Seabirds of the Benguela Ecosystem: Utilisation, Long-Term Changes and Challenges

The Benguela Current is used by c. 82 seabird species, of which seven are endemic to it. Eggs and guano of formerly abundant seabirds were heavily harvested in the 19th and 20th centuries but decreases in seabird populations led to cessation of these industries at islands. Guano is still scraped from platforms. Seabird ecotourism has grown. There were large recent decreases in numbers of African Penguins Spheniscus demersus, Cape Gannets Morus capensis and Cape Phalacrocorax capensis and Bank P. neglectus Cormorants and redistributions of these other species away from the centre of the Benguela ecosystem towards its northern or eastern boundaries. In 2020, seabirds endemic to the Benguela ecosystem and albatrosses and petrels migrating into it had high proportions of globally Near Threatened or Threatened species. The primary threat to four Endangered endemic birds was scarcity of forage resources. A Vulnerable endemic damara tern was susceptible to habitat degradation and disturbance. The principal threat to visiting albatrosses and petrels was by-catch mortality. Identification and effective protection of Important Bird Area breeding and marine foraging and aggregation sites, and a suite of complementary measures, are needed to conserve the seabirds and ensure continuation of their economic and ecosystem benefits into the future.

Avifauna do Parque Estadual da Serra Furada, mata atlântica do sul de Santa Catarina, Brasil

A mata atlântica apresenta alta riqueza e endemismo de espécies, contudo a sua intensa fragmentação levou à perda de mais de 80% da sua cobertura original. Atualmente poucas manchas grandes e conectadas de floresta existem, e as unidades de conservação protegem uma significativa parte delas. Inventários de biodiversidade possuem um papel fundamental para a elaboração de estratégias eficientes de conservação e manejo de tais áreas. Neste artigo é apresentado um inventário de aves para o Parque Estadual da Serra Furada (Paesf), unidade de conservação compreendendo mata atlântica montana, localizada no estado de Santa Catarina, sul do Brasil. O inventário foi feito por meio de amostragens de campo entre junho de 2014 e julho de 2016, complementado por registros de literatura e espécimes depositados em museus. Um total de 229 espécies foi listado, das quais 61 endêmicas da mata atlântica, 14 de interesse conservacionista e 173 dependentes de ambientes florestais. Os resultados indicam uma alta relevância da área para a conservação da avifauna regional. Uma vez que o Paesf possui um alto número de espécies ameaçadas, endêmicas e dependentes de florestas, sugere-se que o parque atende aos requisitos para ser avaliado como candidato potencial a se tornar uma important bird area em análises futuras.

Voice mimicry exhibited by Grey-sided Laughingthrush Garrulax caerulatus (Hodgson, 1836) in Phulchoki Mountain, an important bird area, central Nepal

This paper informs Grey-sided Laughingthrush voice mimicking behaviour recorded at different places and different situations within thick forests, similar to other voice mimicking bird species.

Bird conservation in Africa: the contributions of the Ibadan Bird Club

The Ibadan Bird Club has met 19 times at monthly intervals between February 2016 and August 2017, and 264 people (155 male and 109 female) have registered as members. During this period, the club has successfully built local capacity in bird conservation, and 111 bird species, distributed in 39 families, have been documented in an urban Important Bird Area, southwestern Nigeria. The findings of this citizen science initiative are essential for conservation purposes.

Modelling climate influences on population dynamics and diurnal time budget of the Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) wintering in Ramsar wetlands of Algeria

Several North African wetlands are classified as wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites and Important Bird Area) because thousands of Shelducks ( Tadorna tadorna) winter in these habitats. However, Shelduck’s patterns of habitat use in these protected wetlands during the wintering season are still hindered by lack of information in arid and semi-arid regions regarding population dynamics and the effects of climate variables. This ornithological survey aims to study population dynamics and temporal patterns of diurnal activities of the Shelduck at two Ramsar and Important Bird Area sites (Chott Tinsilt and Sebkhet Ezzemoul) with respect to the effect of climatic parameters of the habitat in order to deepen our understanding of wintering strategies and habitat use. Populations were weekly censused from 06:00 to 19:00 during the entire wintering season (September 2015–May 2016). Diurnal behavioural activities were monitored at the same rate, and then the variation of time budget was tested using generalized linear model to determine the effects of climate variables and conspecific density dependence. The Shelduck was observed at both sites from the end of November and remained there until the total desiccation of both lakes in early May. Trends of Shelduck’s population dynamics differed between the two sites. Generalized linear models revealed the significant effects of temperature, wind speed and number of snowy days on population dynamics. Feeding was the main diurnal activity of the Shelduck at both sites with 80.2% of time budget at Chott Tinsilt (mainly feeding at lake shores) and 82% at Sebkhet Ezzemoul (mainly feeding in water). The generalized linear models showed that the variation of time budget allocated to different diurnal activities was not density-dependent, but rather it was negatively affected by the increase of air temperature. Significant effects of the interaction between population size and some climatic variables were found and discussed. During the whole wintering season, Chott Tinsilt and Sebkhet Ezzemoul play an important ecological role since they offer a wide-ranging diurnal forging habitat and a shelter for thousands of this waterfowl.