Karamoja Apalis Apalis karamojae is a globally Vulnerable warbler, restricted to north-east Uganda, north-central Tanzania and southern Kenya. Here, we describe its status and habitat in the Wembere Steppe, Sukumaland, Tanzania, an unprotected area of seasonally inundated grassland bordered partly by Acacia scrub. Although its habitat in the steppe was thought likely to span c. 175 km north–south during the 1960s to 1970s, we found the apalis to be patchily distributed over a distance of only 102 km north–south. Distance sampling yielded a density estimate of c. 7–16 birds km−2; equivalent to c. 3–7 pairs km−2, after juveniles (18% of the population) were excluded, and assuming that all adults were paired. The species occupied a very narrow foraging niche, feeding almost exclusively in Whistling Thorn Acacia drepanolobium, which accounted for 66% of woody stems in the study area, but for 95% of stems in the immediate vicinity of apalis sightings. Half of all individuals were encountered in the tallest, densest stands of A. drepanolobium, which covered less than 6% of the study area. Signs of scrub clearance, pruning and browsing were widespread in the steppe, and may have intensified during 1967–2002, when the human population in surrounding districts increased at a mean rate of c. 2–4% per year. Further research is required to determine whether our findings are representative of the species in other seasons and at other sites.

The Eastern Arc Mountains of East Africa are known for an exceptionally rich flora and fauna with very high endemism. For the conservation of rare forest birds these mountains are of the utmost importance in Africa. We provide the first population estimate of the endemic Loveridge's Sunbird Nectarinia loveridgei in the Uluguru Mountains of eastern Tanzania. Our study was conducted between September and December 2000. Capture-recapture using mistnets was used to gather data at eleven study sites between 1,300–2,600 m altitude in four different areas of the Ulugurus. The program CAPTURE was used to estimate the population at each study site. Since the home range of Loveridge's Sunbird is unknown, the density of the potential population was calculated by assuming home ranges ranging from 0 km2 through to 3 km2. When combined with data on the forest area in the Ulugurus and fixing the lower and upper home range sizes for this species at 0.1 km2 and 0.8 km2, we obtain an estimated total population ranging from 21,000 to 166,000 individuals. A median home range of 0.45 km2 estimates the population close to 37,000 individuals. The species does not seem threatened but its long-term survival will depend on the survival of the forest, and in particular on how well the forest reserves on the Ulugurus are managed in the future.

Land-use change for crop production is one of the key drivers of habitat loss and fragmentation and consequently biodiversity loss and change in tropical regions. This may impact biodiversity-regulated ecosystem services; birds are important to crop health regulating services (e.g. seed dispersal, pest control) and disservices (e.g. seed predation, grain herbivory). However, knowledge is limited on how birds use heterogeneous agricultural landscapes and the consequences for spatial distribution and flow of services and disservices. We studied crop and non-crop–habitat associations of birds in forest–agricultural landscapes of the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania. We focused on dietary preference as a key trait impacting bird responses to land-use change, services, and disservices to crops. We surveyed birds across four main habitat types using repeated point counts, recording a total of 148 species. We found that crop habitats supported higher species richness and larger communities of potentially beneficial species to crop health, whereby 34.5% of invertebrate-feeding species were recorded in cropland. We found that habitat heterogeneity within the landscape supports bird functional diversity and that each habitat type supported unique communities of species. Furthermore, the number of species unique to forest habitats increased with increasing forest canopy closure. Our findings suggest that management strategies for maintaining trees and shrubs, and enhancing tree cover within the crop production landscape, can be effective approaches for maintaining bird diversity and services. However, in-depth studies on trade-offs with disservices need further exploration to mitigate negative impacts of birds on crop yields.

In 2019, a Rodent Eradication Project (REP) was implemented on World Heritage listed Lord Howe Island, Australia. Among the species expected to benefit was a burrow-nesting seabird, the Black-winged Petrel Pterodroma nigripennis. Prior to the REP, we assessed causes of Black-winged Petrel nest failure using surveillance cameras. We also measured breeding success before and after the REP and investigated emerging pressures on breeding success from other native species. In 2017, ship rats Rattus rattus were a major cause of Black-winged Petrel nest failure, and breeding success was as low as 2.5%, compared to 47.5% on rodent-free Phillip Island (Norfolk Island Group). In 2020, in the absence of rodents, breeding success on Lord Howe Island increased dramatically to 67% and remained high (50%) in 2021. This result suggests that reproductive output of small seabirds has been heavily supressed by rodents on Lord Howe Island for decades. A subsequent increase in the population of a predatory endemic rail, the Lord Howe Woodhen Hypotaenida sylvestris, combined with burrow competition from Little Shearwaters Puffinus assimilis, indicated that initial high breeding success may not be sustained. However, the surge in successful breeding of Black-winged Petrels is likely to result in a significant increase in fledgling numbers and the recruitment of hundreds of additional birds each year. Given the important role of petrels in global nutrient cycling, and their positive influence on island biodiversity, their expansion should benefit the ecological restoration of Lord Howe Island.

The Amathole forest complex is the breeding stronghold of the endemic and vulnerable Cape Parrot Poicephalus robustus, and is also one of only two forest complexes in South Africa formally harvested for timber. The aim of this study was to determine if formal harvesting of indigenous trees, primarily the two yellowwood species Afrocarpus falcatus and Podocarpus latifolius, in 9 of 16 Amathole forests has had any effect on the presence of Cape Parrots and three primary nest-excavating species, as well as on parrot breeding. The study used logging data from the past 25 years (1997–2021) as well as data collected by acoustic recording units over two breeding seasons from 2019 to 2021. Cape Parrots were present in 15 of 16 forests, but breeding calls were identified in only seven forests: five in logged and two in unlogged forests. Fourteen of the forests harboured all three primary excavators: Knysna Woodpecker Campethera notata, Olive Woodpecker Dendropicos griseocephalus, and Red-fronted Tinkerbird Pogoniulus pusillus. The last two species were absent from the adjacent Mount Thomas and Kologha forests, respectively, in which parrots were present, but no breeding calls were recorded. Logging of yellowwoods was not found to affect parrot breeding. However, due to the overlap between preferred parrot breeding sites and preferred trees for harvesting, we recommend that harvesting in the five harvested forest blocks where parrot breeding occurs be limited to tree falls, with no standing dead, dying, or damaged trees harvested, to ensure that potential nesting trees are not harvested.

The Japanese Murrelet Synthliboramphus wumizusume is a rare, globally ‘Vulnerable’ seabird, endemic to Japan and South Korea. However, little is known of its at-sea distribution, habitat or threats. We conducted several years of at-sea surveys around Japan to model Japanese Murrelet density in relation to habitat parameters, and make spatial predictions to assess the adequacy of the current Japanese marine Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) network for the species. During a five-year period, 3,485 km of at-sea surveys recorded 3,161 Japanese Murrelets around four breeding locations. Maximum murrelet group size was 90 individuals with a mean group size of 2.9 ± 4.2 individuals. Models of Japanese Murrelet at-sea density around the two largest breeding locations predicted that almost all murrelets occur within 30 km of the breeding colony and most within 10 km. Murrelets were predicted closer to the colony in May than in April and closer to the colony at a neritic colony than at an offshore island colony. Additionally, murrelets breeding on an offshore island colony also commuted to mainland neritic habitat for foraging. The marine habitat used by Japanese Murrelets differed between each of the four surveyed colonies, however oceanographic variables offered little explanatory power in models. Models with colony, month and year generated four foraging radii (9–39 km wide) containing murrelet densities of > 0.5 birds/km2. Using these radii the Japanese marine IBA network was found to capture between 95% and 25% of Japanese Murrelet at-sea habitat while breeding and appears appropriately configured to protect near-colony murrelet distributions. Given the range of marine habitats that breeding murrelets inhabit, our simple models offer an applicable method for predicting to unsampled colonies and generating ecologically-informed seaward extension radii. However, data on colony populations and further at-sea surveys are necessary to refine models and improve predictions.

The St Helena Wirebird, a sand plover, is the last surviving endemic bird on the South Atlantic island of St Helena. Census work carried out during 1988–1989 located a maximum of 495 individuals. This is thought to be close to the true size of the population and i s more than 50% higher than the most recent previous estimate. Population trends remain unknown, however. Breeding success appears to be low. A maximum survival rate from egg to independence of 19% was estimated. Predation and disturbance of Wirebirds is discussed. Wirebirds occur in grassland and semi-desert. Highest densities are found in relatively dry, flat pastures. Wetter upland pastures hold few Wirebirds, possibly because of more difficult feeding conditions encountered in taller, denser vegetation on steep slopes. Wirebirds prey on a wide range of invertebrates but beetles and caterpillars appear to predominate in the diet. Possible future threats, principally changes in land-use, were assessed and a management strategy for the species is outlined.

The Golden-cheeked Warbler Dendroica chrysoparia is a federally endangered Neotropical migrant that inhabits montane pine-oak forests in Mexico and northern Central America during the non-breeding season. Although it is known that Golden-cheeked Warblers are closely associated with ‘encino’ oaks (evergreen or holm oak) such as Quercus sapotifolia, Q. eliptica and Q. elongata, which have shiny, narrow, elliptical, or oblong leaves, quantitative habitat targets are useful for effectively incorporating this information into conservation planning and forest management practices. We analysed data on wintering Golden-cheeked Warblers collected during the non-breeding season in Honduras from 1996 to 1998 to identify quantitative targets for habitat conditions for this species. Data on warbler abundance were collected using line transect surveys located in montane pine-oak forests in a stratified-random fashion. Habitat data were collected at five 0.04 ha plots on these same transects and the averaged values used as predictors of Golden-cheeked Warbler abundance. We found that Golden-cheeked Warblers were strongly associated with the basal area of encino oaks and density of ‘roble’ oaks, such as Q. segoviensis, Q. purulhana and Q. rugosa, which have large, lobed leaves. Density of Golden-cheeked Warblers peaked at ≈ 5.6 m2 ha–1 basal area of encino and ≈7 roble oaks ha–1. These values can be used to identify quantitative habitat targets that can be directly incorporated into forest management practices to ensure that these activities maintain habitat conditions necessary for their use by Golden-cheeked Warblers.

We conducted a 16-month country-wide survey to determine the status of the threatened Madagascar (Marsh) Harrier Circus macrosceles from 2005 to 2006. We searched for harriers in varying habitat types, focusing on marshes, grasslands and savannas, secondary forests and the edge of primary forests. We surveyed 68% of the districts of Madagascar which contain 71% of the potential harrier habitat throughout the country. We recorded 80 individuals of this sexually dimorphic raptor; 48 males and 32 females of which 71 were observed during the breeding season (June to December) and nine outside the breeding season (January to May). The Madagascar Harrier has a broad distribution of about 1,000 km north to south (Madagascar is about 1,500 km in length) and east to west, but at extremely low density. Fifty-three (69%) harriers were observed in high elevation marshes and grasslands above 1,100 m in the provinces of Mahajanga and Antananarivo during the breeding season. Three major threats to harriers, all human caused, were identified: the transformation of marshes to rice fields (all nests in lower elevation natural marshes), uncontrolled fires destroying nests (n = 7 nests lost in 2005 to fires), and human persecution by taking young from nests for a food source and killing adults due to their predatory nature. From our surveys in Madagascar and information from Comoro Islands, we estimate the global population to be 250–500 individuals suggesting the current Madagascar Harrier population is heading towards endangerment. The survival of the Madagascar Harrier in Madagascar is critically dependent on protecting the remaining natural marshes, which are an extremely limited and critically endangered habitat in Madagascar, with bordering grasslands.

Rudd’s Lark Heteromirafra ruddi is a globally threatened species endemic to eastern South Africa’s highland grasslands, where climate envelope modelling has predicted a dramatic reduction in its already small and fragmented distribution. Here we assess recent changes in one of its last strongholds, the Wakkerstroom grasslands. We assessed changes in Rudd’s Lark population and habitat condition over 12 years, within a core section of an area intensively surveyed in 2002–2004. Our 2016 survey found lower absolute numbers of Rudd’s Larks (five transects with Rudd’s Lark present compared to nine in 2002; nine individuals compared to 32), as well as a lower probability of encounter. Transects with shorter grass and higher altitude had a higher probability of Rudd’s Larks occurrence, consistent with findings in 2002. Point locations where Rudd’s Larks were recorded had shorter grass, higher forb cover and more bare ground cover, and tended to be at higher altitudes than random locations in the surrounding grassland. Remotely-sensed fire data showed that late-season fires, which pose a threat to Rudd’s Lark nestling survival, are generally uncommon. Field observations indicated that seven transects (of which two previously contained Rudd’s Lark) that had previously been grassland had been converted to intensive crop production. While Rudd’s Lark may be affected by direct loss of grassland habitat through conversion to crops, the species has also declined within remaining grassland habitat. The drivers of decline remain unclear but this recent observed local decline of Rudd’s Lark in the immediate Wakkerstroom area supports the species’ recent IUCN uplisting to globally ‘Endangered’, given that its previous downlisting was based on habitat requirements and breeding success from this area.

The increasing pressure of anthropogenic development in areas with high natural value poses a huge challenge for wildlife conservation worldwide. The Tagus estuary in southern Portugal is among the most important wetlands for migratory shorebirds in the East Atlantic Flyway (EAF). However, in 2020 the Portuguese government approved the construction of the new Lisbon international airport at the heart of the Tagus estuary. Intense aircraft traffic, flying at low altitudes during both approach and take-off, is expected to cross the estuary, overlapping to a great extent the important intertidal foraging areas. Here, we aim to quantify the potential loss of conservation value of the intertidal areas of the Tagus estuary for shorebirds resulting from the disturbance (noise) caused by overflying aircraft. Using a comprehensive dataset of wintering shorebird abundance and distribution in the whole intertidal estuarine area we first identified priority areas for conservation using a spatial prioritization approach. We then performed a replacement cost analysis by excluding the areas likely to become unsuitable or severely underused by birds due to intense air traffic noise. Our results suggest that the implementation of the new Lisbon airport may lead to a loss of up to 30% of the conservation value of the Tagus estuary in terms of intertidal feeding areas of wintering birds alone. The global impact will likely be greater when effects on supratidal roosts, as well as on passage birds, are also considered. The Tagus estuary, which is internationally important for six of the 10 species included in our analysis, is just one of a network of already depleted sites along the EAF. Thus, negative impacts on bird populations on the Tagus estuary will have repercussions and undermine conservation efforts elsewhere. The plight of shorebirds at the Tagus estuary is thus a matter of international conservation concern.

We conducted research into the ‘Data Deficient’ and endemic Tagula Honeyeater Microptilotis vicina of the Louisiade Archipelago, Papua New Guinea. This species was only observed on Sudest and Junet Islands. Islands were visited between October and January in the years from 2012–2014 and in 2016. We conducted the first assessment of spatial and habitat use by this species using radio-tracking in 2016. These findings were also used to inform estimates using traditional population density methods. CTMM package in R was used for home-range estimation for the tracked honeyeaters. Our results supported that members of this species display territoriality during the breeding season, occupying a mean of 2.0 ± 0.6 (SE) ha on Junet Island (n = 5). Whether individuals defended defined territories at other times of the year was not known but re-sightings of marked birds confirmed them to be locally resident. Population estimates ranged between 53,000 and 85,000 individuals. However, more conservative estimates nearing 50,000 individuals were considered prudent given lower population densities observed on parts of the larger Sudest Island (0.64/ha). This species utilised the canopy and understorey layers in a range of habitats from mangroves at sea-level, gardens and regrowth of various ages to cloud forest on the highest point of Sudest Island (∼800 m asl). Dietary observations support that like many closely related species, Tagula Honeyeaters have a broad diet of mostly insects supplemented with nectar and fruit. Observations indicated that this species had life history attributes toward the slower end of the spectrum but similar to other congeners. Vocalisations were more diverse in both structure and complexity than those of suspected close relatives the Mimic Microptilotis analogus and Graceful Microptilotis gracilis Honeyeaters. Morphological measures were similarly different, supporting species level recognition.

The Natura 2000 network, the pillar of biodiversity conservation in Europe, still shows some knowledge gaps after almost 30 years since its implementation. As birds are a taxonomic group that is underrepresented in the literature related to Natura 2000 compared to their importance in the EU Directives, this review investigated the characteristics of the scientific research dedicated to birds in relation to Natura 2000. This review focused on 169 peer-reviewed articles covering a period of 25 years (1995–2019). Most studies were set within single Natura 2000 site or regions within countries, and concerned terrestrial habitats, particularly wetlands. The terrestrial Mediterranean biogeographical region and marine Atlantic region had the greatest number of publications, while Spain, Italy, and France were the countries with the highest number of reviewed articles. The number of publications was correlated to Natura 2000 coverage at both country and biogeographical region level. Bird species were studied mainly at a community or single-species level and most publications studied distribution and occurrence of the bird species of interest, while very few assessed the conservation status of the species. Only a few articles set within Natura 2000 sites addressed the issues of habitat suitability for birds or the effectiveness of conservation efforts. Both Annex I and non-Annex I bird species were examined in the literature, with most species having decreasing population trends at the European scale. Future research on bird conservation and Natura 2000 should focus on marine ecosystems as well as habitats that have received less attention despite their important role in a changing future (alpine and urban types). Moreover, future studies should encompass larger spatial scales and those species for which status and trends are still not thoroughly investigated. Finally, it would be important to enhance research efforts on the conservation status and effectiveness in relation to the network.

The endangered White-winged Duck Cairina scutulata was formerly widely recorded from north-east India, Bangladesh, Union of Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia (peninsular) and Indonesia (Java and Sumatra). It was found to be “common” by British ornithologists in areas of India, Myanmar and Thailand in the early part of this century. Since then, deforestation and hunting have caused a major decline to perhaps less than 5% of its original population size. Since 1980 the species has been reliably recorded from 55 sites in seven countries, with a minimum combined population of 336 individuals. A conservation plan has been produced and implementation has begun.

The Bahama Warbler Setophaga flavescens is restricted to Grand Bahama and Abaco in the Bahamas Islands, where in recent decades its pine forest habitat has been seriously affected by hurricanes. To assess its conservation status and determine its habitat requirements, we conducted point transects with playback and simultaneously took measurements at 464 locations in pine forest across Grand Bahama from April to June 2018. Warbler presence was predicted by taller Thatch Palms Thrinax radiata and some fire disturbance, and its absence by a higher number of needleless pines. A comparison of these habitat predictors between the combined regions where warblers were detected (Lucayan Estates and East End) vs. where they were not (West End and Freeport) also revealed that Bahama Warblers showed a marked preference for taller Thatch Palms (>140 cm) and habitat plots within the middle fire disturbance category. These findings suggest that the species is adapted to a climax pine forest habitat maintained under a standard fire regime. Our research was intended to provide a first baseline study of the warbler’s distribution and ecology on Grand Bahama, but the distribution may have radically changed following Hurricane Dorian’s devastation of the island in 2019, and the species may now only survive on Abaco. Nevertheless, ecological insights from Grand Bahama seem likely to help conservation management on Abaco, but both islands now need to be surveyed.

The little-known Bristled Grassbird Chaetornis striata is thought to be declining due to the loss of grassland habitats throughout its range, and is currently classified as globally ‘Vulnerable’. In order to investigate the current status and possible causes of the presumed decline, we assessed population density of Bristled Grassbird in Padma and Jamuna river systems of Bangladesh. The study was conducted during the breeding seasons of the Bristled Grassbird in April and May in 2016–2019, using distance sampling and habitat suitability modelling. We also examined habitat preferences and responses to environmental changes based on vegetation structure and habitat modifications at point count locations. We detected a total of 39 birds with a mean group size of 1.44 individuals. We estimated 4.52 (95% CI: 2.65–7.73) individuals per km2 with an encounter rate of 1.48 detections per point count station and 341.15 birds within the study area. Our habitat suitability model projected a total of 167.41 km2 of suitable habitat and a total of 756.7 birds in floodplain grasslands of Padma and Jamuna river systems. The Bristled Grassbird was positively associated with grass height and grass density with 92.31% of 39 detections at Saccharum spontaneum dominated grasslands. We did not find a significant effect on Bristled Grassbird detections with increasing human activities, although the detection rate decreased linearly with increasing agricultural intervention and grass harvesting. These findings indicate that the Bristled Grassbird is more widely distributed throughout Bangladesh, and may be less vulnerable to grassland modifications, than previously thought.

Anthropogenic habitat alteration has probably contributed significantly to the decrease of raptor populations in West African savannas. To evaluate the impact of habitat degradation on foraging by sedentary Afrotropical raptors, we investigated the differences in microhabitat selection, foraging effort and energy returns between Dark-chanting Goshawks Melierax metabates inhabiting natural and transformed savannas in Cameroon. We expected that the agro-ecosystems in the transformed savannas have become unprofitable for Dark-chanting Goshawks due to scarcity of food resources. In both savanna types we radio-tracked six mated, adult males during the non-breeding season and determined foraging effort, by time spent at each perch and distance covered between perches, and energy intake through estimation of the energy value of prey items. Goshawks in natural habitats had smaller home-ranges and exploited their range more intensively than Goshawks in transformed habitats. In both natural and transformed habitats, Goshawks selected foraging patches with comparatively tall trees, underlining their importance to foraging Goshawks. The extent of shrub and herbaceous layer cover, agriculture cover, and tree density were other important predictors of foraging patch use, but their importance differed between habitats. The extent of shrub, herbaceous layer and agriculture cover were positively associated with foraging patch use in transformed habitats, suggesting that cultivated fields and ground vegetation support important prey resources for Goshawks in agro-ecosystems. The composition of broad prey categories to the diet, foraging effort and returns were comparable between habitats. However, we found indications that the proportion of heavy-bodied lizard species among reptile prey items was higher in natural than transformed habitats, whereas on average smaller lizards were more commonly caught in the latter. Mean herbaceous layer height and tree density within home ranges, both higher in natural habitat, were negatively related to prey capture rates. Tree clearance and livestock grazing thus favored greater prey capture rates in transformed habitat, offsetting a lower meal energy value compared to natural habitat. We conclude that foraging Dark-chanting Goshawks may cope with moderate land transformation, but practices focused on conservation of tall trees and ground vegetation cover would be beneficial by maintaining important prey resources and their exploitability under growing land pressure.

Along with many long-distance migrant passerine species in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, the migratory Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus superciliosus has been sharply declining throughout its breeding range. Its breeding range in Japan shrank by 90.9% between the 1910s and 2010s. In contrast, the closely related but resident Bull-headed Shrike L. bucephalus bucephalus has been gradually declining but is still a common resident in Japan. To better understand the drastic decline of Brown Shrike, we compared the pairing success during three consecutive breeding seasons of these two species. About 60–70% of Brown Shrike males were unpaired, which was much higher than the percentage of unpaired male Bull-headed Shrike (c.0–20%). Brown Shrike males arriving later did not pair because the population’s sex proportion is heavily biased toward males. One of the factors of male-biased population of Brown Shrike may be female-biased mortality in wintering sites, or on the migratory journey, and tracking studies will be required to test this.

The Straw-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus zeylanicus is one of South-East Asia’s most threatened songbirds due to relentless demand for the regional cage-bird trade. The species was recently uplisted from ‘Endangered’ to ‘Critically Endangered’ only two years after its previous uplisting. Intriguingly, populations in highly urbanised Singapore appear relatively secure. However, the last Singaporean density estimates, derived from traditional census methods, were obtained nearly two decades ago in 2001. A recent population estimate in 2016 was derived from the census work in 2001 coupled with relative abundance indices from population trends. We thus performed systematic field surveys using the distance sampling method, estimating 573 ± 185 individuals nation-wide, with a break-down of 217 ± 81 on the main island of Singapore and 356 ± 104 birds on the satellite of Pulau Ubin. Taken together, the total population estimate reported here comprises 22.9–57.3% of the global wild population, underscoring the importance of Singapore as a stronghold for the species. In spite of its apparently secure status in Singapore, the species remains susceptible to local and foreign trapping pressures. Based on our assessment, we propose a number of local and regional conservation measures to ensure the continued survival of populations in Singapore.