An updated and comprehensive compilation and review of the historical breeding sites of the Northern Bald Ibis in Syria and south-eastern Turkey is presented accompanied by all available details. The original sources, dating from the first half of the 19th century to 2010, were thoroughly assessed and reviewed. A detailed distribution map of confirmed and unconfirmed historical Northern Bald Ibis colonies was developed, showing a cluster of colonies located in the central steppe of Syria, between the villages of Qaryatayn and Sukhna, while several other colonies were scattered along the Euphrates river from southern Turkey to Iraq, passing through Syria.

White-bellied Heron Ardea insignis (WBH) is critically endangered, but we lack data on many aspects of its basic ecology and threats to the species are not clearly understood. The goal of this study was to analyse WBH foraging microhabitat selection, foraging behaviour, and prey preferences in two river basins (Punatsangchhu and Mangdechhu) in Bhutan which are likely home to one of the largest remaining populations of WBH. We also explored the relationship between the relative abundance of the WBH and prey biomass catch per unit effort within four foraging river microhabitats (pool, pond, riffle and run). Prey species were sampled in 13 different 100-m thalweg lengths of the rivers using cast nets and electrofishing gear. Riffles and pools were the most commonly used microhabitats; relative abundance was the highest in riffles. The relative abundance of WBH and prey biomass catch per unit effort (CPUE) also showed a weak but significant positive correlation (rs = 0.22). The highest biomass CPUE was observed in riffles while the lowest was found in the ponds. From the 97 prey items caught by the WBH, 95% of the prey were fish. The WBH mainly exploited three genera of fish (Garra, Salmo, and Schizothorax) of which Schizothorax (64%) was the most frequently consumed. This study provides evidence in support of further protection of critical riverine habitat and fish resources for this heron. Regular monitoring of sand and gravel mining, curbing illegal fishing, habitat restoration/mitigation, and developing sustainable alternatives for local people should be urgently implemented by the government and other relevant agencies. Further study is also required for understanding the seasonal variation and abundance of its prey species in their prime habitats along the Punatsangchhu and Mangdechhu basins.

Cook’s Petrel Pterodroma cookii is an endemic New Zealand seabird that has experienced a large range decline since the arrival of humans and now only breeds on two offshore islands (Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island and Whenua Hou/Codfish Island) at the extreme ends of its former distribution. Morphological, behavioural, and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) sequence data led a previous study to recognise the two extant populations as distinct conservation management units. Here, we further examine the genetic relationship between the extant populations using two nuclear introns (β-fibint7 and PAX). Using one mitochondrial locus (CO1), we also investigate the past distribution of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that differentiates the modern populations using bone and museum skins sourced from within its former range across New Zealand’s North and South Islands. We found significant population genetic structure between the two extant Cook’s Petrel populations for one of the two nuclear introns (β-fibint7). The mitochondrial DNA CO1 analysis indicated that the SNP variant found in the Codfish Island population was formerly widely distributed across both the North and South Islands, whereas the Little Barrier Island variant was detected only in North Island samples. We argue that these combined data support the recognition of the extant populations as different subspecies. Previous names for these taxa exist, thus Cook’s Petrel from Little Barrier Island becomes Pterodroma cookii cookii and Cook’s Petrel from Codfish Island becomes P. c. orientalis. Furthermore, we suggest that both genetic and non-genetic data should be taken into consideration when planning future mainland translocations. Namely, any translocations on the South Island should be sourced from Codfish Island and future translocations on the North Island should continue to be sourced from Little Barrier Island only.

The trade in Asian songbirds is contributing to declining populations of many species in the wild. The Chinese Hwamei Garrulax canorus is a popular songbird endemic to Asia that is traded both domestically and internationally. The songbird trade in the USA, particularly involving Asian songbirds, has not been well studied. We hypothesised that despite Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix II regulations, Chinese Hwamei are traded illegally in the USA. We scrutinised the CITES Trade Database, US seizure and confiscation records, publicly available records, and websites to assess the imports and availability of Chinese Hwamei in the USA. Since the species was first listed in CITES Appendix II in 2000, there have been three reports of Chinese Hwamei imports into the USA, one of which included four live birds, compared with approximately 40 records of illegally imported birds. Online advertisements of Chinese Hwamei for sale show that both wild-caught and captive-bred birds are easily available. We believe this indicates that there is both legal and illegal trade of the species in the USA. Based on these findings we concluded that more research into the songbird trade, and specifically songbird trade in the USA, is warranted. We recommend additional assessments of CITES and non-CITES songbird species and encourage additional species protection when illegal trade is occurring. We also recommend that the relevant authorities in the USA better scrutinise the trade in non-native songbirds and take meaningful action against anyone found unlawfully importing and trading in illegally sourced songbirds. Finally, we recommend that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species includes international trade as a threat to the Chinese Hwamei in order to raise concern and motivate action for this songbird.

The hypersaline Lake Urmia, located in Iran, has undergone a significant reduction in size and is currently facing the risk of desiccation. The decrease in water levels, coupled with elevated salinity levels, has initiated ecological degradation, leading to a substantial decline in the region’s waterbird population. This study employs breakpoint analysis to determine the year when the drought event affecting the lake commenced. Additionally, canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) is utilised to elucidate the interaction between environmental parameters and the waterbird assemblages in Lake Urmia over the period 1970–2018. Our investigation identifies the year 2000 as the initiation of the water crisis in Lake Urmia, synchronously coinciding with the decline in the waterbird populations. This finding highlights a significant connection between the majority of waterbird species and the axes of CCA, intricately linked with water availability within Lake Urmia. This revelation underscores the pivotal role of fluctuations in water levels in shaping the dynamics of the lake’s waterbird assemblages. Furthermore, our observations emphasise the importance of even minor improvements in hydrological conditions of the lake, resulting in substantial positive impacts on waterbird populations.

Pink-headed Fruit-dove Ptilinopus porphyreus is a little-known, restricted-range species, endemic to the mountains of the Indonesian islands of Sumatra, Java and Bali. In the period 1981–2002 we conducted surveys throughout its range and compiled data on its presence and absence on 32 isolated mountain complexes. The fruit-dove appeared to be restricted to < 12,000 km2 of forest, scattered over 20 major mountain complexes on the three islands, i.e. three on Sumatra, 16 on Java and one on Bali. It occurred exclusively on mountains of > 2,000 m in altitude, where, depending on the size of the mountain, it reached its lower altitudinal limit between 500 and 1,000 m. The species was found mostly in singles or as pairs but occasionally in flocks of up to 17 individuals. It occurred almost exclusively in forest, feeding on figs and small berries in the upper-canopy. We documented three cases of breeding in the wild. From captive birds it is known that a single egg is laid which is incubated for 20 days, with fledging occurring after another 15–16 days. Based on a study of 104 skins, the breeding season peak in West Java is at the beginning of the dry season. Although Pink-headed Fruit-dove is found in scattered, ever-shrinking forest blocks of mostly < 200 km2, the scarcity of recent field records is more than likely due to its inconspicuous behaviour, and a threatened status is unwarranted as yet.