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Lesinurad (ZURAMPIC ® ) is an oral urate–anion exchanger transporter 1 (URAT1) inhibitor developed by Ardea Biosciences (a subsidiary of AstraZeneca) for the treatment of hyperuricaemia associated with gout. It reduces serum uric acid (sUA) levels by inhibiting the function of the transporter proteins (URAT1 and organic anion transporter 4) involved in uric acid reabsorption in the kidney. In December 2015, lesinurad was approved in the USA as combination therapy with a xanthine oxidase inhibitor for the treatment of hyperuricaemia associated with gout in patients who have not achieved sUA target levels with a xanthine oxidase inhibitor alone. Lesinurad has also received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use for this indication and is in phase III development as a combination therapy in several other countries. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of lesinurad leading to this first approval for hyperuricaemia associated with gout.

Polymorphism has been described in many avian taxa including Ardeidae. This study investigated the spatio-temporal distribution of color polymorphic forms (with regard to the color of the unfeathered parts (legs/lores)) of the Great White Egret Ardea alba alba in internet images from Europe. In total, 140 images of presumed polymorphs from 16 countries (from 2006 to 2021) have been collected and examined. Eight coloration schemes of visible unfeathered parts were distinguished. Since some polymorphs may represent the subspecies Eastern Great Egret Ardea alba modesta, the ratio of beak length to total head length was compared among individuals representing the nominal and Eastern Great Egret subspecies. The ratio distributions were similar in all compared groups; thus, polymorph egrets may represent both of these subspecies. Most polymorph images originate from the Netherlands and the southwestern Norwegian coast. This may have resulted from specific local diets and contact with hormone-disrupting compounds. Nevertheless, some observation biases, such as the presence of local breeding population or high numbers of nature photographers, could have affected our observation pattern. Some analyzed features also followed temporal patterns. Most polymorphs were observed during the breeding season, suggesting disruptions of sex hormones as a possible cause. Studies of spatio-temporal patterns of polymorph occurrence may allow us to obtain insights into the causes of large variation in coloration schemes in polymorphic species.

Understanding the trophic interactions and coexistence processes among waterbirds in floodplain ecosystems is of fundamental ecological importance. In the upper Paraná River floodplain, we assessed the diet of five sympatric waterbird species ( Ardea alba , Ardea cocoi , Egretta thula , Nannopterum brasilianum , and Nycticorax nycticorax ) and tested their differences in the diet, in addition to food overlap, differences in trophic niche breadths and stratum in the water column where they forage. The waterbirds’ stomachs were collected quarterly on the upper Paraná River floodplain, analyzed under a stereomicroscope, and the food items were identified. Only Egretta thula was classified as omnivorous, consuming various food resources, including insects, decapods, and fish. The other species were piscivorous, but differed in the types of prey. Food overlap was higher in the piscivorous species, but they exhibited high trophic niche breadth. The piscivorous waterbirds employ different strategies for exploiting food resources that allow species coexistence in the floodplain, avoiding direct competition. Our results highlight the importance of waterbirds as connectors across diverse environments, especially aquatic-terrestrial ecosystems. Since these waterbirds’ diet relies on fish, effective conservation and management strategies targeting fish communities are fundamental to maintaining biodiversity and functionality within the upper Paraná River floodplain.

The historical loss of natural wetlands in Romania is significant. The building of lakes, ponds, and dams has compensated for some of these losses, as was the case in the study area, the artificial wetlands designated as the Natura 2000 (special protection area, SPA) and Ramsar sites. In this context, to evaluate the conservation status of colonial waterbirds (cormorants, herons, and egrets), we analyzed actual distributions, habitat selection, features, and population sizes. Standardized counting of colonial species was used, supplemented by nest counting and colony-area estimation during winter, and drone footage. All species and their colonies were built in artificial or anthropically influenced habitats. Concerning distribution and population sizes, Phalacrocorax carbo and Microcarbo pygmeus were found to nest only in central Romania. The pair numbers of Ardea alba, Ardea purpurea, Ardea cinerea, and Nycticorax nycticorax in the area exceeded 1% of the national minimum breeding population. There was a statistically significant positive trend of breeding populations for Ardea alba, Nycticorax nycticorax, and Egretta garzetta. In conclusion, these artificial wetlands offer optimal breeding conditions for a relatively large diversity of colonial bird species over areas that are not very large.

Living shorelines (LSs) increasingly are implemented as a defense against coastal erosion and rising seas; however, their ecological function for wading birds has not been evaluated. Here, we compared heron and shorebird use of LSs (created fringe salt marshes with a wave break fronting the planted marshes) to natural‐fringe marshes (NFMs) in the Chesapeake Bay. We assessed the use between May and August in 2018 and 2019 at 13 tidal marsh pairs, each consisting of one LS and NFM site, with sites within pairs having similar surrounding land use and wave exposure. In each year, we assessed diurnal use with video cameras recording at least four 30‐min segments/day for a total of 677 h of video, and nocturnal/diurnal use with acoustic recording equipment recording 10‐min sound files every 2 h/day for a total of 160 h of recording. We quantified diurnal use by measuring the total time a species spent at a site, and nocturnal/diurnal use by estimating the probability of detection (i.e., presence/absence). We detected four heron and five shorebird species when data were aggregated across pairs and sampling methods. Using Bayesian mixed models, time of use did not differ between LS and NFM sites for great blue herons (Ardea herodias) and yellow‐crowned night‐herons (Nyctanassa violacea). In contrast, time of use was higher for green herons (Butorides virescens) and spotted sandpipers (Actitis macularis) at LS sites but tended to be higher for great egrets (Ardea alba) at NFM sites. The probability of detection did not differ between LS and NFM sites for great blue herons and great egrets (combined as “Ardea spp.” due to difficulty in differentiating calls under noisy conditions), yellow‐crowned night‐herons, and spotted sandpipers. Green herons and killdeer (Charadrius vociferous), however, tended to be detected more frequently at LS sites. Collectively, our research indicates that LSs are functionally equivalent to NFMs for herons and shorebirds. We hypothesize that the low‐profile rock sills of LS provide platforms for resting and preening and offer prey even when vegetated marshes are unavailable to short‐legged species during flooding tides. In addition to their established reduction of coastal erosion, LSs provide habitat for herons and shorebird species.

Both climate change and dam operations are affecting water levels in river systems worldwide and their influence can be especially drastic in upper streams, where juvenile salmonids hatch and grow. However, efficient means of mitigating such influence on salmonid populations have not been developed, at least not in a practical manner throughout the world. In this study, we investigated effects of declining water levels and structural complexity on populations of age-0 white-spotted charr (Salvelinus leucomaenis) in tank and pond experiments. Survival of the charr was lower in the shallow tanks (15 cm water depth) than in the deeper ones. Similarly, more fish survived in the tanks with artificial structures (cobbles with Ringlong tape) compared to those without them. The grey heron (Ardea cinerea) was the most frequently observed predator during the tank experiment, and settlement of fish in the shallow ponds increased when artificial structures were provided. These results suggest that declining water levels and the loss of structural complexity may lead to a decrease in populations of white-spotted charr by increasing predation risk and interference competition.

Myanmar is globally significant for biodiversity conservation but is facing unique challenges as a result of the current political situation, which has led to unsustainable use of natural resources, withdrawal of conservation funds and a governance vacuum that hinders effective conservation. Given these challenges, there is a need to empower local civil society to implement community-led conservation programmes. We report on locally-led surveys of the Critically Endangered white-bellied heron Ardea insignis in northern Myanmar. We recorded the species’ occurrence along rivers and streams across two river catchments in Kachin state during June 2022–December 2023. We sighted white-bellied herons on 25 occasions and we estimate the local population to be 3–5 individuals. Opportunistic hunting using home-made air-pressured guns is a major threat to wildlife in the region and we documented two white-bellied herons shot in the area since 2019. Threats are exacerbated by a lack of wildlife law enforcement as a result of the country’s political unrest. We describe our initial efforts to implement a community-led approach to foster local stewardship in species and habitat management.

Productivity of avian populations provides important demographic information helpful in understanding population dynamics and processes involved during species expansions. We tested the hypothesis that the productivity of the two species of ecologically similar herons that breed together in mixed heronries is related to their expansion status. We expected the expansive species, colonizing the new area and increasing in numbers, to outperform the native species, whose abundance is stable. We studied the breeding success of two herons in mixed colonies in eastern Poland in 2018: Great Egret (Ardea alba) (an expansive species, increasing breeding range and population size), and the Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) (a native species, stable breeding population). Mean productivity (number of young per nest) was similar for Great Egret and Grey Heron and appeared correlated to each other in mixed heronries. Productivity of both species was unrelated to the colony size, but Grey Heron tended to have higher productivity as the proportion of Great Egret nests in the colony increased. Similar productivity of both species can be explained by the sufficient food resources coupled with the low level of competition. The two species differed significantly in their response of young to the approaching drone: the mean probability of a young Great Egret adopting an upright display was 0.47 compared to only 0.18 in a young Grey Heron (p=0.025). This was unlikely an age-related difference as the fledglings of both species were at a similar stage of development, but may represent some kind of a species-specific trait. Our research once again shows that UAVs allow a quick and non-invasive study of the size of the breeding populations and reproductive performance of herons, egrets and other wading birds.

Top predators can influence the structure and function of plant and animal communities. In coastal marine systems, fish, shark and mammal population declines are major drivers of recent ecosystem‐level change. Cascading effects of predatory wading birds, however, are less understood, even though wading bird populations have declined in many regions. We quantified the effects of predation by the piscivorous great blue heron Ardea herodias fannini on fish, invertebrates and epiphytes living in eelgrass Zostera marina. We found that herons forage on benthic fish in seagrass meadows, and foraging intensity increased from late spring until midsummer. When we experimentally excluded herons, benthic fish abundance increased, and the invertebrate assemblage shifted to more shrimp‐dominated assemblages while grazing gammarid amphipod abundance declined. These shifts were associated with reduced epiphyte abundance when herons were excluded, reflecting a four‐level trophic cascade and mediated by shifts in the grazer assemblage. In summary, we found that a piscivorous wading bird species exerts top down control in a subtidal seagrass ecosystem. Losses and recovery of wading birds could have ecosystem‐level ecological consequences that may need to be considered in the context of concern for overfishing and predator recovery in marine coastal management.

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic intracellular protozoan parasite of worldwide distribution that infects many species of warm-blooded animals, including birds. To date, there is scant information about the seropositivity of T. gondii and the risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in wild bird populations. In the present study, T. gondii infection was evaluated on sera obtained from 1079 wild birds belonging to 56 species (including Falconiformes (n = 610), Strigiformes (n = 260), Ciconiiformes (n = 156), Gruiformes (n = 21), and other orders (n = 32), from different areas of Spain. Antibodies to T. gondii (modified agglutination test, MAT titer ≥1:25) were found in 282 (26.1%, IC95%:23.5–28.7) of the 1079 birds. This study constitute the first extensive survey in wild birds species in Spain and reports for the first time T. gondii antibodies in the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), short-toed snake-eagle (Circaetus gallicus), Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus), Western marsh-harrier (Circus aeruginosus), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), long-eared owl (Asio otus), common scops owl (Otus scops), Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), white stork (Ciconia ciconia), grey heron (Ardea cinerea), common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus); in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) “vulnerable” Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti), lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) and great bustard (Otis tarda); and in the IUCN “near threatened” red kite (Milvus milvus). The highest seropositivity by species was observed in the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) (68.1%, 98 of 144). The main risk factors associated with T. gondii seropositivity in wild birds were age and diet, with the highest exposure in older animals and in carnivorous wild birds. The results showed that T. gondii infection is widespread and can be at a high level in many wild birds in Spain, most likely related to their feeding behaviour.