scholarly journals Changes in Species Composition of Birds and Declining Number of Breeding Territories over 40 Years in a Nature Conservation Area in Southwest Germany

Diversity ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Schrauth ◽  
Michael Wink
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Breeding Birds ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Insectivorous Birds ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Insect Populations ◽  
Southwest Germany

Global loss of biodiversity is occurring at an alarming rate and is a major issue in current times. Long-term studies offer the possibility to analyse changes in biodiversity and allow assessments of anthropogenic interventions in ecosystems. At present, various studies in most countries show partially strong declines of insect populations. Due to their role as a food source for many organisms it is assumed that declines of insect abundance might have effects on higher trophic levels like insectivorous birds. For reliable statements on relationships between food availability and population trends, systematic and extensive records of breeding birds are necessary. In this study, we analysed the changes in the range of species, biodiversity, and abundance of a breeding bird community over 43 years in a large nature conservation area in southwest Germany (“Lampertheimer Altrhein” near Mannheim). Since 1974, considerable changes in the spectrum of breeding birds have been found, but the overall biodiversity index did not change. Furthermore, 70% of the investigated species showed decreasing numbers of breeding bird territories, and the overall number of territories across species declined by more than 65%. A classification based on the main diet during the breeding period and habitat use revealed strong declines for insectivorous birds in the study area, especially in wetland and open cultivated landscapes.

The breeding bird community of managed and unmanaged willow scrub at Leighton Moss, Lancashire

1992 ◽  
Vol 98 ◽  
pp. 207-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Breeding Birds ◽  
Herb Layer ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Woodland Birds ◽  
Feeding Sites

SynopsisCoppiced willow supports a much higher density of breeding birds than unmanaged more mature willow. This appears to be because it retains richer vegetation cover, especially in the herb layer, and so provides more breeding and feeding sites for both marsh and woodland birds.

scholarly journals Seasonal and Interspecific Variation in Frugivory by a Mixed Resident-Migrant Overwintering Songbird Community

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 314
Author(s):  
Wales A. Carter ◽  
Scott F. Pearson ◽  
Adam D. Smith ◽  
Scott R. McWilliams ◽  
Douglas J. Levey
Keyword(s):  
Whole Blood ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Passerine Bird ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Mixing Models ◽  
Discrimination Factors ◽  
Diet Shifts

Many temperate passerine bird species switch from diets of mostly invertebrates in the spring and summer to diets that include fruit and seeds in the fall and winter. However, relatively few studies have quantified diet composition or the extent of seasonal shifts during the non-breeding period, particularly among species and across communities with both residents and migrants. We measured carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values in food items (fruits, C3 and C4 seeds, and insects from various trophic levels and plant communities) and in multiple tissues (feathers and plasma/whole blood) from 11 species of songbirds wintering in the southeastern U.S. We combined these diet and tissue values with empirically derived discrimination factors and used concentration-dependent mixing models to quantify seasonal diet shifts. We also validated mixing model results with data from fecal samples. Diets in this bird community, as delineated N and C isotopic space, diverged in the fall and winter relative to the summer as consumption of fruits and seeds increased. Across this songbird community, estimated contributions of fruit to plasma/whole blood increased from 16.2 ± 7.5% in the fall (mean ± SD; range: 4–26%) to 21.7 ± 10.3% (range: 9–37%) in the winter, while contributions of seeds increased from 29.4 ± 2.6% (range: 28–32%) in the fall to 36.6 ± 4.8% (range: 32–42%) in the winter. Fecal data showed qualitatively similar trends to mixing models, but consistently estimated higher contributions of fruit. Our work indicates that fruits and seeds constitute substantial sources of sustenance for non-breeding songbirds, there is considerable separation of resource use among species in the fall and winter, and fecal estimates of contributions to songbird tissues should be interpreted cautiously.

scholarly journals Population density and structure of a breeding bird community in a suburban habitat in the Cuvelai drainage system, northern Namibia

2021 ◽  
pp. 313-320
Author(s):  
G. Kopij
Keyword(s):  
Diversity Index ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Breeding Birds ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Feeding Guild ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Shannon’S Diversity Index

In a suburb (c. 100 ha) of Ongwediva, a total of 30 breeding bird species were recorded in 2018. Shannon’s Diversity Index was 2.01. Passer domesticus comprised almost half of all breeding pairs (36.4 pairs / 10 ha). Granivores were by far the most numerous feeding guild, comprising 77.5 % of all birds breeding. Birds nesting on/in buildings were represented by two species only, but they comprised almost half (49.9 %) of all breeding birds. In comparison with other southern African towns, the number of bird species breeding in Ongwediva was low. This was compensated by high population densities of some species.

scholarly journals The Effect of Pyrogenic Successionon Breeding Birds of Shelter Belts in the North-Western Part of the Azov Sea Region

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-154
Author(s):  
E. M. Ayubova ◽  
V. A. Koshelev
Keyword(s):  
Bird Community ◽  
Breeding Birds ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
The North ◽  
Azov Sea ◽  
Corvus Frugilegus ◽  
Shelter Belts ◽  
Dominating Tree ◽  
Quantitative Changes ◽  
North Western

Abstract The effect of the pyrogenic factor on the avifauna of shelter belts in the north-western part of the Azov Sea region, Ukraine is considered basing on results of the research carried out in 2001–2018. The breeding bird community of shelter belts is composed of 50 species, of them different types of shelter belts support 14–46 species. Changes in the species composition of breeding birds are analysed in subsequent years aft er the fires. The recovery of bird communities is progressing at a slow pace following the regeneration of tree-shrub vegetation and development of consortial relations of birds with dominating tree-shrub species and rook (Corvus frugilegus) colonies. It is established that the vegetation pyrogenic succession is accompanied by deep qualitative and quantitative changes in the structure of breeding avian communities in shelter belts of different type.

Evaluating Riparian Restoration Success: Long-Term Responses of the Breeding Bird Community in California’s Lower Putah Creek Watershed

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen E. Dybala ◽  
Andrew Engilis ◽  
John A. Trochet ◽  
Irene E. Engilis ◽  
Melanie L. Truan
Keyword(s):  
Bird Community ◽  
Riparian Restoration ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Restoration Success ◽  
Creek Watershed ◽  
Putah Creek

scholarly journals Understanding testosterone variation in a tropical lek-breeding bird

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 506-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas B. Ryder ◽  
Brent M. Horton ◽  
Ignacio T. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Breeding Birds ◽  
Male Dominance ◽  
Surprising Result ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Dominance Hierarchies ◽  
Testosterone Levels ◽  
Male Display ◽  
Pipra Filicauda

Male reproductive coalitions, in which males cooperate to attract females, are a rare strategy among vertebrates. While some studies have investigated ultimate aspects of these relationships, little is known about the mechanistic role that hormones play in modulating cooperative behaviours. Here, we examined male testosterone variation in a tropical lekking bird, the wire-tailed manakin ( Pipra filicauda ), which exhibits cooperative male–male display coalitions. We found that testosterone levels in territorial males were comparable to those of temperate breeding birds, a surprising result given their environmental, social and reproductive dynamics. In addition, social status rather than plumage was a strong predictor of testosterone variation. Territorial males had significantly higher testosterone levels than did two other plumage classes of floater males, who do not hold territories. We hypothesize that testosterone variation plays an important role in the establishment of male dominance hierarchies (competition), while concurrently facilitating stable display partnerships (cooperation).

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

Diversity ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Bird richness and composition in a Cerrado fragment in the State of São Paulo

2010 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
LT Manica ◽  
M Telles ◽  
MM Dias
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Status ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
The State ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Tropical Regions ◽  
Bird Richness

Bird species richness is an important measure for monitoring biodiversity changes. We analysed avifauna richness and composition in a 472 ha protected cerrado fragment and surroundings at Fazenda Canchim (RL-CPPSE), São Carlos, in the State of São Paulo (SP). We carried out 95.1 hours of observation (22 visits) at irregular intervals from May 2004 to December 2006. Qualitative surveys were done walking through tracks inside the fragment and on the roads at its edge. We recorded 160 species, six of which were endemic to Cerrado domain, 22 migratory, seven threatened within the State of São Paulo, and two globally threatened. We found 28 species in the cerradão, 110 in the cerrado sensu stricto, 13 in the gallery forest, 26 in the reservoir border, 26 in pasturelands and sugar cane monoculture and 55 in an anthropic area. Most of the species had low frequency of occurrence in all vegetation forms. Insectivores were the major trophic category (46.9%), which is typical in tropical regions, and it is also related to resource availability. Omnivores followed with 19.4%, granivores with 8.8% and frugivores with 7.5%. We conclude that, despite its size and conservation status, our study area has a remarkable bird community and must be considered as a priority conservation area to preserve bird species in Sao Paulo State.

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