Negative effects of artificial nest boxes on birds: A review
2023
Artificial nest boxes are placed to attract birds to nest and breed in a specific location, and they are widely used in avian ecology research and in the attraction of insectivorous birds. There is...
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Highly divergent sympatric lineages of Leptotila verreauxi (Aves: Columbidae) suggest a secondary contact area in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico
2024
Due to a complex geological and biotic history, the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (IT), has been long recognized as a driver for the evolutionary divergence of numerous lowland and highland taxa. Widely distributed...
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Visual cognition of birds and its underlying neural mechanism: A review
2022
Birds have acute vision and many remarkable visual cognition abilities, due to their unique living environment. The underlying neural mechanisms have also attracted interests of researchers in neuroscience....
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Phylogenetic definitions for 25 higher-level clade names of birds
2022
Knowledge of the higher-level phylogenetic relationships of birds has grown substantially during the past two decades due to the application of genomic data. However, the nomenclature of higher-level...
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Vultures as a model for testing molecular adaptations of dietary specialization in birds
2023
Vultures are the only obligate scavengers among extant vertebrates. They provide valuable ecological services in ecosystems through removing carcasses, thus preventing the growth of other scavenger...
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Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) and Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) prefer shells for nesting: A field experiment
2024
Shorebird populations are declining worldwide, mainly due to human disturbances and loss of coastal wetlands. However, supratidal habitats as saltpans could play a role in buffering human impact. Saltpans...
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Bird species present in urban parks are more colorful than urban avoiders: A test in the Argentinian Pampas
2024
Bird plumage color has been assessed as a possible trait driving the presence of bird species in urban areas. Although some species can see the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, the mentioned studies did not...
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Population genomic data reveal low genetic diversity, divergence and local adaptation among threatened Reeves's Pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii)
2024
Population genomic data could provide valuable information for conservation efforts; however, limited studies have been conducted to investigate the genetic status of threatened pheasants. Reeves's...
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Impact of agricultural landscape structure on the patterns of bird species diversity at a regional scale
2023
The loss of bird species diversity is a crucial problem in the European agricultural landscape. Change in the area coverage of major land cover types has been mentioned as one of the main factors responsible...
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More than a simple egg: Underlying mechanisms of cold tolerance in avian embryos
2023
Avian embryos, which develop within eggs, exhibit remarkable tolerance to extremely low temperatures. Despite being a common trait among all birds, the mechanisms underlying this cold tolerance in avian...
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The effects of climate and land use change on the potential distribution and nesting habitat of the Lesser Adjutant in Nepal
2023
Climate change and land use change pose a threat to the world's biodiversity and have significant impacts on the geographic distribution and composition of many bird species, but little is known about...
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Deterministic processes drive turnover-dominated beta diversity of breeding birds along the central Himalayan elevation gradient
2024
Beta diversity, the variation of community composition among sites, bridges alpha and gamma diversity and can reveal the mechanisms of community assembly through applying distance-decay models and/or...
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River width and depth as key factors of diurnal activity energy expenditure allocation for wintering Spot-billed Ducks in the Xin'an River Basin
2024
Rivers are important habitats for wintering waterbirds. However, they are easily influenced by natural and human activities. An important approach for waterbirds to adapt to habitats is adjusting the...
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Achievements, challenges, and recommendations for waterbird conservation in China's coastal wetlands
2023
China's coastal wetlands provide breeding, migration stopover, and wintering habitats for about 230 waterbird species, which is more than a quarter of all waterbirds in the world. Large-scale and high...
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The clutch size, incubation behavior of Reeves's Pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii) and their responses to ambient temperature and precipitation
2024
Weather conditions play a pivotal role in embryo development and parental incubation costs, potentially impacting the clutch size and incubation behavior of birds. Understanding these effects is crucial...
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Hummingbird-plant interactions in Chile: An ecological review of the available evidence
2022
Hummingbird species have closely evolved with the plants they feed on, which is confirmed by their often tight ecological relationships in natural settings. Hummingbird-plant interactions are of interest...
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Bird specimen number linked with species trait and climate niche breadth
2024
Biological specimens are fundamental for taxonomy and flora/fauna research. More importantly, they also play crucial roles in recording environmental impacts on morphology and behavior, which is vital...
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Sounding the alarm: Functionally referential signaling in Azure-winged Magpie
2024
Functionally referential signals are a complex form of communication that conveys information about the external environment. Such signals have been found in a range of mammal and bird species and have...
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Systematics of the avian family Alaudidae using multilocus and genomic data
2023
The family Alaudidae, larks, comprises 93–100 species (depending on taxonomy) that are widely distributed across Africa and Eurasia, with single species extending their ranges to North and northernmost...
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Hard life for sons in the nest? Sex-dependent offspring mortality in Great Tits in urban and forest areas
2024
Sex-biased mortality can occur in birds during development, for example due to sexual differences in energy requirement and/or environmental sensitivity, or the effects of sex hormones or sex differences...
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Seasonal increase in nest defense, but not egg rejection, in a cuckoo host
2024
The interactions between avian brood parasites and their hosts provide an informative and easy-to-handle system for studying coevolution. Avian brood parasitism reduces the reproductive success of hosts,...
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The evolution of courtship displays in Galliformes
2022
Species in Galliformes have elaborate ritual courtship displays, often including strutting, fluffing of tail or head feathers, and vocal sounds that serve as excellent examples of sexual selection....
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Endochondral ossification of hindlimbs in embryonic development of Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica)
2024
The endochondral ossification of hindlimb is essential to a bird's ability to stand, walk and fly. Most hindlimb is ossified in the embryos before hatching in precocial birds. However, the molecular...
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Diverse foraging strategies of breeding Swinhoe's Storm-petrel in the productive marginal sea of the Northwest Pacific
2024
Understanding the foraging behavior is essential for investigating seabird ecology and conservation, as well as monitoring the well-being of the marine environment. Breeding seabirds adopt diverse foraging...
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Habitat preferences and nest site selection by sympatric populations of Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocoptes medius) and Syrian Woodpecker (Dendrocopos syriacus) in natural mountain forests of Southwest Iran
2024
We examined habitat preferences and nesting requirements of sympatric populations of Middle Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocoptes medius) and Syrian Woodpecker (Dendrocopos syriacus). We carried out our...
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