Scale-dependent landscape effects on soundscape: A case study in Guangzhou, China
December 2026
As a key acoustic indicator of ecosystem health and human well-being, acoustic indices have attracted growing interdisciplinary attention from the fields of ecology, urban planning and conservation...
Temporal dynamics of bird species-habitat networks on forested islands
December 2026
Habitat fragmentation reshapes species spatial distributions and community dynamics. Species and their occupied habitats form associations that can be quantified as bipartite networks to reveal how...
Beyond habitat loss: Spatiotemporal heterogeneity in mediating the effects of urban heat islands on waterbird richness
December 2026
Urbanization alters avian communities through habitat modification, yet the mechanisms by which urban-induced microclimatic changes influence bird diversity remain poorly understood. In particular,...
Nest defense is associated with footedness in female Japanese Tits
December 2026
Nest defense is an essential behavior in birds that protects nests from predation. Defensive behavior often varies among individuals, yet how hemispheric lateralization, a phenomenon commonly existing...
Increasing population size may help threatened species with limited genetic diversity escape the extinction vortex
December 2026
Evolution of tooth number and size reveals random evolution and weak directional selection of dentition toward independent tooth loss in Mesozoic birds
December 2026
How their toothed jaws evolve into edentulous beaks remains a key puzzle in early birds. Although some studies using discrete data of dentition have rejected the hypotheses of long-term directional...
Bioaccumulation and age-dependent risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) in tropical Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) from South China
September 2026
Exposure and risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) to juvenile birds are complex due to the transient nature of biological processes when chicks grow. This study quantified the concentrations...
Spatial movements and habitat use of an opportunistic gull species in relation to their colony sites during the breeding season
September 2026
The Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis) is a widespread and opportunistic central-place forager during the breeding season, yet its spatial behavior and habitat use in Adriatic Sea remain poorly...
Adapting to the concrete jungle: Urbanization increases the use of anthropogenic nesting materials by Azure-winged Magpies (Cyanopica cyanus)
September 2026
Rapid urbanization has resulted in a substantial decrease in natural habitats, posing considerable challenges to bird survival. Bird nests, which are temporary structures used for breeding, reflect...
Oxidative stress constrains avian mate choice: Experimental evidence for song- and testosterone-mediated pathways in Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia castanotis)
September 2026
Oxidative stress is proposed as a key physiological mediator of reproduction, yet the specific pathways through which it influences avian mate choice remain poorly understood. Here, we experimentally...
Seasonal dietary shifts in waterbirds modify the dispersal potential for invertebrate resting eggs
September 2026
Waterbirds play a crucial role in endozoochory, facilitating the dispersal of invertebrates through the gut passage of resting eggs. They adjust their digestive processes and tract morphology in response...
Post-glacial expansion and migration-drift balance shape the genetic structure of the Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) across its range
September 2026
Understanding range-wide genetic diversity, population structure and connectivity is fundamental for evaluating the evolutionary potential and conservation needs of a species. The Dalmatian Pelican...
Temporal responses of the wintering waterbird communities in Shengjin Lake to environmental factors revealed by high-frequency intelligent monitoring system
September 2026
Exploring dynamic responses of wildlife to habitat changes is vital to inform conservation strategies. However, monitoring frequency is often limited for wild animals, impeding fine-grained understanding...
Seasonal assembly mechanisms of wintering waterbird communities in isolated lakes within an intensive agricultural landscape
September 2026
Understanding how community assembly vary across seasons is critical for wetland biodiversity conservation, especially in fragmented, human-dominated landscapes. Yet, most studies overlook fine-scale...
Migratory birds shape potential haemosporidian transmission through a parasite-sharing network
September 2026
Migration is one typical behavior that can affect parasite composition and transmission in local host communities, as migratory hosts are often heavily infected and may serve as a ‘vehicle’ to transmit...
Habitat types and functional traits mediate differentiated response of birds assemblage to super typhoon
September 2026
The proportion of intense tropical cyclones is projected to increase under climate change, posing growing threats to global biodiversity. However, most existing research has been conducted in the North...
Evolutionary and ecological processes drive the global diversity of the avian family Paridae
September 2026
Understanding how biodiversity is formed and maintained, is a key topic in both ecology and conservation biology. Both ecological and evolutionary processes jointly shape community assembly and maintain...
Building and assessing the ecological networks of a cold-region city: A resilience perspective using “urban avoiders” as indicators
September 2026
Rapid urbanization has accelerated biodiversity loss and ecosystem instability, particularly in ecologically fragile cold-region cities. As a critical node along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway,...
Nanostructural determinants of angle-dependent iridescent coloration in two peafowl species
September 2026
Structural colors arise from light interacting with nanoscale architectures, yet the relationships between multiple nanostructural features and their optical properties remain poorly understood. Peafowl...
Automated bird sound recognition in ecology: A methodological review and application framework
September 2026
Automated bird sound recognition (ABSR) has emerged as a transformative tool for avian ecology and conservation, offering an unprecedented ability to monitor biodiversity non-invasively across vast...
Indirect fitness benefits of cognitive investment: Head size predicts adaptive nest-site selection in Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica)
September 2026
Cognitive traits such as brain size are hypothesized to influence avian reproductive strategies, yet the ecological mechanisms linking neural investment to fitness under natural conditions remain underexplored....
Climate driven rapid northward expansion of a songbird from subtropical to warm temperate zones: Dispersal corridors and future suitable habitat
September 2026
While it is well established that climate change is driving species toward higher latitudes, the spatiotemporal dynamics of dispersal—particularly from subtropical to warm-temperate zones—remain poorly...
Migration of Brown-headed Gulls on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Potential transmission routes for highly pathogenic H5Nx virus
September 2026
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau serves as a critical hub along the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) and a recognized hotspot for the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses. Despite recurrent...
Penguins at the freshwater–marine boundary: Overlooked ecological linkages and climate-change risks
September 2026
Penguins are usually framed as marine predators, yet freshwater can strongly alter the environments in which they forage, breed and survive. This narrative mini review synthesises evidence for how river...