Ostrich最新文献

{"title":"How citizen scientists are rapidly generating big distribution data: lessons from the Arewa Atlas Team, Nigerian Bird Atlas Project","authors":"A. Ringim, S. Muhammad, Longji Bako, Haruna M. Abubakar, Sulaiman M Isa, Doofan J Nelly, Aliyu A Bajoga, Abdulhamid S Bunu, H. A. Adam, Idris M Jalo, J. Eveso, Eugene D Mathew, Bello A Danmallam, Umbule Mador, Jennifer I Paul, Isuwa Aminu, Alai Lawal, Joseph I Izang, Ponyil N Abu","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2022.2058105","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2022.2058105","url":null,"abstract":"The Arewa Atlas Team (AAT) in northern Nigeria has set an example for a robust methodological data collection and made a big impact for the African Bird Atlas Project. To broaden national bird atlas projects and coverage across the continent, this paper reports on the activities and protocols of the AAT. We set out how we have galvanised bird clubs and bird club members to participate in this important monitoring project. We then focus on a bird atlas expedition conducted to the Bauchi State as an example. The outing was carried out from 24 to 28 September 2020 in line with the BirdMap protocol. For the first time, the AAT atlased 100 pentads and recorded 8 591 individual birds of 222 species (24.21% of Nigerian birds) from 67 families. We explore what can be done with these data, by presenting a summary of descriptions of the birds observed. For instance, we recorded 184 resident species, nine intra-African and 24 Palearctic migrants. The highest bird abundance (120 individuals) was recorded at 11°00′26.9″ N, 9°29′46.5″ E, pentad 1105C0925. Furthermore, the Rock Firefinch Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis was out-of-range from Lumba. The Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax (Vulnerable) and Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus (Near Threatened) were species of conservation concern. Results of this survey shows that citizen science is a powerful tool to make rapid biodiversity assessments of bird species richness and abundance and provides insights into bird occurrence and composition. This can be extended to distribution over time at a local geographic scale. Continuous efforts to map bird distributions are therefore recommended, mostly in regions and countries where atlas projects have not been established or still in the formative stages. It is important that bird atlas teams maximise ways to accomplish more noteworthy coverage in their respective national bird atlas projects and here we outline how we accomplished this as motivation and a model for the African Bird Atlas Project.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"93 1","pages":"24 - 33"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45060764","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":"Nest-site characteristics of Levaillant’s Woodpecker Picus vaillantii endemic to North Africa","authors":"Mehdi Badis, Nabil Hamdi","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2022.2048719","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2022.2048719","url":null,"abstract":"Levaillant’s Woodpecker is an endemic species of the forests of north-western Africa. Through the cavities it digs, its presence is essential for the existence of other cavity nesters. However, despite its importance to its ecosystems, there are not much data dealing with its ecology and especially its habitats. To describe these habitats, we investigated nest-sites characteristics of Levaillant’s Woodpecker Picus vaillantii in the Aures forest massifs of north-eastern Algeria, during two breeding seasons 2018 and 2019. Using the point count method, we detected 45 occupied nesting cavities, unevenly distributed over the formations, dominated by Atlas cedar (73.3%), Holm oak (13.3%), and Aleppo pine (4.4%). Results showed high utilisation of live trees (71.1%) with healthy crowns (75.5%). Findings also revealed that the species favoured tree trunks (77.7%) as nesting support and that the determination of the nest height was strongly dependent on the height of the nesting tree. Nest height and tree diameter at this height varied significantly among tree species. Nests were higher in Aleppo pine, however, tree diameters at nest positions were lower in this species, compared with other tree species. These results on the ecology of Levaillant’s Woodpecker can serve to fill the information gap in the ornithological knowledge of the Aures forests areas and provide important information for the conservation of the species in the context of forest management practices.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"93 1","pages":"70 - 77"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48099504","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":"Pishing does increase visibility of arboreal passerines in an African savanna","authors":"E. Buchmann, C. Reynolds","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2022.2029968","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2022.2029968","url":null,"abstract":"Pishing is an imitated alarm call frequently used by birders and ornithologists to attract birds and provide close-up views. However, despite the widespread use of pishing in the field, data on the success of this technique are still scarce. Here we tested the effectiveness of pishing as an attracter of birds in a subtropical savanna in South Africa, using a randomised controlled trial design. Over a period of 12 months, repeated silent observation and pishing treatments were randomly applied across 30 preselected savanna sites to test the response to pishing of both the bird community and individual species. Overall, significantly more individual birds were recorded during the pishing treatment than during the silent observation control treatment. Furthermore, the observation rates of eleven species, from seven passerine families, were significantly higher during pishing treatments. Robins in the Muscicapidae were especially responsive. Pishing does increase visibility of arboreal passerines in African subtropical savanna. This finding confirms that the technique is an effective tool for increasing bird observations in the field and informs current discussions on the ethics of pishing in the South African birding community.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"93 1","pages":"83 - 87"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47778737","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":"Vultures in Nigeria – some missed opportunities?","authors":"PJ Mundy","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2022.2076490","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2022.2076490","url":null,"abstract":"Ostrich is co-published by NISC (Pty) Ltd and Informa UK Limited (trading as Taylor & Francis Group) The recent paper by Williams et al. (2021) certainly shows the vultures of Nigeria to be in dire straits. While there may still be some havens for vultures, such as the Yankari Game Reserve (Onoja et al. 2014) adjoining the authors’ study area of Plateau State, the Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus itself, once ubiquitous and abundant in the country, seems to be on its ‘last legs’. Nevertheless I think the authors have missed some opportunities to make their findings more precise, as follows. My strongest comment concerns the statement of Williams et al. (2021) that the decline of vultures has occurred in the ‘past 3–4 decades.’ I lived in Sokoto, northern Nigeria, in 1969–1972, and made a particular study of Hooded Vultures with my friend Allan Cook who lived there much longer. Our results are about to be submitted, but they comprised inter alia (i) counts of up to 1 500 at the town abattoir, (ii) counts of up to 100 at the main market, (iii) more than 300 nests found in and around the town, (iv) virtually no interference or persecution of vultures, or their nesting trees, or the eggs and chicks, (v) no discovery of vultures as food, and (vi) no dead or decapitated birds found (PJ Mundy and AW Cook, pers. obs.). Much later and on a visit to Ghana in 1996, we saw unmolested vultures at the abattoir on the beach west of Accra, birds nesting in leafy trees along a main road in Accra, and an estimated 500 circling over the abattoir at Kumasi (Anderson 1999; Mundy 2000). At the latter place, we even saw Hooded Vultures standing on the chopping blocks of the butchers and on top of open doors: there was no indication of persecution. Even in the Plateau State, study area of the paper, ‘huge numbers’ were once seen at the abattoirs. Given these observations, what has changed since the year 2000 (i.e. two decades ago), in terms of society at large, but its need for belief-based usage and even food consumption? So far this is the big missed opportunity — there is no consideration in the Williams et al. (2021) paper, let alone research into, any hypothesised societal changes over the decades. From a situation of huge numbers of Hooded Vultures in Nigeria in 1973 and subsequently, and through to similar numbers in Ghana in 1996, why is the situation now so ‘alarming’? Yes, there is a doubling of human numbers, greater political volatility and future uncertainty, more poverty; but are these the simple drivers? Fortunately, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation is working on education and awareness to correct ‘misguided conceptions’, as the paper recommended. These efforts must be supported if there is to be any hope for the survival of vultures in Nigeria. I think this year of 2000 was a threshold year for vultures in Nigeria, and perhaps for West Africa as a region: incredible numbers before and ‘drastic decline’ since. This tipping point needs further inves","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"93 1","pages":"88 - 89"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42256089","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":"Monitoring an isolated population of Cape Parrots Poicephalus robustus in the Limpopo province, South Africa","authors":"Kate F. Carstens, K. Wimberger, Rowan O. Martin, David Letsoalo, C. Symes","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2022.2053599","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2022.2053599","url":null,"abstract":"Cape Parrots Poicephalus robustus inhabit forest patches in South Africa with <1 800 individuals remain in the wild. A small, genetically isolated population occurs in the northern part of its range in the Limpopo province. There, annual counts indicated ∼100 remain, but count numbers fluctuate substantially between years creating uncertainty over population trends. To inform approaches to the monitoring of Cape Parrot populations in the Limpopo province, we investigated how local abundance counts varied within and across years at known parrot ‘hotspots’. Monthly counts were done at these sites during 2013–2015 and 2020–2021. We found large variability in counts both within and amongst years, although this differed between sites. Observations of behaviour suggest that a site close to overnight roosts was more reliable, whereas those close to food sources were more variable likely linked to fruit availability. The highest numbers were recorded at a pecan nut orchard away from the indigenous forest. To better understand population trends of this small, isolated population we recommend annual counts are complemented with a series of focused counts at pecan nut orchards, which are monitored with greater intensity during the fruiting season.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"93 1","pages":"78 - 82"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2022-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43503118","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":"One big Impact Factor","authors":"Atk Lee","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2021.2017086","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2021.2017086","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"92 1","pages":"iii - iv"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43264459","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 effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on updated estimates of the population of the Agulhas Long-billed Lark Certhilauda brevirostris, a South African endemic","authors":"S. Evans","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2021.1998239","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2021.1998239","url":null,"abstract":"The Agulhas Long-billed Lark Certhilauda brevirostris is a South African endemic and is restricted to the fynbos habitat of the Agulhas Plain in the southwestern corner of South Africa. The 1990, 2014, and 2018 land use land cover (LULC) databases prepared for South Africa were used to determine the LULC categories that best describe suitable habitat for this bird using beta regressions. Previously published densities of Agulhas Long-billed Lark and the surface area of the LULC categories considered suitable habitat for the birds were used to estimate their historical and current population sizes, and the rates of change in the bird’s population. Beta regression models were compiled from the bird’s adjusted reporting rate and the total surface area, and three other landscape metrics, of the per pentad LULC categories considered suitable habitat for them. These models revealed that although the Agulhas Long-billed Lark is adversely affected by the loss of its natural fynbos habitat these adverse effects have been offset by an increase in the availability of fallow fields in summer. This confirms previous observations that agriculture may have allowed the Agulhas Long-billed Lark to increase in numbers. The Agulhas Long-billed Lark’s extent of occurrence (EOO) was estimated at 1 322 509 ha (n = 197 pentads) with an area of occupancy (AOO) estimated to be 1 076 854 ha in 2020. The decline in habitat available to the birds was estimated to be 3.5% over three generations (10.5 years). The present study provides improved estimates of the population of the Agulhas Long-billed Lark of between 146 344 and 264 691 individuals, with between 60 753 and 109 883 individuals in natural habitat, and between 85 591 and 154 808 individuals in transformed habitat. The results of the present study indicate that the Agulhas Long-billed Lark’s Near Threatened status should be reviewed.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"92 1","pages":"243 - 256"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48814030","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":"Effects of tropical rainforest fragmentation on bird species: a case study from the Bemanevika Protected Area, northwestern Madagascar","authors":"Armand Benjara, Lily-Arison R. de Roland, Marius Rakotondratsima, R. Thorstrom","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2021.2005704","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2021.2005704","url":null,"abstract":"The effects of forest fragmentation on forest bird species in the Bemanevika Protected Area (PA), northwestern Madagascar, were investigated during two breeding seasons from October 2016 to January 2018. The forest of Bemanevika is composed of large patches of fragmented tropical rainforest. Seven forest fragments ranging from 10 to 1 050 ha were surveyed. Two methods were used to collect data along transects orientated from the forest edge toward the interior of the forest: mist-netting and point-counts. In all, 27 non-forest birds and 65 forest birds were recorded at all fragments. According to their distribution along an edge-interior gradient, these 65 forest species are classified into three main groups: 15 (23.1%) edge species, 12 (18.5%) forest interior species and 38 (58.5%) ubiquitous species. Larger forest fragments host more forest bird species than smaller forest fragments. Of the 65 forest birds, 14, including the 12 forest interior species, were not found in the four smaller fragments (10–29 ha). The density of forest interior species was positively correlated to forest fragment size. The general trend was that forest interior species were the most sensitive to forest fragmentation (e.g. Madagascar Serpent-eagle Eutriorchis astur, Pitta-like Ground-roller Atelornis pittoides and Schlegel’s Asity Philepitta schlegeli). Large raptors, terrestrial species and understory species were the first to disappear from the small fragments. Fragmented forests provide habitat for bird species, even for those vulnerable to forest fragmentation, therefore the maintenance of large enough forest fragments should be considered in all conservation strategies aimed to protect forest birds.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"92 1","pages":"257 - 269"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48961561","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":"Diet of a Maghreb Owl pair Strix mauritanica (Witherby, 1905) in an urban environment (Rabat City, Morocco)","authors":"S. Cherkaoui, A. Rihane, Brahim Chergui El Hemiani","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2021.2003884","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2021.2003884","url":null,"abstract":"A pair of the Northwest African endemic Maghreb Owl Strix mauritanica (Witherby, 1905) located in a coastal urban environment of the Moroccan capital, Rabat, was monitored for the first time over two consecutive breeding seasons, in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Pellets (n = 434) collected and analysed from their roost contained the remains of synanthropic species of rodents, such as the house mouse (Mus musculus), black rat (Rattus rattus), brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) and a fairly similar proportion of birds. The most interesting finding was the Barbary ground squirrel (Atlantoxerus getulus), because the distribution does not reach the latitude of Rabat and does not usually frequent urban areas. This is the first study of the Maghreb Owl diet in a non-natural environment in Morocco and highlights the predominance of commensal pest rodents and urban birds in their diet. However, because our study involved only one pair of owls, additional research should be carried out to make sound inferences for the species’ diet at the population level.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"92 1","pages":"319 - 323"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48493961","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":"Investigating the influence of the extreme Indian Ocean Dipole on the 2020 influx of Red-necked Phalaropes Phalaropus lobatus in Kenya","authors":"Raphäel Nussbaumer, M. Gravey, Améline Nussbaumer, C. Jackson","doi":"10.2989/00306525.2021.1995908","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2021.1995908","url":null,"abstract":"Ocean currents have wide-ranging impacts on seabird movement and survival. By extension, the extreme oscillations they are subject to, such as extreme Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events, can also be expected to dramatically influence seabird populations. This study links the extreme IOD event that occurred in 2019–2020 to the unusually high number of Red-necked Phalarope sightings observed in February 2020. We show that the extreme IOD event resulted in low net primary productivity (a measure of plankton growth) offshore from the Somalia-Kenyan coast, where Phalaropes have been tracked in previous winters. We suggest that Phalaropes were therefore forced to move closer to the coast to find food at river estuaries, thus explaining the influx in February 2020. This study calls for closer monitoring of seabird populations in East Africa, particularly during extreme IOD events, which are expected to become more common in the future.","PeriodicalId":54655,"journal":{"name":"Ostrich","volume":"92 1","pages":"307 - 315"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2021-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49552444","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}