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 A main priority in conservation is the protection of species in their natural habitat. However, ex situ management of threatened species is a recognised strategy of conservation. Harpy Eagles (Harpia harpyja ) are removed from the wild due to illegal capture, nest tree destruction, or other conflict sources. This study presents a review of the current ex situ Harpy Eagle populations in Brazil and worldwide, including information on the origin, sex, and year of entrance or year of birth under human care. Worldwide, until 2020 there were 205 Harpy Eagles in 77 different facilities in 16 countries, with 40 institutions in Brazil and 37 in other countries. The largest ex situ Harpy Eagle population is maintained in Brazil, with 139 individuals (75 females and 64 males) in 40 institutions. Of these institutions, there were 24 zoos, seven conservation breeding centres, six commercial breeders, two wildlife shelters, and one wildlife sorting centre. In Brazil, 62% (n = 86) of the individuals were hatched in the wild and 38% (n = 53) were bred in captivity under human care; for the wild individuals, only 73% (n = 64) have a known state of origin, with the majority from Pará state. This investigation provided relevant information to establish an ex situ demographic database. These individuals may potentially constitute a genetically and demographically viable safety population for future conservation strategies, as well as a source for research and education applied to Harpy Eagle integrated conservation. Keywords: Birds of prey, captive breeding, Harpia harpyja , threatened species

Habitat loss and climate change are major drivers of biodiversity loss, but their synergistic effects and functional perspectives have to be better understood. We employed species distribution models under future contrasting socioeconomic scenarios to assess the impacts of climate change and human footprint on avian frugivore and nectarivore functional groups in the Magdalena Valley, a highly transformed and biodiverse region in Colombia. We constructed the functional groups based on a dissimilarity matrix with 16 anatomical and ecological traits. Two types of future climatic refugia (type 1: areas that will maintain the current climatic conditions and type 2: regions outside the current distribution area that will have the current climatic conditions) were identified to guide conservation efforts for these groups and associated ecosystem services. Of the 27 functional groups identified, 19 are projected to undergo range reductions of 1–75%, with an average upward shift of their climatic niches along the altitudinal gradient of 690 m. Large frugivores from intermediate elevations, such as toucans and cracids, as well as nectarivores with extreme adaptations and specializations, are expected to experience the most severe range reductions. Distributional and altitudinal shifts will lead to spatial reorganization of communities and a reduction or complete loss of functional group richness, particularly in lowland areas. This could impact ecosystem services relevant for degraded area restoration, such as seed dispersal, fruit availability, and pollination of specialized plant species with economic importance. The low representation of future climatic refugia within protected areas highlights the need to incorporate climate change trends into future conservation strategies for these landscapes.

The American Flamingo, Phoenicopterus ruber , is a charismatic bird distributed throughout the Caribbean, North and South America. Its wide distribution, the complexity of international monitoring due to its capacity for long-distance flying, and a focus mostly on local populations, make it difficult to understand the dynamics between sites. Here, we took advantage of the citizen eBird science project to present a global perspective on the distribution of the American Flamingo, and identify the potentially most important countries for breeding. We obtained 16,930 records for the Americas from the 1960s until October 2018, of which 9,283 could be used for our objectives. The eBird database indicated a considerable increase in the total number of records over the last decade (2010s), probably reflecting an increase in tourism facilities, research investment, technological advancement, interest in conservation, and the worldwide availability of eBird. We also observed a range extension in the Gulf of Mexico in the United States and a significant recolonization in the Florida Peninsula. The apparent range extension to the South is more likely to be linked to biases in the data; for example, in any given country the number of records might reflect either reporting efforts or actual numbers. eBird data confirmed that six countries host the main breeding colonies (Bahamas, Bonaire, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, and Venezuela). We suggest three additional countries as potential breeding areas for the species (Colombia, Curaçao, Turks and Caicos Islands) for which more field observations are necessary to support this possibility. This global appraisal of the distribution of the American Flamingo using citizen science data provides valuable information for national and international management and conservation programs such as the need to verify the species breeding status in areas where it appears to be expanding its distribution.

Shorebirds are model organisms for illustrating the principles of ecology and excellent subjects for research. Their mating systems are as diverse as any avian group, their migrations push the limits of endurance, and their foraging is easily studied in the open habitats of estuaries and freshwater wetlands. This comprehensive text explores the ecology, conservation, and management of these fascinating birds. Beginning chapters examine phylogenetic relationships between shorebirds and other birds, and cover shorebird morphology, anatomy, and physiology. A section on breeding biology looks in detail at their reproductive biology. Because shorebirds spend much of their time away from breeding areas, a substantial section on non-breeding biology covers migration, foraging ecology, and social behavior. The text also covers shorebird demography, population size, and management issues related to habitat, predators, and human disturbances. Throughout, it emphasizes applying scientific knowledge to the conservation of shorebird populations, many of which are unfortunately in decline.

ABSTRACT Among the vibrant ecosystems in the Aseer region, wild birds constitute a significant component. The objective of this study was to provide an updated inventory of wild bird species in the Aseer region and investigate the differences among bird communities across various study locations. The study was conducted from late December 2022 to early January 2023. The study area was divided into six main sites. The study employed a comprehensive methodology involving field surveys, bird photography, and species identification techniques up to species level. The results documented a total of 63 bird species, including 36 resident species, 9 endemic species, 17 migratory species (winter visitors), and one introduced species. Significant homogeneity in bird communities between Site 2 and Site 3, as well as between Site 5 and Site 6 was observed. However, communities exhibited less similarity between Site 1 and Site 4 when compared to other locations. Notably, elevation above sea level emerged as a key factor influencing bird distribution. Continuous year-round research, accounting for seasonal changes, is crucial to document a diverse range of wild bird species in the Aseer region.

Identifying connectivity patterns among remnant bird populations and their relationships with land use practices and adjacent habitat fragments is key to implementing appropriate long-term management strategies for species conservation. The coastal scrub and dune vegetation complex of the northern Yucatan Peninsula is rich in endemisms and has been affected by human development, which threatens the survival of the Yucatan Wren (Campylorhynchus yucatanicus) population, an endemic bird species. To identify possible anthropogenic barriers to the connectivity of C. yucatanicus along 14 localities in the Yucatan (Mexico) coastal north, we explored the relationship between the species population’s genetic variability at each sampled site and landscape structure using regression models, in addition to the relationship between genetic distance and landscape resistance. Seven nuclear microsatellite loci were used as genetic markers. Four genetic populations were highlighted by the clustering method implemented in the Geneland program. Human settlement and availability of adequate habitat were significantly related to genetic distance (Fst), suggesting limited connectivity among sites due to ongoing land use changes. We suggest changing the IUCN threat category of C. yucatanicus to endangered as we found a significant loss of genetic variability in addition to restricted distribution, small population, habitat degradation, and loss of connectivity.

 Mapping the relative risk of impact on nature by a human infrastructure at a landscape scale (\"sensitivity mapping\") is an essential tool for minimising the future impact of new development or for prioritising mitigation of existing impacts. High-voltage power lines (\"transmission lines\") are known to increase bird mortality by collision. Here we present a method to derive a high resolution map of relative risk of transmission line impacts across one entire country, Belgium, from existing bird distribution data. First, all the bird species observed in Belgium were systematically assessed using literature and casualty records to select those to be included in the sensitivity map. Species were selected on the basis of their intrinsic susceptibility to collision and the conservation relevance of avoiding additional mortality for that species in Belgium. Each of the selected species was included in one or several spatial layer constructed from existing data, emerging from citizen science bird monitoring schemes. The resulting 17 layers were then combined into one final sensitivity map, where a \"risk score\" estimates the relative collision risk across Belgium at a 1×1 km resolution. This risk score is relatively robust to the subtraction of any of the 17 layers. The map identifies areas where building new transmission lines would create high risk of collision and, if overlapped with existing power lines, helps to prioritise spans where mitigation measures should be placed. Wetlands and river valleys stand out as the most potentially dangerous areas for collision with transmission lines. This sensitivity map could be regularly updated with new bird data or adapted to other countries where similar bird data are available. Keywords: Belgium, bird, mitigation, sensitivity mapping, strategic planning, transmission lines, waterbird

During the 18th and 19th centuries, bird feathers (class: Aves) were harvested from wild populations and sold globally in enormous quantities to meet the rising demand of the fashion industry. Although many laws now prevent similar widescale harvest, there is a paucity of studies on the trade that has continued to occur since the 20th century. Using data from the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS), we synthesised the first modern analysis of the global feather trade. We discovered over 1800 bird species being traded for their feathers since the 1980s, with 18 of 41 orders found to be overrepresented in trade. Shipments ranged from occurrences of single species to large‐scale trade involving multiple species. Traded species were more likely to have plumage that deviated from brown‐ and/or grey tones compared to non‐traded species. Feathers from the culturally significant bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus and golden eagle Aquila chrysaetos were the most commonly traded of all species. We determined that overall, the modern feather trade does not appear to operate on the scale of historic harvests, and our findings indicate that modern trade poses a lower risk to the majority of wild bird populations globally. However, the endangered green peafowl Pavo muticus warrants closer examination to establish whether wild populations are directly affected by current demand in both domestic and international markets. Lastly, we suggest that the feather types (i.e. wing feathers, tail feathers) should be recorded on import and/or export to improve monitoring capabilities, and we propose that conservation managers are mindful of this poorly studied trade in future species assessments.

Effective management for endangered grassland birds requires a sound understanding of habitat requirements and factors shaping reproductive success. We studied multi‐level habitat selection of endangered whinchats Saxicola rubetra and locally increasing stonechats Saxicola rubicola in a nature reserve using Sentinel‐2 images, LiDAR data, and habitat variables measured onsite. We monitored nest fates, and estimated how the causes of nest mortality varied with nest initiation date. Further, we analyzed how nest‐site selection, precipitation, nest initiation date, and nest age influenced daily nest survival. At the landscape‐ and site‐level, both species primarily selected for territories in lightly farmed meadows. However, stonechats appeared to be less specialized and used most available habitat types. Within home‐ranges, both species selected for nest‐sites in fallow patches, but in contrast to stonechats, whinchats also selected for large viewsheds. In both species, the main causes of nest failure were predation by red foxes Vulpes vulpes, weather‐related factors, and nest desertion. In whinchats, the probability of nest desertion increased and predation risk decreased with nest initiation date, possibly due to better nest concealment in the later season. Daily nest survival decreased with nest age and precipitation in both species, and increased with nest initiation date in whinchats. None of the habitat variables examined were positively linked to daily nest survival, and viewshed was negatively related to whinchat daily nest survival. Our study suggests that extending core habitat may help to promote settlement and potentially reproductive success of whinchats. However, as habitat selection was not positively associated with daily nest survival, land management measures alone might not be sufficient to halt rapid population declines. To effectively conserve whinchats and other grassland bird populations, the causes of nest failures must be identified and addressed. Within the examined reserve and similar habitats, flood management and predator control may yield the biggest short‐term conservation gains.