Nest-site selection and nest design of Iberian bullfinches Pyrrhula pyrrhula iberiae in northwestern Spain

Nest-habitat selection and nest design in a Eurasian bullfinch population in the Iberian Peninsula are thoroughly addressed in this study for the first time. Hedgerows and meadows were found around all of the nests and most of them were supported by hedgerows, so bullfinches consistently used the general woody vegetation available as reproduction habitat and site. Also, poplar plantations appeared preferentially in the immediate surroundings of the nests. Partly reflecting these results, bullfinches chose zones with greater shrub and tree cover than that available. Bullfinches placed their nests on a wide variety of plant species, but showed predilection for thorny species. Overall mean height of nests above the ground was 1.43 m and large-sized shrubs/trees were preferred. The most predominant bullfinch nest orientations were S, E and centered, which arguably provided thermal benefits and protected from severe weather. In general, there were no significant temporal variations in nest-site selection. With the exception of thorny support and favourable orientation, acting jointly, there was no significant association between nest-site characteristics and nesting success, presumably because many nests were already located in the most advantageous places at each time, and because despite this, predation pressure was high. Nest external dimensions were relatively variable, whereas internal width was the least variable nest dimension. No significant monthly or interannual variations in nest weight were observed. Larger nests did not hold larger clutches. Successful nests were larger than unsuccessful ones. The bullfinch nests were of simple construction, with two clearly different regions, the outer nest and the internal cup, with no significant temporal variations in the weight of either. The outer, structural nest consisted mainly of twigs, whereas roots and herbaceous shoots were the highest fractions lining the cup. Hair was the only animal-derived material used by bullfinches.

Tree characteristics, microhabitat and edge effect in plantations govern European Turtle-dove Streptopelia turtur nest habitat selection at the edge of Sahara: implications for conservation of a vulnerable species

Summary Tree characteristics, microhabitat, and human presence were measured around nest trees (n = 92) and non-nest trees (n = 92) to identify the best predictors of the European Turtle-dove Streptopelia turtur nest occurrence in date palm plantations of the Biskra region (Algeria). Nest occurrence was (i) positively influenced by the height of trees and that of the herbaceous layer, and (ii) quadratically affected by diameter at breast height (DBH), the cover of trees, the cover of the herbaceous vegetation, and the distance to the edge of date palm plantation. Variation partitioning analysis revealed that the pure effect of tree physical characteristics (tree height and DBH) was robust in explaining the occurrence of Turtle Dove nests (adj. R2 = 0.52, P = 0.001). For an efficient management of this Saharan population, special attention should be paid in the short term to keeping high date palm trees while ensuring, in the medium and long term, the presence of different-sized palm tree classes at each exploitation. There is no doubt that date palm plantations of Biskra are of paramount importance because they offer good opportunities for consolidating and improving the knowledge on this threatened species and other species at the Sahara edge.

Identifikasi Ekologi Sarang Elang Jawa (Nisaetus bartelsi) Di Taman Nasional Gunung Halimun Salak, Resort Gunung Salak I

(Article History: Received November 11, 2020; Revised January 5, 2021; Accepted 28 February 2021) ABSTRAKSalah satu burung pemangsa yang terdapat di Indonesia adalah Elang Jawa (Nisaetus bartelsi). Taman Nasional Gunung Halimun Salak (TNGHS) adalah salah satu taman nasional yang ada di Indonesia. TNGHS merupakan salah satu habitat bagi Elang Jawa, hal ini dikarenakan kondisinya yang bisa dikatakan masih cukup baik dan data-data mengenai burung Elang Jawa di Kawasan TNGHS masih belum memadai. Oleh karena itu, diperlukan eksplorasi mengenai habitat populasi Elang Jawa di Kawasan TNGHS. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan habitat dan sarang Elang Jawa yang meliputi lokasi, jenis pohon dan ciri-ciri pohon yang digunakan sebagai tempat meletakan sarang di TNGHS. Hal ini berguna untuk memberikan informasi tentang habitat sarang Elang Jawa pada Kawasan tersebut. Metode yang digunakan yaitu survei, pemantauan sarang, wawancara, pengumpulan dan analisis data. Berdasarkan hasil pengamatan N. bartelsi, menggunakan pohon Litsea cordata (Huru) dengan ketinggian 40-60 meter sebagai sarangnya, dan pohon Schima wallichii (Puspa) untuk bertengger. Kata Kunci: Elang Jawa; Habitat; Sarang; TNGHS ABSTRACTOne of the birds of prey found in Indonesia is the Javan Hawk Eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi). Mount Halimun Salak National Park (TNGHS) is one of the national parks in Indonesia. TNGHS is one of the habitats for Javanese eagles. This is because the conditions are still quite good and data on Javanese eagles in the TNGHS area are still inadequate. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the habitat of the Javan hawk population in the TNGHS area. This study aims to explain the habitat and nest of Javanese eagles which include location, tree species and tree characteristics used as a place to place nests in TNGHS. This is useful for providing information about the Javan hawk nest habitat in the area. The methods used are surveys, nest monitoring, interviews, data collection and analysis. Based on the observations of N. bartelsi, using the tree Litsea cordata (Huru) with a height of 40-60 meters as a nest, and the tree Schima wallichii (Puspa) for perching.Keywords: Javan hawk eagle; Habitat; Nest; TNGHS

Lasius nigroemarginatus Forel, 1874 is a F1 Hybrid between L. emarginatus (Olivier, 1792) and L. platythorax Seifert, 1991 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Lasius nigroemarginatus Forel, 1874, that has been synonymized in recent catalogues with Lasius emarginatus (Olivier, 1792), is shown to represent a F1 hybrid between L. emarginatus and L. platythorax Seifert, 1991. This conclusion was firstly drawn from numeric description of 16 phenotypic characters and the placement of four type workers of L. nigroemarginatus within vectorial space of the three possible parental species. These were represented by 144 workers of Lasius niger (Linnaeus, 1758), 90 workers of L. emarginatus and 94 workers of L. platythorax – with a coverage for all species by their whole Palaearctic range. The type sample was placed intermediate between (and clearly separated from) the clusters of L. emarginatus and L. platythorax in both Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling and when run as a wild-card in a three-class linear discriminant analysis. Comparing structural and pigmentation characters one by one, the types of L. nigroemarginatus were intermediate between L. emarginatus and L. platythorax in five characters, closer to L. emarginatus in four characters and closer to L. platythorax in seven characters. The conclusions derived from the position in the morphological space were supported by data on swarming time and nest habitat selection and the odor perceived by the collector Forel. Lasius niger could be clearly excluded to represent a parental species. It is argued that the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) shows logical inconsistencies and explanatory weakness regarding the treatment of truly hybridogenous species and that the Articles 1.3.3, 17.2 and 23.8 of ICZN should be amended or re-written.

Population estimate of Trindade PetrelPterodroma arminjonianaby the use of Predictive Nest Habitat Modelling

SummaryThe Trindade PetrelPterodroma arminjonianais a vulnerable species that breeds on Trindade Island, 1,100 km away from the Brazilian coast, and on Round Island in the Indian Ocean. Recent population estimates for Trindade Island by nest counts in accessible areas, and extrapolated to the whole island provided a figure of 1,130 breeding pairs. Using topographic variables and Predictive Nest Habitat Modelling from known breeding sites, we estimated the potential area of nesting and estimated the size of the breeding population. Nests were associated with low to intermediate elevations in areas of steep slopes and high runoff, which limited the distribution of potential breeding sites to the edges of the Island. By extrapolating the density of nests in the known breeding sites to the overall potential breeding area, we estimated 1,228 nests. We discuss the potential implications of our findings in relation to the population status based on the scenario of intense habitat modification of the island over the few last centuries. This species may have suffered declines due to habitat alteration by human activities and introduction of exotic species. Furthermore, we generate an overview of potential areas for nesting and establish relationships with habitats that may be useful for the conservation of the Trindade Petrel, and restoration actions for Trindade Island in the future.