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Foot-propelled diving comprises the primary locomotion-based feeding strategy for many birds, including families such as Phalacrocoracidae, Anhingidae, Podicipedidae, Gaviidae, and the diving ducks within Anatidae. While the morphology of specialized divers is well known, the corresponding morphology is less known for birds not as specialized but capable of diving, such as the coots (Rallidae, Fulica spp.). To compare the osteology of Fulica with other (non-diving) Rallidae, and with foot-propelled diving birds that are distantly related, we considered osteological characters, as well as the proportion of the hind limb bones and the femoral splay angle to construct a phylomorphospace, and to perform a comparative disparity analysis considering ecomorphologically relevant characters related to swimming and diving. Coots resulted to be significantly disparate from other Rallidae showing many traits of specialized foot-propelled divers, but only noticeable when compared with other rallids, as the degree of development of these traits is markedly less than in loons, grebes, or cormorants. This may correspond to a stabilizing selection of characteristics associated with a generalist morphology in Fulica. Studying adaptation in generalist taxa broadens our understanding of ecomorphologically significant features, thereby enabling us to generalize their evolutionary patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2022 two new colonies of Pallid Swift Apus pallidus were found in Brig VS and Geneva. For the first time a Red Kite Milvus milvus bred in the canton Ticino. The populations of Greylag Goose Anser anser (124 broods), White Stork Ciconia ciconia (887 broods), Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (3438 broods), Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus (26 broods) und Short-toed Snake-eagle Circaetus gallicus (11 broods) have increased again in 2022. High breeding numbers were registered for Spotted Crake Porzana porzana (25 territories), Little Crake Zapornia parva (8 territories) und Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis (12 territories), a low number for Corncrake Crex crex (16 singing males). Rare breeding records or reports of territories were found for: Common Eider Somateria mollissima (2 broods), Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula (1 brood), Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca (1 brood), Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis (2 broods), Baillon's Crake Zapornia pusilla (1 territory), Eurasian Dotterel Eudromias morinellus (2 breeding pairs), Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago (1 territory), Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus (1 brood), Mew Gull L. canus (1 breeding pair), Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus (3 broods), Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon (1 territory), Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans (1 brood), Spectacled Warbler S. conspicillata (1 territory), Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris (5 territories) and Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola (1 territory). An Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea bred again together with a Common Tern S. hirundo. No territories were found for Grey Partridge Perdix perdix and Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birds foraging under water are collectively called diving birds. For example, the brown dipper, little grebe, common cormorant, tufted duck seen in rivers, ponds and lakes are classified into this category. Of course, penguins and shearwaters are typical of diving birds very familiar with us. High diving performance of the diving birds is expected to be useful for improving the performance of the current ships and developing new underwater vehicles. In this review article, the drag coefficient of the diving birds is introduced because it is one of key parameters for designing ships and underwater vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The populations of White Stork Ciconia ciconia, Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, Eurasian Scopsowl Otus scops, Short-toed Snake-eagle Circaetusgallicus and European Bee-eater Merops apiaster have increased again in 2021. High breeding numbers were registered for Spotted Crake Porzanaporzana (22 territories), Purple Heron Ardeapurpurea (15 pairs), Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis (11 territories) and Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus (52). Rare breeding records or reports of territories were found for: Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca (1), Common Teal Anas crecca (1), Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis (2), Eurasian Dotterel Eudromias morinellus (1), Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus (1 brood), Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus (3), Greenish Warbler Phylloscopus trochiloides (1 territory), Cetti's Warbler Cettia cetti (2), Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans (1) and Spectacled Warbler S. conspicillata (1). For the first time since its reintroduction, a pair of Bearded Vultures Gypaetus barbatus has nested in Ticino. The number of breeding records of Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina, Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula and Gadwall Anas strepera was considerably lower than in previous years. The Corncrake Crex crex population was very low. An Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea bred again together with a Common Tern S. hirundo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Cretaceous Hesperornithiformes are an extinct group of aquatic birds long recognized to have practiced foot-propelled diving. This specialization is seen today in a number of modern avian families (loons, grebes, cormorants, and some ducks) that have convergently derived a diving lifestyle. Historically, hesperornithiforms have usually been compared to modern loons and grebes as analogues. However, these comparisons are based on qualitative observations of skeletal morphology and have never been tested using morphometric data. Studying the morphological details underlying this functional convergence provides an opportunity to better understand the lifestyle of the extinct Hesperornithiformes, particularly in regard to adaptations for foot-propelled diving and ecological niches these birds may have occupied. This study presents a morphometric analysis of the hindlimb of hesperornithiforms and modern foot-propelled diving birds. Measurements were collected from the tarsometatarsus, tibiotarsus, and femur of eight genera of modern birds and six genera of hesperornithiforms. In order to explore variation within the data, a number of different combinations of measurements (for example, tarsometatarsus and tibiotarsus, or tibiotarsus and femur) were subjected to principal components analyses (PCA). The primary reason for investigating the data in different subsets was to increase taxonomic inclusion among the fossil specimens, where missing data was the largest impediment to the study. Results of this study show that hesperornithiforms rarely shared morphospace with loons or grebes, but more often did share morphospace with cormorants and diving ducks. Therefore, loons and grebes may not serve as the most appropriate analogue for the Hesperornithiformes. Use of these sorts of analyses, in conjunction with detailed morphological work, may enhance our understanding of the evolution of complex ecological strategies and niche partitioning among birds and other organisms. Highlights • PCAs reveal that Hesperornithiformes rarely overlap in morphospace with loons and grebes. • Hesperornithiforms share a mosaic of similarities with modern foot-propelled diving birds. • Hesperornithiforms are most similar in terms of hindlimb morphology and environment to cormorants. • Cormorants are a more appropriate modern analogue for hesperornithiforms than loons or grebes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to determine the concentrations of nonylphenols (NPs) and 4-t-octylphenol (4tOP) in the muscles, liver, and kidneys of selected waterbird species. Three species with different feeding habits were selected, i.e., greater scaup (Aythya marila), great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus), and great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) to investigate the potential effects of diet on the level of contaminants tested. The determination and quantification of analytes were performed using gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS). The highest NP concentrations were noted in the kidneys of greater scaups and great crested grebes (208.3 and 160.8 μg kg−1 ww, resp.), which were six to fourteen-fold higher than those in the muscles (15.0 and 25.6 μg kg−1 ww, resp.) and livers (22.9 and 13.8 μg kg−1 ww, resp.) of these species. In greater scaups, the mean concentration of NPs in the livers was lower than in the muscles, while in great crested grebes, it was the opposite and higher concentrations were noted in the muscles. The mean concentrations of NPs in the muscles and livers of great cormorants were at similarly low levels (12.5 and 9.7 μg kg−1 ww, resp.). The concentrations of 4tOP in all samples were low, ranging from

The levels of 16 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were measured in egg samples of the great cormorant, great-crested grebe, grey heron, little egret, black-crowned night heron and in their prey being bleak, roach, pumpkinseed, goldfish and frogs from Lake Kerkini, NE Greece. Concentrations of most OCPs differed among most bird and prey species. DDTs predominated in all species, contributing to about 80% of the total OCPs in most sample types. Moving up the food chain, the relative contribution of DDTs increased whereas of ∑HCHs and ∑Cycls (cyclodienes) decreased. Regarding trophic transfer, all OCPs exhibited bioconcentration but, in contrast, compounds such as Υ-HCH, endrin, heptachlor, heptachlor hepoxide, α-, β-endosulfan and endosulfan sulfate showed low or no biomagnification. No correlations were found between either bioaccumulation (BAF) or biomagnification factors (BMF) and lipid content of biota. Nevertheless, there was a significant relationship between logKow (the octanol-water partition coefficient) and BAF of all OCPs. OCP bioaccumulation patterns at Lake Kerkini are probably governed by the chemical properties of compounds and their metabolic ways in biota. The levels of OCPs were too low to have adverse biological effects to the waterbirds. The great cormorant, pumpkinseed and Rana frogs are suggested as the most suitable bioindicators for monitoring OCPs at Lake Kerkini due to the highest concentrations of most compounds and showing the greatest bioaccumulative properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury in the liver and breast feathers of the Common Cormorant, and in three species of Grebes from the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, were determined. The Common Cormorant had significantly more mercury in its tissues (liver: 8.5 ± 1.5; feather 8 ± 1 mg/kg dry weight) than Grebes (Great Crested Grebe: 3 ± 0.5, 8 ± 1.5; Black-necked Grebe: 3 ± 0.5, 5.5 ± 1; Little Grebe 2.5 ± 0.5, 4 ± 0.5). Unlike Common Cormorants, Grebes had less mercury in the liver than in breast feathers. Mercury in the Common Cormorant was not different between 2002 and 2008 collections. The mercury threshold for adverse effects is currently 5 ppm, which was exceeded by all but Little Grebes in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]