Birds, Volume 5, Issue 4 (December 2024) – 6 articles

Little is known about landbird group dynamics in response to predation. Here, we describe the interactions between the Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) and its predators regarding the survival advantages grouping behaviour may provide. Livestream webcam observations were conducted in Madikwe Game Reserve (South Africa) from August 2020 to August 2021. Emphasis was placed on predator–prey interaction and its effect on group size and structure in a spatial framework. We hypothesise that while grouping is crucial for a number of daily activities in this highly social species, it might turn into a higher predatory pressure. We found, indeed, that the probability of attacks by black-backed jackals (Lupulella mesomelas) significantly increased with guineafowl group size, unlike what happened with raptors. Moreover, when attacked by jackals, the birds responded by standing close to each other. These results suggest, in line with the proposed hypothesis, that a trade-off occurs between the defensive function of grouping in this galliform and the probability of jackal attack that increases as a function of prey group size. Nevertheless, we argue that Helmeted Guineafowl cooperative social groups also play a role as a defensive strategy against predators, with the many-eyes and dilution effects likely compensating for the higher predatory pressure. Full article

In Poland, it is highly probable that in past centuries, Common Cranes (Grus grus) were widespread all over the country. In the 19th century, a particularly dramatic decline in this population took place when Common Cranes abandoned many regions. At present, this species inhabits the whole of lowland Poland, only avoiding the uplands and mountainous regions in the south of the country. The rate of population growth between 2001 and 2018 was c. 5% per annum. The breeding population increased tenfold in the 30 years from 1990 to 2020. The results of the Polish Bird Monitoring Programme in 2018–2020 show that Common Crane numbers had stabilized. The latest count (2013–2018) of breeding pairs in Poland is 23,000–30,000, while that for the years 2010–2012 was 20,000–22,000, i.e., 15% of the European population or 19% of the breeding population in the EU. The greatest threats to the Polish Common Crane population come from habitat and climate changes, two factors that are inextricably interlinked. Experts are alerting that climate warming, in combination with increased pressure from human activities, can, in the long term, reverse this trend and lead to declines in Common Crane populations in this part of Europe. Full article

Non-native species have caused various problems for both animal and human communities globally, but their monitoring during the early stages of establishment is often difficult. A population of the Oriental Magpie (Pica serica) has established on Hokkaido Island, northern Japan, since the 1990s, offering a rare opportunity for field biologists to monitor the entire history of a colonizing avian population. To clarify the current number and distribution of the population and their major determinants, we conducted bimonthly surveys from May 2012 to March 2013, over a total of 417 h, in Tomakomai City, the central area of the current distribution. We found 181 to 248 magpies in every survey, and 46 active nests in May. Most of the magpies appeared in residential areas, avoiding commercial and industrial areas, and did not show seasonal changes in their distribution pattern. The magpies mainly foraged in short grasslands in public spaces, such as parks, in May and July, but most of the birds preferred house gardens for foraging from November to March. Dogs or cats were often kept outside in the gardens where the magpies foraged, and observations of magpies stealing and hoarding pet food were common. It is likely that the magpies rely on anthropogenic food resources such as pet food, especially in winter. Continuous monitoring of this population will enable further knowledge of the factors that limit the number and range of not only non-native species but also avian populations in general to be obtained. Full article

The phenomenon of interspecies brood parasitism, characterized by parasitic birds depositing their eggs within the nests of unrelated host species for subsequent hatching and rearing, represents a pivotal aspect of ornithological research, owing to its profound implications for the coevolutionary dynamics between host and parasite species. Among the myriad of avian brood parasites, the Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) stands out due to its expansive geographical range and diverse array of host species, thereby underscoring its significance in the context of parasitism studies. Drawing upon historical records dating back to the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 AD) in China, this study delves into the annals of avian brood parasitism, uncovering instances of parasitic behavior attributed to the Common Cuckoo. Through a meticulous analysis of these ancient narratives, coupled with an examination of the ecological and morphological attributes of the birds involved, we confirm the parasitization of Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) by Common Cuckoos. This finding underscores the existence of a long-standing coevolutionary relationship between these two species, extending over nearly two millennia. Remarkably, the record under scrutiny, with its precise temporal, geographical, and taxonomic specifications, emerges as a potential candidate for the earliest documented instance of Common Cuckoo brood parasitism in Chinese historical records. As such, it provides invaluable insights into the historical ecology of avian parasitism and underscores the need for further interdisciplinary research to unravel the complexities of host–parasite interactions across time and space. Full article

In wildlife rehabilitation centers, thousands of animals are treated annually, with a substantial proportion being birds of prey. Since vision is essential for the survival of these species, this study focused on investigating the causes of ocular injuries in raptors admitted to four rehabilitation centers across mainland Portugal from 2017 to 2021. Of the 2207 birds admitted during this period, 156 (7%) presented ocular injuries. Hyphema (28.2%) and corneal ulcers (20.5%) were the most prevalent injuries, often occurring together or alongside lens luxation. Nocturnal raptors showed a higher prevalence of these injuries (76.9%) compared to diurnal raptors (23.1%). A significant association was found between ocular injuries and causes of admission, particularly with ocular hemorrhages and multiple injuries in the eye. Despite the severity of the ocular injuries, the release rate remained relatively high at 51%, underscoring the critical role of comprehensive ocular examinations and vision assessments in guiding treatment decisions and discharge decisions. This study highlights the need for further research with larger samples to better understand the impact of ocular injuries on the rehabilitation success of wild birds in Portugal. Full article

Forest fires are disturbance events that can impact biological assemblages at multiple scales. In this study, the structures of breeding bird communities in cork oak patches located in an agro-mosaic suburban landscape of central Italy (Rome) were compared at the local scale with a fine-grained mapping method before (2018) and after (2023) a fire event occurred in July 2022. The analyses did not reveal any significant changes in the density of territorial pairs or in the diversity metrics, both univariate (Shannon–Wiener index, evenness, Margalef normalized richness) and bivariate (Whittaker and k-dominance plots, abundance/biomass curves) of diversity. Even when the guilds of strictly forest-related species were compared, no differences emerged before and after the fire. This counterintuitive phenomenon may be due to the characteristics of the dominant tree, the cork oak (Quercus suber), a sclerophilous tree that is very resilient to fires and able to recover foliage in the following spring season, thus allowing rapid bird recolonization. However, other small-scale phenomena (e.g., the ‘crowding effect’ and local dispersal of territorial pairs from remnant wood patches not affected by fire) may explain this lack of change in breeding bird density and diversity. Further studies should be carried out at larger spatial and temporal scales and at different levels of fire frequency and intensity to confirm these responses at the guild/community level in suburban cork oak wood patches. Full article