland bird declines is increased agricultural intensification. We argue that the farmland bird indicator is a useful surrogate for trends in other elements of biodiversity in this habitat.

scholarly journals Using Bioacoustics to Examine Vocal Phenology of Neotropical Migratory Birds on a Wild and Scenic River in Arizona

Birds ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-274
Author(s):  
Heather L. Bateman ◽  
Sidney B. Riddle ◽  
Erin S. Cubley
Keyword(s):  
Sonoran Desert ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Yellow Warbler ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Vocal Activity

Passive acoustic recorders have been used successfully as automated survey tools to detect terrestrial wildlife. However, few studies have monitored Neotropical migratory bird use of riparian forest habitat using this technology. Within dryland ecosystems, the forests along rivers support high bird diversity. Many bird species of conservation concern require these floodplain forest habitats for foraging, migration stop-overs, and breeding. Few studies have explored the use of acoustic records in riverine systems designated for conservation for their natural resource value via the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in the USA. Using acoustic recorders, we document vocal activity of four riparian-obligate species (Bell’s Vireo, Vireo bellii; Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra; Yellow Warbler, Setophaga petechial; and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus) to determine species occurrence along a Wild and Scenic River. We established three study reaches along the perennial Lower Verde River, in the Sonoran Desert of central Arizona, USA. Nine acoustic recorders were used over the period of 80–120 days during the summer of 2018. We measured vegetation composition and structure in 100 m2 plots paired with acoustic recorders. Visualizing vocal activity showed that three species were calling and singing at each reach; whereas, one species, the cuckoo, had fewer recordings and occurred later in the summer. We demonstrate the utility of acoustic monitoring even when applied to rare birds in complex riparian habitats. This information is important for land management and conservation efforts concerning these species of interest and identifying important habitat features in Southwestern US riparian woodlands.

scholarly journals Hunting of migratory birds in North Sinai, Egypt

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
PERRI EASON ◽  
BASEM RABIA ◽  
OMAR ATTUM
Keyword(s):  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Mp3 Players ◽  
Southern Mediterranean ◽  
Sand Bar ◽  
North Sinai ◽  
Desert Scrub

SummaryDuring autumn migration, people set trammel nets along most of the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, with migrating Common Quail Coturnix coturnix as their primary target. These nets capture large numbers of quail, but also illegally capture other birds, which are then killed. We present the results of surveys from 2008 to 2012 along these lines of nets on the coast of North Sinai, Egypt. In desert scrub, which covers most of the Sinai coast, the mean number of quail killed reached a high of 357.1 per km per day in 2012, with a grand mean over the study period of 191.9 per km per day. Trammel nets also captured 54 other bird species in 28 families. Species captured at the highest rates in desert scrub included Corncrake Crex crex, Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina and Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla. Based on mean rates of capture from 2008 to 2012 in desert scrub and sand bar habitats, we estimate 2.0 million quail and 0.5 million birds of other species are killed annually in North Sinai during the 45 days of peak migration. In 2012, however, after the use of MP3 players to attract quail became widespread, we estimate that 3.3 million quail and 0.5 million other birds were captured. Hunters near the coast have recently begun covering shrubs and trees with mist nets to catch passerines. From 2010 to 2012, mist nets along our survey routes caught birds of 17 species in three families, with seven of these species caught only in this type of net. Hunting is likely to be a contributing factor to population declines for some species that migrate across Egypt and further studies of migratory bird hunting along the southern Mediterranean shore are badly needed.

Conservation of the Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor ? management lessons for a threatened migratory species

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debbie Saunders ◽  
Raymond Brereton ◽  
Chris Tzaros ◽  
Mark Holdsworth ◽  
Rob Price
Keyword(s):  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Migratory Species ◽  
Conservation Assessment ◽  
Broad Distribution ◽  
Large Numbers

Conserving habitat for wide-ranging fauna species provides a challenge because impacts on these species tend to be dismissed based on the assumption that there is sufficient habitat in other areas of its range. This incremental loss of habitat is a serious conservation issue for a diversity of bird species. As knowledge of wide-ranging and migratory bird species increases, it often becomes evident that they select specific sites on a regular basis (i.e., the species exhibit site fidelity). Gaining a better understanding of site fidelity and selective habitat use for wide-ranging species is clearly important, but also extremely challenging. In this paper, challenges associated with conservation of the migratory and wide-ranging Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor are discussed as an example of how a recovery programme has aimed to address such conservation and management challenges. Despite the small population size (less than 2 500 birds), broad distribution (1 250 000 km2) and often cryptic nature, the implementation of the national recovery programme has been successful in the identification and protection of important habitats. This has been made possible by involving large numbers of volunteers who collect long-term sighting and habitat data over large areas, together with more detailed ecological research. This information is then used to inform the conservation assessment process and to improve habitat conservation throughout the range of the species.

Molecular detection of Leucocytozoon in red-legged seriemas (Cariama cristata), a non-migratory bird species in the Brazilian Cerrado

2021 ◽  
pp. 100652
Author(s):  
Andréa M. Carvalho ◽  
Francisco C. Ferreira ◽  
Andreina C. Araújo ◽  
Líria Queiroz Luz Hirano ◽  
Giane Regina Paludo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Detection ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Brazilian Cerrado

scholarly journals Issues of Meander Development: Land Degradation or Ecological Value? The Example of the Sajó River, Hungary

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1613 ◽  
Author(s):  
László Bertalan ◽  
Tibor Novák ◽  
Zoltán Németh ◽  
Jesús Rodrigo-Comino ◽  
Ádám Kertész ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Degradation ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bank Erosion ◽  
Habitat Diversity ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Natural State ◽  
Ecological Value ◽  
Positive Effects

The extensive destruction of arable lands by the process of lateral bank erosion is a major issue for the alluvial meandering type of rivers all around the world. Nowadays, land managers, stakeholders, and scientists are discussing how this process affects the surrounding landscapes. Usually, due to a land mismanagement of agroforestry activities or urbanization plans, river regulations are designed to reduce anthropogenic impacts such as bank erosion, but many of these regulations resulted in a degradation of habitat diversity. Regardless, there is a lack of information about the possible positive effects of meandering from the ecological point of view. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate a 2.12 km long meandering sub-reach of Sajó River, Hungary, in order to evaluate whether the process of meander development can be evaluated as a land degradation processes or whether it can enhance ecological conservation and sustainability. To achieve this goal, an archive of aerial imagery and UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)-surveys was used to provide a consistent database for a landscape metrics-based analysis to reveal changes in landscape ecological dynamics. Moreover, an ornithological survey was also carried out to assess the composition and diversity of the avifauna. The forest cover was developed in a remarkable pattern, finding a linear relationship between its rate and channel sinuosity. An increase in forest areas did not enhance the rate of landscape diversity since only its distribution became more compact. Eroding riverbanks provided important nesting sites for colonies of protected and regionally declining migratory bird species such as the sand martin. We revealed that almost 70 years were enough to gain a new habitat system along the river as the linear channel formed to a meandering and more natural state.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document