Controversial insecticides shown to threaten survival of wild birds

Date: September 12, 2019

Source: University of Saskatchewan

New research at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) shows how the world's most widely used insecticides could be partly responsible for a dramatic decline in songbird populations.

A study published in the journal Science on Sept. 13 is the first experiment to track the effects of a neonicotinoid pesticide on birds in the wild.

The study found that white-crowned sparrows who consumed small doses of an insecticide called imidacloprid suffered weight loss and delays to their migration -- effects that could severely harm the birds' chances of surviving and reproducing.

"We saw these effects using doses well within the range of what a bird could realistically consume in the wild -- equivalent to eating just a few treated seeds," said Margaret Eng, a post-doctoral fellow in the USask Toxicology Centre and lead author on the study.

Eng's collaborators on the research were biologist Bridget Stutchbury of York University and Christy Morrissey, an ecotoxicologist in the USask College of Arts and Science and the School of Environment and Sustainability.

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Birds in serious decline at Lake Constance

Over the last 30 years, the region has lost 120,000 breeding pairs

Date: September 3, 2019

Source: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

At first glance, the numbers recorded between 1980 and 2012 appear to be quite balanced. 68 of the 158 bird species that inhabit the area around Lake Constance became more populous, while 67 species declined; each of these figures approximates to 43 percent of all the bird species in the region. The total number of species has even increased slightly: although eight species have died out, 17 have either returned to the region or settled there for the first time. These include the white stork, the peregrine falcon and the eagle owl, all of which have benefitted particularly from the protective measures put in place.

This seeming contradiction is due to the fact that the most common species are disappearing particularly rapidly. Six of the ten most common bird species around Lake Constance have declined dramatically in number, while two have remained the same and only two have increased. The population of house sparrows, for example, has declined by 50 percent since 1980, at which time it was still the most common species. "These are really shocking figures -- particularly when you consider that the bird population started declining decades before the first count in 1980," explains Hans-Günther Bauer from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. Viewed over a lengthier period, the fall in numbers may therefore be even greater.

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The decline of British starlings

26/07/19

It's winter and the sun is setting over the waving reeds in front you. A few small, black dots begin to fly in: Common Starlings. They're joined by more and more coming from left, right and centre, until thousands of starlings come together as one, and suddenly you're watching a breathtaking murmuration. With so many thousands of birds dancing through the winter sky above you, it's easy to be fooled into thinking the species is doing rather well. Sadly, this couldn't be further from the truth.

The stark facts are that between 1995 and 2016, Britain's breeding population of Common Starling crashed by a staggering 51 per cent. Just let that sink in. It means that there are now only half as many starlings in Britain than when I started watching birds with my dad during the mid-1990s. The situation in England is even worse: we saw an 87 per cent decline between 1967 and 2015. Starlings no longer nest in large parts of Wales and southern England.

Back to that murmuration – many of the starlings you're watching above your head will have travelled here to escape the winter freeze in countries to the north and east. In those places too, numbers are falling, and we're seeing fewer of these birds arriving each year. It means that the large winter gatherings we're used to seeing are becoming smaller. Are the days of starling murmurations numbered?

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Key locations for declining songbird

Date:  June 19, 2019

Source:  American Ornithological Society Publications Office

Many of North America's migratory songbirds, which undertake awe-inspiring journeys twice a year, are declining at alarming rates. For conservation efforts to succeed, wildlife managers need to know where they go and what challenges they face during their annual migration to Latin America and back. For a new study published by The Condor: Ornithological Applications, researchers in six states assembled an unprecedented effort to track where Prothonotary Warblers that breed across the eastern U.S. go in winter -- their "migratory connectivity" -- and found that nearly the entire species depends on a relatively small area in Colombia threatened by deforestation and sociopolitical changes.

The Ohio State University's Christopher Tonra and his colleagues coordinated the deployment of 149 geolocators, tiny devices that use the timing of dawn and dusk to estimate birds' locations, on Prothonotary Warblers captured at sites across their breeding range. When the birds returned to their nesting sites the following year, the researchers were able to recover 34 devices that contained enough data for them to use. The geolocator data showed that regardless of where they bred, most of the warblers used the same two major Central American stopover sites during their migration and spent the winter in a relatively small area of northern Colombia. Additionally, many Prothonotary Warblers appeared to winter in inland areas, rather than in coastal mangrove habitat, which previous studies suggested they relied on most heavily.

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Lahore’s pigeons are vanishing in plain sight

Areeba Rasheed

June 23, 2019

People urge wildlife dept to save them 

The number of wild pigeons in Lahore, which were once spotted hovering over buildings, is slowly and steadily declining.  

The birds frequently flock near Istanbul Chowk, Data Darbar, Mall Road, Jain Temple, and Shahi Qila, where many people feed them too.

"I love these birds, but I have noticed that their number is decreasing by the day," said a resident. "The wildlife department should do something about it."

Naeem Bhatti, who is the deputy director of the wildlife department, remarked that the birds have been disappearing because of fatal diseases. "One of the most common diseases that affect them is the Newcastle Disease," he said. The Newcastle disease is a contagious viral bird disease that affects many wild and domestic birds and it can even be transmitted to humans.

"To stop the spread of the disease, the birds can be given vaccines and antibiotics," he explained. "Administering them vaccines will protect them from lethal diseases."

More than 40% of bird species across the globe are in decline, according to the 2018 State of the World’s Birds. The report says that 1,469 bird species globally are threatened with extinction.

It identified agricultural expansion and intensification, deforestation, and hunting as the biggest threats to the population of birds. “The threats driving the extinction crisis are many and varied, but invariably of humanity’s making…and most species are impacted by multiple, interrelated threats,” it says.

Source

Where have all our Swallows gone? Numbers in Wales plunge

Bird Notes columnist Julian Hughes of RSPB Cymru reveals what birds have been spotted in the past week and lists a massive 20 upcoming wildlife events

Andrew Forgrave Rural Affairs Editor

10:07, 28 MAY 2019

I spent Bank Holiday weekend at the Hay Festival, talking to people about nature. Driving home along the borderlands and the North Wales coast, how many Swallows did I see? Four.

Four Swallows in 133 miles at the end of May.

My own experience reflected one of the most common questions from festivalgoers: “Where have all the Swallows/Swifts/House Martins gone?”

But how representative was my journey or the observations of others? BirdTrack, the online database holding lists collected by thousands of birdwatchers, provides some clues.

Compared to the historic average, there were 21% fewer records of Swallows and Swifts in Wales in May, and a whopping 30% fewer House Martins.

House Martins and Swallows are down across Britain and Ireland, though the drop in Wales is far greater.

Swift sightings in Wales are one-third down on last year, but on a par with summer 2017.

It’s difficult to know why, but both weather and food supply play a part. All these birds depend on flying insects, and most surveys of invertebrates point to huge declines across Europe.

Read on

Birds migrating from Siberia to Pakistan decline 70% this winter: report

Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-11 21:45:39|Editor: xuxin

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The number of migratory birds from Siberia to Pakistan has declined 70 percent this winter, mainly due to climatic change and human activities, local reports said on Monday.

The harsh winter in Russia forces birds to leave their home in search of warmer places, and Pakistan is one of such destinations where these birds including some rare species stop by.

The migratory birds arrive in Pakistan at the end of August every year via Afghanistan, and leave in February. They all move back to their native lands by March.

Pakistan has 19 sites where birds land, 10 of which are located in south Sindh province. The migratory birds temporarily stop in Thatta, Rann of Kutch and Thar coastal areas of Sindh, from where they gradually spread to other lakes, Express Tribune reported.

Quoting World Wildlife Fund Technical advisor Moazzam Khan, the paper said that less rainfall, dried up water passages and the changing of locations are the major reasons for the decline on the guest birds.

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White-bellied Heron continues to decline

30/01/2019

Conservationists are worried by the increasing disturbance of prime White-bellied Heron habitat in Bhutan.

White-bellied Heron, the world's second-largest heron, is one of the world's rarest birds and is classified as Critically Endangered. It is feared that fewer than 60 individuals remain, with an estimated 24 of these (plus five juveniles) in Bhutan, where it is patchily distributed. Elsewhere, it is found in northern Myanmar. It favours fast-moving mountain rivers.

The area of Phochhu was declared an Important Bird Area in 2014. However, researchers from the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN), birders and rafting operators have all suggested that the heron's population at Phochhu and nearby Mochhu has declined over the years.

Hishey Tshering, a local birder, said that he saw up to five individuals in the area in 2001. "Now it is very rare to see even a single [White-bellied Heron] along the Mochhu. In 2016, there were three along the Phochhu. Today, we can see only one and that is also being continually disturbed."

Chief of communications and membership division with RSPN, Tashi Phuntsho, said that the heron was a secretive species that is generally intolerant of humans. "Disturbance from humans and loss of habitat undoubtedly attributed to their extirpation over much of their former range. Threats to these birds are further intensified by the growing tourism activities like rafting and kayaking along the important habitats. There are more than three rafting companies operating along Phochhu and Mochhu rivers in Punakha."

Read on

Getting to the root of long-term tree swallow declines

Date:  October 17, 2018

Source:  American Ornithological Society Publications Office

Aerial insectivores -- birds that hunt for insect prey on the wing -- are declining across North America. Conserving vulnerable species such as these requires a good understanding of the factors impacting them at every stage of life. Juveniles and adults, for example, may face different threats and die at different rates. Two new studies from The Condor: Ornithological Applications take a deep dive into the demographic factors behind declining populations of Tree Swallows and show that although specifics may vary between locations, action is needed to address environmental changes affecting these birds across their geographic range.

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Tawny owl decline: Public urged to record 'twit-twoos'

28 September 2018

Bird lovers are being urged to give up 20 minutes every week to listen out for the "twit-twoo" call of the Tawny owl, amid concerns over its numbers.

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is asking people to listen for the distinctive hoot from their garden, a local park or woodland, once every week for the next six months.

"You can even do it from the comfort of your bed," said BTO's Claire Boothby.

Light pollution and urbanisation are thought to be impacting populations.

The conservation status of the Tawny owl recently changed from green to amber, signalling a growing concern for the species.

'Anyone can take part'

Researchers hope the Tawny Owl Calling survey, which runs from 30 September to 31 March, will help them understand if, and where, the bird may be in decline.

They say it is not essential that members of the public listen every single week, insisting that all data will be useful - even in locations where an owl call cannot be heard as this indicates where the species is missing.

"Anyone can take part, and the more people that do, the better picture scientists at BTO will have of our Tawny owl," Ms Boothby said.

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Study shows ‘shocking’ decline of Arctic skua

29th August

Press Association 2018

A lack of food is behind a huge drop in the UK population of Arctic skuas, conservation scientists say.

A study of 33 colonies in Orkney, Shetland and Handa, off Sutherland, recorded an 81% decline in breeding pairs from 1992 to 2015 – reduced from 1,061 to 200.

The seabird could become extinct as a breeding species in the UK if the trend is not reversed, the RSPB’s Centre for Conservation Science has warned.

It identified a reduction in availability of sandeels to Arctic skuas at the crucial time of year they need to feed their young.

Dr Allan Perkins, senior conservation scientist at RSPB Scotland and the study’s lead author, said: “Lack of food has been the biggest pressure for these birds and shows just how vulnerable our seabirds and marine life are.

“As sandeel numbers have declined around these key north east areas in Scotland the whole food chain is impacted. If these sharp declines continue, it’s possible that Arctic skuas will be lost as a breeding species in Scotland.”

Arctic skuas are medium sized seabirds with pointed falcon-like wings and long, pointed tail feathers.

The colonies studied hold around a third of the UK’s breeding population, all of which are found in Scotland.

The total breeding population will be measured by the Seabirds Count census, a full survey of Britain and Ireland’s seabirds during 2015–19.

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Pollutionwatch: city sparrows' decline linked to car exhausts

RSPB found urban sparrow colonies waning at fastest rate where traffic-borne nitrogen dioxide was worst

Gary Fuller

Thu 2 Aug 2018 21.30 BST

The cheeky house sparrow is the archetypal city bird. You can find them around the world, but they are in serious decline in cities in Italy, Canada, India and the UK. London’s house sparrow population fell by 60% between 1994 and 2006.

Scientists from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds fed London sparrows in 33 colonies and compared them with birds at 33 other places where no extra food was offered. More food meant more fledglings, but it did not improve their wintertime survival.

The team tested for lots of differences between the colonies that might explain this: green space, gardens, housing density, cat populations, sparrow hawks and even electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone signals.

Waste ground and allotments with seed bearing plants seemed to help but the study took place between 2006 and 2009 when nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from traffic was increasing. This happened as diesel car manufacturers made vehicles that passed ever tighter legal tests in laboratories but which emitted much more air pollution when driven on the roads.

The RSPB found that sparrow numbers declined fastest in places with greatest nitrogen dioxide pollution in the air. It is not just people and plants that are being affected by the state of our urban air.

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Scientists stunned by decline of birds during epic Southern African roadtrip

Birds of prey fast disappearing from one of Africa's last great wilderness areas

Date:  June 6, 2018

Source:  University of Cape Town

Summary:

A two year project repeating a famous bird survey by driving over 20,000 km in a 4x4 across Botswana has confirmed researchers' fears: many birds of prey are fast disappearing from one of Africa's last great wilderness areas. Reported sightings of iconic species of eagle and vulture declined by as much as 80% compared with the previous survey, while some migrant species recorded last time have vanished, according to the study.

Read on  

Eerie silence falls on Shetland cliffs that once echoed to seabirds’ cries

Climate change has caused a catastrophic drop in the numbers of terns, kittiwakes and puffins

Robin McKieScience Editor

Sun 3 Jun 2018 06.59 BST

Sumburgh Head lies at the southern tip of mainland Shetland. This dramatic 100-metre-high rocky spur, crowned with a lighthouse built by Robert Louis Stevenson’s grandfather, has a reputation for being one of the biggest and most accessible seabird colonies in Britain.

Thousands of puffins, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars gather there every spring to breed, covering almost every square inch of rock or grass with teeming, screeching birds and their young.

Or at least they used to – for this year Sumburgh Head is a quiet and largely deserted place. Where seabirds once swooped and cried in their thousands, only a handful of birds wheel round the cliffs. The silence is uncanny – the result of a crash in seabird numbers that has been in progress for several years but which has now reached an unprecedented, catastrophic low.

One of the nation’s most important conservation centres has been denuded of its wildlife, a victim – according to scientists – of climate change, which has disrupted food chains in the North Sea and North Atlantic and left many seabirds without a source of sustenance. The result has been an apocalyptic drop in numbers of Arctic terns, kittiwakes and many other birds.

“In the past, Sumburgh Head was brimming with birds, and the air was thick with the smell of guano. The place was covered with colonies of puffins, kittiwakes, fulmars, and guillemots,” said Helen Moncrieff, manager of RSPB Scotland’s office in Shetland.

 “There were thousands and thousands of birds and visitors were guaranteed a sight of puffins. Today they have to be very patient. At the same time, guillemots have halved in numbers. It is utterly tragic.”

This grim description is backed by figures that reveal the staggering decreases in seabird numbers in Shetland, the most northerly part of the British Isles. In 2000, there were more than 33,000 puffins on the island in early spring. That figure dropped to 570 last year and there are no signs of any recovery this year, although it is still early in the season.

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World Sparrow Day: Once a Common Bird is Now a Rare Sight

Published: March 20, 2018 8:16 AM IST

By India.com News DeskEmail

New Delhi, Mar 20: Nowadays we hardly see a small brown bird flitting toward the edge of your window sill, chirping about in absolute mirth? In past few years, this bird has been on the decline over very much of its natural range, both in urban and rural habitats.

And in a bid to preserve these merry little birds, March 20 is observed as the World Sparrow Day. If we do not do our bit to save sparrows, chances are that our future generations will have to see these otherwise commonly found birds only in picture books or maybe in some wildlife sanctuary.

Experts blame reduction in urban nesting spaces has resulted in disappearance of this brown bird. Tall building has led to cut down of trees and greenery where the sparrows can nest. The sudden drop in number of birds also reflects the changing architecture and lifestyle. Earlier, houses used to be open and there were places for sparrow nests.

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Migration research reveals key to declines in rare songbirds

February 26, 2018, University of Toledo

The annual long-distance migration of rare, tiny songbirds that reproduce in the Great Lakes region and Appalachian Mountains is no longer a mystery.

By tracking one of the smallest species ever monitored over thousands of miles using cutting-edge technology, a team of ornithologists led by scientists at The University of Toledo found that it is where golden-winged warblers spend the winter in the tropics that determines if a population is declining or stable, not factors associated with the breeding grounds thousands of miles north in the United States and Canada.

Over the course of the five-year study, the scientists found that different populations of the birds, which are about the size of a ping-pong ball and weigh less than three pennies, do not mix between their separate northern nesting grounds occupied during the spring and summer and the tropical sites where they spend the winter.

Mapped using data from 76 light level geolocators recovered from the birds, each population shows strong migratory connectivity, or geographic segregation, that confirms that populations of the birds stay together in different locations for the seasons throughout the year. This strong link between breeding and non-breeding areas means that populations may be exposed to different threats and conditions during the winter.

Read more at: 

Chester Zoo conservationists need YOUR help to save this much loved bird species

The structure of new buildings is causing a major threat to the future of the one of nature’s greatest fliers

Carmella de Lucia

06:00, 12 MAY 2017

 

Conservationists from Chester Zoo are calling on the public to help save a bird they say is in rapid decline.

The swift – which can fly non-stop for four years, is one of the UK’s most iconic species, migrating from Africa up through Europe every spring to nest in the UK over summer.

Since Roman times they have nested in eaves and holes in buildings but thanks to improvements to UK buildings in recent decades, they are arriving afetr their long journey to find a lack of nesting sites.

Now the first major swift survey in the Chester area for 20 years is underway and experts are offering tips on how you can lend a helping hand to the British favourite by protecting nest sites and putting up nest boxes.

Conservationists from Chester Zoo’s Wildlife Connections campaign and the Chester RSPB Group have teamed up with Cheshire West and Chester Council, RECORD, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, the Cheshire biological records centre and local experts in a bid to help the bird by turning Chester into a swift friendly city.

Manon Keir, Wildlife Connections project officer at Chester Zoo, said: “The great British summer would not be the same without the sight and sounds of swifts gracing our skies, but we mustn’t take this for granted. Conservation is critical but it is certainly not too late.

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Researchers investigate decline in South Africa's forest-birds

Date: February 3, 2017 
Source: Stellenbosch University

 

Forest-dwelling bird species are disappearing from some of South Africa's indigenous forests, with forest birds in the Eastern Cape being the most affected.

A new study, published in Bird Conservation International recently, showed that the ranges of 28 of South Africa's 57 forest-dwelling bird species were declining, while those of 22 species were increasing and seven remained stable.

The findings are based on 25 years of citizen science data collected by the Southern African Bird Atlas Project. The data can be used to indicate the conservation status of a species, depending on its known range and how it is changing. The first survey took place from 1987 to 1992, and the second survey started in 2007 and is ongoing.

Researchers from Stellenbosch University (SU) and South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs used data on 57 forest-dwelling species to investigate links between deforestation, species characteristics and range declines for these species over the last 20 years.



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