scholarly journals Nesting attempts and success of Arctic-breeding geese can be derived with high precision from accelerometry and GPS-tracking

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kees H. T. Schreven ◽  
Christian Stolz ◽  
Jesper Madsen ◽  
Bart A. Nolet
Keyword(s):  
Direct Observation ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Geographic Mobility ◽  
Body Motion ◽  
Gps Tracking ◽  
Good Precision ◽  
Accelerometer Data ◽  
Family Status ◽  
Hatching Time

AbstractSensors, such as accelerometers, in tracking devices allow for detailed bio-logging to understand animal behaviour, even in remote places where direct observation is difficult. To study breeding in birds remotely, one needs to understand how to recognise a breeding event from tracking data, and ideally validate this by direct observation. We tagged 49 adult female pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) with transmitter neckbands in Finland in spring of 2018 and 2019, and in Svalbard in summer 2018, and validated inferences from tracking by field observations of nesting sites and family status in 2018–2020 (54 spring–summer tracks). We estimated nesting locations by taking the median coordinates of GPS-fixes at which the goose was motionless (overall dynamic body acceleration, ODBA  <  1) on days with a daily median ODBA  <  1, which approached the real nesting locations closely (within 1.6–3.7 m, n  =  6). The start of nesting was defined as the first day on which the goose spent  >  75% of time within 50 m of the nest, because nest site attendances steeply increased within one day to above this threshold. Nesting duration (number of consecutive days with  >  75% nest site attendance) ranged between 3 and 44 days (n  =  28), but was 30–34 days in confirmed successful nests (n = 9). The prolonged nesting of 39–44 days (n = 3) suggested incubation on unhatchable egg(s). Nest losses before hatching time occurred mostly in day 3–10 and 23–29 of nesting, periods with an increased frequency of nest site recesses. As alternative method, allowing for non-simultaneous GPS and accelerometer data, we show that nesting days were classified with 98.6% success by two general characteristics of breeding: low body motion (daily median ODBA) and low geographic mobility (daily SD of latitude). Median coordinates on nesting days approached real nest sites closely (within 0.8–3.6 m, n  =  6). When considering only geographic mobility (allowing for GPS data only) nesting locations were similarly accurate, but some short nesting attempts were undetected and non-breeding tracks misclassified. We show that nesting attempts, as short as 3 days, and nesting success can be detected remotely with good precision using GPS-tracking and accelerometry. Our method may be generalised to other (precocial) bird species with similar incubation behaviour.

scholarly journals Analysis of movement recursions to detect reproductive events and estimate their fate in central place foragers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Picardi ◽  
Brian J. Smith ◽  
Matthew E. Boone ◽  
Peter C. Frederick ◽  
Jacopo G. Cecere ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nest Site ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Movement Patterns ◽  
Central Place ◽  
Movement Behavior ◽  
Gps Tracking ◽  
Breeding Ecology ◽  
Ranging Behavior ◽  
Movement Trajectories ◽  
Temporal Persistence

AbstractRecursive movement patterns have been used to detect behavioral structure within individual movement trajectories in the context of foraging ecology, home-ranging behavior, and predator avoidance. Some animals exhibit movement recursions to locations that are tied to reproductive functions, including nests and dens; while existing literature recognizes that, no method is currently available to explicitly target different types of revisited locations. Moreover, the temporal persistence of recursive movements to a breeding location can carry information regarding the fate of breeding attempts, but it has never been used as a metric to quantify recursive movement patterns. Here, we introduce a method to locate breeding attempts and estimate their fate from GPS-tracking data of central place foragers. We tested the performance of our method in three bird species differing in breeding ecology (wood stork (Mycteria americana), lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), Mediterranean gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus)) and implemented it in the R package ‘nestR’. We identified breeding sites based on the analysis of recursive movements within individual tracks. Using trajectories with known breeding attempts, we estimated a set of species-specific criteria for the identification of nest sites, which we further validated using non-reproductive individuals as controls. We then estimated individual nest survival as a binary measure of reproductive fate (success, corresponding to fledging of at least one chick, or failure) from nest-site revisitation histories during breeding attempts, using a Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach that accounted for temporally variable revisitation patterns, probability of visit detection, and missing data. Across the three species, positive predictive value of the nest-site detection algorithm varied between 87-100% and sensitivity between 88-92%, and we correctly estimated the fate of 86-100% breeding attempts. By providing a method to formally distinguish among revisited locations that serve different ecological functions and introducing a probabilistic framework to quantify temporal persistence of movement recursions, we demonstrated how the analysis of recursive movement patterns can be applied to estimate reproduction in central place foragers. Beyond avian species, the principles of our method can be applied to other central place foraging breeders such as denning mammals. Our method estimates a component of individual fitness from movement data and will help bridge the gap between movement behavior, environmental factors, and their fitness consequences.

Should I stay or should I go? Indirect effects of livestock on bird nest-site selection in arid environments

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Tadey
Keyword(s):  
Site Selection ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Arid Environments ◽  
Nesting Sites ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Nest Abundance

Introduced livestock may indirectly affect bird species by decreasing vegetation structure and affecting the selection of nesting sites. This is especially true for birds that use shrubs as the raw material for nest construction or for nest placement. Nesting in inadequate supporting structures or the use of inadequate raw material for nest building may increase nest vulnerability (e.g. increasing structure weakness, falling and nest exposure to predation). Accordingly, bird species show a great variation in the selectivity of nesting sites and the raw material they use. Furnariidae family members exhibit an extraordinary diversity in nest placement and structure, which allows them to survive in different arid environments. I report here on a study of nest site selection of two common furnariid species, Leptasthenura aegithaloides and Pseudoseisura gutturalis, across a grazing gradient composed by nine independent paddocks within the same arid habitat. These species use large closed-nests (&gt;40 cm long) built with thorny branches, placed on spiny shrubs. I measured nest abundance and supporting plants characteristics, vegetation structure, browsing intensity and compared the plants selected by the birds with the surrounding vegetation. These bird species used only few plant species for nest building and location. Livestock significantly reduced vegetation cover of the species used to build and place the nests, affecting nest site selection and reducing nest abundance. As livestock density increased, both species selected aggregated plants and the tallest plants for nesting, which may increase nest exposure. Therefore, livestock may indirectly affect nest-site selection of birds ultimately affecting their nesting ecology. This work illustrates how domestic livestock, through decreasing plant cover, may affect native biota with consequences on key species within an ecosystem.

scholarly journals Nest site characteristics of cavity-nesting birds on a small island, in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada

2020 ◽  
Vol 133 (4) ◽  
pp. 352-363
Author(s):  
Neil G. Pilgrim ◽  
Joanna L. Smith ◽  
Keith Moore ◽  
Anthony J. Gaston
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Haida Gwaii ◽  
Cavity Nesting ◽  
Site Characteristics ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Brown Creeper

Many studies of cavity-nesting birds in North America are conducted in large continental forests and much less is known about them in island ecosystems. We describe a 29-year study of tree species, nest site characteristics, and fledge dates of cavity-nesting birds on a small island in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia (BC). Seven cavity-nesting bird species were documented on East Limestone Island and 463 nests were found in 173 different trees. Nest trees were significantly taller and had a greater diameter than a random sample of snags. Tree height did not differ among bird species but diameter at breast height was larger for trees used by Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) than for other species. Cavity-nesters selected tree decay classes 2–7 (all dead/near dead [snags]), with 85% in decay class 4 (35%) or 5 (50%), similar to the random snag sample (class 4, 32%; class 5, 42%). Cavity height ranged from 2.6 to 44.9 m and for all species, except Brown Creeper, the mean nest height was >60% of the mean tree height. Nest heights were generally greater than observed elsewhere in BC. Nest cavity orientation was random except for Red-breasted Sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus ruber), for which only 13% of the cavity entrances faced southeast. Median fledging dates ranged from 7 June (Chestnut-backed Chickadee [Poecile rufescens]) to 28 June (Northern Flicker [Colaptes auratus]). Estimated median dates of clutch completion were similar for all species. Our results show that large snags provide habitat for a high diversity of cavity-nesting birds on Haida Gwaii.

scholarly journals Bird-termite interactions in Brazil: A review with perspectives for future studies

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Ferreira de Vasconcelos ◽  
Diego Hoffmann ◽  
Mércia Caroline de Araújo ◽  
Prinscila Neves Vasconcelos
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Food Source ◽  
Nest Site ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Termite Mounds ◽  
Animal Groups ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Courtship Displays

We present a review on the principal interactions between birds and termites in Brazil. We found 218 bird species feeding on termites or using termitaria for nesting or perching. Termites were mentioned as food source for 179 bird species. Alates were the most consumed caste. Termitaria were mentioned as nest site for 45 bird species. Some bird species also perch on the top of termite mounds to search for their prey or to conduct territorial and/or courtship displays. Considering all interactions between both animal groups, little is known about the identification of termite genera or species. Therefore, we suggest more detailed studies to be conducted on the natural history and ecology of interactions between birds and termites in Brazil.

Validity of GENEActiv Accelerometer Wear and Nonwear Time for Use in Infants

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Lyndel Hewitt ◽  
Anthony D. Okely ◽  
Rebecca M. Stanley ◽  
Marjika Batterham ◽  
Dylan P. Cliff
Keyword(s):  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Receiver Operating Characteristic ◽  
Direct Observation ◽  
Operating Characteristic ◽  
Characteristic Curve ◽  
World Health ◽  
Accelerometer Data ◽  
Cut Points ◽  
Tummy Time ◽  
Receiver Operating

Background: Tummy time is recommended by the World Health Organization as part of its global movement guidelines for infant physical activity. To enable objective measurement of tummy time, accelerometer wear and nonwear time requires validation. The purpose of this study was to validate GENEActiv wear and nonwear time for use in infants. Methods: The analysis was conducted on accelerometer data from 32 healthy infants (4–25 wk) wearing a GENEActiv (right hip) while completing a positioning protocol (3 min each position). Direct observation (video) was compared with the accelerometer data. The accelerometer data were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curves to identify optimal cut points for second-by-second wear and nonwear time. Cut points (accelerometer data) were tested against direct observation to determine performance. Statistical analysis was conducted using leave-one-out validation and Bland–Altman plots. Results: Mean temperature (0.941) and z-axis (0.889) had the greatest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Cut points were 25.6°C (temperature) and −0.812g (z-axis) and had high sensitivity (0.84, 95% confidence interval, 0.838–0.842) and specificity (0.948, 95% confidence interval, 0.944–0.948). Conclusions: Analyzing GENEActiv data using temperature (>25.6°C) and z-axis (greater than −0.812g) cut points can be used to determine wear time among infants for the purpose of measuring tummy time.

scholarly journals NEW REPORT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF RARE BIRD SPECIES IN TAHURA RADEN SOERJO, EAST JAVA

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Heru Cahyono ◽  
Haris Eka Pramudhita ◽  
Windri Hermadiyanti
Keyword(s):  
Direct Observation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
The Other ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Main Road ◽  
Northern Area ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Hiking Trails ◽  
The Hill ◽  
Narcissus Flycatcher

<p>The latest information about the distribution of a less-recorded Java-dwelling bird species found in Tahura Raden Soerjo (East Java) is noteworthy additional information in the field of ornithology. Observations were conducted in the Cangar tourism site, along the main road linking Pacet and Batu, as well as in the northern area of Tahura Raden Soerjo, which includes the hiking trails of the Welirang-Arjuno mountains. The birds with minimum records are the Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa), Thick-billed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum agile), Yellow-vented Flowerpecker (Dicaeum chryssorheum), Sunda Thrush (Zoothera andromedae), Narcissus Flycatcher (Ficedula narcissina), Brown Wood-owl (Strix leptogrammica), Oriental Bay-owl (Phodilus badius), and Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros). Several findings are supported with detailed documentations and direct observation data that can be accounted for. This information denotes that Tahura Raden Soerjo is a potential hotspot to be preserved for the sake of the rare bird species and the other biodiversity.</p><p><br /><strong>Keywords</strong>: Tahura Raden Soerjo, sighting reports, distribution, observation</p>

scholarly journals Towards the Acoustic Monitoring of Birds Migrating at Night

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Pamula ◽  
Agnieszka Pocha ◽  
Maciej Klaczynski
Keyword(s):  
Deep Learning ◽  
Direct Observation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Acoustic Monitoring ◽  
Detection Accuracy ◽  
Learning Methods ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Bird Calls ◽  
Bird Detection

Every year billions of birds migrate between their breeding and wintering areas. As birds are an important indicator in nature conservation, migratory bird studies have been conducted for many decades, mostly by bird-ringing programmes and direct observation. However, most birds migrate at night, and therefore much information about their migration is lost. Novel methods have been developed to overcome this difficulty; including thermal imaging, radar, geolocation techniques, and acoustic recognition of bird calls. Many bird species are detected by their characteristic sounds. This method of identification occurs more often than by direct observation, and therefore recordings are widely used in avian research. The commonly used approach is to record the birds automatically, and to manually study the bird sounds in the recordings afterwards (Furnas and Callas 2015, Frommolt 2017). However, the tagging of recordings is a tedious and time-consuming process that requires expert knowledge, and, as a result, automatic detection of flight calls is in high demand. The first experiments towards this used energy thresholds or template matching (Bardeli et al. 2010, Towsey et al. 2012), and later on the machine and deep learning methods were applied (Stowell et al. 2018). Nevertheless, not many studies have focused specifically on night flight calls (Salamon et al. 2016, Lostanlen et al. 2018). Such acoustic monitoring could complement daytime avian research, especially when the field recording station is close to the bird-ringing station, as it is in our project. In this study, we present the initial results of a long-term bird audio monitoring project using automatic methods for bird detection. Passive acoustic recorders were deployed at a narrow spit between a lake and the Baltic sea in Dąbkowice, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland . We recorded bird calls nightly from sunset till sunrise during the passerine autumn migration for 3 seasons. As a result, we collected over 3000 hours of recordings each season. We annotated a subset of over 50 hours, from different nights with various weather conditions. As avian flight calls are sporadic and short, we created a balanced set for training - recordings were divided into partially overlapping 500-ms clips, and we retained all clips containing calls and created about the same number of clips without bird sounds. Different signal representations were then examined (e.g. mel-spectrograms and multitaper). Afterwards, various convolutional neural networks were checked and their performance was compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) measure. Moreover, an initial attempt was made to take advantage of the transfer learning from image classification models. The results obtained by the deep learning methods are promising (AUC exceeding 80%), but higher bird detection accuracy is still needed. For a chosen bird species – Song thrush (Turdus philomelos) – we observed a correlation between calls recorded at night and birds caught in the nets during the day. This fact, as well as the promising results from the detection of calls from long-term recordings, indicate that acoustic monitoring of nocturnal birds has great potential and could be used to supplement the research of the phenomenon of seasonal bird migration.

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