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Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

India has an extensive bird trade that provides income and livelihoods for many people but involves considerable unregulated and illegal activity, threatening both native and exotic species and posing potential health risks to people and wildlife. Action to curb illegal trade is vital, but there is currently a lack of information on trade routes and the species involved to inform the development of strategies to address such trade. We therefore examined media reports of bird trade seizures published during 2010–2020 as a cost-effective approach to gaining insights into the composition and structure of the bird trade in India. We collected 182 media reports referring to 109 seizure events by searching for keywords on popular search engines and Indian newspaper websites. We found that 25,850 birds were seized, most frequently members of the family Psittacidae. Of the 58 species identified, 18 were native and 40 non-native to India. The greatest numbers of birds were seized in Uttar Pradesh. Analyses of trade networks indicate that Uttar Pradesh is an important trade hotspot particularly for native species and has strong transnational connections with neighbouring Nepal. We identified West Bengal as an important trade hotspot, particularly for non-native species, probably because of its extensive land borders with neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh. Our study highlights priority areas for interventions as well as key knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to facilitate the development of strategies to manage illegal, unsustainable and otherwise harmful trading of birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ostrich: The Journal of African Ornithology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary: The expansion of wildlife trade on social media presents many challenges but also opportunities to gain insights into areas of trade where there is little recent data. West Africa has historically been a major source of wild birds in international trade but in 2007, the requirement for CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Parties to monitor a host of West-African species ended and there is little data regarding current trade. To address this gap, we surveyed trade-related posts created by known traders from 2016 to 2020 on a popular social-media platform to identify species composition, trade routes and potential conservation and biosecurity risks. We identified 427 social-media posts featuring a broad taxonomic diversity of birds, including 83 species from 26 avian families, including nine CITES-listed species, four listed in IUCN Threatened categories and 19 associated with alien introductions linked to bird trade. Disease risks were identified, with multiple species housed together in densely-stocked facilities and nine species recorded as posing a potential disease risk. Using novel analyses of post-engagement, we observed social-media posts facilitating connections with users across the globe. Trade-related engagement particularly came from countries in the Middle East and South Asia, notably India which has strong domestic restrictions on the importation of wild birds. Further research is needed to monitor the impact of trade from this region, as data regarding the population status and volume of trade in many observed species is largely absent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ostrich: The Journal of African Ornithology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As global temperatures reach record highs, threats posed by climate change to biodiversity become ever more severe. For endotherms, maintaining body temperature within safe bounds is fundamental for performance and survival. Animals routinely modify their behavior to buffer physiological impacts of high temperatures (eg ceasing activity, seeking shade). However, this can impose substantial costs related to missed opportunities to engage in other important activities, with potentially large but often overlooked consequences for survival and reproduction. Here, we outline behavioral trade‐offs birds and mammals face in navigating thermal landscapes and associated challenges of balancing energy, water, and time budgets; review the rapidly expanding knowledge in this field; and summarize examples – across taxa – of fitness costs during hot weather. We argue that a shift is needed in evaluating the impacts of heat on birds and mammals, and that fitness costs of missed opportunities must be explicitly integrated into climate‐change vulnerability frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying organismal sensitivity to heat stress provides one means for predicting vulnerability to climate change. Birds are ideal for investigating this approach, as they display quantifiable fitness consequences associated with behavioural and physiological responses to heat stress. We used a recently developed method that examines correlations between readily‐observable behaviours and air temperature (Tair) to investigate interspecific variation in avian responses to heat stress in seasonally hot, arid regions on three continents: the southwestern United States, the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa and the Gascoyne region of western Australia. We found substantial interspecific variation in heat dissipation behaviours (wing‐drooping, panting, activity‐reduction, shade‐seeking) across all three regions. However, pooling the data revealed that little of this interspecific variation was systematically explained by organismal traits (foraging guild, diet, drinking dependency, body mass or activity levels) at the scale we tested. After accounting for phylogeny, we found that larger birds engaged in wing‐drooping behaviour at lower Tair and had lower activity levels at high Tair compared to smaller birds, indicating an effect of body mass on heat dissipation behaviour (HDB). In the Kalahari, reliance on drinking was correlated with significantly lower Tair at which panting commenced, suggesting a key role of water acquisition in HDB in that region. Birds also tended to retreat to shade at relatively lower Tair when more active, suggesting a behavioural trade‐off between activity, heat load and microsite selection. Our results imply that the causes underlying interspecific variation in heat dissipation behaviours are complex. While the variation we observed was not systematically explained by the broad scale organismal traits we considered, we predict that the indices themselves will still reflect vulnerability to potential fitness costs of high air temperatures. Further research is needed on a species‐specific basis to establish the functional significance of these indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency of extreme weather events, including heat waves, is increasing with climate change. The thermoregulatory demands resulting from hotter weather can have catastrophic impacts on animals, leading to mass mortalities. Although less dramatic, animals also experience physiological costs below, but approaching, critical temperature thresholds. These costs may be particularly constraining during reproduction, when parents must balance thermoregulation against breeding activities. Such challenges should be acute among seabirds, which often nest in locations exposed to high solar radiation and predation risk. The globally endangered bank cormorant Phalacrocorax neglectus breeds in southern Africa in the winter, giving little scope for poleward or phenological shifts in the face of increasing temperatures. Physiological studies of endangered species sensitive to human disturbance, like the bank cormorant, are challenging, because individuals cannot be captured for experimental research. Using a novel, non-invasive, videographic approach, we investigated the thermoregulatory responses of this seabird across a range of environmental temperatures at three nesting colonies. The time birds spent gular fluttering, a behaviour enhancing evaporative heat loss, increased with temperature. Crouching or standing birds spent considerably less time gular fluttering than birds sitting on nests (ca 30% less at 22°C), showing that postural adjustments mediate exposure to heat stress and enhance water conservation. Crouching or standing, however, increases the vulnerability of eggs and chicks to suboptimal temperatures and/or expose nest contents to predation, suggesting that parents may trade-off thermoregulatory demands against offspring survival. We modelled thermoregulatory responses under future climate scenarios and found that nest-bound bank cormorants will gular flutter almost continuously for several hours a day by 2100. The associated increase in water loss may lead to dehydration, forcing birds to prioritize survival over breeding, a trade-off that would ultimately deteriorate the conservation status of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The near-threatened Lilian's Lovebird Agapornis lilianae is a small parrot endemic to the Zambezi basin in south-east Africa. The species has a fragmented distribution predominantly within mopane woodlands and is widely referred to as a mopane specialist. The harvesting of mopane trees for charcoal production and timber are having widespread impacts on this woodland habitat, raising concerns over its capacity to support biodiversity. This study aimed to understand the key drivers determining the occurrence of Lilian's Lovebird in the mopane woodlands of Zambia, focusing particularly on aspects of woodland structure, including the size and density of trees. We used a MaxEnt species distribution model based on historical species occurrence data, to inform selection of 116 survey plots in the Luangwa, Luano and Zambezi valleys. Each plot was sampled for Lilian's Lovebirds and woodland structure described. Occurrence of Lilian's Lovebird was found to be positively associated with the size of mopane trees (both height and diameter at breast height) suggesting that large 'cathedral' mopane trees provide a key resource for the species and that conservation efforts should focus on the protection of sites containing large trees. No Lilian's Lovebirds were recorded in areas where they previously occurred to the west of Lower Zambezi National Park, and there was an absence of 'cathedral' mopane habitat in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Timneh Parrots Psittacus timneh are a threatened species endemic to the moist forests of West Africa. In 2016, they were categorised as 'Endangered' on the IUCN Red List, due to suspected rapid population declines driven by habitat loss and heavy trapping for the pet trade. Systematic assessments of the status of populations are lacking for much of their range and addressing this knowledge shortfall has been identified as a priority action. We combined multiple research approaches to investigate the distribution, trends and threats to Timneh Parrots in Guinea Bissau, where the species is restricted to the islands of the Bijagós archipelago and Pecixe. Direct observational surveys were conducted along line transects on 19 islands. A total of 69 groups were observed on eight of these islands, with the majority (78%) seen on just two islands. Forty-two interviews were conducted with local community members on 24 islands. Interviewees reported the species to occur on 20 islands and that populations are generally perceived to have declined in recent decades. Based on these findings and existing data we conclude that Timneh Parrots occur on 22 of the 32 islands considered and estimate the national population in Guinea-Bissau to be in the order of several hundred individuals, with perhaps half of the parrots occurring on the islands of João Vieira and Meio. Investigations into the factors linked to inter-island variation in parrot densities indicate that densities are highest on the islands which are most remote from permanent human settlements. These findings suggest that human activities including habitat modification and trapping have been important in driving population declines in Guinea-Bissau. We consider the implications of these findings for the conservation of Timneh Parrots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Humans and elephants are major disturbance agents in the African savanna woodlands. While both species remove trees, humans selectively harvest larger stems, which are less vulnerable to elephants. Increasing human pressures raise the question of how the altered disturbance regime will modify woodland structure, and in turn biodiversity and ecosystem function.Objectives: Here we investigate this process in the mopane woodlands of Zambia by examining relationships between woodland structure, species and functional bird diversity, and human and elephant disturbance intensity.Methods: We conducted a single-season comparison of 178 plots from 45 sites using Bayesian mixed models.Results: The effect of elephants on tree density (− 7.7 ± 1.6%; deviation from intercept) and bird species richness (− 15 ± 6%) was greater than that of humans (density: − 3.5 ± 1.5%; bird richness: − 11.6 ± 4.7%). Despite this, elephants did not significantly affect woody biomass or functional bird diversity, whereas humans had a negative effect on both (woody biomass: − 9.3 ± 2.3%; functional bird diversity: − 5 ± 2%). Elephants were associated with reductions in species and functional turnover (5.3 ± 2.5% and 6 ± 3%, respectively).Conclusions: Replacement of elephants by humans is likely to reduce woody biomass and functional bird diversity affecting the woodland structure, sustainability, and functioning. Concentrated elephant disturbance could lead to spatial homogeneity in bird species and functional compositions, potentially reducing the spatial resilience of bird communities. This is the first study to highlight how the difference between elephant and human disturbances leads to dissimilar effects on biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses threatened birds, especially the parrots (Psittaciformes) and the inclusion of 28% of parrot species in the Red List of Threatened species published by the organization International Union for Conservation of Nature. It also discusses the aspects such as feeding ecology which offers insights into the behavior, conservation strategies, etc., of such birds.

African parrots are among the most traded of all birds listed on the appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Collapses in some wild populations due to trapping for the pet trade have highlighted the threats posed by overexploitation. Although over 3.3 million African parrots have been reported in trade since 1975, virtually no monitoring of exploited populations has taken place and basic ecological data do not exist for the majority of traded species. Greater scrutiny of the wild bird trade in Africa would help ensure the practice is compatible with conservation goals as well as minimise biosecurity risks, including the spread of infectious diseases and the establishment of invasive populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ostrich: The Journal of African Ornithology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) has emerged in recent years as a major threat to wild parrot populations and is an increasing concern to aviculturists and managers of captive populations. Pathological and serological tests for screening for the presence of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) are a critical component of efforts to manage the disease and of epidemiological studies. Since the disease was first reported in the mid-1970s, screening for BFDV has been conducted in numerous wild and captive populations. However, at present, there is no current and readily accessible synthesis of screening efforts and their results. Here, we consolidate information collected from 83 PBFD- and BFDV-based publications on the primary screening methods being used and identify important knowledge gaps regarding potential global disease hotspots. We present trends in research intensity in this field and critically discuss advances in screening techniques and their applications to both aviculture and to the management of threatened wild populations. Finally, we provide an overview of estimates of BFDV prevalence in captive and wild flocks alongside a complete list of all psittacine species in which the virus has been confirmed. Our evaluation highlights the need for standardised diagnostic tests and more emphasis on studies of wild populations, particularly in view of the intrinsic connection between global trade in companion birds and the spread of novel BFDV strains into wild populations. Increased emphasis should be placed on the screening of captive and wild parrot populations within their countries of origin across the Americas, Africa and Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many animals use thermally buffered microhabitats, e.g. patches of shade within trees, to avoid temperature extremes. These ‘thermal refugia’ may mediate the impact of climate change on animals. Predicting how species and communities will respond to rising temperatures therefore requires an understanding of the availability of these refugia and how animals use them. We investigated patterns of tree use by birds in the southern Kalahari across different times of day and days of varying maximum air temperature. On ‘hot’ days (>35 °C) birds showed increased preference for trees that provided the greatest density of shade (Boscia albitrunca), and this effect was particularly pronounced at the hottest times of day. Comparisons of focal bird species with differing foraging niches revealed interspecific differences in tree use. Two arboreally foraging species showed a similar preference forB. albitruncaon both ‘cool’ and ‘hot’ days. In contrast, two ground-foraging species increased their use ofB. albitruncatrees on hot days, with one species (Scaly-feathered FinchSporopipes squamifrons) changing its behaviour from avoiding to preferring this tree. We discuss the role ofB. albitruncatrees as thermal refugia and the implications of temperature-driven changes in tree use in the context of rising temperatures due to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Behavioural thermoregulation, particularly the use of cool microclimates, is one method by which organisms could avoid the worst effects of climate warming. However, retreat into cool microsites, e.g. shady vegetation or burrows, may carry important lost-opportunity costs. These could include reduced opportunity for foraging, breeding or territorial defence, each carrying implications for fitness. We investigated patterns of microclimate use and foraging behaviour by Southern FiscalsLanius collarisin the Kalahari. We used Ivlev's electivity index to assess preference of breeding males for perch types with different thermal properties. We found that Southern Fiscals preferred to hunt from high, sunny perches at all times, except on hot afternoons (air temperature >35 °C), when they switched their preference to high, shaded perches. Black-bulb thermometers indicated shaded perches were always cooler than sunny perches, especially on hot afternoons. Therefore, Southern Fiscals could reduce thermoregulatory costs by switching foraging locations. However, Southern Fiscal foraging success rates were highest when hunting from sunny perches, and were reduced by c. 50% when hunting from shaded perches. Our data suggest that Southern Fiscals were making a trade-off on hot afternoons, compromising foraging intake in return for thermal benefits. We discuss potential costs and consequences of this trade-off under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD), the most prevalent viral disease affecting psittacines, is caused by beak and feather disease virus (BFDV). This study assessed viral load using qPCR in a wild Cape parrot population affected by PBFD and compared it to overall physical condition based on clinical signs attributable to PBFD. A significant inverse correlation between viral load and overall physical condition was found, which confirmed that clinical signs may confidently be used to diagnose the relative severity of BFDV infections in wild populations. This is the first assessment of BFDV viral load in a wild psittacine population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Captive and wild psittacines are vulnerable to the highly contagious psittacine beak and feather disease. The causative agent, beak and feather disease virus (BFDV), was recently detected in the largest remaining population of endangered Cape parrots ( Poicepahlus robustus), which are endemic to South Africa. Full-length genomes were isolated and sequenced from 26 blood samples collected from wild and captive Cape parrots to determine possible origins of infection. All sequences had characteristic BFDV sequence motifs and were similar in length to those described in the literature. However, BFDV coat protein (CP) sequences from this study did not contain a previously identified bipartite nuclear localisation signal (NLS) within residues 39-56, which indicates that an alternate NLS is involved in shuttling the CP into the nucleus. Sequences from the wild population shared a high degree of similarity, irrespective of year or location, suggesting that the disease outbreak occurred close to the time when the samples were collected. Phylogenetic analysis of full-length genomes showed that the captive Cape parrot sequences cluster with those isolated from captive-bred budgerigars in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Exposure to captive-bred Cape parrots from a breeding facility in KwaZulu-Natal is suggested as a possible source for the virus infection. Phylogenetic analysis of BFDV isolates from wild and captive Cape parrots indicated two separate infection events in different populations, which highlights the potential risk of introducing new strains of the virus into the wild population. The present study represents the first systematic investigation of BFDV virus diversity in the southern-most population of Cape parrots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parrot populations in Africa and Madagascar are declining and the need for conservation actions to address threats is increasingly recognised. Effective conservation requires a robust knowledge base on which decisions over appropriate actions can be made, yet at present there is no current and readily accessible synthesis of the status of populations, the threats they face and knowledge gaps. Here we begin to address this shortfall for the larger species in the region belonging to the generaCoracopsis,Poicephalus,PsittacusandPsittacula. We review developments since the production of the IUCN Parrot Action Plan published in 2000, identify areas where critical knowledge is lacking and highlight opportunities to address them. While advances have been made over the last decade, progress has not been evenly spread, with a strong bias towards populations in southern Africa. To date much research has focused on describing aspects of ecology and behaviour and there remains a need for studies determining the current status of populations and the factors limiting distributions and abundance. This review aims to provide a basis upon which progress towards an improved understanding of the conservation needs of the larger parrots of Africa and Madagascar can be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a rapidly changing world understanding the capacity of populations to adapt to novel environments is increasingly urgent. Timing of breeding can be a highly flexible trait and adjustments in this trait can potentially buffer populations from climate change and facilitate the colonisation of new environments. Recent range-expansions into novel climatic regimes provide a valuable opportunity to investigate the implications of plasticity in timing of breeding for population processes. Black sparrowhawks have recently colonised the Cape Peninsula of South Africa where they experience dramatically different weather patterns to those in their historical range. These include a total reversal in the rainfall regime, with the majority of rain falling in the winter as opposed to the summer months. We investigate the breeding phenology of black sparrowhawks in relation to both regional and local climate variation and, using a long-term dataset, explore the implications of phenological shifts for reproductive success and population growth following colonisation. In the recently colonised Cape Peninsula the breeding season began up to three months earlier than within their historical range and these early breeding attempts produced more offspring. Population models suggested that this adjustment assisted the colonisation of the Cape Peninsula, reducing the probability of extinction by 23%. Contrary to expectations, we found little support for the hypothesis that black sparrowhawks were responding to local variation in rainfall. We suggest that shifts in breeding phenology may be driven in part by other novel processes, such as interspecific competition for nest sites and lower temperatures during late summer. These results provide insight into the processes that facilitated the colonisation of a novel climatic regime highlighting the potential role of a diverse range of factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequency, duration, and intensity of hot-weather events are all predicted to increase with climate warming. Despite this, mechanisms by which temperature increases affect individual fitness and drive population-level changes are poorly understood. We investigated the link between daily maximum air temperature (tmax) and breeding success of Kalahari common fiscals (Lanius collaris) in terms of the daily effect on nestling body-mass gain, and the cumulative effect on size and age of fledglings. High tmax reduced mass gain of younger, but not older nestlings and average nestling-period tmax did not affect fledgling size. Instead, the frequency with which tmax exceeded critical thresholds (tcrits) significantly reduced fledging body mass (tcrit = 33°C) and tarsus length (tcrit = 37°C), as well as delaying fledging (tcrit = 35°C). Nest failure risk was 4.2% per day therefore delays reduced fledging probability. Smaller size at fledging often correlates with reduced lifetime fitness and might also underlie documented adult body-size reductions in desert birds in relation to climate warming. Temperature thresholds above which organisms incur fitness costs are probably common, as physiological responses to temperature are non-linear. Understanding the shape of the relationship between temperature and fitness has implications for our ability to predict species’ responses to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent mass mortalities of bats, birds and even humans highlight the substantial threats that rising global temperatures pose for endotherms. Although less dramatic, sublethal fitness costs of high temperatures may be considerable and result in changing population demographics. Endothermic animals exposed to high environmental temperatures can adjust their behaviour (e.g. reducing activity) or physiology (e.g. elevating rates of evaporative water loss) to maintain body temperatures within tolerable limits. The fitness consequences of these adjustments, in terms of the ability to balance water and energy budgets and therefore maintain body condition, are poorly known. We investigated the effects of daily maximum temperature on foraging and thermoregulatory behaviour as well as maintenance of body condition in a wild, habituated population of Southern Pied Babblers Turdoides bicolor. These birds inhabit a hot, arid area of southern Africa where they commonly experience environmental temperatures exceeding optimal body temperatures. Repeated measurements of individual behaviour and body mass were taken across days varying in maximum air temperature. Contrary to expectations, foraging effort was unaffected by daily maximum temperature. Foraging efficiency, however, was lower on hotter days and this was reflected in a drop in body mass on hotter days. When maximum air temperatures exceeded 35.5 °C, individuals no longer gained sufficient weight to counter typical overnight weight loss. This reduction in foraging efficiency is likely driven, in part, by a trade-off with the need to engage in heat-dissipation behaviours. When we controlled for temperature, individuals that actively dissipated heat while continuing to forage experienced a dramatic decrease in their foraging efficiency. This study demonstrates the value of investigations of temperature-dependent behaviour in the context of impacts on body condition, and suggests that increasingly high temperatures will have negative implications for the fitness of these arid-zone birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cape parrot I Poicephalus robustus i is endemic to South Africa, with c. 1,800 individuals patchily distributed across Southern Mistbelt forests in three provinces (Downs et al., 2019, I 22nd Annual Parrot Count, i cpwg.ukzn.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/CPBBD-report-2019.pdf). Subsequently, an updated action plan was published in March 2020 (Carstens et al., 2020, I Cape Parrot and Mistbelt Forest Conservation Action Plan i , cpsg.org/sites/cbsg.org/files/documents/Cape%20Parrot%20and%20Mistbelt%20Forest%20Action%20Plan%20202003.pdf), defining the vision, scope, goals and targets to conserve the Cape parrot, and identifying 90 actions needed to achieve this. [Extracted from the article]

African savanna elephants,Loxodonta africana, live in stable family groups consisting of adult females and their dependent offspring. During the dry season, “clans” consisting of several family groups typically share a common home range. We compared spatial relationships and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes among 14 adult female elephants within 3 clans during the dry season in northern Zimbabwe. Spatial relationships were studied by radio-tracking. Home-range similarity was quantified by correlating the estimated utilization distributions of all pairs of elephants. Clans were identified by cluster analysis of the home-range similarity values. All three clans contained at least two of the five mtDNA haplotypes that were found, indicating that clan members are not necessarily matrilineally related. Within clans, home ranges of elephants with the same haplotype were not significantly more similar to each other than those of elephants with different haplotypes. Most elephants within each clan used their shared home ranges independently of each other: the distribution of distances between their positions at any given time did not differ from the distribution expected by chance. However, 8 out of the 26 within-clan pairs exhibited long-term coordination of space use by remaining within known hearing distance of each other’s low-frequency calls significantly more often than expected by chance. At least four of these coordinated pairs consisted of animals in different family groups. Elephants in three of the four different-family pairs whose movements were coordinated had different haplotypes. Further research is needed to determine the relationship between these coordinated movements and conventionally defined bond-group behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Zimbabwe, veterinary fences are used to control trypanosomiasis and foot- and-mouth disease, two important diseases that threaten cattle production and beef exports. Wildlife is implicated in both instances and the effects of fences on wildlife conservation and land use are discussed in relation to these two diseases. Advantages and disadvantages related to direct and indirect fence effects are outlined. Although the maintenance of fences for trypanosomiasis control is likely to become obsolete, control of foot- and-mouth disease will rely on fences for the foreseeable future. Most of Zimbabwe's protected wildlife areas are located in marginal agricultural land around the periphery of the country where cattle productivity is low. This land should be excluded from any involvement in the beef export industry rather than attempting its inclusion through cordoning and isolating individual protected areas. Within such land, the need for rigid veterinary restrictions should then disappear and allow more flexible strategies for disease control, including adaptive and imaginative approaches to land-use planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the boosting the protection of the grey parrot in Nigeria. Topics discussed include information on the categorization of grey parrot as the endangered on the IUCN Red List; discussions on the threat to wild populations posed by the capture of young parrots and loss of habitat; and the information on the strategies includes the efforts to improve enforcement of grey parrot trade.

The article offers information on the legal trade used to conceal endangered African grey parrots on commercial flights. Topics discussed include information on how criminal actors exploit legal trade in parrots to traffic threatened and protected wildlife; discussions on the increase in the fraudulent use of permits to traffic grey parrots; and the information on the law enforcement to prevent this illegal trade by wildlife traffickers.

The article reports that population of grey parrots has declined due to export from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Topics discussed include exploitation of the parrots in DRC's Orientale and Maniema provinces, an increasing in trapping and habitat loss, monitoring of the parrots through surveys of forest clearings, exploitation of parrot aggregations by trappers and steps taken by the provinces to stop the exploitation.