Biodiversity Commons^™

Feeding Ecology, Behaviour And Habitat Utilization Of Black Drongo (Dicrurus Macrocercus) In Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan, Muhammad Bilal, Zeeshan Khalid, Ali Hasnain Mosvi, Amir Naseer

Journal of Bioresource Management

Black Drongo is an insectivorous bird native to Pakistan. The present study focused on its feeding preferences, behaviour, ecology and habitat relationships. The study was carried out from first week of December, 2019 to the second week of April, 2020 in the two villages of Rawalpindi named as Daultala (Location-I) and Nata Gujarmall (Location-II). Observations were made by point count method on foot using line transect method. Air (52.27%) was the most commonly used feeding substrate. Aerial feeding mode (52.27%) is preferred over plant or tree gleaning (n=58) and ground feeding (n=47). Most common perching site was man made obstacle, …

Artificial Perches As A Technique For Enhancing Tropical Forest Restoration: A Case Study From The Dominican Republic, Spencer Schubert, Ally S. Lahey, Ashley R. Weisman, Eric L. Walters

College of Sciences Posters

Recovering secondary forests on degraded agricultural lands represents a promising opportunity to offset global carbon emissions as well as increasing local biodiversity and ecosystem services. In the insular tropical forests of the Caribbean, frugivorous birds are the primary seed dispersers for most native woody plants and have a large influence on regeneration dynamics during forest succession. In 2017, we initiated an experimental forest restoration program incorporating artificial perches on private farms within the Rio Yaque del Norte watershed in La Vega province, Dominican Republic. Five restoration plots (0.15–0.25 ha) were constructed in pastures near deforested streams. In each plot, 6-12 …

Wpa News 111 (2020), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Spring 2020), number 111

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Exploring Song As A Reproductive Isolation Mechanism In A Hybridizing Population Of Winged Warblers, Amy E. Janik

Masters Theses

Reproductive isolation mechanisms such as song are used by birds to promote assortative mating by species and prevent gene flow when closely related species come into secondary contact. Based on the strength of a reproductive barrier, signals in hybrid zones can diverge and become more dissimilar to maintain species or converge to become more similar and make species discrimination more difficult. When two closely related species overlap in territories and have similar songs, song convergence is likely and has the capacity to disrupt species recognition. We test the hypothesis that song acts as a reproductive isolation mechanism by examining song …

Seasonal Population Fluctuations In Some Non-Passeriformes At Marala Head, Pakistan, Zahid Bhatti, Asad Ghufran, Fakhra Nazir

Journal of Bioresource Management

Point count method was used to determine the relative abundance of non-passerine species at Marala wetlands (District Sialkot, Pakistan) during different calendar months between October, 2000 and September, 2001. Six species (Hoopoe, Lapwing, Spotted Owlet, Osprey, Indian Roller and Indian Nightjar) were recorded. Osprey and Spotted Owlet appearing in smaller numbers and Red Wattled Lapwing as a dominant resident. All the species were resident with some variation in population sizes during different seasons, though Osprey was a winter visitor.

The North American Swans: Their Biology And Conservation, Paul Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

Among birds, swans are relatively long-lived species and are also among the most strongly monogamous, having prolonged pair and family bonds that strongly influence their reproductive and general social behavior, which, in combination with their beauty and elegance, contribute to the overall high degree of worldwide human interest in them. This volume of more than 59,000 words describes the distributions, ecology, social behavior, and breeding biologies of the four species of swans that breed or have historically bred in North America, including the native trumpeter and tundra swans, the introduced mute swan, and the marginally occurring whooper swan. Also included …

Friendship At The Feeding Station, Anisha Pokharel

Zea E-Books Collection

A young steppe eagle and his mother fly to Nepal from Mongolia, where Griffy, a Himalayan griffon, chases the hungry Steppe from the feeding station, but Garuda, a white-rumped vulture, intervenes and becomes Steppe's friend. Steppe's mother is angered at first, but learns the lesson that each species has its role to play.

Designed by Breanna Epp with Maeve Lausch

Impacts Of Invasive Rats On Hawaiian Cave Resources, Francis G. Howarth, Fred D. Stone

International Journal of Speleology

Although there are no published studies and limited data documenting damage by rodents in Hawaiian caves, our incidental observations during more than 40 years of surveying caves indicate that introduced rodents, especially the roof rat, Rattus rattus, pose significant threats to vulnerable cave resources. Caves, with their nearly constant and predictable physical environment often house important natural and cultural features including biological, paleontological, geological, climatic, mineralogical, cultural, and archaeological resources. All four invasive rodents in Hawai‘i commonly nest in cave entrances and rock shelters, but only the roof rat (Rattus rattus) habitually enters caves and utilizes areas …

Insights About Diversity Of Tetrabothriidae (Eucestoda) Among Holarctic Alcidae (Charadriiformes): What Is Tetrabothrius Jagerskioeldi?, Eric P. Hoberg, Kaylen Marie Soudachanh

MANTER: Journal of Parasite Biodiversity

Tetrabothriid cestodes are characteristic helminths that infect species of seabirds globally. We begin with the exploration of the diversity of tapeworms of the genus Tetrabothrius Rudolphi, 1819 (Eucestoda: Tetrabothriidae), some of which are distributed among seabirds of the family Alcidae (Charadriiformes) at boreal to higher latitudes of Holarctic seas. During the course of 2 decades of field inventory from 1975 through the early 1990s (in addition to earlier collections assembled by Robert L. Rausch and colleagues in Alaska initiated in the late 1940s), an extensive series of tapeworm specimens attributable to species of Tetrabothrius was recovered from seabirds across the …

Proceedings Of The Fifteenth North American Crane Workshop, Jane E. Austin, Richard P. Urbanek, Megan E. Brown

Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop

Proceedings of the Fifteenth North American Crane Workshop (2020) edited by Jane E. Austin, Richard P. Urbanek, and Megan E. Brown.

Farming With Nature: Promoting Biodiversity Across Europe Through Partridge Conservation, Jen Brewin, Francis Buner, Julie Ewald

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Reports and Other Materials

A summary of scientific evidence underlying the North Sea Region Interreg PARTRIDGE project, https://northsearegion.eu/partridge.

This publication describes how grey partridge conservation helps to address the farmland biodiversity crisis across Europe. It summarises the most relevant scientific evidence regarding grey partridge management and the biodiversity benefits associated with it. We have selected what we felt were the best and most thorough studies and papers available. We cite high-impact peer-reviewed papers wherever possible, relying on our combined experience and expertise to quote non-reviewed reports where published papers were unavailable.

Wpa News 113 (2020), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Winter 2020), number 113

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Dynamics Of Avian Elevational Ranges Reveal Hidden Evolutionary Forces, Chauncey R. Gadek

Biology ETDs

The distribution of life across the Andes mountains reflects historical elevational-range contraction and expansion. Whereas contraction implies specialization, expansion requires overcoming hidden barriers. Three eco-evolutionary phenomena may drive patterns in rates of elevational range evolution: (1) The Dobzhansky-MacArthur Phenomenon (DMP) predicts lower rates of upward expansion with harsher physical conditions, while downward expansion increases with lower diversity; (2) the evolutionary tendency toward specialization predicts contraction increases when ranges are broad; and (3) natural selection for respiratory performance could suppress expansion across mid-elevations due to gene-environment mismatch. We modeled elevational range shifts of Neotropical landbirds. Contrary to the DMP, upward expansion …

Vultures And Kites From Marala Wetlands, Zahid Bhatti, Fida Muhammad Khan, Muhammad Asif Gondal

Journal of Bioresource Management

The family Accipitridae consists of approximately 254 known living species that include eagles, hawks, vultures and kites. Forty species from this family are extant in Pakistan, of which 24 are resident. Only six species from the Accipitridae family were observed at Marala Head; Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Pariha Kite (Milvus migrans), White-Backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Long-billed Vulture (Gyps indicus), Shikra (Accipiter badius) and Black-Winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus). The highest number of any species from this family observed was of Gyps bengalensis (23) in December. Elanus caeruleus was the …

A Preliminary Study On Population Of Some Passeriformes At Marala Head, Zahid Bhatti, Fakhra Nazir, Asad Ghufran

Journal of Bioresource Management

Passerines are perching birds of order Passeriformes representing half of the diversity of birds (Sibley and Monroe, 1990). There are total 6,600 species identified under 140 families declaring Passeriformes as the largest order of birds. Three hundred and thirteen species of Passeriformes were reported by Roberts (1992) from Pakistan but according to check list of birds of Pakistan there are more than 400 species of Passeriformes in Pakistan (Clements, 2019). They have significant ecological importance in an ecosystem and are mostly omnivores except the shrikes which are carnivorous. This study was done to form a preliminary checklist of Passeriformes at …

Andean Condor Cliff And Parental Care Behavior: A Behavioral Study Of A Chick And His Free-Living Parents On The Peñón Del Isco, Ecuador, Ellie Cohn

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) are a Near Threatened species of New World Vulture found throughout the Andes region of South America. Their population has been significantly diminished in the country of Ecuador due to threats primarily related to habitat loss and persecution by humans. High chick and juvenile mortality also threaten populations and as a result, investigation of wild Andean condors’ cliff behavior and parental care are necessary in order to develop informed and effective conservation management plans. A 22-day observational study was conducted, monitoring a known breeding pair of Andean condors and their approximately three-month-old male chick on the …

Wpa News 109 (2019), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Summer 2019), number 109

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Climate Change Impacts On Bird Communities Vary Throughout Cities In Kansas, Lindsey Williams, Christine Brodsky

Posters

It is important to study climate change’s impacts on biodiversity in order to find a solution before the effects on wildlife are irreversible. Our research objective for this project was to determine if climate change affected long-term bird trends in urban and rural areas throughout Kansas. Our hypothesis was that climate change will decrease bird abundance and species richness because altered climate patterns like storms, droughts, and heat waves, may cause a decrease in suitable habitat. We would expect these trends to be strongest in cities, due to the urban heat island effect. The methods used for this project included …

Wpa News 108 (2019), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Spring 2019), number 108

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Iceland's Migratory Birds In Changing Environmental Conditions: An Interactive Synthesis, Frances J. Duncan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Human-driven changes to environmental conditions alter the habitats, behaviors, and migration patterns of migratory species. Changes in temperature, vegetation, and precipitation are just some of the factors contributing to shifts in phenology, demography, and distribution of migratory birds. These changes are driven by anthropogenic climate change and amplified by human land-use change, and are especially intense at high latitudes. This project creatively communicates the effects of environmental changes on three species of migratory birds in Iceland—the northern wheatear, the Greenland white-fronted goose, and the black-tailed godwit—using principles of storytelling and game design. The resulting interactive product is a game that …

Avian Upsloping In The Tropics: Myioborus Miniatus And Myioborus Torquatus Abundance In Different Altitudinal Ranges In Boquete, Chiriquí, Panama, Julie Yoon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Direct and indirect effects of warming global temperatures due to climate change are known to cause upwards shifts of the altitudinal ranges of some avian species. Most susceptible to this trend and at risk of riding the “escalator to extinction” are endemic species in tropical montane cloud forests, such as Myioborus torquatus. There are abiotic factors, like temperature, and biotic interactions, such as the presence of its altitudinal neighbor Myioborus miniatus, that limit the altitudinal range of this bird species in the Neotropics. This study measured abundance of M. miniatus and M. torquatus populations at different altitudinal ranges by point …

Quiscalus Mexicanus Vocalization Pitch And Traffic Noise In Breeding Populations Along The Cinta Costera Highway And In Downtown Gamboa, Panamá, Benjamin P. Gregory

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Urbanization is one of the fastest-growing threats to the biodiversity of the planet, but not all animals are extirpated by the drastic environmental changes of urbanization, and many are even able to thrive in urban landscapes. Behavioral flexibility is often cited as one reason that successful urban animals can so rapidly adapt to a foreign environment with novel stressors. A well-studied example of urban behavioral flexibility is urban-living birds singing with higher-frequency songs in areas with high levels of traffic noise. The present study investigated this trend in Quiscalus mexicanus, an icterid bird with a huge vocal range, highly sexually …

Avian Diversity Of Langh Lake Sindh And Their Response To The Disturbance., Ali Hasnain Mosvi, Yasir Muneer, Javeed Ali Maher, Jibran Haider, Amir Naseer, Abdullah Ibrahim

Journal of Bioresource Management

Birds and human interaction add harmful effects on conservation and behavior of bird. To develop a buffer between human activities and number of birds, a comprehensive study is necessary to assess the response of birds and their flight initiation distance. An experimental design was employed to record the bird’s response and their flight initiation distance, for 109 birds of Langh lake, Sindh. Fifty percent of passerine birds showed medium response towards disturbance and 39% of water birds showed high response toward disturbance. 13 species of family Scolopacidae were recorded during study and 84.62% species of this family showed high response …

Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga Cerulea) And Associated Species Response To Operational Silviculture In The Central Appalachian Region, Gretchen Emily Nareff

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this study, I assessed the response of Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea) and 5 additional songbird species to timber harvests prescribed through operational silviculture. The research took place in relatively contiguous mature deciduous forests in 4 states in the central Appalachian region—Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, USA.

For the first part of the study, I collected Cerulean Warbler abundance and territory data through point counts and territory mapping, respectively. I used the point count data to model Cerulean Warbler abundance pre- and post-harvest at 5 study areas (Kentucky [n=1], Virginia [n=2], West Virginia [n=2]) and post-harvest at …

Wpa News 110 (2019), World Pheasant Association

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Newsletters

WPA News (Winter 2019), number 110

Published by the World Pheasant Association

Птицы Восточного Саяна / Birds Of The Eastern Sayan, Tsydypzhap Zayateevich Dorzhiev, Yuri Anatolyevich Durnev, Marina Vitalievna Sonina, Erdeni Nikolaevich Elaev, A. A. Baranov

Zea E-Books Collection

The monograph presents data on the distribution and ecology of 340 species of birds found on the territory of the poorly studied highland — the Eastern Sayan. An ecological systematic and faunogenetic analysis of the region’s avifauna has been carried out. We reveal some features of the birds' way of life in the extreme natural conditions of the mountains of Southern Siberia.

The book is intended for all who are of interest in the wildlife of Siberia, as well as for biology teachers and students, ecologists.

В монографии приведены данные о распространении и экологии 340 видов птиц, отмеченных на территории …

Galliformes Specialist Group Annual Report 2019, John P. Carroll, Simon D. Dowell

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Reports and Other Materials

Annual report of the IUCN SSC Galliformes Specialist Group, 2019.

7th International Symposium On Galliformes (September 22–24, 2019: Quang Binh, Vietnam): Abstracts, World Pheasant Association, Việt Nature Conservation Centre

Galliformes Specialist Group and Affiliated Societies: Conference Proceedings

Abstracts

How much recent research help with plans to reintroduce Vietnam pheasant Lophura edwardsi to the world? Nigel Collar

Status and range decline of Germain’s peacock pheasant, Vy Nguyen Tran, Dusit Ngoprasert, Stephen Browne, and Tommaso Savini

Landscape-scale camera-trapping surveys fill the information gap about the distribution of galliforms in the Annamites, An Nguyen, Andrew Tilker, Jesse F. Abrams, Thanh V. Nguyen, Nguyen Quang Hoa Anh, Benjamin Rawson, Francois Guegan, Camille N. Z. Coudrat, Cao Tien Trung, Minh Le, Daniel Wilcox, and Andreas Wilting

Increasing the breeding success of two vulnerable peacock-pheasant species through antiparasitic interventions and hand-rearing Grace Tang …

Shade Trees Preserve Avian Insectivore Biodiversity On Coffee Farms In A Warming Climate, Sarah L. Schooler

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Coffee is an important export in many developing countries, with a global annual trade value of $100 billion. Climate change is projected to drastically reduce the area where coffee is able to be grown. Shade trees may mitigate the effects of climate change through temperature regulation for coffee growth, temperature regulation for pest control, and increase in pest-eating bird diversity. The impact of shade on bird diversity and microclimate on coffee farms has been studied extensively in the Neotropics, but there is a dearth of research in the Paleotropics. I examined the local effects of shade on bird presence and …

Bird Window Strikes On A College Campus: Mortality Estimates And Possible Mitigation, Antarius D. Mclain

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Understanding the impact that human development has on wildlife populations is essential to preserving biodiversity. Bird populations are a good indicator of anthropogenic threats because they are sensitive to environmental change. Window strikes are a major source of mortality for bird populations. Studies have begun to monitor factors that cause window strikes and estimate the amount of birds killed annually by strikes. However, these estimates can be greatly affected by site dependent variables and scavenging of carcasses. My study addresses this issue by answering four questions: First, how many birds are killed annually on campus? Second, what factors complicate making …