A counterfactual approach to measure the impact of wet grassland conservation on UK breeding bird populations

1997 ◽

Vol 21 ◽

pp. 13-25

Author(s):

Martin Cody ◽

Stephen Cain

Keyword(s):

Breeding Season ◽

National Park ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Bird Species ◽

Breeding Habitat ◽

Breeding Bird ◽

Grand Teton National Park ◽

Bird Populations ◽

The Impact

In summer 1997 our NPS-funded project # CA-1460-5-0010, covering a 3-y period from summer 1995 through summer 1997, was completed. The immediate goals of the project were to instigate a system for monitoring the densities of breeding bird species, by establishment of flxed sites as a basis for a long term monitoring plan and of census protocols that can detect changes of breeding species and their densities over successive years. The monitoring scheme is conducted largely within Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), but covers habitats and an avifauna representative of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and the central-northern Rocky Mountains in general. The project emphasizes the need for longÂterm and on-going studies on breeding bird species and densities and their importance as a tool for evaluating the impact of both local and distant influences on breeding bird populations. For residents, species that remain all year in or near the breeding habitat, local effects include those operating on-site during the non-breeding season as well as during the breeding season. For migrant species, those that breed on-site but leave to spend the non-breeding season in other locations, often distant and usually of quite different habitat composition, there are both on-site influences on breeding population densities, such as inter-year changes in vegetation structure and productivity, and off-site or distant influences, including factors that affect over-wintering success in the nonÂbreeding habitat and others that influence a successful transit between wintering and breeding grounds. The assessment of long-term trends in bird densities may be used as a form of bioassay of the state of the local environments. Information from such studies can provide region-wide indicators that, given a sufficiently comprehensive data base, can segregate local from distant influences on populations. Such indicators can be incorporated into management strategies to aid in determining which local strategies may be necessary (and feasible) to help maintain the biota.

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A comparison of breeding bird populations inside and outside of European Badger Meles meles control areas

Bird Study ◽

10.1080/00063657.2021.1889460 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Esther F. Kettel ◽

Ivan Lakin ◽

Matthew J. Heydon ◽

Gavin M. Siriwardena

Keyword(s):

Meles Meles ◽

Breeding Bird ◽

Bird Populations ◽

European Badger

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Avian Haemosporidian Diversity on Sardinia: A First General Assessment for the Insular Mediterranean

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13020075 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 75

Author(s):

Irene Pellegrino ◽

Luca Ilahiane ◽

Giovanni Boano ◽

Marco Cucco ◽

Marco Pavia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Linear Models ◽

Parasite Community ◽

Breeding Birds ◽

Lower Probability ◽

Long Distance ◽

Breeding Bird ◽

Bird Populations ◽

Total Prevalence ◽

Western Palearctic ◽

Host Parasite

The Western Palearctic is one of the most investigated regions for avian haemosporidian parasites (Haemoproteus, Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon), yet geographic gaps in our regional knowledge remain. Here, we report the first haemosporidian screening of the breeding birds from Sardinia (the second-largest Mediterranean Island and a biodiversity hotspot), and the first for the insular Mediterranean in general. We examined the occurrence of haemosporidians by amplifying their mtDNA cytb gene in 217 breeding birds, belonging to 32 species. The total prevalence of infected birds was 55.3%, and of the 116 haplotypes recovered, 84 were novel. Despite the high number of novel lineages, phylogenetic analysis did not highlight Sardinia-specific clades; instead, some Sardinian lineages were more closely related to lineages previously recovered from continental Europe. Host-parasite network analysis indicated a specialized host-parasite community. Binomial generalized linear models (GLMs), performed at the community level, suggested an elevational effect on haemosporidian occurrence probability (negative for Haemoproteus; positive for Leucocytozoon) likely due to differences in the abundance of insect vectors at different elevations. Furthermore, a GLM revealed that sedentary birds showed a higher probability of being infected by novel haplotypes and long-distance migrants showed a lower probability of novel haplotype infection. We hypothesize that the high diversity of haemosporidians is linked to the isolation of breeding bird populations on Sardinia. This study adds to the growing knowledge on haemosporidians lineage diversity and distribution in insular environments and presents new insights on potential host-parasite associations.

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THE IMPACT OF THE SEA EMPRESS OIL SPILL ON BIRDS OF THE PEMBROKESHIRE COAST AND ISLANDS

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-1997-1-217 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 1997 (1) ◽

pp. 217-225

Author(s):

Stephen J. Parr ◽

Robert J. Haycock ◽

Malcolm E. Smith

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Sublethal Effects ◽

Poor Quality ◽

Adult Survival ◽

Bird Populations ◽

Seabird Colony ◽

Large Numbers ◽

International Importance ◽

Inshore Waters ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT Much of the Pembrokeshire coast and islands, together with its inshore waters, are of international importance for their breeding seabirds and wintering seaduck. Although the Sea Empress oil spill occurred before the breeding season, some 7000 oiled birds were recovered dead or alive. The impact of the oil spill on birds can be classified as follows: immediate mortality especially of more than 4500 wintering common scoter in Carmarthen Bay; sublethal effects on productivity of colonies and reduced adult survival from oil or dispersant ingestion; and chronic effects on bird populations from long-term pollution, particularly of prey. A range of monitoring and research projects are under way to investigate the impact, but it is premature to provide many results. The oil spill probably caused significant local declines in seabird colony sizes, especially of guillemot. The impact on common scoter will prove difficult to determine because of the poor quality and high variability of preincident data. Large numbers of oiled birds, particularly common scoter, were treated and subsequently released. The successful rehabilitation of such released birds is controversial; research and review results will be reported.

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