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How the migration behavior of long-lived birds develops throughout their life is still a research question in ornithology that is largely unanswered. Here, we analyzed GPS data of 70 juvenile Black Storks during the first 3 years of their migration to determine the influence of age and experience on migration patterns. We focused on the choice of the migration flyway, as well as the movements in the wintering area, and the changes in departure times with increasing age. Migratory routes of German Black Storks were divided into the western (82% of all tracked individuals) and eastern flyways (16%). The central migratory flyway through Italy or Greece was taken only by two individuals and never repeatedly. In addition, we found that the wintering area decreased by almost 60% during their first 3 years of life. In addition, spring departure dates from the wintering areas also became earlier with increasing age. However, we did not find changes in departures from the breeding area in autumn. Thus, our study shows that age and migration experiences have a considerable influence on essential migratory decisions in Black Storks. Further, it also demonstrates that older storks rely strongly on previous experiences to perform their migrations efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural system at Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA was augmented by the construction of a rock-filled railroad causeway in 1960, creating two lakes at one site. The north arm is sequestered from the mountain snowmelt inputs and thus became saturated with salts (250-340 g/L). The south arm is a flourishing ecosystem with moderate salinity (90-190 g/L) and a significant body of water for ten million birds on the avian flyways of the western US who engorge themselves on the large biomass of brine flies and shrimp. The sediments around the lake shores include calcium carbonate oolitic sand and clay, and further away from the saltwater margins, a zone with less saline soil. Here a small number of plants can thrive, including Salicornia and Sueda species. At the north arm at Rozel Point, halite crystals precipitate in the salt-saturated lake water, calcium sulfate precipitates to form gypsum crystals embedded in the clay, and high molecular weight asphalt seeps from the ground. It is an ecosystem with gradients and extremes, and fungi are up to the challenge. We have collected data on Great Salt Lake fungi from a variety of studies and present them here in a spatial survey. Combining knowledge of cultivation studies as well as environmental DNA work, we discuss the genera prevalent in and around this unique ecosystem. A wide diversity of taxa were found in multiple microniches of the lake, suggesting significant roles for these genera: Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Clydae, Coniochaeta, Cryptococcus, Malassezia, Nectria, Penicillium, Powellomyces, Rhizophlyctis, and Wallemia. Considering the species present and the features of Great Salt Lake as a terminal basin, we discuss of the possible roles of the fungi. These include not only nutrient cycling, toxin mediation, and predation for the ecosystem, but also roles that would enable other life to thrive in the water and on the shore. Many genera that we discovered may help other organisms in alleviating salinity stress, promoting growth, or affording protection from dehydration. The diverse taxa of Great Salt Lake fungi provide important benefits for the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten populations of Caucasian juniper J. communis var. oblonga were analyzed using seven microsatellite nSSR loci to draw conclusions about migration routes and genetic relationships with populations in the northern part of their range. These new data were combined with data previously obtained from the main Eurasian range. The results of nSSR analysis confirm the data on the cpDNA structure of J. communis var. oblonga about the existence of a deep divergence between the populations of the eastern part of the Greater Caucasus and the populations of the main range, which is likely due to the long-term isolation of juniper in this part of the Caucasus. At the same time, the results indicate the existence of a juniper gene flow from the main range toward the Western Caucasus, which was more intense with seeds. The migration routes of birds established during interglacial periods contributed to the dispersal of seeds over long distances and contacts of juniper from the main part of its range with juniper in the western part of the Caucasus, which was reflected in the structure of nuclear DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The migration strategies, movement patterns, and habitat associations of long-distance migratory raptors remain largely unknown. We deployed PTT-GSM satellite transmitters on five raptor species, four of which are threatened, with the objective of investigating their daily and seasonal movement patterns, migration flyways, home-range patterns, and habitat associations in their wintering areas. This study shows that raptors wintering in Western India undertake annual migration across the Western Circum–Himalayan Corridor of the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) to circumvent some of the highest mountain ranges in the world. Single individuals of the Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga), Indian Spotted Eagle (Clanga hastata), Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax), Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), and two Pallid Harriers (Circus macrourus) were deployed with satellite transmitters in 2021 to study their home ranges, habitat associations, movement, and migration patterns. Data were collected for a combined number of 2291 days, providing 84,544 locations. Home ranges were calculated as kernel utilization distributions and expressed as 95% KDE and core areas as 50% KDE. Overall, eagles had larger home ranges (mean ± SD) of 942.70 ± 937.83 km2 compared to harriers, 43.84 ± 35.55 km2. Among eagles, the Greater Spotted Eagle had the largest home-range size of 2147.03 km2 calculated in Kazakhstan, while the female Pallid Harrier had the smallest home range of 5.74 km2 in Russia. Daily and monthly distances varied among eagles and harriers. The female Pallid Harrier covered the longest average monthly distance of 8585.43 ± 11,943.39 km, while the shortest monthly distance of 1338.22 ± 716.38 km was traveled by the Indian Spotted Eagle. All tagged birds migrated toward higher latitudes in the Northern hemisphere, except the Indian Spotted Eagle, which migrated to Pakistan. The male Western Marsh Harrier covered the longest migration distance in a shorter span of time, while the female Pallid Harrier took the longest to cover its migration distance. Overall, the daily distance covered during migration varied from 115.09 km traveled by the Indian Spotted Eagle to an overwhelming distance of 2035.85 km covered by the male Western Marsh Harrier. Scrubs, water bodies, croplands, and settlements were important habitat features associated with eagles, while croplands, open scrub, and built-up areas were associated with the female Pallid Harrier. The male Western Marsh Harrier was found to be primarily associated with saltpans and salt-affected areas having emergent vegetation. This study presents new insights into the movement and spatial ecology of long-distance migrant raptors that winter in Western India. We provide preliminary support for the use of the Western Circum–Himalayan Corridor as one of the important corridors of the Central Asian Flyway that warrants much appreciation among the current set of flyway corridors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Matsu Islands Tern Refuge comprises eight reefs located at a relay station on the East Asian bird migration route, and it attracts many transiting, wintering, or breeding birds to inhabit and live on the reefs every year. In order to understand the compositions of plant communities as a breeding habitat for seabirds, we investigated the plant communities of the eight reefs. A total of 130 plots of 10 × 10 square meters were established, from which we found 107 species of plants in 102 genera and 51 families. Among this, we found one critically endangered (CR) species, four vulnerable (VU) species, and three near-threatened (NT) species. The result of two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) and indicator value (IndVal) showed 130 samples were divided into 11 vegetation types; most of the vegetation types had significant indicator species. We also use the two-way to present the plot of detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) by vegetation types and reefs. Moreover, this result reveals that these samples were more clearly cluster divided by islands. Our results reveal that the compositions and characteristics of plant communities were related clearly to the environmental factors for each reef in the Matsu Islands Tern Refuge. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated that species composition of vegetation yielded high correlation with soil property, especially with soil pH. In addition, we found that the traces of bird activity is relevant to the characteristics and structures of plant communities. We found that the plant communities comprising low-grass shrubs would provide relatively soft nesting materials and sheltering effects for eggs or hatchlings for terns. Compared to low-grass shrubs, the traits of high-grass shrubs would not be beneficial to nest for breeding of terns on the ground, and no nested trace was found in these plant communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sicilian wetlands (Italy) are seriously threatened by human activities and ongoing climate change. The loss of these wetlands as migratory stepping stones could severely hamper the migratory flow of many bird species along the central Mediterranean. Targeted actions for the conservation of the avifauna require thorough knowledge of the utilization that waterbirds make of these habitats. Aiming to inform planning for more satisfactory bird habitat management and bird diversity preservation along the Mediterranean migratory bird flyway, in this study, we inventoried the avian metacommunity of the coastal wetlands in Sicily during the most critical period of the year (July–September) and used a multilevel analytical framework to explore the spatiotemporal dynamics in bird species assemblages. We recorded 73 bird species, of which almost 90% were migratory and 30 belonged to Annex I of the Birds Directive. At the metacommunity level, we found that all the biodiversity metrics were low in July and approximately doubled in the successive sampling sessions (August–September), where they showed little if any change. At the community level, we detected two main clusters of wetlands with regard to species richness, of which one (wetlands Baronello, Gela, Gornalunga, and Roveto) was characterized by higher levels of species richness in nearly all the sampling dates. The pattern of species richness in the Sicilian wetlands was most similar between the first and second half of August, while July was very dissimilar from all the other sampling dates. At the guild level, we found a significant increase during July–September in the number of the species belonging to the "Mediterranean" migration guild and the "divers from the surface" and "surface feeders" foraging guilds. At the species level, we detected a significant temporal sequence of the occurrence of waterbird species: two species were only early dwellers in July, ten species were only late dwellers in September, and twenty-six species made use of the Sicilian wetlands all summer long. The spatial distribution of the waterbird species differed significantly between any pair of sampling dates. Overall, the Little Grebe, the Spotted Redshank, and the Little Tern were the bird species with the highest site infidelity; by contrast, the Black Stork, the Broad-billed Sandpiper, the European Golden Plover, the Common Shelduck, and the Black-necked Grebe changed their spatial distribution among wetlands the least during July–September. Our study allowed us to detect (1) the wetlands and (2) the waterbird species to which the priority for conservation should be assigned, as well as (3) the exact time span during July–September when conservation measures should be mandatory, and not only advisable. These results provide a broader insight of the space–time patterns in bird species assembly in the coastal wetlands of Sicily during the critical summer period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During spring migration, nocturnal migrants attempt to minimize their travel time to reach their breeding grounds early. However, how they behave and respond to unfavourable conditions during their springtime travels is much less understood. In this study, we reveal the effects of atmospheric factors on nocturnal bird migration under adverse conditions during spring and autumn, based on one of the most detailed bird migration studies globally, using radar data from 13 deployments over a period of seven years (2014–2020) in the Levant region. Using ERA5 reanalysis data, we found that migratory birds maintain similar ground speeds in both autumn and spring migrations, but during spring, when encountering unfavourable winds, they put more effort into maintaining their travel speed by increasing self-powered airspeed by 18%. Moreover, we report for the first time that spring migrants showed less selectivity to wind conditions and migrated even under unfavourable headwind and crosswind conditions. Interestingly, we discovered that temperature was the most important weather parameter, such that warm weather substantially increased migration intensities in both seasons. Our results enhance our understanding of bird migration over the Levant region, one of the world's largest and most important migration flyways, and the factors controlling it. This information is essential for predicting bird migration, which—especially under the ongoing anthropogenic changes—is of high importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Placing wind turbines within large migration flyways, such as the North Sea basin, can contribute to the decline of vulnerable migratory bird populations by increasing mortality through collisions. Curtailment of wind turbines limited to short periods with intense migration can minimize these negative impacts, and near‐term bird migration forecasts can inform such decisions. Although near‐term forecasts are usually created with long‐term datasets, the pace of environmental alteration due to wind energy calls for the urgent development of conservation measures that rely on existing data, even when it does not have long temporal coverage.Here, we use 5 years of tracking bird radar data collected off the western Dutch coast, weather and phenological variables to develop seasonal near‐term forecasts of low‐altitude nocturnal bird migration over the southern North Sea.Overall, the models explained 71% of the variance and correctly predicted migration intensity above or below a threshold for intense hourly migration in more than 80% of hours in both seasons. However, the percentage of correctly predicted intense migration hours (top 5% of hours with the most intense migration) was low, likely due to the short‐term dataset and their rare occurrence. We, therefore, advise careful consideration of a curtailment threshold to achieve optimal results.Synthesis and applications: Near‐term forecasts of migration fluxes evaluated against measurements can be used to define curtailment thresholds for offshore wind energy. We show that to minimize collision risk for 50% of migrants, if predicted correctly, curtailments should be applied during 18 h in spring and 26 in autumn in the focal year of model assessments, resulting in an estimated annual wind energy loss of 0.12%. Drawing from the Dutch curtailment framework, which pioneered the 'international first' offshore curtailment, we argue that using forecasts developed from limited temporal datasets alongside expert insight and data‐driven policies can expedite conservation efforts in a rapidly changing world. This approach is particularly valuable in light of increasing interannual variability in weather conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary is a Ramsar site located in Haryana, India, which falls in the Central Asian flyway zone of the migratory birds. Its diverse ecological resources sustain a rich diversity of migratory and threatened birds. The species diversity, threat status, population trend and feeding guild of the avifauna in Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary, Haryana, India, was explored from October 2021 to October 2023. The data was collected every fortnightly using the line transects method. A total of 129 bird species belonging to 98 genera, 47 families and 17 orders were recorded. Order Passeriformes, with 45 species in 20 families, dominated the avifauna, followed by Anseriformes with 16 species, Charadriformes with 12 species and the rest of 15 orders. Anatidae was the most dominant family representing 12.40% (n=16). Among the reported species, 81 were residents, 36 were winter migrants and, 10 were summer migrants and 2 were passage migrants. One species was endangered and vulnerable in the threat status, while six were classified as near threatened as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (INUC) Red List, 2022. The bird sanctuary also supported 35 bird species with a declining population trend globally. The omnivorous and carnivorous feeding habits were equally dominant, followed by insectivorous and, nectarivorous and herbivorous birds, which were the least numerous. The presence of both resident and migrant birds of global conservation priority confirms the importance and conservation of Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary as a rich avifauna diversity habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) present significant threats to both animal and human health through their potential for cross-species transmission and global spread. Clade 2.3.4.4 H5Nx highly pathogenic avian IAVs initially emerged in East Asia between 2013 and 2014. Since then, they have spread to Europe, Africa, and America via migratory bird flyways. However, beyond viral transmission primarily facilitated by migratory birds, the potential involvement of other intermediate factors for virus transmission remains poorly investigated. This study aimed to investigate the role of wild rodents as intermediary hosts in the ecology of avian IAVs in Gyeonggi province, South Korea. By capturing and analyzing 189 wild rodents near poultry farms and migratory bird habitats in 2013 and 2014 and employing serological assays and virus isolation techniques, we found no evidence of IAV infection among these populations. Our results suggest that wild rodents may not significantly contribute to the transmission dynamics of IAVs within these regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The Sicilian wetlands (Italy) witness the migration of millions of birds every year. The anthropic exploitation of these wetlands, along with the exacerbation of climate variables, could soon prevent the occurrence of many waterbird species, especially in summer, and is already impacting their abundance. Our study delivers scientifically supported planning strategies to assist with preserving and restoring the avian diversity of the Sicilian wetlands and provide wetland managers with an effective methodological framework to step down their regional-scale approach to allow for the place-based planning of existing and project wetlands. In this study, we (a) formulated a general hypothesis about how wetland (functional and structural) traits influence avian diversity, (b) turned this hypothesis into a non-parametric Bayesian network, (c) disentangled the direct and indirect effects of the variables influencing waterbird species, and (d) simulated the changes expected to the levels of avian diversity as a result of numerous counterfactual and management scenarios. We applied our framework to the Sicilian wetlands as a whole; then, we downscaled simulations locally to a wetland of particular interest (Pantano Bruno). We found that (1) waterbird species are highly sensitive to wetland traits; (2) wetland traits have both direct and indirect effects upon alpha avian diversity; (3) the direct and indirect effects of wetland traits can be contrasting; (4) water level fluctuations (benefit), diversions (cost), and salinity (cost) are key factors for waterbird conservation; (5) these wetlands have the potential for hosting a level of alpha avian diversity that is double the baseline (from 19 to 38 species); (6) these wetlands are prone to ecological collapse if all traits deteriorate (from 19 to 6 species per wetland); and (7) the ecological information gained at the regional scale can be properly downscaled to the local scale to make inferences on single wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although some molecular epidemiological surveys on avian haemosporidian protozoa have been conducted in Turkey, it is of great importance to increase the number of studies on the subject in this country, which has important bird migration routes between Europe and Africa. Hatay province, which is the intersection point of many bird migration routes in the intercontinental crossing, is a very suitable geographical location for the investigation of avian haemosporidian protozoa in a wide variety of bird species that use it as a route. Therefore, this study was planned to survey Haemoproteus spp., Plasmodium spp., and Leucocytozoon spp. in migratory birds sampled from this province. The animal material of the study consisted of Ciconia ciconia (Ciconiformes, n:45), Ichthyaetus melanocephalus (Charadriiformes, n:2), Pelecanus onocrotalus (Pelecaniformes, n:5) and Pelecanus crispus (Pelecaniformes, n:1). Microscopic examinations revealed Haemoproteus spp. gametocytes (5.66%) in one white stork and two Mediterranean gulls. On the other hand, nested PCR assay targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome b (Cytb) gene revealed the presence of Plasmodium/Haemoproteus spp. in 11.3% (6/53) of migratory birds. Leucocytozoon spp. was not detected by either microscopy or PCR. PCRpositive products were sequenced bi-directionally, and the GenBank and MalAvi databases were used for phylogenetic analysis and lineage identification of the isolates. This study revealed H-MYCAME08 lineage (OR227579, OR227580, OR227581, OR227582) in Ciconia ciconia and H-LARCRA01 [H. (Parahaemoproteus) larae] lineage (OR227577, OR227578) in Ichthyaetus melanocephalus, respectively. There are no studies investigating the haemosporidian parasites of these birds in Turkey, and studies on haemosporidian parasites of these species in different countries are also limited. Although the Haemoproteus MYCAME08 Cytb lineage has been demonstrated in ciconiform birds (Ciconidae) and the LARCRA01 lineage in charadriiform birds (Laridae), this study is unique in terms of reporting these lineages in different species in the same families. Inspired by this, we envisage that the expanding host range of Cytb lineages of haemosporidian protozoa is an indication that there is still a long way to go with avian haemosporidian protozoa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The green-up of vegetation in spring brings a pulse of food resources that many animals track during migration. However, green-up phenology is changing with climate change, posing an immense challenge for species that time their migrations to coincide with these resource pulses. We evaluated changes in green-up phenology from 2002 to 2021 in relation to the migrations of 150 Western-Hemisphere bird species using eBird citizen science data. We found that green-up phenology has changed within bird migration routes, and yet the migrations of most species align more closely with long-term averages of green-up than with current conditions. Changing green-up strongly influenced phenological mismatches, especially for longer-distance migrants. These results reveal that bird migration may have limited flexibility to adjust to changing vegetation phenology and emphasize the mounting challenge migratory animals face in following en route resources in a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) has impacted poultry and wild birds globally. The number of H5 HPAI virus (HPAIV) infection cases in wild birds in Hokkaido (Northern Japan) was high in the last two seasons, contributing to virus spillover to resident birds and poultry. Therefore, H5 HPAIVs in birds and mammals in Hokkaido in winter 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 were monitored and viruses were phylogenetically, antigenically, and pathogenetically characterized. Thirty HPAIV isolates were subtyped and pathotyped by sequencing the hemagglutinin (HA) gene of viruses. Phylogenetic analysis of the HA gene revealed that all isolated HPAIVs were categorized into clade 2.3.4.4b and divided into three groups (G2b, G2c, and G2d). Most isolates belonging to subgroup G2d clustered with isolates in winter 2021–2022 in Hokkaido. The other isolates were categorized into two subgroups, G2b and G2c, mainly composed of isolates in Honshu Island in winter 2021–2022 and 2022–2023, respectively. Two H5 HPAIVs isolated in Eastern Russia in spring and autumn 2022 were genetically close to most Hokkaido isolates (G2d), and a virus isolated in Hokkaido in November 2023 was also grouped in subgroup G2d. Further analysis of all eight gene segments identified six types of gene constellations. Cross-hemagglutination inhibition test indicated that the antigenicity of H5 HPAIVs isolated in the last several seasons was similar within them but slightly different from that in the 2010s. Three chicken breeds were intranasally challenged with four representative isolates to assess their pathogenicity. All chickens except one broiler chicken were dead until 5-day postchallenge with different pathogenicity of these viruses. The pathogenicity of one HPAIV strain was significantly lower in broiler chickens than in layer chickens. The mixture of multiple characteristics of HPAIVs in Hokkaido was confirmed by bird migration routes. Thus, many HPAIVs can be brought and scattered anywhere on Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: West Nile virus (WNV) infection is a viral disease caused by arboviruses. It can cause epidemics of febrile diseases and meningoencephalitis, especially at the end of the summer season. In this study, we aimed to determine the risk factors of WNV encephalitis with a case–control study of the patients followed in our clinic. Materials and Methods: Among the patients who applied to our hospital with sudden onset fever, headache, myalgia, nausea, vomiting, maculopapular rash, viral meningitis, or encephalitis findings in late summer and early autumn, those diagnosed with positive WNV PCR and antibody tests were defined as WNV cases. In the same date range, patients with clinically compatible but negative serological and PCR tests for WNV in our hospital were considered as the control group. Results: WNV infection was diagnosed in 26 of 48 patients who were examined with a preliminary diagnosis of WNV infection, and the other 22 patients were considered as the control group. A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, 1-h erythrocyte sedimentation rate, alkaline phosphatase, platelet, and platelet distribution width (PDW). PDW >17.85% indicated WNV infection with 82% sensitivity and 91% specificity. PDW percentage >17.85 increased the risk of WNV infection by 6.1 times. The power of the study was calculated as 83%. Conclusion: The most common findings in WNV cases were fever and confusion. WNV infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with fever and confusion in September and October in settlements on the migration route of birds. The percentage of PDW in whole blood examination can guide the differential diagnosis of WNV cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important migratory bird habitat along the East Asian-Australasian route, the coastal wetlands along the Yellow Sea have experienced significant human losses and threats due to the impact of wind farms. In this study, the radar data was adopted to examine and analyse the spatial and temporal changes of the human-made characteristic areas that caused the change of the migration route of birds in the Yellow Sea from 2015 to 2022. The results show that the areas of impact zones in the study area on water of the Yellow Sea, during the last 8 years, increased 14 times, from 35.7 km2 to 506.3 km2. The areas of impact zones in the study area on land, during the last 8 years, increased almost two times, from 303.4 km2 to 544.2 km2, which also has a serious impact on the number of migratory birds. Therefore, China should carefully evaluate the impact and potential threat of domestic wind farms under operation and construction on birds and other wildlife, and provide scientific solutions for the site selection of new wind farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2020, clade 2.3.4.4b highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 and H5N1 viruses have swept through continents, posing serious threats to the world. Through comprehensive analyses of epidemiological, genetic, and bird migration data, we found that the dominant genotype replacement of the H5N8 viruses in 2020 contributed to the H5N1 outbreak in the 2021/2022 wave. The 2020 outbreak of the H5N8 G1 genotype instead of the G0 genotype produced reassortment opportunities and led to the emergence of a new H5N1 virus with G1's HA and MP genes. Despite extensive reassortments in the 2021/2022 wave, the H5N1 virus retained the HA and MP genes, causing a significant outbreak in Europe and North America. Furtherly, through the wild bird migration flyways investigation, we found that the temporal-spatial coincidence between the outbreak of the H5N8 G1 virus and the bird autumn migration may have expanded the H5 viral spread, which may be one of the main drivers of the emergence of the 2020-2022 H5 panzootic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wetlands of southwestern Siberia (SWS) are a crossroads of bird migration routes, bringing avian influenza (AIV) strains that were previously isolated in different regions of the continent to Siberia. It is known that Anseriformes that breed in SWS migrate for the winter to central Hindustan or further west, while their migration routes to southeast Asia (SEA) remain unconfirmed. Here, we mapped the molting sites of the migrating Common Teals (Anas crecca) via analyzing stable hydrogen isotope content in feathers of hunters' prey and supplemented the analysis with the genetic structure of viruses isolated from teals in the same region. Post-breeding molt of autumn teals most likely occurred within the study region, whereas probable pre-breeding molting grounds of spring teals were in the south of Hindustan. This link was supported by viral phylogenetic analysis, which showed a close relationship between SWS isolates and viruses from south and southeast Asia. Most viral segments have the highest genetic similarity and the closest phylogenetic relationships with viruses from teal wintering areas in southeast Asian countries, including India and Korea. We assume that the winter molt of SWS breeding teals on the Hindustan coast suggests contacts with the local avifauna, including species migrating along the coast to SEA. Perhaps this is one of the vectors of AIV transmission within Eurasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: West Nile virus (WNV) outbreaks in birds, humans, and livestock have occurred in multiple areas in Europe and have had a significant impact on animal and human health. The patterns of emergence and spread of WNV in Europe are very different from those in the US and understanding these are important for guiding preparedness activities. Methods: We mapped the evolution and spread history of WNV in Europe by incorporating viral genome sequences and epidemiological data into phylodynamic models. Spatially explicit phylogeographic models were developed to explore the possible contribution of different drivers to viral dispersal direction and velocity. A "skygrid-GLM" approach was used to identify how changes in environments would predict viral genetic diversity variations over time. Findings: Among the six lineages found in Europe, WNV-2a (a sub-lineage of WNV-2) has been predominant (accounting for 73% of all sequences obtained in Europe that have been shared in the public domain) and has spread to at least 14 countries. In the past two decades, WNV-2a has evolved into two major co-circulating clusters, both originating from Central Europe, but with distinct dynamic history and transmission patterns. WNV-2a spreads at a high dispersal velocity (88km/yr–215 km/yr) which is correlated to bird movements. Notably, amongst multiple drivers that could affect the spread of WNV, factors related to land use were found to strongly influence the spread of WNV. Specifically, the intensity of agricultural activities (defined by factors related to crops and livestock production, such as coverage of cropland, pasture, cultivated and managed vegetation, livestock density) were positively associated with both spread direction and velocity. In addition, WNV spread direction was associated with high coverage of wetlands and migratory bird flyways. Conclusion: Our results suggest that—in addition to ecological conditions favouring bird- and mosquito- presence—agricultural land use may be a significant driver of WNV emergence and spread. Our study also identified significant gaps in data and the need to strengthen virological surveillance in countries of Central Europe from where WNV outbreaks are likely seeded. Enhanced monitoring for early detection of further dispersal could be targeted to areas with high agricultural activities and habitats of migratory birds. Author summary: Evidence for the drivers for West Nile virus (WNV) dispersal has been not clear in Europe. Here, we have comprehensively described the dispersal history of the currently predominant WNV lineage in Europe and estimated the contribution of key drivers of spread between and within countries. By fitting several phylodynamic and phylogeographic models, we found that 1) WNV in Europe has a greater lineage diversity than in other regions of the world. 2) Agricultural intensity had the greatest impact on both WNV spread direction and velocity. 3) WNV spread direction was specifically associated with urbanization and bird habitats. 4) Climate change and bio-diversity changes predicted viral genetic diversity over time. Our study revealed that to enhance preparedness for potential outbreaks, it is important to further define these drivers, and increase sampling for WNV in areas that appear to be a source of WNV in other countries in Europe, as well as in regions with known risk factors but where WNV has not yet been detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenological responses to climate change frequently vary among trophic levels, which can result in increasing asynchrony between the peak energy requirements of consumers and the availability of resources. Migratory birds use multiple habitats with seasonal food resources along migration flyways. Spatially heterogeneous climate change could cause the phenology of food availability along the migration flyway to become desynchronized. Such heterogeneous shifts in food phenology could pose a challenge to migratory birds by reducing their opportunity for food availability along the migration path and consequently influencing their survival and reproduction. We develop a novel graph‐based approach to quantify this problem and deploy it to evaluate the condition of the heterogeneous shifts in vegetation phenology for 16 migratory herbivorous waterfowl species in Asia. We show that climate change‐induced heterogeneous shifts in vegetation phenology could cause a 12% loss of migration network integrity on average across all study species. Species that winter at relatively lower latitudes are subjected to a higher loss of integrity in their migration network. These findings highlight the susceptibility of migratory species to climate change. Our proposed methodological framework could be applied to migratory species in general to yield an accurate assessment of the exposure under climate change and help to identify actions for biodiversity conservation in the face of climate‐related risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report 4 highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4.b viruses in samples collected during June 2023 from Royal terns and Cabot's terns in Brazil. Phylodynamic analysis revealed viral movement from Peru to Brazil, indicating a concerning spread of this clade along the Atlantic Americas migratory bird flyway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a list of books received between January 2023 and May 2024 in the field of conservation biology. The books cover a wide range of topics, including ornithology, conservation journeys, data analysis, academic poster design, biodiversity conservation, and more. The books come from various publishers and authors from around the world. [Extracted from the article]

[Display omitted] • The invasion of false carmine cochineal (Dactylopius opuntiae) threatens cactus pear in the Mediterranean. • Introducing Hyperaspis trifurcata reduced cochineal populations in Israel, but often too late to prevent major damage. • Accelerated establishment of H. trifurcata in new hotspots and a "predator-prey dual introduction" approach helped protect cactus pear. • Cochineal's rapid spread in the West Mediterranean vs. limited spread in the East highlights the need for similar biological control steps. • Bird phoresy likely accelerates cochineal spread; similar controls in Tunisia could prevent acclimatization in Sicily and further north along bird migration routes. The invasion of false carmine cochineal Dactylopius opuntiae (Cockerell) (Hemiptera; Dactylopiidae) in the Mediterranean region presents a serious threat to cactus pear cultivation. The cochineal was first identified in Israel in 2013, and it soon became clear that biological control is the only long-term solution to protect the cactus pear Opuntia ficus-indica. Releases of the introduced predatory beetle Hyperaspis trifurcata Schaeffer (Coleoptera; Coccinellidae) began in 2016, demonstrating high efficacy and leading to a decline in cochineal populations and plant survival. While H. trifurcata can autonomously reach new cochineal hotspots, it often arrives too late to prevent substantial damage to cactus pear. Human intervention is therefore necessary to expedite the predator's establishment in new infested sites. To facilitate the spread of the beetle, we consider two approaches: transferring beetle seeding stocks from northern locations through a volunteer network organized by the research team, and applying the 'predator – prey dual introduction' concept to preemptively mitigate new hotspots expected to emerge as the cochineal spreads southward via winds or birds. These activities have led to a major decrease in the rate of spread of the cochineal population in the East Mediterranean, and in the damage that it inflicts to cactus pear hedgerows. Implementing a similar approach in North Africa can prevent or slow the spread of the cochineal to the northern coast of the central Mediterranean and avoid the heavy damage experienced in Morocco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of stopover locations for migratory birds and the need for conservation efforts to protect these habitats. It focuses on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF), which is one of the most threatened migratory bird flyways in the world. The Yellow Sea and Bohai Gulf region, located along the EAAF, are crucial stopover sites for many shorebird species, but they are experiencing habitat loss and degradation. The article emphasizes the need to understand and protect these stopover locations to ensure the survival of migratory bird populations. [Extracted from the article]

Although geolocator tracking of small passerines has become commonplace in the last two decades, this tool is still underutilized for gathering natural history data of migration in many species. Common Whitethroat (Curruca communis) is one of the most numerous Afro-Palearctic migrants. However, our knowledge of the species’ migration ecology remains limited. Here, we combine ring-recovery analyses with geolocator tracking to describe migration routes and population-specific non-breeding areas in this long-distance migrant. Linkages between breeding, passage and non-breeding areas based on ring-recovery records revealed a strong correlation in longitudes, indicating parallel migration system and population-specific non-breeding grounds in whitethroats. Migration route simulation using EURING data suggested a possible migratory divide in Central Europe in autumn, while broad front migration across the Mediterranean occurs in spring. Geolocator-tracked whitethroats from Czechia (Central Europe) and Latvia (North-eastern Europe) migrated to non-breeding sites in Central Africa, where they first resided in the Sahel region before moving farther to a second non-breeding site in November/December. Major stopovers were associated with crossing of ecological barriers. A single Latvian bird with a repeat track showed similar migration patterns in both years, possibly visiting the same non-breeding sites in consecutive years. Both ringing and tracking data revealed clockwise loop migration between breeding and non-breeding sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-induced direct mortality affects huge numbers of birds each year, threatening hundreds of species worldwide. Tracking technologies can be an important tool to investigate temporal and spatial patterns of bird mortality as well as their drivers. We compiled 1704 mortality records from tracking studies across the African-Eurasian flyway for 45 species, including raptors, storks, and cranes, covering the period from 2003 to 2021. Our results show a higher frequency of human-induced causes of mortality than natural causes across taxonomic groups, geographical areas, and age classes. Moreover, we found that the frequency of human-induced mortality remained stable over the study period. From the human-induced mortality events with a known cause (n = 637), three main causes were identified: electrocution (40.5 %), illegal killing (21.7 %), and poisoning (16.3 %). Additionally, combined energy infrastructure-related mortality (i.e., electrocution, power line collision, and wind-farm collision) represented 49 % of all human-induced mortality events. Using a random forest model, the main predictors of human-induced mortality were found to be taxonomic group, geographic location (latitude and longitude), and human footprint index value at the location of mortality. Despite conservation efforts, human drivers of bird mortality in the African-Eurasian flyway do not appear to have declined over the last 15 years for the studied group of species. Results suggest that stronger conservation actions to address these threats across the flyway can reduce their impacts on species. In particular, projected future development of energy infrastructure is a representative example where application of planning, operation, and mitigation measures can enhance bird conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Discuss the ideal focal species from the perspective of habitat preference. • Explore wading birds' substitute potential to represent broader bird biodiversity. • Consider habitat preference in both ecological source selection and resistance surface design. • The EN4 for wading birds is the most cost-effective and potentially fits all birds. • The ES4 exhibits a remarkable overlap with the ECR and PBF. Focal species play a crucial role in planning ecological networks (ENs). Despite the finding that ENs designed for a specific focal species can yield benefits for associated communities, current practices of applying individual focal species have faced criticism for oversimplifying intricate ecosystems. Besides, the aggregation of ENs for individual species has been demonstrated as ineffective and costly. To improve cost-effectiveness, species with similar habitat preferences are typically conserved using shared strategies. Thus, drawing from the habitat preference of wading birds for blue and green spaces, we hypothesized that an EN for wading birds may benefit co-existing water and forest birds that prefer blue or green spaces. To validate this hypothesis, we conducted our study in the Yangtze River Delta's Ecological Green Integration Demonstration Zone. We simulated six scenarios S1-S6 to compare the cost-effectiveness of focal species networks, respectively for water, forest, and wading birds in the S2-S4, with the aggregate networks in the S5-S6. During ENs' construction, we employed the InVEST Habitat Quality model, MSPA, MCR model, and Linkage Mapper Tools. Furthermore, we selected the most cost-effective EN by calculating six ENs' connectivity-cost ratio (CCr index) and ranked the conservation priority for its sources and corridors. The results showed that the EN4 ranked highest in the CCr index and displayed a high conservation efficiency for all bird species. 93.41% of primary ES4 and 42.46% of secondary ES4 overlapped with the ecological conservation redline and the permanent basic farmland and could be well protected under current statutory planning. Our findings confirm that wading birds are the ideal focal species in EN planning for broader bird conservation in the context of the Yangtze River Delta. The constructed regional EN could contribute to establishing a linkage with the supra-regional EN and the world's major bird migration flyway. Moreover, our cost-effective approach to bird conservation could provide new insights for targeting focal species from the perspective of habitat preference in multi-species EN planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High genetic diversity and differentiation were observed in populations of Artemia urmiana species complex. • Asymmetrical gene flow and an evolutionary source-sink dynamics were founded among populations. • Dispersal of Artemia seems to be biased towards from north to south and/or from higher altitude to lower altitude. Bird-mediated dispersal of resting eggs is the main mechanism for Artemia dispersal among catchments. The bisexual populations of Artemia urmiana species complex, which is here considered to be a collection of Artemia genetically close to the so-called "Western Asian Lineage", are mostly distributed in central and western Asia (i.e., in regions falling into the Central Asian Flyway of migratory birds) and live in diversified habitats. Little is known about the genetic relationships among these populations. Aiming to understand the population genetic characteristics and the roles of migratory birds on the dispersal and gene flow of this Artemia group, we evaluated the genetic diversity, genetic differentiation, and gene flow among 14 populations, with their altitudes ranging from 540 to 4870 m above sea level, using 13 microsatellite markers. Almost all populations exhibited high genetic diversity and heterozygote excess, which may be a consequence of combined effects of dispersal and hybridization. The global genetic differentiation (F ST) value was 0.092, the pairwise F ST values were 0.003–0.246. Discriminant analysis of principal components identified three genetic clusters, consisting of Urmia Lake (Iran), Zhundong (Xinjiang, China), and 12 Qinghai-Tibet Plateau populations, respectively. The among-population genetic differentiation seems to be a consequence of isolation by distance and adaptation to diversified habitats induced by altitudinal gradient. Historical gene flows are asymmetrical, and show an evolutionary source-sink dynamics, with Jingyu Lake (Xinjiang, China) population being the major source. These results support our hypothesis that in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and surrounding areas the bird-mediated dispersal of Artemia may be biased towards from north to south and/or from higher altitude to lower altitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We established a cooperative networking across 12 East and central Asian countries. • We identified five genera of ticks from wild and domestic animals. • Haemaphyslais and ixodes ticks were identified in birds. • Birds have a potential role in transmitting ticks and tick-borne pathogens. Tick-borne diseases have a significant impact on human and animal populations, posing an increasing threat to public health, particularly in the context of climate change. Along with the various natural hosts of ticks, birds play a notable role in transmitting ticks and tick-borne pathogens, indicating the importance of monitoring flyways and establishing a cooperative network for comprehensive surveillance and to collect diverse tick samples across various regions. This study aimed to develop an international network for surveillance of disease, collection of sufficient tick samples, and overall identification of the geographical distribution of host and ticks in Asian regions, especially in 11 countries on East Asian and Central Asian flyways. Ticks were collected from wild animals, domestic animals, and vegetation to identify the differences between Ixodid ticks and understand tick distribution. We collected a total 6,624 of ticks from 11 collaborating Asian countries, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia and Pakistan. We identified 17 host animals and 47 species of both residential and migratory birds. Ticks from birds collected from four countries (ROK, Japan, Hong Kong and Mongolia) belonged to two genera, Haemaphysalis and Ixodes , including Haemaphysalis (H.) longicornis, H. flava, H. concinna, H. hystricis, H. formosensis, Ixodes (I.) nipponensis and I. persulcatus. The potential of migratory birds to cross ecological barriers with ticks and tick-borne diseases indicated the need for further investigations to understand the migration of birds as potential vectors and the new influx of zoonotic diseases along migratory bird flyways. This study suggests the potential risk of spreading tick-borne diseases through birds, thus highlighting the importance of international cooperative networking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]