Search

Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) are active foragers that typically pursue and capture insects flushed by grazing mammals. Arboreal foraging by Cattle Egrets has occasionally been reported, although this behavior appears to be rare, poorly documented, and not well understood. We observed Cattle Egrets arboreally foraging at 2 locations in Myanmar: Yangon University (24 Dec 2018-7 Jan 2019) and Khamti (1 Apr 2019). We observed Cattle Egrets at Yangon University feeding in the canopy of a mango tree (Mangifera indica) on swarms of pollinating insects attracted to flowers. Foraging egrets were scattered throughout the canopy; most remained stationary beside a single flower cluster to catch insects, although on occasion more active behaviors were employed. In Khamti, we observed Cattle Egrets perched on trees above an emergence of winged termite alates (Isoptera). Egrets remained stationary and attempted to capture flying termites in close proximity. Our observations together with other published reports suggest arboreal foraging by Cattle Egrets may occur under the following conditions: (1) when insects are concentrated in trees (e.g., pollinators swarming at flowers) and/or (2) when an elevated perch provides access to flying insects. Our observations at Khamti appear to be the second record of Cattle Egrets among bird assemblages opportunistically preying on alate termites. Received 10 December 2020. Accepted 22 July 2021. Key words: foraging behavior, Mangifera indica, mango pollinators, termite alates, termite emergence, urban wildlife. Forrajeo arbóreo de garzas ganaderas (Bubulcus ibis) sobre enjambres de insectos en Birmania Las garza ganaderas (Bubulcus ibis) tienen forrajeo activo en el que típicamente persiguen y capturan insectos que son ahuyentados por mamíferos que pastorean. El forrajeo arbóreo de las garzas ganaderas se ha reportado ocasionalmente, si bien este comportamiento parece ser raro, escasamente documentado y poco entendido. Observamos garzas ganaderas forrajeando en 2 localidades en Birmania: Yangon University (24 diciembre 2018-7 enero 2019) y Khatmi (1 abril 2019). Observamos garzas ganaderas en Yangon University alimentándose en enjambres de insectos polinizadores atraídos por flores en el dosel de un árbol de mango (Mangifera indica). Las garzas que forrajeaban se encontraban distribuidas en el dosel; la mayoría permanecieron estacionadas detrás de un racimo de flores para atrapar insectos, aunque ocasionalmente emplearon comportamientos más activos. En Khatmi, observamos garzas ganaderas perchadas en árboles por encima de una emergencia de termitas aladas (Isoptcra). Las garzas permanecieron estacionarias e intentaron capturar termitas aladas a cercana proximidad. Nuestras observaciones, junto con otros reportes publicados, sugieren que el forrajeo activo por garzas ganaderas puede ocurrir bajo las siguientes condiciones: (1) cuando los insectos se concentraron en árboles (e.g., polinizadores en enjambres alrededor de flores) y/o (2) cuando una percha elevada les provee acceso a insectos voladores. Nuestras observaciones en Khatmi parecen ser el segundo registro de garzas ganaderas en grupos de aves consumiendo termitas aladas de manera oportunista. Palabras clave: comportamiento de forrajeo, emergencia de termitas, fauna silvestre urbana, Mangifera indica, polinizadores del mango, termitas aladas., The Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitan heron (Ahmed 2011) usually found in association with wild and domestic large mammals (Heatwole 1965, Dean and MacDonald 1981). Cattle Egrets are [...]

The Siamese Crocodile Crocodylus siamensis is considered one of the most imperiled and poorly-studied crocodilians in the world. Translocations (reintroductions) - often in conjunction with head-starting of juveniles - are a critical component of efforts to restore viable wild populations of C. siamensis. We here report the first confirmed nesting by a known-age, head-started, and translocated female C. siamensis together with observations of nest attendance and nest-associated fauna based on camera trap imagery. Our observations occurred in the Greater Xe Champhone Wetland Complex (GXCWC) in Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR. GXCWC encompasses 45,000 ha of seasonally inundated natural and anthropogenic wetlands, agricultural ecosystems, scrubland, and forest. While collecting eggs for incubation in May 2022, we were able to identify a unique series of notched tail scutes on a female C. siamensis as she aggressively defended a nest. From these markings we determined the female was hatched on 11 August 2012 (age = 9.75 years) and released in March 2014, approximately 3.5 km from the nest site. A game camera placed at the nest on 11 May 2022 and recovered on 5 July 2022 (34 trap nights) recorded 1724 images. These images indicated the female remained in attendance at the nest throughout the monitoring period. Camera trap imagery captured eight nest repair events and two nest defense events; during the latter the female defended the nest from village dogs. Eleven species of nest-associated fauna were recorded by the game camera, including eight and three species of birds and mammals, respectively. Our observations are the first confirmed nesting by a head-started, translocated female C. siamensis indicating these are effective conservation strategies for restoring wild populations. We also unequivocally established that head-started female C. siamensis are capable of reproducing when nine-years-old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With 227,000 km of railways in the United States, wildlife-train collisions are more common than generally recognized and could be an important carrion source for Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) and Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura). We conducted a five-year study (2018-2022) in Dutchess and Putnam Counties, New York, USA to 1) estimate the biomass of mammal carrion available to vultures along 32.6 km of commuter railway, and 2) determine if vultures utilize train-killed wildlife as a food resource. During our study we recorded 154 individual mammals of 12 species killed by commuter trains. The number of train-killed mammals averaged 30.8/yr (SD ±13.1 mammals/yr), but varied widely, ranging from 13 to 45 individuals/yr. White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) contributed the most to this total, followed by Raccoon (Procyon lotor), Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana), and Coyote (Canis latrans). We estimated that 6722.0 kg of mammal carrion resulted from train-wildlife collisions during our five-year study, and of this total, 4778.3 kg were potentially available for consumption by vultures. We estimated that 29.3 kg of mammal carrion per km of railway was available for consumption by vultures each year. During our five-year study, we found evidence that vultures fed on >90% of the train-killed mammal carcasses. Our results suggest the commuter railway is attractive to foraging vultures because 1) carrion occurs at high concentrations relative to the adjacent "natural habitat", 2) the massive traumatic injuries associated with train-wildlife collisions facilitate utilization of carrion, and 3) disturbance is minimal owing to the infrequent passage of trains (ca. 1 train/hr). Given that train-killed birds, frogs, snakes, and turtles were not included in our analysis, the total biomass of carrion available to foraging vultures along the commuter railway may be considerably greater than we estimated in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the successful incubation of 99 eggs from a deceased Olive Ridley sea turtle found in Pará, Brazil, resulting in 18 hatchlings despite a low overall hatching rate, highlighting the potential of this method as a conservation strategy and educational tool.

The article describes novel observations of aerial and aquatic basking behavior in the critically endangered Burmese Roofed Turtle (Batagur trivittata) during the cool season in Myanmar. Topics include the turtle's natural history, its critically endangered status, and detailed observations of basking behavior.