Ostrich最新文献

{"title":"Cape Parrot Poicephalus robustus diet in a nutshell: use of indigenous and exotic plants in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa","authors":"K. Wimberger, Kate F. Carstens, J. Carstens, Francis R Brooke, F. Rautenbach","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2022.2164805","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2022.2164805","url":null,"abstract":"The success of conservation action for a threatened species can be improved by knowledge of its feeding and breeding requirements. The Cape Parrot Poicephalus robustus is a threatened endemic restricted to patches of mistbelt forest in South Africa. Cape Parrots are considered dietary specialists, preferring the kernels of yellowwood Podocarpus/Afrocarpus species, and consuming other species when these are not available. We investigated the diet composition of Cape Parrots in the Amathole region of the Eastern Cape province through targeted and opportunistic observations from 2016 to 2021. We monitored the availability of indigenous and exotic forest fruit over this timeframe and determined whether between-season and within-season differences were significant. We also monitored Cape Parrot presence and diet, weekly, at a pecan tree orchard and collected pecan nuts for compositional analysis. Additionally, we investigated whether Cape Parrots tracked this exotic feeding resource relative to local indigenous fruit abundance and changes in pecan nut composition. Cape Parrots were observed feeding on 36 tree species during this study, of which 61% were exotic. We recorded 24 new tree species (mostly exotics) not previously recorded as eaten by this parrot species. However, most feeding records were of parrots eating indigenous rather than exotic species, excluding the targeted observations of them eating at pecan orchards. Cape Parrots fed on pecans in each season despite the relatively high availability of indigenous forest fruits. Although not significant, Cape Parrots appeared to track changes in pecan nut composition during each season, gathering in the largest numbers when fat levels in the pecans were highest. Cape Parrots appear to be adapting to human-modified habitat based on the observations of annual visits to exotic pecan orchards and the high number of exotic species in their diet. The impact of exotic feeding resources on their health remains to be determined.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"94 1","pages":"28 - 39"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49118431","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":"Sunning in Yellow Bishops Euplectes capensis","authors":"H. Oschadleus, Philipp H. Boersch-Supan","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2023.2216375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2023.2216375","url":null,"abstract":"Two photographic records of a Yellow Bishop Euplectes capensis apparently sunning, at the West Coast National Park, South Africa, are described. There are very few records of sunning in weavers, and this is the first record for this species.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"94 1","pages":"70 - 72"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45624409","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":"Conservation status and threats to lovebirds: knowledge gaps and research priorities","authors":"S. Dueker, S. Willows‐Munro, M. Perrin, Y. Abebe, Nathaniel ND Annorbah, E. Mwangi, I. Madindou, W. Tekalign, E. Mori, Tiwonge I Mzumara, C. Brown, Ursula Bryson, Henry K. Ndithia, T. Dodman, H. van der Zwan, R. van der Sluis, Chaona R Phiri, Abigail Karimanzira, Rowan O. Martin","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2023.2206674","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2023.2206674","url":null,"abstract":"Lovebirds (genus Agapornis of family Psittaculidae) are a group of small, colourful parrot species endemic to sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, two-thirds of which are considered to have declining populations. Effective conservation efforts are hampered by a lack of information, particularly for species occurring in regions that have received little research attention. We combined expert knowledge with a review of the primary and grey literature to identify key knowledge gaps and priority conservation actions for this group of birds. Published studies were found to be largely concentrated on lovebird populations in southern Africa and, to a lesser extent in East Africa, and therefore mostly concern members of the ‘white eye-ring’ clade. Some species, such as the Black-collared Lovebird Agapornis swindernianus, remain very poorly studied, with a lack of even basic information such as georeferenced occurrence records. Several lovebird species were historically taken from the wild in large numbers for the international pet trade, leading to population declines. Although trade in wild lovebirds has been much reduced compared with historical levels, considerable numbers are still captured for local and international trade without any monitoring of the wild populations. Habitat change continues to drive declines in the population and range of some species, particularly those considered habitat specialists, such as the Nyasa Lovebird A. lilianae and the Black-cheeked Lovebird A. nigrigenis. However, changing habitat has also driven range expansions and, in combination with trade, has created numerous novel contact zones between formerly allopatric species, such as between Fischer’s Lovebird A. fischeri and Yellow-collared Lovebird A. personatus. Hybridisation has been widely reported, particularly in East Africa, and studies on the implications of this for conservation, building on recent advances in genetic tools, are urgently needed. We call for more targeted research on lovebirds to inform assessments of their population trends, to understand the drivers of these trends, and to highlight opportunities to leverage existing data and new research tools to advance knowledge to support conservation in this group of birds.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"18 5","pages":"1 - 27"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41276158","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":"Initial evaluation of the care and rehabilitation success of Cape Cormorants Phalacrocorax capensis rescued from Robben and Jutten islands, South Africa, in January 2021","authors":"J. Phillips, K. Ludynia, L. Waller, Peter J Barham, Andile Mdluli, Romy Klusener, G. Maneveldt","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2023.2173327","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2023.2173327","url":null,"abstract":"The population of the endangered Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis more than halved over the last three decades (BirdLife International 2018a). In January 2021, nearly 2 000 Cape Cormorant chicks were found abandoned, suffering from dehydration and heat stress, at two important nesting sites. The chicks were rescued and rehabilitated by the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB, Cape Town, South Africa). About half (53.7%) of the cormorant chicks were successfully rehabilitated and released back into the breeding colonies. This study found a direct link between the initial body mass of cormorant chicks admitted to the rehabilitation centre and their probability of surviving during rehabilitation, with birds that were initially heavier having a greater probability of eventual release. Most cormorant chicks that died (80.7%) did so within the first 5 days of admission. This rescue required SANCCOB to care for and rehabilitate the largest number of Cape Cormorant chicks that has ever been admitted to its rehabilitation centre at one time, making it the first rescue of its kind. Despite the presumably limited positive impact on overall population numbers of Cape Cormorants, the rescue campaign improved SANCCOB’s preparedness to respond successfully to future disaster events and to deal with different species, both locally and globally.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"94 1","pages":"40 - 47"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48347458","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":"Natural recolonisation of sub-Antarctic Marion Island by Common Diving Petrels Pelecanoides urinatrix","authors":"M. Connan, S. Schoombie, J. Schoombie, B. Dilley, P. Ryan","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2022.2150706","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2022.2150706","url":null,"abstract":"Nocturnal burrow-nesting seabirds are notoriously difficult to study and can go unnoticed for years in remote areas. One of these species is the Common Diving Petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix, which has a circumpolar breeding distribution in the Southern Ocean, including at the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. At Marion Island, the larger of the two islands, the species was extirpated by cats that were introduced in 1948. The cats were eradicated by 1991, and Common Diving Petrels were discovered in burrows in coastal Poa cookii (Cook’s tussock grass) on a steep south-facing slope in Goodhope Bay during April 2015. Subsequent surveys in October 2015 and February 2016 confirmed breeding over a 1-ha area. In 2019/2020, breeding phenology and success was studied in 36 nests at the same site. Birds called from their burrows from mid-September, laying started in early October, and the first chick was observed on 20 December. Hatching peaked in early January and chicks fledged from the end of February to mid-March. This breeding phenology is similar to that at the neighbouring Crozet Archipelago. Overall nest survival was 46.4 ± 9.2% (mean ± SE; 95% CI: 29.5–64.1%), with most failures happening around hatching time. Further monitoring is needed to assess whether introduced House Mice Mus musculus contributed to the low hatching success. Common Diving Petrels were discovered breeding in other coastal areas, mostly in the south and east of the island. It is unlikely that breeding by this species was overlooked for three decades, suggesting that the elimination of cats allowed Common Diving Petrels to recolonise the island.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"93 1","pages":"271 - 279"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48627993","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":"Breeding status of invasive Rose-ringed Parakeets Psittacula krameri in Durban, South Africa","authors":"Tinyiko C. Shivambu, Ndivhuwo Shivambu, C. Downs","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2022.2155719","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2022.2155719","url":null,"abstract":"The Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri has established feral populations in South African suburban areas. However, the information on the breeding biology of parakeets remains poorly documented in the country. We assessed parakeets’ breeding status and behaviour by locating their roost and breeding sites in Durban, eThekwini Metropole, KwaZulu-Natal province. We also placed artificial nest boxes to determine the occupancy of parakeets or other bird species. We identified 39 parakeet breeding sites with a total of 72 nests. There were no significant differences between the number of active parakeet nests in the first (n = 53 nests) and second breeding seasons (n = 59). Rose-ringed Parakeets used four tree species for nesting, with the white milkwood Sideroxylon inerme used the most (71%). Only East African lowland honey bees Apis mellifera scutellata and Common Mynas Acridotheres tristis used the artificial nest boxes. Parakeet fledgings recorded ranged between one and three per nest, and their numbers differed significantly between seasons. The number of fledglings was not influenced by any of the tree variables measured and distance or location. The distance between the parakeets’ roosting and breeding sites ranged from 1.43 to 5.0 km. Our study provides essential data for an overall management strategy, including eradication programs for this species in South Africa.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"93 1","pages":"257 - 270"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41448702","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":"Road counts reveal The Gambia’s West Coast region still has the densest population of Hooded Vultures Necrosyrtes monachus in Africa","authors":"Mawdo Jallow, Momodou L Dibba, Fagimba Camara, D. Barber, K. Bildstein, Lindy J. Thompson","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2022.2143922","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2022.2143922","url":null,"abstract":"Road surveys are a useful tool for comparing vulture population trends. Here we present data from road surveys to count Hooded Vultures Necrosyrtes monachus in The Gambia in 2017 and 2021. In the first nationwide road survey in November 2017 (during this species’ breeding period), we counted 7.3 Hooded Vultures per km. In The Gambia’s West Coast, we counted 33.3 Hooded Vultures per km in November 2017 (during this species’ breeding period) and 27.4 Hooded Vultures per km in May 2021 (during the non-breeding period). In the rest of the country (i.e. in The Gambia’s North Bank, Central, Upper and Lower River regions), we counted 3.3 Hooded Vultures per km in November 2017 and 2.1 Hooded Vultures per km in November 2021, which may represent cause for concern. These figures for The Gambia’s West Coast region far exceed the results of road surveys conducted in the same area in 2005, 2013, and 2015. The number of Hooded Vultures recorded per km in the West Coast region increased from 2005 to 2017, but dipped slightly into May 2021, when we would have expected to see an increase, as the 2021 survey was carried out in the non-breeding period. In the non-breeding period vultures would not be confined to nests and populations should be at their highest, due to recently fledged juveniles entering the population. Overall, the densities of Hooded Vultures counted in The Gambia from 2005 to 2021 indicate that population densities are higher in The Gambia than in any other country where road surveys have taken place. The densities were orders of magnitude higher than those in eastern and southern Africa. However, given the decline in numbers between 2017 and 2021, we should not be complacent about the stability of this population.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"93 1","pages":"248 - 256"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43410525","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":"Local perceptions and sociocultural value of Hooded Vultures Necrosyrtes monachus in Burkina Faso, West Africa","authors":"Clément Daboné, A. Ouéda, Lindy J. Thompson, J. B. Adjakpa, P. Weesie","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2022.2120558","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2022.2120558","url":null,"abstract":"Hooded Vultures have suffered from dramatic population declines in recent decades owing to anthropogenic pressures. To properly address this threat, the sociocultural perspectives towards this species should be considered. We examined peoples' perceptions, knowledge and beliefs on Hooded Vulture's sociocultural values in Burkina Faso through face to face surveys at 20 sites spread across the country. A total of 900 interviews (with 600 householders and 300 butchers) revealed valuable knowledge and an overall positive perception of Hooded Vultures. More than 72% (n = 653) of interviewees (mostly Mossi, Bissa and Gourmatche ethnic groups) regarded Hooded Vultures as important, venerated and sacred birds, and we received no reports of Hooded Vultures attacking livestock-which is all beneficial to their conservation. Conversely, a minority of interviewees (12%, n = 108) believed that Hooded Vultures are harmful, but the reasons provided for this view were insubstantial. Nevertheless, the negative views towards Hooded Vultures should be urgently examined. Furthermore, the vast majority of respondents (84%, n = 753) viewed Hooded Vulture populations as having decreased and the main reasons provided were decreasing food availability, intentional killing using poisoned baits for beliefmbased use, habitat loss or degradation, and unintentional poisoning. Interestingly, most respondents (84%, n = 760) were acutely aware of the imminence of the Hooded Vulture's possible extinction and are willing to take conservation measures, suggesting both support and eventual success for conservation actions in this area. The key actions suggested by local communities are valuable for vulture conservation and include severely punishing poachers, supplying safe food for Hooded Vultures, preserving and restoring habitat, and raising awareness of Hooded Vulture conservation.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"93 1","pages":"233 - 247"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48686384","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 African Bird Atlas Project: a description of the project and BirdMap data-collection protocol","authors":"Michael Brooks, Sanjo Rose, R. Altwegg, Alan T. K. Lee, Henk Nel, U. Ottosson, E. Retief, C. Reynolds, P. Ryan, Sidney Shema, T. Tende, L. Underhill, R. Thomson","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2022.2125097","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2022.2125097","url":null,"abstract":"The African Bird Atlas Project (ABAP) is a citizen-science bird-monitoring programme that relies on a robust, repeatable protocol (BirdMap) and allows insights into the distributions of African birds and their conservation. The protocol involves collecting bird lists within spatial sampling units called pentads (5 × 5 minutes of latitude by longitude), in relation to survey effort. It is based on the Second Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP2), which is one of Africa’s largest citizen science projects, with over 600 thousand checklists, comprising ∼19 million bird locality records as of December 2021. SABAP2, which focuses on southern Africa, was initiated in 2007 and is ongoing. Both the Kenya Bird Map and the Nigerian Bird Atlas Project, initiated in 2013 and 2015, respectively, use this protocol. These projects have galvanised local birdwatching communities and allow for important comparisons across sub-Saharan African countries. The spatial scope of ABAP covers the entire African continent. Bird species lists are collected by citizen scientists within a pentad, with each list encompassing a minimum of 2 hours of active birding over a maximum of 5 days in the preferred ‘full-protocol’ format. Lists that do not meet the full protocol requirements are called ‘ad-hoc’. Species lists are mostly submitted to the SABAP2 database at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, by the third-party mobile phone application BirdLasser. Incoming data are vetted against existing records, with unusual records verified by Regional Atlas Committees. Data are open access via public websites. Distributional records can be downloaded for each species in the database, or site-specific species lists in various formats can be downloaded for pentads. Here, we introduce technical details of the database to inform researchers on how the data are gathered and curated. Data-access protocols are explained, with examples of data use given from the publication record.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"93 1","pages":"223 - 232"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45224773","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":"Why the taxonomy of francolins and spurfowls (Galliformes, Phasianidae) needs revision: responses to Hustler (2021) and Hunter et al. (2021a,b)","authors":"T. Crowe, Tshifhiwa G. Mandiwana-Neudani, R. Little, R. Bowie","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2022.2120921","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2022.2120921","url":null,"abstract":"1 FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa 2 Department of Biodiversity, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa 3 Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America * Correspondence: timothy.crowe@uct.ac.za","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"93 1","pages":"280 - 291"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46325867","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}