Chinatsu Kando, N. Ota, K. Ono, M. Tsunokawa, Masahiro Niino, T. Tsuda, T. Shiina, J. Kulski, Yuki F. Kita, Shingo Suzuki
{"title":"Subspecies Identification of Captive Gentoo Penguins in Japan, Using Mitochondrial DNA Phylogeny for Their Pedigree Management","authors":"Chinatsu Kando, N. Ota, K. Ono, M. Tsunokawa, Masahiro Niino, T. Tsuda, T. Shiina, J. Kulski, Yuki F. Kita, Shingo Suzuki","doi":"10.2326/osj.20.93","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2326/osj.20.93","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The Gentoo Penguins Pygoscelis papua has been classified into two subspecies, Northern P. papua papua and Southern P. papua ellsworthi. In Japan, where a breeding program exists for Gentoo Penguins, the Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums (JAZA) has recognized three categories of species in its pedigree ledger: Northern (from the islands of South Georgia), Southern (from the South Shetland Islands), and Unknown (when their origins are not clear). Phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop region of Gentoo Penguins in their natural habitat have differentiated them as belonging to the Kerguelen Islands (Indian Ocean), Falkland Islands (Atlantic Ocean), and South Georgia (Atlantic Ocean), and categorized some as Northern and others as Southern subspecies. However, the identification of a third subspecies has been suggested. Therefore, reclassification of captive Gentoo Penguins using phylogenetic analysis is necessary for domestic subspecies pedigree management. In this study, we determined five mtDNA haplotype sequences using seven Gentoo Penguins (considered morphologically as three Northern, three Southern, and one Unknown) and characterized their phylogenetic relationships among subspecies and among geographical distributions including 56 published mtDNA sequences. The phylogenetic tree showed three major lineages, Kerguelen Islands, Falkland Islands, and Scotia Arc/Antartica. The five haplotype sequences of the seven captive Gentoo Penguins were classified unexpectedly to one lineage, the Scotia Arc/Antartica, which contains the nucleotide sequences derived from Southern P. papua ellsworthi. Therefore, the mtDNA phylogeny of the seven captive penguins suggests that all captive Gentoo Penguins in Japan belong to the Southern subspecies. If so, then more comprehensive genetic testing of Gentoo Penguins in Japanese aquariums and zoos is required for the management of successful breeding programs.","PeriodicalId":49009,"journal":{"name":"Ornithological Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48997718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Environmental Factors and Spatial Heterogeneity Affect Occupancy Estimates of Waterbirds in Peninsular Malaysia","authors":"C. O. Martins, O. E. Olaniyi, M. Zakaria","doi":"10.2326/osj.20.39","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2326/osj.20.39","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In Malaysia, multiple land use by humans has caused substantial losses of wetland ecosystems, and shrinkage of the populations, habitat and food bases of avian species. However, studies of avian populations, especially of waterbirds, is important, allowing us to understand the complexity of the wetland ecosystem structure, and also develop appropriate management techniques with robust monitoring tools to ensure the ecological sustainability of wetlands. This study aimed to determine the eco-climatic factors influencing the occurrence of waterbirds and to develop habitat suitability models for thePaya Indah (PIW) and Putrajaya wetlands (PW), Malaysia. A distance sampling point count technique using stratified random design was employed to survey the wetlands from November 2016 to January 2019. A total of 57 sampling points at 14 lakes at PIW and 54 sampling points at 24 lakes at PW were chosen. An automatic linear modelling algorithm and geographic information systems were employed to compute the importance ratios of 17 eco-climatic factors (hydrology 9; climate 5; waterscape 1 and landscape 2). The results revealed that all individual and estimated indices for observed waterbirds were significant. The automatic linear modelling algorithm results for PIW waterbirds also showed that the maximum and minimum weights of the factors were land cover and water dissolved oxygen, while in PW they were atmospheric pressure and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI). The maximum and minimum weights of the factors for waterbirds in PIW were water turbidity and electrical conductivity, while at PW they were atmospheric pressure and six water parameters. Large areas of Putrajaya Wetland were classified as more suitable for waterbirds than Paya Indah Wetland due to the favourable water pH, atmospheric pressure and land cover (forage availability). Thus, the models' adoption as a management tool can help in the maintenance of the wetlands' habitat quality and management effectiveness of waterbird species.","PeriodicalId":49009,"journal":{"name":"Ornithological Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48237915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Impact of Agricultural Activities on Habitat Use by the Wood Sandpiper and Common Greenshank in Rice Fields","authors":"G. Choi, H. Nam, S. Son, M. Do, Jeong-Chil Yoo","doi":"10.2326/osj.20.27","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2326/osj.20.27","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Rice fields provide important inland stopover sites for migratory shorebirds. However, stopover duration and habitat use depend on the environmental conditions in the rice fields, which constantly change due to agricultural activities. This study determined the characteristics of habitat use in two shorebird species, the Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola and Common Greenshank T. nebularia, in rice fields with different habitat conditions resulting from physical changes (field type: fields flooded after plowing, with high water levels after harrowing, or with low water levels after harrowing) and chemical changes (pesticide use: environmentally friendly or conventional farming) from agricultural activities around the time the migratory shorebirds arrive. The study was conducted during the spring stopover periods of these shorebird species in 2015 (May 2–20, 19 days) and 2016 (May 2–21, 20 days), during which we observed the characteristics of their habitat use and estimated the densities of potential prey. Both Wood Sandpiper and Common Greenshank were observed to use flooded fields with low water levels after harrowing. As for pesticide use, potential prey animals were most densely populated in environmentally friendly fields, for which only the large-bodied Common Greenshanks showed selection. This species-specific habitat use seems to be closely associated with body size-dependent prey availability and prey species selection. The small-bodied Wood Sandpiper was more affected by physical than chemical factors. These findings suggest that rice fields—major inland stopover sites for shorebirds—provide different habitats depending on agricultural activities. The study results also have practical implications for future improvement of inland shorebird habitat through efficient rice field management sensitive to the needs of migratory shorebirds.","PeriodicalId":49009,"journal":{"name":"Ornithological Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47002844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Sawada, T. Iwasaki, T. Matsuo, Kana Akatani, M. Takagi
{"title":"Reversed Sexual Size Dimorphism in the Ryukyu Scops Owl Otus elegans on Minami-Daito Island","authors":"A. Sawada, T. Iwasaki, T. Matsuo, Kana Akatani, M. Takagi","doi":"10.2326/osj.20.15","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2326/osj.20.15","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract One of the consequences of selections acting on body size is the difference in body size between the sexes or sexual size dimorphism. Although many hypotheses have been proposed for reversed sexual size dimorphism (RSD) in raptors, ornithologists have rarely paid attention to temporal aspects of RSD when testing their hypotheses. Because selection pressures may vary temporally, describing temporal variation in RSD is a first step towards understanding evolutionary mechanism which shape and maintain the dimorphism. Here, we describe RSD in the population of Ryukyu Scops Owls Otus elegans on Minami-daito Island using a dataset of the external measurements of 770 individuals obtained during a 17-year long-term population monitoring project. Females were larger than males in body mass, culmen length, bill depth, bill width, tail length and flattened wing length, whereas males were larger than females in tarsus and head lengths. Among these traits, the degree and direction of RSD of body mass, tarsus length, bill depth and flattened wing length varied across years. There were neither increasing nor decreasing trends in RSD. This is a rare study which addressed temporal variation in RSD in a raptor species.","PeriodicalId":49009,"journal":{"name":"Ornithological Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45454289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Breeding Ecology of the Crested Myna Acridotheres cristatellus on Tropical Hainan Island","authors":"Jinmei Liu, W. Liang","doi":"10.2326/osj.20.83","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2326/osj.20.83","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Research into the breeding ecology of birds is key to understanding the evolution of life-history traits and developing effective species conservation measures. We studied the breeding ecology of the Crested Myna Acridotheres cristatellus on tropical Hainan Island, China, throughout the breeding season from March to August in 2018 and 2019. Parents Crested Myna build disk-shaped nests together and take turns to incubate their eggs and feed their nestlings, with a nestling period of 18–22 days. Eggs were pure blue-green, and the clutch sizes were 3–6 eggs (averaging 4). Egg mass, egg size, and egg volume were 6.78±0.50 g, 28.74±1.20 mm×21.13±0.53 mm, and 6.56±0.50 cm3, respectively (N=274). Egg-laying mainly occurred between 0700 to 1000, and the average time for laying one egg was 172.36±28.29 s (N=11). Feeding frequency during the mid-nestling period was significantly higher than in the early periods (N=55). The Crested Myna population on tropical Hainan nested earlier, laid eggs earlier and had a longer breeding period than populations in the temperate zone.","PeriodicalId":49009,"journal":{"name":"Ornithological Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46544293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Katsura Mikami, Noriyuki M. Yamaguchi, R. Noske, Kazuhiro Eguchi
{"title":"Male and Female Helpers of Grey-Crowned Babblers Pomatostomus temporalis rubecula Acquire Breeding Positions in Different Ways, and don't Avoid Incest","authors":"Katsura Mikami, Noriyuki M. Yamaguchi, R. Noske, Kazuhiro Eguchi","doi":"10.2326/osj.20.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2326/osj.20.3","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract We studied the pattern of acquisition of breeding positions among helpers in a population of Grey-crowned Babblers Pomatostomus temporalis rubecula in the monsoon tropics of northwestern Australia, using both behavioural and molecular data. In particular, we focused on sex differences, kinship, and their interactions among emigrating helpers. Moreover, we also considered whether intergroup movement and extra-pair mating contributed to incest avoidance in our population. The advantage of this material is that there are previous studies of populations in different regions, and the comparison of the results may provide a better understanding of ecological factors driving helping behaviour in cooperative breeding. Three options for a mature helper to acquire a breeding position were observed: establishing a new territory, emigrating to an existing territory, or waiting in the natal territory for a breeding vacancy. In many cases, male helpers took the third option, while female helpers took the second one. Our population of Grey-crowned Babblers seemed not to be actively avoiding incest. Female helpers tended to disperse from natal groups more than males, but neither intergroup movements nor extra-pair mating were effective in avoiding incestuous breeding. In some groups, dominant breeders were closely related to each other. The frequency of extra-pair mating in our population was similar to that of the New South Wales population previously studied, but dispersal distances were twice as great. The two populations also differ in mean clutch size and group size. Such variation in life history characteristics among different populations of cooperatively breeding species has received little attention, but has the potential to explain how cooperative breeding systems are modified by environmental factors.","PeriodicalId":49009,"journal":{"name":"Ornithological Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46602232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The European Tree Frog Hyla arborea as a Probable Reason for Nest Failure in the Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus","authors":"L. Hałupka, A. Czylok","doi":"10.2326/osj.20.119","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2326/osj.20.119","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract We describe a case in which occupation by the European Tree Frog Hyla arborea caused the nest failure of a pair of Eurasian Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus. The frog was observed several times sitting on the reed warblers clutch, on the day when the third egg was laid, thereby preventing the parental birds from incubating. Although small frog species have been reported to rest during the day in bird nests (mainly empty ones), to our knowledge this is the first published report providing evidence for avian nest failure due to nest occupation by an amphibian species.","PeriodicalId":49009,"journal":{"name":"Ornithological Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42538374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Winter Records of Amphibians as Avian Prey: The Case of the Great Grey Shrike and the Smooth Newt","authors":"Martyna Paczuska, A. Goławski","doi":"10.2326/osj.20.115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2326/osj.20.115","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The Smooth Newt Lissotriton vulgaris is a hibernating amphibian, whose winter activity in central and eastern Europe is very rarely observed. We found seven Smooth Newts in late November and early December in eastern Poland in larders of the Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor. The amphibians had probably been caught by the shrike while it was looking for a suitable overwintering site. Increasing numbers of winter records of Smooth Newts may be expected in eastern Europe in connection with climate warming; analysis of the diets of certain avian species may be helpful in this respect.","PeriodicalId":49009,"journal":{"name":"Ornithological Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48059395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sleeping in a Noisy World: Roosting Sites of Large Aggregations of White Wagtails Motacilla alba in a Tropical City, China","authors":"Xingyi Jiang, Changjie Zhang, Bo Zhou, W. Liang","doi":"10.2326/osj.20.109","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2326/osj.20.109","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract From December 2018 to December 2019, four nocturnal roosting sites with large aggregations of White Wagtails Motacilla alba were found in Haikou, Hainan, southern China. Three of them were located near road intersections in the city center of Haikou, and one was located at an airport terminal. Numbers of individuals exceeded 1,250 individuals at each roost. Characteristics of the environment and the nocturnal roosting trees were measured to elucidate the nocturnal roost preferences of white wagtails in urban areas, and some assistance was provided to the issues of urban greening and wildlife problems in cities.","PeriodicalId":49009,"journal":{"name":"Ornithological Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45728915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Son, Kisup Lee, In-Ki Kwon, Jung-Hoon Kang, Sung-Kyung Lee, In-kyu Kim, Hae-jin Cho, Jeong-Chil Yoo
{"title":"Black-Faced Spoonbill Platalea minor Population Trends, Breeding Success, and Nest Characteristics in the Chilsan Archipelago, South Korea","authors":"S. Son, Kisup Lee, In-Ki Kwon, Jung-Hoon Kang, Sung-Kyung Lee, In-kyu Kim, Hae-jin Cho, Jeong-Chil Yoo","doi":"10.2326/osj.20.57","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2326/osj.20.57","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Long-term population monitoring is very important for the conservation of threatened and endangered species. The Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor is a globally endangered species and the majority of its population breed on uninhabited islands off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. The Chilsan Archipelago in the southwest is the southernmost breeding site for this species in Korea and is expected to help buffer the potential dispersal of Black-faced Spoonbills from breeding populations currently concentrated in the Gyeonggi Bay area. As there has been a lack of information regarding the number of Black-faced Spoonbills, their characteristics, and their recent population trends, the present study investigated the population trends of Black-faced Spoonbills breeding in the Chilsan Archipelago. The study, from 2014 to 2018, examined breeding success in 2015 and 2018, and the size and location of nests in 2018. The number of nests ranged from 43 to 163 (2014, 43; 2015, 93; 2016, 84; 2017, 85; 2018, 163). The percentage of birds that attempted breeding between April and May was 84.9% in 2015 and 87.1% in 2018, while the breeding success rate was 69.9% in 2015 and 81.5% in 2018. The average nest size in 2018 was 55.06±6.09 cm long and 53.44±6.56 cm wide, while the average surface slope below the nest was 25.42±6.95°. In total, nine plant species were used as vegetation for nests. During the present study, the environmental conditions and the presence of anthropogenic disturbances seemed to affect breeding success. Therefore, strictly controlled access to breeding sites and effective management are needed to protect and conserve breeding populations of this endangered species.","PeriodicalId":49009,"journal":{"name":"Ornithological Science","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46743431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}