Seabirds are highly threatened, including by fisheries bycatch. Accurate understanding of offshore distribution of seabirds is crucial to address this threat. Tracking technologies revolutionised insights into seabird distributions but tracking data may contain a variety of biases. We tracked two threatened seabirds (Salvin’s Albatross Thalassarche salvini n = 60 and Black Petrel Procellaria parkinsoni n = 46) from their breeding colonies in Aotearoa (New Zealand) to their non-breeding grounds in South America, including Peru, while simultaneously completing seven surveys in Peruvian waters. We then used species distribution models to predict occurrence and distribution using either data source alone, and both data sources combined. Results showed seasonal differences between estimates of occurrence and distribution when using data sources independently. Combining data resulted in more balanced insights into occurrence and distributions, and reduced uncertainty. Most notably, both species were predicted to occur in Peruvian waters during all four annual quarters: the northern Humboldt upwelling system for Salvin’s Albatross and northern continental shelf waters for Black Petrels. Our results highlighted that relying on a single data source may introduce biases into distribution estimates. Our tracking data might have contained ontological and/or colony-related biases (e.g. only breeding adults from one colony were tracked), while our survey data might have contained spatiotemporal biases (e.g. surveys were limited to waters <200 nm from the coast). We recommend combining data sources wherever possible to refine predictions of species distributions, which ultimately will improve fisheries bycatch management through better spatiotemporal understanding of risks.

In 2015 and 2016 four Lesser White-fronted Geese (Anser erythropus), a globally threatened species, were caught and tagged during spring migration representing nearly 10% of the entire Swedish breeding population at the time. Two of the birds were followed over more than one season. Tracking data revealed an unexpected wide network of migration corridors and staging sites. Autumn and spring migration differed by stepping-stone sites and migration speed. So far unknown key stopover sites were discovered in Denmark, northern Germany, and Sweden. By using dynamic Brownian bridge movement models, the potential areas that Lesser White-fronted Geese used during migration are described and conservation implications spotlighted. This study provides another important piece of the puzzle describing the migration of Lesser White-fronted Geese in Western Europe.

Knowledge of the breeding ecology of Endangered Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer is necessary to develop a comprehensive species-specific conservation plan. We found nine greenshank nests in Schaste Bay, Russian Far East during the summers of 2019–2021. These are the first nests found in over 40 years and the only discovered to date on mainland Russia. In contrast to previous nest descriptions, we found greenshanks do not exclusively nest in trees, but also place nests on the ground at the base of mature or sapling larches. Our results indicate greenshanks may be larch obligates during the breeding season, and protecting coastal larch forest ecosystems near bogs, meadows, and mudflats throughout the Russian Far East may be critical to the species’ conservation.

Understanding population dynamics and impacts on island ecology remain top priorities for the conservation management of seabirds, particularly when attempting species-recovery for island restoration. Identifying suitable nesting habitat is a keystone detail in seabird restoration which can be complicated when predator pressures impact colony productivity and population viability. The surface-nesting Kermadec Petrel Pterodroma neglecta neglecta is dispersed on remote islands through the tropics and subtropics. We examined their breeding ecology on Phillip Island, Norfolk Group in the South Pacific and considered the limitations to re-establishment at their previous breeding location on Lord Howe Island (900 km south-east). On Phillip Island, the petrels were mostly monogamous with nesting locations generally within the vicinity of the previous season’s attempts. Breeding sites were limited to sloping terrain 182–228 m above the shoreline and up to 85 m from the coast in small sub-colonies under low scrubby woodland. Based on observations of 56 pairs and data gleaned from Global Light Sensing devices, we determined that breeding (incubation and provisioning) occurs in all calendar months of the year, with a laying peak in the late austral spring. Breeding success in the first year of study was 25% but improved to 56% once management of Purple Swamphens Porphyrio melanotus was implemented. Successful nests were located at sites with naturally limited egress from cleared or lightly vegetated areas. Prudent management of the petrel population on Phillip Island could aid in the regional recovery of the species and, in the process, assist the island’s restoration by significantly increasing transfers of marine-derived nutrient. Their reintroduction to Lord Howe Island is also possible but will likely rely upon consistent productivity of the Phillip Island population for founding immigrants. Moreover, successful establishment will require adaptive management of selected sites to ensure native avian predators do not overly impact breeding.

Vultures are among the most threatened bird guilds on the planet and have a unique functional role within ecosystems. They are therefore subject to increasing research interest, calling for standardised study approaches and monitoring methods. The use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) is rapidly gaining popularity in ecological research due to technological advances, affordability, and accessibility. This study reviews the existing peer-reviewed publications and grey literature on the responses of European vultures and other comparable species to UASs, and summarises the types of UAS use, their potential disturbance effects on vultures, and the resulting inter- and intra-specific interactions. Our goal was to assess the potential effects of UASs and to provide practical recommendations to optimise their safe use in vulture conservation and research. We acknowledge the potential of UASs to increase research efficiency and reduce research effort, time, and financial cost. Owing to the absence of sufficient data on long-term disturbance effects, we advocate the precautionary principle and offer a set of species-tailored practical recommendations to limit the potential negative effects of UASs and maximise their value in conservation management. We urge that the physiological and long-term impacts on vulture reproduction are considered and call for standardised monitoring protocols and controls on UAS use. Our conclusions and recommendations are particularly aimed at researchers working on vulture conservation and restoration projects worldwide.

The Bahama Warbler Setophaga flavescens is restricted to Grand Bahama and Abaco in the Bahamas Islands, where in recent decades its pine forest habitat has been seriously affected by hurricanes. To assess its conservation status and determine its habitat requirements, we conducted point transects with playback and simultaneously took measurements at 464 locations in pine forest across Grand Bahama from April to June 2018. Warbler presence was predicted by taller Thatch Palms Thrinax radiata and some fire disturbance, and its absence by a higher number of needleless pines. A comparison of these habitat predictors between the combined regions where warblers were detected (Lucayan Estates and East End) vs. where they were not (West End and Freeport) also revealed that Bahama Warblers showed a marked preference for taller Thatch Palms (>140 cm) and habitat plots within the middle fire disturbance category. These findings suggest that the species is adapted to a climax pine forest habitat maintained under a standard fire regime. Our research was intended to provide a first baseline study of the warbler’s distribution and ecology on Grand Bahama, but the distribution may have radically changed following Hurricane Dorian’s devastation of the island in 2019, and the species may now only survive on Abaco. Nevertheless, ecological insights from Grand Bahama seem likely to help conservation management on Abaco, but both islands now need to be surveyed.

Species reintroductions can be used in conservation management to increase biodiversity and aid in restoring ecosystem function. For reintroductions to be successful, it is important to identify the conditions required to establish a viable population. We developed a demographic model using Vortex10, an individual-based simulation software, to assess the long-term consequences of different management interventions on the success of the recent reintroduction of the white stork, Ciconia ciconia, to the UK. Demographic data obtained from this reintroduced population were supplemented with information from western European populations to build the models. The impact of incorporating different management actions (e.g. supplementing with captive-bred juveniles, provision of nesting platforms, and habitat improvement/supplementary feeding) on the stochastic population growth rate was assessed. Survival rates also differ depending on an individual’s migratory strategy, hence we tested the impact of having different proportions of the population as residents or migrants. Our models showed that if the British stork population adopts a fully migratory strategy, with its associated higher mortality rates, i.e. all individuals migrating to southern Europe or northern Africa, increasing the supplementation rate would not lead to a positive population growth rate. However, management actions which increased the number of fledglings per nest generated a slight positive growth rate that led to a 54.3% increase in population size after 50 years and, when combining all three management options, the population grew by 378.3%. Alternatively, if a minimum of 9% of individuals overwintered in Britain, which is likely based on field observations and tracking data, a positive growth rate can be achieved without additional management due to this behaviour’s lower mortality rates. We conclude that the British white stork population will likely be viable in the long term, but these models and projections should be updated as more demographic data on this novel population become available.

Knowledge gaps regarding distribution, habitat associations, and population size for rare and threatened range-restricted taxa lead to uncertainty in directing conservation action. Quantifying range metrics and species–habitat associations using Species Distribution Models (SDMs) with remote-sensing habitat data can overcome these setbacks by establishing baseline estimates for biological parameters critical for conservation assessments. Area of Habitat (AOH) is a new range metric recently developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. AOH seeks to quantify inferred habitat within a species’ range to inform extinction risk assessments. Here, we used SDMs correlating occurrences with remote-sensing covariates to calculate a first estimate of AOH for the Endangered Madagascar Serpent-eagle Eutriorchis astur, and then updated additional IUCN range metrics and the current global population estimate. From these baselines we then conducted a gap analysis assessing protected area coverage. Our continuous SDM had robust predictive performance (Continuous Boyce Index = 0.835) and when reclassified to a binary model estimated an AOH = 30,121 km2, 13% less than the current IUCN range map. We estimated a global population of 533 mature individuals derived from the Madagascar Serpent-eagle AOH metric, which was within current IUCN population estimates. The current protected area network covered 95% of AOH, with the binary model identifying three additional key habitat areas as new protected area designations to fully protect Madagascar Serpent-eagle habitat. Our results demonstrated that correlating presence-only occurrences with remote-sensing habitat covariates can fill knowledge gaps useful for informing conservation action. Applying this spatial information to conservation planning would ensure almost full protected area coverage for this endangered raptor. For tropical forest habitat specialists, we recommend that potential predictors derived from remote sensing, such as vegetation indices and biophysical measures, are considered as covariates, along with other variables including climate and topography.

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.

Birds in flight are prone to collide with various transparent or reflective structures. While bird–window collision has been recognised as a critical conservation issue, collision with other transparent structures has been less understood. Noise barriers made of transparent materials are considered critical hazards for birds; however, little is known about the bird mortality they cause. We conducted the first nationwide-scale estimates of bird-collision mortality caused by transparent noise barriers (TNBs) along roads in the Republic of Korea. The total length of existing roadside transparent noise barriers was estimated at 1,416 km nationwide (as of 2018), and it had been increasing exponentially. Based on carcass surveys at 25 sites, daily mortality at the observed barriers was 0.335 ± 1.132 birds/km on average, and no difference in observed mortality was detected between both sides of a single barrier and between road types (i.e. local roads and motorways). Finally, we estimated that approximately 186,000 birds (95% confidence interval: 162,465–204,812 birds) are killed annually by collisions with roadside TNBs. As privately installed barriers were not considered in this study, the actual mortality is likely be higher than our estimates. Thus, collision with TNBs could become an emerging threat to avian conservation, especially in developing and urbanising regions around the world. As such structures are not formally recognised as conservation issues of importance, more systematic surveys aided by citizen science, both for the status of TNBs and bird-collision mortality, are needed in addition to management and mitigation policies.

The Grey-bellied Comet (Taphrolesbia griseiventris) is a hummingbird species endemic to northern Peru and listed as Endangered by IUCN due to its small and fragmented population. Despite this, little has been attempted to increase knowledge of its natural history and ecology to provide current information and better evaluate its conservation status. Here, we used known curated records of the species from the literature to generate a model of its potential distribution using MaxEnt, and we then validated the model in the field through direct observation in selected areas. Where the species was confirmed, we conducted a habitat characterisation with field data, and a threat assessment of the landscape using secondary data in ArcGIS. We found five new records of the species in the department of La Libertad at two different sites, confirming a new population. The habitat mostly comprised Andean scrub (17.6%) throughout its distribution, and the main threat in the habitat was human-induced fires for agricultural purposes and as a means of waste disposal. Our findings revealed new information on the distribution of the species with a potential habitat occupancy of 4–6% within its range. Furthermore, areas that were previously reported to harbour a population of the species no longer showed records despite intensive searches in the field. Finally, we discuss the implications for its conservation. Our results indicated that conservation measures to protect the Grey-bellied Comet are urgently needed, especially the declaration of a reserve in La Libertad, which might be the only area where the species is reliably present with good quality habitat.

The Lake Titicaca Grebe Rollandia microptera is a poorly studied endemic species found in the Lake Titicaca watershed of Peru and Bolivia. Multiple surveys from the early 2000s indicated that the species was suffering a rapid population decline with an unknown cause. At the same time as these surveys, reports emerged that there was an increase in burning of the totora wetlands which are thought to be the primary habitat for the Lake Titicaca Grebe. However, since 2003, no work has been published either on the current population of the Lake Titicaca Grebe, or the extent of the totora wetlands in the Lake Titicaca region. This paper used satellite data to monitor the change in extent of habitat potentially suitable for the Lake Titicaca Grebe to determine whether habitat loss is likely to be a major driver of population declines in this species. We found that the extent of potentially suitable wetland remained stable between 2001 and 2020, though there are more local regional trends of change in extent of totora. We also found that multiple areas exist that might support Lake Titicaca Grebe populations, but where ornithological knowledge is lacking. We suggest no change to the IUCN status of the Lake Titicaca Grebe, but recommend that further fieldwork is required to monitor the species’ current population, especially in previously unstudied but potentially habitable areas.

The frequency and intensity of extreme weather events represent a threat for biological diversity and are expected to increase in many regions over the following decades due to climate change. Our current knowledge about the impact of extreme weather events on the population dynamics of bird species is very limited. Here, we evaluated the impact of an extreme winter snowstorm on the abundance of 14 populations of the threatened Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti, a resident bird whose European population is restricted to Spain. We found a drastic and significant population decline in the next reproductive season following the extreme weather event. During the control period (2017–2020) the species suffered an overall annual decline of 19.4% (±5.0, SE). However, the overall annual decline after the storm was 67.6% (±9.4, period 2019–2021), with a mean decline of 66.5% (±15.9) for seven populations monitored both the year before and the year after the snowstorm (period 2020–2021). The snow covered the ground for over 10 days in central and eastern Spain, which together with a subsequent extreme cold wave could have reduced the species ability to find food resources and properly thermoregulate, forcing the species to move to unknown areas. Indeed a few days after the storm, several individuals were reported in areas typically avoided. Such displacements may increase the mortality risk for dispersing individuals, besides the direct effects of the extreme cold event, such as thermal challenges to energy balance or a reduced immune function. We discuss the potential role that extreme weather events may have on the population dynamics and conservation of the species.

The Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola is one of the least known shorebird species, and its habitat associations are very poorly understood. Here we provide the first assessment of the habitat use of the Wood Snipe during the breeding season. Between May and July 2021 at a 4-km2 alpine meadow in Sichuan province, China, we conducted population surveys and behavioural observations to identify sites where breeding Wood Snipe occurred and foraged. We quantified the habitat characteristics and food resource availability of these sites and compared them with randomly selected “background” sites. Comparison between 34 occurrence sites and 25 background sites indicated that during the breeding season, Wood Snipes are not distributed evenly across alpine meadow habitats, but preferred habitats in the lower part (3,378–3,624 m) of the alpine meadow with intermediate levels of soil moisture. In addition, comparison between 17 foraging sites and 24 background sites showed that the Wood Snipe tended to forage at sites with higher soil fauna abundance. We found weak evidence for denser vegetation cover at its height and no evidence for other biotic habitat variables such as vegetation composition or other abiotic habitat variables such as slope, soil penetrability, or disturbance level to influence Wood Snipe habitat associations. Our results suggest that the actual distribution range of the Wood Snipe during the breeding season may be smaller than expected from the extent of apparently suitable habitat. We advise caution in evaluating the potential habitat availability and distribution of the Wood Snipe, and call for further research to better understand the ecology of this rare species to inform its conservation.

Over the last decades, European farmland birds have strongly declined, mainly driven by agricultural intensification. The Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana has suffered one of the most severe declines among farmland specialists. In order to maintain viable populations of the species in the long run, there is a vital need for evidence-based conservation measures. The main goal of this study was to detect the key drivers of breeding-territory selection and mating success of the species in an agricultural landscape in central Europe. We found that the landscape structure within the territories of Ortolan Bunting breeding pairs strongly varied from the overall habitat availability in the study area on both the territory and home-range scales. However, the environmental conditions also differed between the territories of breeding pairs and those of unpaired males. While landscape structure played an important role in breeding-territory selection, it had only weak effects on mating success. In contrast, crop type and vegetation height at potential nesting sites were important drivers of mating success. Overall, our study revealed that Ortolan Bunting has very complex breeding-habitat requirements. Only heterogeneous agricultural landscapes where (1) suitable song posts, (2) appropriate nesting sites, and (3) sufficient foraging habitats occur in close proximity are suitable for breeding. According to the findings of our study, agri-environmental schemes should primarily facilitate low-intensity farming practices that promote landscape heterogeneity, provide suitable nesting sites, and sustain a high abundance of invertebrate prey in farmlands.

Across South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini, long-term citizen science atlas data have suggested concerning declines in the population of Black Stork Ciconia nigra. Unlike the Asian and European populations, the southern African Black Stork population is described as resident and is listed as “Vulnerable” in South Africa, Lesotho, and Eswatini. Here we report on surveys of historical nesting locations across northern South Africa, finding evidence for nest site abandonment and limited evidence of recent breeding. We undertook detailed species distribution modelling within a maximum entropy framework, using occurrence records from the BirdLasser mobile app. We cross-validated the models against information in the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP2) database, highlighting Lesotho as an important potential breeding area. Additionally, we used SABAP2 to assess population trends by investigating interannual patterns in reporting rate. Comparing current reporting rates with those from SABAP1 (1987–1992), we found that there has been a dramatic decrease. We noted that a large proportion of the population occurs outside the breeding range during the breeding season, suggesting a considerable non-breeding population, especially in the extensive wildlife refuge of the Kruger National Park. The slow declines observed might be indicative of a population which is not losing many adults but is failing to recruit significant numbers of juveniles due to limited breeding. Using densities derived from transect surveys, we used predictive models to derive estimates of breeding range carrying capacity and a population estimate, which suggested declines to numbers around 600 for this subregion. Minimising disturbance at breeding sites of this cliff-nesting species and improving water quality at key population strongholds are pathways to improving the status of the species in the subregion.

Farmland biodiversity is declining worldwide, and especially in Western countries largely owing to the large-scale intensification of agricultural practices. The Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax is a steppe bird adapted to agro-pastoral ecosystems in Western Europe, and is one of those many farmland species declining due to changes in agricultural production systems. In the EU, the majority of the extant population of this species is concentrated in the Iberian Peninsula. In Italy, the species has now disappeared from the mainland and is currently present only in Sardinia, where two populations, in the central-western areas, hold about two-thirds of the whole island’s numbers, with the rest scattered across numerous smaller nuclei. While there are indications and anecdotal information suggesting a possible population decline during recent decades, robust monitoring across different time periods that would allow a comparison of numbers is lacking in Sardinia. Here we repeated a Little Bustard survey performed in 2008 in two areas of western Sardinia: Abbasanta, which is one of the two strongholds for the species in Sardinia, and Campeda, which holds a small population (about 10 territorial males). Using the same methodology as in the past survey, we assessed current population size and density, and quantified changes over time. We found alarming declines, at a rate of around 30% in 14 years in both areas, with an estimated current population of 87 males in Abbasanta and 8 males in Campeda. We highlight current and emerging threats, such as the downsizing of the Special Protection Area of Abbasanta, and the encroachment of solar power plants within the same area.

Landscape changes affect species abundance and drive biodiversity loss. Here we explored if habitat amount and patch aggregation shape the abundance of forest passerines within the south-western Palaearctic (Morocco). As forests in this region are affected by increasing drought and temperature, we also forecasted their trends according to current predictions of climate change and explored how landscape changes could affect bird distribution. We recorded geo-referenced occurrences of seven forest passerines that were modelled with a set of environmental variables with Maxent to predict their distribution. The occurrence probabilities provided by the models were used as surrogates for the current distribution of habitat amount and patch aggregation within the country. In addition, 190 500-m line transects scattered within the country were used to estimate local bird abundance. Results showed that bird abundance recorded in line transects was positively correlated with habitat amount and patch aggregation of landscape around transects. This supports the idea that changes in these landscape metrics affect the abundance of the study species. Climate-change projections suggest that habitat amount and patch aggregation will decline in southern sectors but will be maintained or will increase at higher elevations. Given their relationship to abundance, these landscape changes suggest that forest birds will have to shift to the northernmost and elevated sectors. These results showed that landscape management can play an important role in the conservation of rear-edge populations of forest birds and suggest that any increase in forest amount and connectivity will improve bird resilience under a global change scenario.

The Amathole forest complex is the breeding stronghold of the endemic and vulnerable Cape Parrot Poicephalus robustus, and is also one of only two forest complexes in South Africa formally harvested for timber. The aim of this study was to determine if formal harvesting of indigenous trees, primarily the two yellowwood species Afrocarpus falcatus and Podocarpus latifolius, in 9 of 16 Amathole forests has had any effect on the presence of Cape Parrots and three primary nest-excavating species, as well as on parrot breeding. The study used logging data from the past 25 years (1997–2021) as well as data collected by acoustic recording units over two breeding seasons from 2019 to 2021. Cape Parrots were present in 15 of 16 forests, but breeding calls were identified in only seven forests: five in logged and two in unlogged forests. Fourteen of the forests harboured all three primary excavators: Knysna Woodpecker Campethera notata, Olive Woodpecker Dendropicos griseocephalus, and Red-fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus pusillus. The last two species were absent from the adjacent Mount Thomas and Kologha forests, respectively, in which parrots were present, but no breeding calls were recorded. Logging of yellowwoods was not found to affect parrot breeding. However, due to the overlap between preferred parrot breeding sites and preferred trees for harvesting, we recommend that harvesting in the five harvested forest blocks where parrot breeding occurs be limited to tree falls, with no standing dead, dying, or damaged trees harvested, to ensure that potential nesting trees are not harvested.

The Blue-throated Hillstar Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus is a recently described hummingbird endemic to the southern Andes of Ecuador. This “Critically Endangered” species faces multiple conservation problems; thus, acquiring basic ecological information is a key step for guiding sound and integral conservation actions. We performed a series of expeditions throughout the cordillera Chilla-Tioloma-Fierro Urco to gain new data about its ecology, abundance, breeding, and distribution. From November 2019 to March 2020, we surveyed a total of 161.6 km searching for O. cyanolaemus, and gathered data on encounter rates, microhabitats used, and flower resources used. From November 2020 to January 2021 we studied the breeding ecology of the species. Occurrence records of O. cyanolaemus were used to build a species distribution model, based on climatic variables and the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI). We found that the species is relatively more abundant in the western and central portion of its distribution range. Males were found using more shrubby habitats than females, who used more open habitats. They visited flowers of 11 plant species, with Chuquiraga jussieui and Puya ssp. being the most frequently used flowers. Nests were found in caves and rocky walls, and only one out of three active nests was successful. The distribution model indicated that the species has a potential distribution range of 62.7 km2. This manuscript is the first comprehensive evaluation of the ecological requirements of the species, and the information provided has important potential for use as a conservation guide for the species and its habitats.