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The Common Green Magpie (Cissa chinensis) is a nest predator in tropical evergreen forests of Indomalaya and is likely impacting the reproductive success of other birds nesting in areas where it occurs. We studied the Common Green Magpie's nest-site selection in northeastern Thailand between March and July 2015. We actively searched for Common Green Magpie nests, recorded and compared vegetation variables such as vegetation cover and stem density at 32 nest sites with 64 randomly selected non-nest sites, and modeled nest-site selection using generalized linear models. The results indicated that vegetation cover (at heights 1-3 m, >3-5 m. and >5-7 m) and stem density (at heights >3-5 m and >5-7 m) were significantly greater at nest sites than at random sites. The GLM analysis indicated that vegetation cover at >5-7 m and stem density at >7 m were the most important vegetation variables influencing nest site selection by these magpies. Choice of sites with greater vegetation cover and stem density may be an anti-predator strategy that reduces nest predation risks and protects eggs and nestlings from harsh weather. Our findings add to our understanding of the ecology of a major nest predator in Asian tropical forests. Received 6 May 2017. Accepted 4 December 2017.

The Common Green Magpie (Cissa chinensis) is a nest predator in tropical evergreen forests of Indomalaya and is likely impacting the reproductive success of other birds nesting in areas where it occurs. We studied the Common Green Magpie's nest-site selection in northeastern Thailand between March and July 2015. We actively searched for Common Green Magpie nests, recorded and compared vegetation variables such as vegetation cover and stem density at 32 nest sites with 64 randomly selected non-nest sites, and modeled nest-site selection using generalized linear models. The results indicated that vegetation cover (at heights 1–3 m, >3–5 m, and >5–7 m) and stem density (at heights >3–5 m and >5–7 m) were significantly greater at nest sites than at random sites. The GLM analysis indicated that vegetation cover at >5–7 m and stem density at >7 m were the most important vegetation variables influencing nest site selection by these magpies. Choice of sites with greater vegetation cover and stem density may be an anti-predator strategy that reduces nest predation risks and protects eggs and nestlings from harsh weather. Our findings add to our understanding of the ecology of a major nest predator in Asian tropical forests.

This handy photographic guide offers a stunning look at the wildlife of Southeast Asia, which includes Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, West Malaysia, and Singapore. Accessible text and more than 500 color photographs help readers to learn about and identify the most common species found in the region, particularly the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects that visitors will most likely encounter. Detailed photos are accompanied on facing pages by succinct species accounts highlighting key identification features, status, and distribution. The book's brief introduction offers readers useful information on major wildlife sites as well as practical advice on making the most of a wildlife-watching trip. Wildlife of Southeast Asia is the essential resource for visitors and residents interested in the fauna of this fascinating area of the world. -A photographic guide to the wildlife of Southeast Asia, including Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, West Malaysia, and Singapore -More than 500 stunning color photographs -Accessible species accounts highlight key identification features, status, and distribution -A brief introduction discusses wildlife locations and practical travel know-how Susan Myers has led specialist birding tours in the Asian and Australasian region for more than fifteen years. She now works with WINGS Birding Tours, based in Arizona. Myers is the author of Birds of Borneo (Princeton).

Previous studies on carrying capacity have primarily focused on measuring agricultural production conditions while neglecting the coupling effects among production conditions, production materials, and the external environment (the coupling effects of agricultural water, soil, energy, and the external environment). Therefore, this paper introduces the concept of the carrying capacity of a regional agricultural water–land–energy coupling system (WLECS); develops an evaluation framework comprising 27 indicators from the perspectives of stability, collaboration, and resilience and constructs an improved random forest model based on the red-billed blue magpie optimizer (RBMO). Finally, it is applied to the evaluation of WLECS carrying capacity in China’s main grain producing area (Heilongjiang Province). The results demonstrate that the constructed RBMO-RF model exhibits stability and reasonableness with high fitting accuracy. The collaboration weight accounts for the highest proportion (0.438), indicating that the collaboration within the subsystem has the greatest impact on the carrying capacity. In terms of time scale, the WLECS carrying capacity in Heilongjiang Province shows an upward trend, characterized by three stages: a “low-level fluctuation period”, a “growth period”, and a “rapid growth period”. In terms of spatial scale, the overall spatial pattern is low in the West and high in the East, and stable in the North and South. The key driving factors are the effective irrigation index, indirect water footprint, and agricultural water-land matching degree. The research results demonstrate the carrying capacity of the WLE coupling system holds significant implications for formulating regional agricultural resource optimization allocation plans and promoting agricultural sustainable development.

Capsule A method for producing and validating long-term population indices using data from the Common Birds Census and its successor, the Breeding Bird Survey, is described. Aim To investigate a means of combining site-specific records from two very different surveys into reliable population indices. Methods A generalized linear model is described for Common Birds Census (CBC) and Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data, and used to identify species and geographical regions for which the resulting temporal trends are comparable, and hence derive long-term trends that straddle the overlap of the two surveys. Results From 1994 to 2000, when both the CBC and the BBS were in operation, no significant difference in population trends in southeastern Britain between the two surveys was detected for the vast majority of the 73 species considered. CBC data are limited outside this region, but an analysis of BBS data over the same period showed that the trends outside this region were significantly different for around half of the species considered. Conclusion Although the predominant means of gathering data on terrestrial breeding birds has changed since the 1960s, a joint analysis of the combined data from the surveys can be used to produce annual indices of abundance for most species with sufficient data for either the whole or at least a proportion of Britain.

Capsule: During the past 20 years, farmland specialist birds have declined in the Alps, especially below 1000 m asl. Aims: To investigate whether the altitudinal distribution of birds in the northern French Alps has changed over the last 20 years in relation to farming intensity and/or climate change. Methods: Two point-count surveys carried out in 1978-80 and 2001-02, at the same 316 spots along an elevational gradient of decreasing farming intensity, were compared. Account was taken of potential changes in species detectability over time. Potential differences between observers were also taken into account. Results: Most farmland specialist bird species decreased from the late 1970s onwards, but the decline was much stronger below 1000 m asl (70%) than above (20%). Such a pattern was not found in farmland generalists or woodland bird species. Conclusion: Specialist species probably suffered from changes in farming practices at low elevation following mechanization, rather than from climate change. Lowland farmland species are particularly threatened. Therefore, the Alps should no longer be considered as refuges for farmland species.