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The peak-and-decline in the density of eastern populations of Ground Parrot (Pezoporus wallicus) with increasing time since fire is one of the best-documented post-fire responses of any Australian animal. However, existing studies have typically shown this relationship within a set of sites highly likely to be occupied by Ground Parrots, rather than demonstrating that fire history affects whether a site is occupied. This paper describes a landscape-scale, targeted survey of Ground Parrots at 80 heathland sites between Marlo and Mallacoota, Victoria. Selection of sites was stratified by combinations of time since fire and modelled predictions of the distribution of Ground Parrots. All sites were sampled 10 times in late 2013 using automated sound recorders, and a subset of 23 sites had at least one traditional, observer-based physical survey. Both time since fire and the species-distribution model were significantly associated with the probability of Ground Parrots occupying a site. The most parsimonious occupancy model was applied to two earlier datasets from the study area, and provided indirect evidence for an inferred decline in Ground Parrot occupancy in recent decades. Landscape modelling of the expected total area occupied by Ground Parrots between 1979 and 2013 suggested a strong peak would have occurred in the late 1990s; suitability of habitat over much of the landscape is now declining. Finally, given that many Australian fauna species are responsive to fire, this study shows that assumptions behind the management of such species can be tested efficiently by combining legacy datasets and literature with contemporary data collection and modelling methods.

Migratory birds spend a large proportion of their lives within non-breeding habitats. However, knowledge of how they respond to variable winter resources is limited, especially for small migratory species. Citizen science programs provide an effective way to collect data on small migrants over large spatio-temporal scales. Here we present survey data for the Critically Endangered Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor) that were collected by hundreds of volunteers over 7 years across the species’ winter range. Swift Parrots were detected in 23% of the 4035 surveys. Linear mixed models were used to examine variation in Swift Parrot abundance and correlations with climate variables. During non-drought years Swift Parrots concentrated within Victorian habitats. However, when Victoria was in drought, the response of the birds depended on the extent of drought conditions throughout the winter range. Consecutive years of drought in Victoria resulted in the population migrating over 1000 km further to drought refuge habitat in New South Wales. This study provides a rare demonstration of the large spatio-temporal responses of a migratory bird population to extreme climate conditions across its winter range. It demonstrates both variable and repeated use of winter habitats, and highlights the need for conservation management at large spatio-temporal scales.

The sustainable and responsible exploitation of natural populations for subsistence requires a scientific basis for management. Eggs of the Endangered Northern Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes moseleyi) in the Tristan da Cunha archipelago have been harvested since the 19th century with no restrictions on which (A- or B-eggs) can be harvested, despite the larger B-egg being much more likely to produce fledged offspring. Our objective was to create a discriminant function to predict the laying order of harvested eggs. We found that the discriminant function of D = 0.58 × Length + 0.39 × Breadth –57.48 successfully classified 91% of eggs as A- or B-eggs. When applied to previously collected harvest data, the discriminant function identified at least 36% of eggs as B-eggs. The method we describe here provides a mechanism around which one aspect of a management framework for the sustainable harvest of Northern Rockhopper Penguin eggs can be built.

The modern avifauna of the Falkland Islands is well documented, but very little is known of the islands before the first recorded human settlement in 1764. Since then, peat was cut and used widely as fuel throughout the Falkland Islands until the late 20th century. From as early as the 1930s bones were noticed in peat deposits on West Point Island and were briefly documented in 1950. This paper provides a more detailed analysis of more recent focussed excavations of these subfossil remains. It summarises their known history and dates them at over 5000 years before present. Eighteen avian species are identified and comparison is made with the extant bird fauna of the Falkland Islands including the description of a new species of caracara (Aves: Falconidae: Phalcoboenus).

A new, apparently isolated subspecies of the Australian Ringneck Parrot (Barnardius zonarius) is described from the Upper Cooper Creek drainage in far north-eastern South Australia and neighbouring extreme south-western Queensland. If two species are recognised in Barnardius, this form would be a subspecies of B. barnardi. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A2083683-6FAE-4D3F-9B2A-BAA0C47AC8FF

Worldwide, most populations of migratory shorebirds are in jeopardy, none more so than those of the East Asian–Australasian Flyway (EAAF). In order to preserve these highly mobile species a detailed understanding of their use of feeding and resting sites along the flyway is required. In this study we used light-level geolocators and new analytical tools to reveal individual breeding locations and migration routes of 13 Sanderlings (Calidris alba) that spend their non-breeding season in South Australia. We then used these individual migration routes to identify the timing and location of important stopping areas and compared this with assessments based on resightings of leg-flagged birds and count data. During both northward and southward migration, Sanderlings were found to make extensive use of five main areas of the Chinese coastline, the Yellow Sea and the northern end of the Sakhalin Peninsula. Insights gained from the individual migration routes highlight inherent biases in using only count and resighting data to identify important feeding and resting sites along the Flyway. These findings suggest that data on individual movements may be crucial to effective conservation planning of shorebirds in the EAAF and elsewhere in the world.

Saemangeum, in the Republic of Korea (ROK, commonly called South Korea) was one of the most important shorebird staging sites in the Yellow Sea. It supported at least 330000 shorebirds annually between 1997 and 2001, including ~30% of the world population of Great Knots (Calidris tenuirostris) during both northward and southward migration. Construction of a 33-km long sea-wall was completed in April 2006. We show that shorebird numbers at Saemangeum and two adjacent wetlands decreased by 130000 during northward migration in the next two years and that all species have declined at Saemangeum since completion of the sea-wall. Great Knots were among the most rapidly affected species. Fewer than 5000 shorebirds were recorded at Saemangeum during northward migration in 2014. We found no evidence to suggest that most shorebirds of any species displaced from Saemangeum successfully relocated to other sites in the ROK. Instead, by 2011–13 nearly all species had declined substantially in the ROK since previous national surveys in 1998 and 2008, especially at more heavily reclaimed sites. It is likely that these declines were driven by increased mortality rather than movement to alternate staging sites given that other studies have shown concurrent declines in numbers and survival on the non-breeding grounds. This is the first study in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway to confirm declines of shorebirds at a range of geographical scales following a single reclamation project. The results indicate that if migratory shorebirds are displaced from major staging sites by reclamation they are probably unable to relocate successfully to alternate sites.

Decreases in shorebird populations are increasingly evident worldwide, especially in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). To arrest these declines, it is important to understand the scale of both the problem and the solutions. We analysed an expansive Australian citizen-science dataset, spanning the period 1973 to 2014, to explore factors related to differences in trends among shorebird populations in wetlands throughout Australia. Of seven resident Australian shorebird species, the four inland species exhibited continental decreases, whereas the three coastal species did not. Decreases in inland resident shorebirds were related to changes in availability of water at non-tidal wetlands, suggesting that degradation of wetlands in Australia's interior is playing a role in these declines. For migratory shorebirds, the analyses revealed continental decreases in abundance in 12 of 19 species, and decreases in 17 of 19 in the southern half of Australia over the past 15 years. Many trends were strongly associated with continental gradients in latitude or longitude, suggesting some large-scale patterns in the decreases, with steeper declines often evident in southern Australia. After accounting for this effect, local variables did not explain variation in migratory shorebird trends between sites. Our results are consistent with other studies indicating that decreases in migratory shorebird populations in the EAAF are most likely being driven primarily by factors outside Australia. This reinforces the need for urgent overseas conservation actions. However, substantially heterogeneous trends within Australia, combined with declines of inland resident shorebirds indicate effective management of Australian shorebird habitat remains important.

Migratory birds face serious time constraints in their life cycles. Species carry on their activities during optimal time windows to maximise their fitness. To understand the temporal patterns of migrating shorebirds, we analysed the pattern of turnover within shorebird communities during northward and southward migration at Chongming Dongtan, a stop-over site in the southern Yellow Sea along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. Results indicated that temporal patterns in shorebird communities differed between seasons. In the boreal spring, the rate of community turnover was initially slow, then increased rapidly midseason, and finally stabilised. In the boreal autumn, in contrast, the rate of community turnover kept constant. This suggests that shorebird species exhibited more temporal overlap in spring than in autumn, perhaps because time constraints are more severe at breeding than non-breeding grounds. The species sequence was strongly linked with breeding latitude: species that breed farther north occurred at the study site later than those that breed farther south on both northward and southward migration. Moreover, large species were more likely to arrive at the stop-over site early on northward (but not on southward) migration than small species. Integrated with the results from intraspecific studies, we propose that the timing of migration is closely related to the breeding latitude both among and within species.

The southward migration strategies of shorebirds remain poorly understood in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, yet understanding such strategies is critical to shorebird conservation. We estimate passage dates of 28 species of shorebird from count data at 15 sites to infer their migration strategies, using Thompson’s modelling approach. Our estimates of passage dates were consistent with available tracking data, giving us confidence that the modelled estimates were accurate. For large-bodied shorebirds, modelled departure dates from the northern Yellow Sea were similar to arrival dates throughout Australia, and their arrival dates in different regions in Australia were also similar, suggesting they flew directly from Asian staging areas to Australian non-breeding areas, or stopped only very briefly on the way. In contrast, small-bodied species apparently made multiple stops, especially in northern Australia, during their migration to their final non-breeding destinations. These differing patterns suggest that larger species in this Flyway depend on a small number of staging sites, whereas smaller species migrate in shorter steps and require additional staging sites between the northern Yellow Sea and Australasia. It is likely that some of these sites have not as yet been discovered, and that conservation of small shorebird species requires a more complete accounting of unknown and understudied staging sites.

Penguins both forage and travel in the marine environment and so spend a much greater proportion of their lives in this environment than other seabirds. This maximises their exposure to an increasing range of threats compared with other seabirds. From late 2003 to 2012, necropsies were performed on 159 Little Penguins found in the Perth region, Western Australia. Given the close proximity of the colonies to increasingly populated urban areas, the aims of this study were to: (1) determine the causes of mortality; (2) determine the proportion of deaths attributable to anthropogenic causes; (3) use this information to help guide management strategies; and (4) identify potential threats to coastal seabirds in general. In most cases, cause of mortality could be assigned to one of 11 categories. Trauma, most likely from watercraft, was the main cause of mortality. The next most common cause, starvation, was more likely to occur in spring and summer. Management strategies for colonies of Little Penguins near high levels of watercraft activity should take into account the risk of injury or death from watercraft strikes.

The Pied Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula bicolor) is a summer migrant to northern Australia, and nests colonially on many islands of the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Numbers are perceived to have declined as a result of large-scale shooting in the past and clearing of their mainland feeding grounds. To obtain evidence of any population changes, 1–10 counts were made each breeding season of the evening flight from the mainland to a nesting colony on North Brook Island. The counts began in 1965 and have continued for 50 years. The count represents one individual of a pair that visits the mainland to feed and returns in the evening. In the 1965–66 breeding season, the December count (the count used to compare years) was 4692 birds. Over the following three seasons, numbers declined to a low of 1451 birds in 1968–69; this decline was attributed to shooting of up to 1100 birds at a time. Large-scale shooting stopped in 1968 and was followed by a steady exponential increase (y = 3370.4e0.0908x) in numbers over 23 years to 29818 birds in the 1992–93 season. Numbers have fluctuated between ~25000 and 35000 individuals over the following 18 years. A tropical cyclone of extreme intensity affected the pigeons’ breeding site on North Brook Island and their mainland feeding areas in February 2011. In the following breeding season of 2011–12, numbers fell to 5311, but recovered to 21088 in the 2012–13 season. The dramatic drop in numbers was attributed to the pigeons moving elsewhere for the 2011–12 season. It is predicted that the post-cyclonic number of 21088 will take 4 years to recover to 30000. The counts are a simple and somewhat coarse measure of population trends, but provide a population baseline for more sophisticated studies on the movements of pigeons and their responses to long-term changes in habitat and climate.

Identifying variation in survival probabilities is fundamental to understanding population dynamics. We quantified variation in survival of Little Penguins (Eudyptula minor) at Oamaru, New Zealand, over 19 years from 1993–2011. Specifically survival in relation to age and breeding status were investigated. We used a multi-state capture-mark-recapture model to examine survival and recapture probabilities of known age penguins flipper-banded as chicks, and breeding penguins of unknown age banded as adults. The survival probability of Little Penguins in their first year averaged 0.42 and was lower than all older ages. The mean annual survival probability of breeding adult penguins was 0.86. The observed proportion of fledglings that later recruited into the breeding population in the study colony mirrored first-year survival estimates from the model. Survival was lower for pre-breeding penguins than for breeding penguins of the same age. We detected no significant effect of age on survival for breeding penguins. The comprehensive, long-term monitoring program in place at Oamaru resulted in very high recapture rates of breeding penguins that generated accurate estimates of survival.

Behavioural characters that are learned can show temporal variation due to changes in a population across generations that are not due to changes in the same individual. The song of the Rufous-collared Sparrow, Zonotrichia capensis, shows significant geographic variation associated with habitat vegetation, defining song dialects. To study the temporal stability or change of Rufous-collared Sparrow dialects at a microgeographical scale, we compared the recordings made in Estancia ?El Destino? (in the northeast coast of Buenos Aires province, Argentina) during 1987 and 2000 with a set of recordings made during 2010 and 2011. We found that the dialect boundaries of the Rufous-collared Sparrow remained stable over a period of 24 years. Since we did not detect gross changes in the habitat characteristics, we concluded that habitat structure is an important factor for dialect distribution. When we consider each dialect separately, the variation detected in some traits between 1987 and 2000 persisted while other traits showed reversal across time. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that some changes in song were the result of neutral variation, whereby changes due to random factors such as copying error, for example, could have been maintained or introduced across generations. Fil: García, Natalia Cristina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina Fil: Arrieta, Ramiro Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina Fil: Kopuchian, Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral; Argentina Fil: Tubaro, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina

Five to seven subspecies of Antarctic Tern (Sterna vittata) are recognised, with at least three (S. v. vittata, S. v. tristanensis and S. v. sanctipauli) wintering in South Africa. Morphological characters used to define these subspecies are not perfectly reliable, but fidelity to nesting site suggests they could be genetically distinct. We used morphological data and DNA to investigate the validity of subspecies. We further used stable isotope analysis of feather samples collected from the non-breeding grounds in South Africa to attempt to ascertain the population of origin. Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence data identified two major genetic clades: one mostly comprised individuals partially or completely matching the morphological description of S. v. tristanensis, the other included individuals from S. v. vittata and S. v. sanctipauli. Stable isotope values indicated that juveniles originated from at least three populations. Irrespective of their morphological and genetic characteristics, most immatures moulted in Antarctic waters, and adults moulted in various habitats. Their colony of origin could not therefore be inferred from stable isotope values from feathers. Results indicate that morphological groupings may reflect a north–south cline across the Indian Ocean. Adequate conservation strategies require rigorous reassessment of the currently accepted subspecies, including DNA analyses of samples from the breeding grounds, particularly on Amsterdam and St Paul Islands.

Disruption of pair-bonds and switching nest-site are associated with breeding failure in many seabirds. Both strategies can prevent repetition of poor performance with a low-quality mate or at a poor-quality nesting site. In the Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda), the relationship between mate-fidelity, nest-site fidelity and reproductive performance is poorly understood. We therefore examined this relationship in Red-tailed Tropicbirds, using data collected on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean from 1984 to 1986, corresponding to three successive breeding seasons. Birds showed strong between-season mate-fidelity, despite previous breeding failure, and subsequent breeding success in birds faithful to their mate was significantly higher than in pairs that bred together for the first time, indicating that mate-fidelity may outweigh the costs of disruption of pair-bonds. Although switching of nest-site was more likely to occur after previous breeding failure, it did not increase subsequent breeding success, indicating that nest-site switching may not be advantageous in Red-tailed Tropicbirds on Christmas Island. Although effects of age, dispersal rates to inaccessible parts of the island and adult survival were not examined in this study, our results provide a valuable basis for the evaluation of population dynamics of Red-tailed Tropicbirds on Christmas Island.

A fragmentary quadrate from the earliest Eocene Tingamarra local fauna of Murgon, Queensland, combines characters of the coraciiform birds and their closest relatives, a separate pterygoid facet on the orbital process (a feature unknown in this clade), and similarities to the Upupiformes (Upupidae and Phoeniculidae). The new fossil provides the first Paleogene, and thus the oldest, record of the coraciiform-like birds from the Southern Hemisphere. The TingamarrabirdmaywellrepresentoneofthenamedfamiliesofPaleogenebirdswhosequadratesremainlargelyunknown. A great variation of pneumaticity-related features among the coraciiform birds reveals morphogenetic instability in the development of pneumatic diverticula from the tympanic cavity.

Intermittentfemaleincubation,whereeggsareleftunattendedperiodicallywhilethefemaleforages,iscommon among passerines. In extremely cold environments, unattended eggs may be at risk of freezing or exposed to suboptimal developmental temperatures. Our aim was to examine incubation behaviour of Chilean Swallows nesting in a cold environment(dailyaveragetemperatures~10 � C)atthesoutherntipofArgentina,andthetemperatureregimeofincubation. Femaleshadbare,vascularisedbrood-patches,whereasmaleshadfalsebrood-patches,wherefeatheringoftheabdomenwas somewhat sparse. Video-cameras were used at three nests, and at all three two adults were observed to attend eggs, day and night, confirming incubation by males. Temperature records of eggs showed that one adult (assumed to be the female) had high rates of attendance and maintained egg temperatures that approached 38� 39 � C when incubating, and the other adult (assumed male) had lower and variable rates of attendance and maintained egg temperatures generally above 34 � C when incubating.Theassumedfemalerarelylefttheeggsunlesstheassumedmalewastheretoreplaceher.Researchersshouldbe cautious when making conclusions usingdata fromtemperature loggersinsituations where male attendanceat nests during incubation is possible.

Albatrosses are killed or injured through by-catch in longline fisheries and by collisions with warp cables in trawl fisheries. Detection of areas where albatrosses interact with fisheries is important for their conservation. Shy (Thalassarche cauta) and White-capped (T. steadi) Albatrosses are difficult to study from vessels as they are phenotypically similar. However, the two species can be identified by molecular analysis. The six-fold difference in the size of the total populations of these two species could mask by-catch of the less-abundant Shy Albatross, particularly when available sample sizes of by-catch are small. Here we document the species of a sample of 29 shy-type albatrosses killed as fisheries by-catch to confirm the observation that White-capped Albatrosses are the dominant shy-type albatross in the south-western Atlantic Ocean and exposed to the pelagic longline fishery there. Using a test based on a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) previously reported in the mtDNA of both species, 28 specimens were identified as White-capped Albatross. The SNP test and phylogenetic analyses suggested that the remaining bird was a Shy Albatross. Further analyses with other independent markers could confirm the identification of the latter. This result indicates the possibility that Shy Albatrosses reach the south-western Atlantic Ocean. There is no doubt that White-capped Albatrosses, which are a regular visitor to Uruguayan waters, is the predominant shy-type albatross in the south-western Atlantic. However, a small proportion of shy-type albatrosses in this region could be Shy Albatross but further analysis is needed to confirm this.

For long-lived birds, estimates of productivity can be effective indicators of environmental change or responses to management. Such estimates are also valuable in modelling population growth. We report estimates of nest survival for burrow-nesting Grey-faced Petrels (Pterodroma gouldi) from four islands off the north-eastern coast of New Zealand. We surveyed the contents of breeding burrows for up to four breeding seasons and followed the fates of 1371 eggs. We used a logistic-exposure modelling approach to investigate the effects of island, year, local burrow density and occupancy rate on nest survival. Daily nest survival varied between years and islands but declined with increasing local burrow density across all islands. Local burrow occupancy rate had no detectable effect. We estimated overall rates of breeding success on our island groups of 11% (95% confidence interval 9–14%) to 28% (26–30%). The negative density-dependent relationships between local burrow densities and productivity add to the growing evidence for this effect in burrow-nesting seabirds worldwide, in contrast to trends in surface-breeding species. The variation in productivity between our study colonies may be linked to the restoration histories of the islands and suggests that data from one location should be used cautiously when guiding management of the same species elsewhere.

Global positioning system (GPS) technology for tracking wildlife continues to evolve at a remarkable pace. As animal movement is increasingly recognised as being critical for several ecological processes, advanced telemetry technology permits collection of a high volume of data across short time intervals that was previously unobtainable. Here we describe the use of GPS telemetry to track the movements of five tagged Emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae Latham) released within the Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata Sm.) forests of south-western Australia. The Emu plays a significant role as a seed disperser for many species. Describing the movement patterns of this species is a key requirement in refining the extent and significance of its contribution to seed dispersal, both locally and over long distances. We found that Emus followed a typical correlated random walk pattern and that each bird demonstrated a variable response to the landscape in terms of behaviour, extent of movement and habitat selection. From a methodological perspective, 50% of our devices detached before 30 days of GPS locations could be collected, reflecting a need for device refinement for future studies on large ratites. Nevertheless, our preliminary data provide useful insights into the movements of the Emu and potential impacts on seed dispersal within the Jarrah forests.

Until recent decades, details of the migratory movements of seabirds remained largely unknown owing to the difficulties in following individuals at sea. Subsequent advances in biologging technology have greatly increased our knowledge of seabird migration and distribution, particularly of highly pelagic species. Short-tailed Shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris) (~500 g) have been studied extensively during their breeding season but our understanding of their movements outside this period remains poor. Here, we present the first tracks of the trans-equatorial migration of Short-tailed Shearwaters from a colony on Great Dog Island, Tasmania, Australia. Data were obtained from global location sensors (GLS loggers or geolocators), which enable the estimation of location twice per day based on ambient light levels. After breeding, tracked Shearwaters flew south of the Antarctic Polar Front to a previously unknown stopover site, where they remained for several weeks, before travelling rapidly northward through the western Pacific Ocean to coastal waters off Japan. Short-tailed Shearwaters spent the bulk of the northern hemisphere summer, either in this region or further north in the Bering Sea, before returning south through the central Pacific to their breeding sites. Our results, for the first time, describe in detail the complete migration of this long-lived seabird, reveal individual variation in timing and distribution, and describe the environmental characteristics of their key non-breeding habitats.

There have been few studies of the food-storing behaviour of short-term scatter-hoarding birds in relation to differences in ambient temperature. In this study we examined the patterns of caching behaviour of 13 male South Island Robins (Petroica australis australis) in relation to the time of day and ambient temperature. We predicted that cold conditions would cause a stress-induced increase in caching behaviour in birds. We also predicted that birds would cache the greatest number of food items (mealworms) in the morning and that the numbers of items cached would decline throughout the day. We found that there was a negative relationship between the numbers of mealworms cached and temperature and that the numbers of mealworms that birds cached throughout the day declined. Finally, we also found that there was a positive relationship between the total number of mealworms that birds cached and their daily gains in mass. This study shows that at low temperatures, energy is more valuable to birds when stored internally than it is for other caching species as other taxa (e.g. parids) increase caching as temperature decreases. Our results also support theoretical models of avian caching behaviour, which show that birds should reduce the absolute number of food items they cache throughout the day as they prepare for their nightly fasts.

Tropicalbirdshavesmallclutches.Themechanismsresponsibleforgeneratingthispatternremaindebated,and are typically examined by comparing tropical species, with small clutches, to their temperate counterparts, with large clutches.However,variationinclutch-sizeamongtropicalregionsisseldomconsidered.WeshowthatNewGuineanforest passerineslaymarkedlysmallerclutches(n=102species;means.d.=1.520.48)thanothertropicalavifaunas.Whereas tropicalspeciescommonlylaytwo-eggclutches,asubstantialnumberofNewGuineanpasserinesappeartosolely(38%)or frequently (24%) lay single-egg clutches. We used phylogenetic comparative methods to demonstrate that New Guinean passerines lay significantly smaller clutches than congeneric South-East Asian species. We also show that reductions in clutch-size have occurred multiple times among New Guinean passerines, suggesting phylogenetic constraint does not explainthispattern.Instead,currentenvironmentalfactors,includinghighlevelsofparasitismorpredation,mayexplainwhy New Guinean passerines lay small clutches. We conclude that variation in clutch-size between tropical regions offers a valuable opportunity to test drivers of this variation, such as parasitism and predation, originally developed within a tropical-temperate framework.

The number of hollow-bearing trees, and associated hollows, in urban habitats continues to decline as cities expand. Remaining hollows may be unsuitable for species of parrot that have specific preferences or requirements for certain characteristics of tree-hollows. To determine the distribution of hollow-bearing trees and tree-hollows in Sydney, Australia, we surveyed 264 sites within parks, streets, golf courses, patches of remnant vegetation and continuous forest. To determine whether species of parrot were associated with specific hollow characteristics, motion-activated video-cameras were installed to monitor use of hollows in remnant vegetation and continuous forest. The number of both hollows and hollow-bearing trees varied significantly among habitats, with all urban habitats having significantly fewer hollow-bearing trees than did continuous forest. There was no significant difference in the number of hollows within remnant vegetation and continuous forest. Hollow visitation by Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus), Sulphur-crested Cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) and Australian King-Parrots (Alisterus scapularis) was significantly associated with particular hollow characteristics, most importantly type of hollow, orientation of hollow and species of tree. Knowledge of the distribution of hollow-bearing trees throughout landscapes, as well as the characteristics of hollows that are associated with particular species of parrot, is crucial to conserve populations of hollow-dependent bird species in urban areas.

In southern African passerine birds, the timing of moult often varies regionally in relation to breeding season and patterns of rainfall, and may also differ between sexes in sexually dimorphic species. However, the relationship between feeding ecology and moult has not been studied in this region. We investigated primary-moult, body-mass and wing-length in four southern African passerines belonging to a feeding guild of hawking (sallying) insectivores, using bird-banding (ringing) data. The timing of wing-moult, from December to April throughout the region, was very similar in all four species, in contrast to other sympatric species, which moult at different times in summer- and winter-rainfall regions. For each species the duration of moult decreased southwards, as did wing-length corrected for body-mass. There was no difference between the sexes in the timing or duration of wing-moult, even in sexually dimorphic species, but juveniles generally started moult later than adults and completed their moult more rapidly. Our results suggest that foraging ecology and life-history traits of insectivorous hawkers may constrain the timing of moult.

Environmental adjustment is the most invoked explanation for intra-seasonal variation in bird nest morphology. However, time constraints may also be important, coming as a trade-off between the costs of nest building and the requirement to coincide a breeding attempt with maximal food supply. We describe the seasonal variation in nest morphology of the Thorn-tailed Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) in a sub-Antarctic population in southern Chile, and investigate its relation with the seasonal fluctuation of ambient temperature (an ‘environmental adjustment’ hypothesis) and time constraints (an ‘optimal time frame’ hypothesis). As the breeding season progressed, rayaditos spent fewer days building their nests, built smaller nests, and used less animal-derived insulating material. After statistically removing the effects of daily temperatures on nest building periods and nest morphological measurements, we observed no seasonal trend in the amount of insulating material used, supporting an ‘environmen...

Assessing trends in wildlife populations involves estimating whether those populations are stable, increasing or decreasing, and trends can infer the success or failure of management. This paper de...

The present study provides the first complete estimate of the abundance and distribution of burrowing seabirds in northern-central Bass Strait, a key region for breeding seabirds in south-eastern Australia. The estimated total number of breeding burrows in the region in 2008–11 were 755 300±32 400 (s.e.) burrows of Short-tailed Shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris), 26 700±3500 of Little Penguins (Eudyptula minor), 19 100±2200 of Common Diving-Petrels (Pelecanoides urinatrix) and 4200±2700 of Fairy Prions (Pachyptila turtur). These represent substantial proportions of the total estimated Australian breeding populations of these species: 6% of the total population of Short-tailed Shearwaters, 14% of Little Penguins, 0.4% of Fairy Prions and 13% of Common Diving-Petrels. Based on the number of active burrows, the number of breeding Short-tailed Shearwaters in the region is estimated to have decreased 35% between 1978–80 and 2008–11, equivalent to a decrease of 1.4% per annum between 1980 and 2011. The regional population of Little Penguins, however, appears to have increased substantially over the same period. Identification of population trends of the other species is limited by a lack of previous data. The importance of this area for burrowing seabirds and the substantial decline in numbers of Short-tailed Shearwaters warrants more frequent monitoring of the abundance of seabirds in the region to allow a robust comparison of changes in populations over time as well as the identification of possible causative factors.

The isolated population of Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus) in Perth, Western Australia, was founded by fewer than 10 birds introduced in the early 1960s. I recorded vocalisations of individuals in Perth, and from >2000km away, at one site in South Australia and one in Victoria, to determine if the Perth population showed evidence of a founder effect in three common types of vocal signals. I measured spectral features of the calls of each recorded bird. Linear discriminant analysis indicated the three population samples differed significantly for all three call-types but there was no consistent trend suggesting the Perth birds retained evidence of a founder effect in these calls. Calls of Perth birds were not more simplified or more homogeneous in their acoustic traits. Although it is possible that there are founder effects for total vocal repertoires, which was not assessed here, there was no evidence for a founder effect in these most conspicuous vocalisations.

We report evidence of both philopatry and natal dispersal in Humboldt Penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) from a colony in central Chile. Between 1994 and 2001, we tagged 241 Humboldt Penguin chicks with subcutaneous transponder chips. Seven birds (3%) were found as adults at their natal colony: five were breeding (philopatric birds) and two were prospecting for nest-sites. Another four birds (2%) were found breeding at other colonies up to 90km from the natal colony. Philopatric birds bred at 3.6– 6.1 years old (mean±s.d.=4.8±1 years) at nests located 5–80m from their natal nests (30±25m). Most philopatric and the prospecting birds used the same types of nests as their natal ones and we suggest that birds breeding for the first time may use cues of structural aspects of their natal nest when choosing a nesting site for the first time.

The Sooty Shearwater (Ardenna grisea) is one of the better studied petrels of New Zealand. Although one of New Zealand’s most abundant seabirds, smaller populations of Sooty Shearwaters may be less resilient to stochastic events in the long term. We investigated aspects of the breeding biology of Sooty Shearwaters and burrow dynamics on Long Island, in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand, from November 2008 to May 2009. Burrows were usually simple and unbranched, with an average length of 83.6cm (s.e. 4.3cm). The incubation period was 54.3 days (s.e. 1 day) and the nestling period 104.5 days (s.e. 2 days). Breeding success was 40.1%, within the range expected based on published studies of other populations of Sooty Shearwaters and of congeners. This study paves the way for further investigation into the viability and persistence of a small island population.

The daily movements of 18 Egyptian Geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca) in South Africa were recorded using satellite telemetry. General additive mixed models were used to explain the distances moved by the birds at different times of the day, correcting for sex, site, season and individual. Distances moved by birds in the mesic, winter-rainfall, south-western region (Strandfontein) of South Africa were compared with movements in the semi-arid, summer-rainfall region (Barberspan) of northern South Africa. Moulting birds all remained at single wetlands during moult, displayed crepuscular patterns of activity and nocturnal retreats to safety. At the end of moult, birds dispersed away from moulting sites. The longest daily distances travelled by individuals took place mainly just before moult was due to start or within the first 10 days after completing moult, providing strong evidence that Egyptian Geese undertake moult migrations. The daily pattern of movement was strongly skewed, with >70% of flights being short (

Montane heath communities in south-eastern Australia provide a valuable nectar resource for honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) but are subject to variable fire regimes that may influence the production of this resource and the abundance of honeyeaters. Little is known about changes in honeyeater communities through time after fire. We examined seasonal relationships between characteristics of the honeyeater community and time since fire in Blue Mountains Heath using regression analysis. Positive trends were expected, with possible eventual declines owing to senescence of the vegetation community. Twelve sites ranging from 2 to 39 years since fire were sampled in late winter–spring (cool season) and in late summer (warm season). In the warm season, abundance of all honeyeaters and abundance of New Holland Honeyeaters showed saturation relationships with time since fire. A steep rate of increase in abundance reached a plateau 10 years after fire for all honeyeaters and New Holland Honeyeaters. In the cool season, New Holland Honeyeater abundance was positively influenced by time since fire. This study showed that honeyeaters used heath across a broad range of post-fire intervals >10 years and there was no evidence of a decline as the heath matured (to 39 years post-fire). Our research has contributed to the understanding of the links between fire ecology and avian habitat use, which in turn provides a scientific basis for ecologically sustainable fire management of natural areas.

A new and extinct species of Austral snipe (Aves:Scolopacidae:Coenocorypha) is described from late Holocene cave deposits in New Caledonia. The new species is larger than all congeners in the New Zealand archipelago, includingitssubantarcticislands,butisslightlysmallerthanC.miratropicafromVitiLevu,Fiji.Betterdevelopedligamental sulci and attachment processes on the humerus suggest that this new species was perhaps the strongest flier in the genus. Nevertheless,itwentextinctwithinc.1000yearsofhumanarrivalinNewCaledonia,probablyasaresultofdepredationby the rats that arrived with humans.

Biogeography plays an important role in the evolution of song structure in passerine birds. On two islands of the Chatham Island archipelago, songs of Chatham Island Warblers (Gerygone albofrontata) differed in both form and amount of variation among individuals. On Chatham Island (899km2) song structure varied little whereas on Mangere Island (1.13km2) structure varied considerably, but with none of the songs being the same as the song on Chatham Island. Increased song variability on the smaller island is not attributable to reduced avian species richness as has been suggested for other species in comparable settings.

Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) migrate thousands of kilometres from their breeding colonies every winter. Despite the significance of this seasonal movement, aspects of its ecology and implications for conservation biology remain enigmatic. We examined the sex of 528 Magellanic Penguins either beachcast (found dead ashore) or stranded (found alive ashore) in wintering grounds of southern Brazil from 2002 to 2009. We found evidence that: (a) among beachcast Penguins, females significantly outnumbered males; (b) for stranded Penguins that had not been oiled, the sex-ratio was significantly female-biased, whereas among oiled Penguins the sex-ratio was even; (c) among stranded Penguins, females had a lower rate of survival through rehabilitation than males; and (d) for both sexes, juvenile Penguins surviving rehabilitation had greater body mass upon admission than those that died. Our findings suggest an increased mortality of juvenile and adult females might occur during migration, and emphasise that sex may play a significant role in the movement ecology and conservation of this species. Conservation efforts might thus benefit from incorporating sex-based strategies to ensure that biased sex mortality does not have a negative effect on the species, and researchers are encouraged to consider sex as a key component in the ecological research and conservation efforts of this, and other, species of penguin.

North Island Saddlebacks (Philesturnus rufusater) have been the subject of a well-documented sequence of translocations to isolated islands around New Zealand. We measured corticosterone stress responses in North Island Saddlebacks derived from the ancestral population and from a series of three sequential translocations. Each translocation might impose a selective pressure on the founder populations of North Island Saddleback. This selective filter might favour a particular corticosterone response linked through an associated coping ability. Evidence of selection would be reflected in a progressive shift in the mean corticosterone response related to the number of sequential translocations. Mean corticosterone responses to a standardised stressor were highest in birds descended from a population subject to two sequential translocations. However, responses measured at localities representing the original source population and populations derived from one and three sequential translocations were not significantly different from each other. Accordingly, our data suggest that translocations do not necessarily cause directional selection on the stress responses of these vulnerable populations of birds.

In this study, we used stable-isotope analysis to determine the importance of different food resources in the diet of an endemic gull species of the Atlantic coast of southern South America during the non-breeding period.We compared the isotopes 15N and 13C inthe blood of Olrog’s Gulls (Larus atlanticus) of different ages withthose in potential prey of the Gulls. We also determined the abundance of Olrog’s Gull in their wintering areas and attending coastal fisheries operations in a small region of Argentina. An isotope-mixing model showed differences in the isotopic signatures of adult, subadult and juvenile Gulls. Although the isotope-mixing model showed crabs as the main prey, it also showed that demersal and pelagic fish may be important inthe diet.We speculate thatthe demersal and pelagic fishinthe diet, shown by their isotopic signatures in the Gulls, may be taken in association with coastal fisheries, particularly bottom otter-paired trawling. At-sea observations showed that Olrog’s Gulls were one of the most-common birds attending fishing operations of the Argentine coastal fishing fleet, taking advantage of fish mostly made available through hauling operations Fil: Beron, Maria Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencia Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina Fil: Seco Pon, Juan Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencia Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina Fil: García, Germán Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencia Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina Fil: Paterlini, Carla Ángela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencia Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina Fil: Mariano y Jelicich, Rocío. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencia Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina Fil: Favero, Marco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencia Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina

The Grey Falcon (Falco hypoleucos) is a poorly known endemic of inland Australia. It is considered Australia’s rarest falcon and among the rarest Falco species of the world. Current information on the species is largely restricted to opportunistic observations and specimens in wildlife collections. Here I detail information on the breeding and dietary ecology of the species from a continent-wide field study from 2003 to 2011. Breeding was recorded 37 times. The breeding distribution of the species was more appropriately described by climatic categories than by average annual rainfall. All nest-sites occurred in areas of the hottest climate classes. All but two food items identified were birds; the two exceptions were rodents captured during a rodent outbreak in September 2011. This study provides the first coherent set of firsthand data concerning key aspects of the ecology of the Grey Falcon, constituting a valuable resource for future studies of the species. The results presented suggest that the restriction of the breeding distribution of the species to areas of the highest annual average temperatures and its almost exclusively avian diet are likely factors associated with the species’ rarity.

Long-tailed Cuckoos (Eudynamys taitensis) breed in New Zealand and winter in an arc of small Pacific islands extending 11 000 km from west to east. To understand this migration better, we compiled records of Cuckoos in time (month) and space (latitude, longitude), using museum voucher specimens and literature records. At the start of the breeding season (October–December) virtually all birds in New Zealand are in adult plumage; non-adult Cuckoos are almost entirely absent until late summer and autumn. In the northward post-breeding migration, adults move first and non-adults show a lag of up to 3 months in the timing of their departure. Non-adults are scarce after June in the Pacific wintering islands, and transitionals (with plumage between that of adults and non-adults) are very scarce after September, suggesting that they quickly moult into adult plumage. From June to October the average longitude of Cuckoos wintering north of New Zealand decreases progressively, consistent with a movement westward. This suggests that a portion of the Cuckoo population may undertake an anticlockwise loop-migration. This may also partly explain the unusual distribution of the species fanning out from the breeding to the wintering grounds.

Very few bird species are able to complete a single long migratory flight. Instead, a far more common strategy is that birds rest and feed almost every day, accomplishing their journeys in a series of short flights. We evaluated if White-crested Elaenia (Elaenia albiceps chilensis) displays evidence of en route migratory disposition in the central Monte desert, Argentina. Recaptures and resights were lower for White-crested Elaenias than for Greater Wagtail-tyrants (Stigmatura budytoides; resident) and Southern Scrub-flycatchers (Sublegatus modestus; spring-summer visitor). The latter species showed site fidelity between years, but White-crested Elaenia did not. Percentage of individuals with cloacal protuberance was similar among the species, but individuals with brood patches were recorded only in Greater Wagtail-tyrants and Southern Scrub-flycatchers. White-crested Elaenias showed low, medium and high fat stores, while the other species presented no fat or low fat stores. White-crested Elaenia had a high level of fruit consumption, while the other species consumed fruits occasionally or not at all. Our results support the hypothesis that the White-crested Elaenia uses the Monte desert as a stop-over area during its spring flight, and yield novel insights to fill a gap in our knowledge about the annual cycle of migrant birds in the Neotropics. Fil: Cueto, Víctor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagóica. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Facultad de Ciencias Naturales - Sede Esquel. Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica; Argentina Fil: Sagario, Maria Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina Fil: Lopez de Casenave, Javier Nestor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina

Like many migratory shorebird populations using the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica baueri in New Zealand have significantly declined since the mid-1990s, but census data indicate a relatively stable population since 2004. The demographic drivers of both the decline and stabilisation remain unknown. We estimated annual survival from mark–recapture data of adult godwits in New Zealand during 2005–2014. Adult survival declined over the study period from 0.89–0.96 in 2005–2010 to 0.83–0.84 in 2011–2012. The simultaneous decline in annual survival found in a separate study of Bar-tailed Godwits L. l. menzbieri in north-west Australia suggests a common effect of their high dependence on threatened migratory staging sites in the Yellow Sea; the more extreme decline in L. l. menzbieri may reflect ecological differences between the populations, such as timing and extent of use of these sites. At current apparent recruitment rates, persistent adult survival of ~0.84 would lead to a population decline of 5–6% per year in L. l. baueri. Our study implies that the demographic precursors to a population decline developed during a period of apparent population stability; this suggests that monitoring a single index of population stability is insufficient for predicting future trends.

The departure of migratory birds from their non-breeding grounds is thought to be driven by the phenology of their breeding destination. In north-west Australia, two plumage morphs of Red Knot (Calidris canutus) prepare for a 5500-km journey to Yellow Sea staging areas. These morphs are recognised as the subspecies C. c. piersmai and C. c. rogersi, which breed at different latitudes and have different seasonalities. From February to May 2011, we observed the migratory preparation of individually marked birds of known age, sex and type. This enabled a comparison of fuelling rates and pre-alternate moult among these classes. First-year birds did not prepare for migration. Second-year birds accumulated smaller fuel stores and reached lower plumage scores than adults. Adults of both types reached their highest abdominal profile scores by the end of April when they were last observed in Roebuck Bay. This lack of difference between types in the timing of fuelling and departure is surprising. Based on the differences in staging and breeding phenology, C. c. rogersi is expected to leave north-west Australia 2–4 weeks before C. c. piersmai. Assuming that types and subspecies are equivalent, our findings in combination with other research on Red Knots in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway suggest that it takes more than breeding origin alone to explain annual cycles in migratory birds. Concurrent migratory schedules imply that, during northward staging in the Yellow Sea, there is strong variation in fuelling rates between and within subspecies depending on non-breeding origin. The ongoing loss of staging habitat may therefore have differential effects on Red Knots in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway.

We analysed growth of nestling Chilean Swallows (Tachycineta meyeni) over four consecutive breeding seasons and determined the factors that explain variation in growth rate, asymptotic body mass and length of the nestling period. As the breeding season advanced nestlings grew more slowly and attained lower asymptotic mass, but the length of the nestling period and nestling survival did not show any seasonal trend. Asymptotic body mass of nestlings increased with female body condition, which was negatively correlated with time of breeding, suggesting that a seasonal decline in asymptotic body mass could be the result of changes in environmental conditions or lower quality of females breeding later in the season. There was no relationship between average minimum ambient temperature and either growth rate or asymptotic mass during the nestlings first 10 days. However, short periods of poor weather and snowfall had a significant effect on nestling survival. Growth rate (0.43) was lower than that of other Tachycineta species nesting at similar latitudes in the northern hemisphere but similar to those of subtropical species of the genus, suggesting that the factors that have influenced the evolution of this life-history trait differ between Chilean Swallows and other species of Tachycineta. Fil: Liljesthrom, Marcela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina Fil: Schiavini, Adrian Carlos Miguel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina Fil: Reboreda, Juan Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina