The Canada Warbler Cardellina canadensis is a steeply declining Neotropical migratory bird and > 50% of its non-breeding range is within the Colombian Andes. Despite being an abundant migrant in Andean forests, the species’ elevational distribution and non-breeding ecology have yet to be studied, thereby precluding the design of effective conservation actions. During four non-breeding periods (2012–2016), we surveyed Colombia’s three Andean ranges, carrying out passive 5-minute point counts between 700 and 3,150 m asl in five habitats (mature forest, secondary growth, forest edges/riparian forest, shade coffee, sun coffee), recording the perpendicular distance, sex, foraging height, and association with mixed species flocks of Canada Warbler. Habitat variables were recorded at each point. Based on 819 passive point counts, Canada Warblers occupied elevations between 750 and 2,300 m, being more abundant between 1,000 and 2,200 m. Relative densities were higher in mature forest compared to shade coffee and secondary forest, and accordingly abundance increased with canopy height. There was no evidence for a difference in elevation or habitat use by males and females. Within forests, birds foraged at mid-levels, 5–15 m above the ground, and the probability of Canada Warblers occurring in mixed species flocks increased with elevation. Models of variation in relative density throughout the Eastern Andes showed a positive relation with cloud cover and above-ground forest biomass, implying a preference for humid, forested regions. Of the areas in the Eastern Andes with high predicted relative density, ∼ 14% overlapped with protected areas and we identify priority areas where protective measures could benefit the conservation status of the species. For maximum effectiveness, conservation actions should focus on protecting forest fragments and initiating reforestation projects at mid-elevations (1,000–2,200 m), as well as supporting agroforestry practices in humid regions of the Colombian Andes.

Reintroduction and restocking programmes are conservation tools which may be employed when a wild population is otherwise beyond recovery. The decision to undertake such programmes should be based on a series of “feasibility” assessments (e.g. the bird's ecology, current threats, suitability of available stock and regional human socioeconomic implications). Releases should only take place when the habitat is capable of sustaining a viable population and the original constraining factors no longer operate. Releasing birds into near-saturated areas may be harmful and should be avoided. Local, national and international support for the programme should be secured. The birds should be of optimal quality in terms of behaviour, health and genetics and they should be reared, released and monitoring according to sound strategies and criteria. Assessment and adjustments of the programme should periodically be made after initial releases. Documentation of the programme should be circulated and/or published.

We report the size and density of an Egyptian Vulture population in Turkey and provide insight into its nest site selection patterns. The study was carried out at Beypazarı (Turkey), holding one of the densest Egyptian Vulture populations (six pairs per 100 km2) in the Western Palearctic. Random Forests analysis revealed that human impact was a potential factor governing the distribution of nest sites, as the pairs clearly preferred to breed away from nearby villages, towns or roads. Utilisation of elevation gradient and aspect was similar to other studied populations, with the probability of nesting increasing at lower altitudes and for south-facing cliffs. Nearest-neighbour distance between nests was about 1.5 km, indicating territorial behaviour when choosing nest sites at the local scale. Our findings provide guidance for nature conservation NGOs and related government bodies for their various actions including designation of Important Bird Areas, regulation of mining practices and preparation of environmental impact assessments.

The former and current status of the White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala is reviewed on the basis of recent census data and a literature search. The current world wintering population is estimated at 19,000 birds, with the likelihood that additional birds occur in unsurveyed wetlands in Asia. The population wintering in Pakistan appears to be declining, but there is no good evidence of current decline elsewhere in the range. The population resident in Spain is increasing. The greatest threat to the species is considered to be the spread of the introduced North American Ruddy Duck O. jamaicensis from the U.K. to the continent. Hybrids between the two species are fertile and have already been seen in Spain.

During autumn migration, people set trammel nets along most of the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, with migrating Common Quail Coturnix coturnix as their primary target. These nets capture large numbers of quail, but also illegally capture other birds, which are then killed. We present the results of surveys from 2008 to 2012 along these lines of nets on the coast of North Sinai, Egypt. In desert scrub, which covers most of the Sinai coast, the mean number of quail killed reached a high of 357.1 per km per day in 2012, with a grand mean over the study period of 191.9 per km per day. Trammel nets also captured 54 other bird species in 28 families. Species captured at the highest rates in desert scrub included Corncrake Crex crex, Isabelline Wheatear Oenanthe isabellina and Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla. Based on mean rates of capture from 2008 to 2012 in desert scrub and sand bar habitats, we estimate 2.0 million quail and 0.5 million birds of other species are killed annually in North Sinai during the 45 days of peak migration. In 2012, however, after the use of MP3 players to attract quail became widespread, we estimate that 3.3 million quail and 0.5 million other birds were captured. Hunters near the coast have recently begun covering shrubs and trees with mist nets to catch passerines. From 2010 to 2012, mist nets along our survey routes caught birds of 17 species in three families, with seven of these species caught only in this type of net. Hunting is likely to be a contributing factor to population declines for some species that migrate across Egypt and further studies of migratory bird hunting along the southern Mediterranean shore are badly needed.

The habitat requirements of a resident population of Bittern Botaurus stellaris were investigated during the breeding season in a Mediterranean upland wetland, with particular reference to the area's isolation from other wetlands, its small size and hydrological conditions. Vegetation structure and water-level were described and associated with booming male and nesting female distribution within the marsh. A logistic regression model showed that water-level was the only significant factor affecting the distribution of booming males, which occupied areas seasonally flooded with shallower water (< 1 m). Females nested in seasonally flooded zones, while vegetation density appeared an important variable for nesting-site choice. Management of the wet area is discussed and the importance of a better understanding of the temporal dynamics of vegetation cover and spatial and temporal variations in water-level, and their possible effects on prey distribution, is highlighted.

We tested the hypothesis that endemic bird species of the Brazilian Atlantic forest are more sensitive to forest fragmentation than non-endemics in a fragmented landscape in northern Paraná state of southern Brazil. Levels of sensitivity (high, medium, and low) were previously determined in the landscape based on the occurrences of bird species in 14 forest fragments. We evaluated 112 forest bird species and found that endemic species were more sensitive than non-endemics. Among the endemic species, highly sensitive species tended to have smaller geographic ranges. In a second analysis, we determined that birds at the edges of their geographic ranges in northern Paraná were more vulnerable to forest fragmentation. Combining both factors we found that endemic birds at the edge of their ranges were the most sensitive to fragmentation. Our results suggest that endemics and species at the edges of larger ranges might need larger tracts to ensure their continued existence within that region. Our results, however, also indicate that even small forest fragments may have considerable value for non-endemics and for species closer to the centres of their ranges.

Codfish Island is the southernmost breeding location for Cook's Petrel (Pterodroma cookii), endemic to the New Zealand archipelago. To provide a population estimate and indication of population growth following introduced predator eradications we conducted an island-wide survey of Codfish Island within two a priori defined strata. Plot surveys revealed only five burrows within forest habitats from 175 plots surveyed and the locations of these and other burrows observed incidentally were used to identify three key areas of Cook's Petrel breeding activity that were subsequently surveyed using line transects. Within these areas, 42 burrows were counted with burrow densities ranging from 0.0003 to 0.002 burrows m−2. Burrow densities in conjunction with the three-dimensional surface areas of the surveyed locations suggested a minimum of 6,194 ± 956 burrows present and equated to approximately 5,000 (95% CI 3,000–6,000) breeding pairs, using a burrow occupancy estimate of 80%. The Cook's Petrel population on Codfish Island appears to have increased markedly since Weka (Gallirallis australis ) and Pacific Rat (Rattus exulans) were eradicated in 1980 and 1998 and is consistent with a recent upwards revision of the species' world population size of approximately 1,300,000 (900,000–1,800,000) individuals. Revised population data, and ongoing protection of Cook's Petrel's major breeding sites may now qualify the species for a revised conservation status moving from Endangered to Vulnerable under IUCN criteria.

The Parc National du Banc d’Arguin in Mauritania hosts the largest concentrations of coastal waterbirds along the East Atlantic Flyway. In spite of this importance, a review of the changes in the numbers of waterbirds in the area is lacking since the first complete count in 1980. Here we analysed the seven complete waterbird counts made since then, and the additional yearly counts made in one subunit (Iwik region) since 2003. We present evidence for changes in the community composition of waterbirds over the past four decades. Total waterbird numbers showed a decrease between 1980 and 2017, with only Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus showing a significant increase in numbers. Five species showed significant declines: Long-tailed Cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus, Red Knot Calidris canutus, Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica, Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata, and Western Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus. In the remaining species, the variation in numbers between counts was too large, and the number of complete counts too small, for trends to be detected. The yearly counts at Iwik region also showed sharp decreases in the numbers of Red Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, and Marsh Harrier, but not of Long-tailed Cormorant and Eurasian Curlew. A multivariate analysis revealed a significant change in species composition over time, which was caused mainly by changes in the species depending on the intertidal mudflats for feeding (generally in decline) vs. the species depending on fish and crustaceans in the sublittoral and offshore zones (often showing increases).

Birdwatching has become a global pastime and a driving force for conservation. Because of China’s economic and environmental importance, the emergence of birdwatching as a mass participation leisure activity in China over the past three decades is of global interest. We documented this emergence by conducting an extensive literature search and two online questionnaires which we used to describe the history, geographic distribution, demographics, activities, motivations, and environmental concerns of Chinese birdwatchers. The emergence happened because of (1) the transfer of ornithological knowledge to birdwatchers, (2) the increasing political tolerance to pursue pastimes, (3) the increasing leisure time, affordability of optical equipment, and urbanisation of China’s society, (4) increased internet use, and (5) interactions of birdwatchers with the media and foreign birdwatchers. Of the 576 respondents to our questionnaires, two-thirds were male, about half were younger than 35 years of age, approximately 90% were university-educated, and many also had an above-average income and originated mostly from the more urbanised coastal or near-coastal provinces. Our respondents were thus part of China’s economic and educational elite who largely birdwatch for enjoyment, but also because of the knowledge gained about the birds’ ecology. Many birdwatchers have become concerned about the deteriorating state of the environment and are frustrated about the lack of government action. Within the political constraints set by the government, many birdwatchers support environmental conservation through various activities, which have yielded some conservation successes. However, birdwatching societies remain constrained by the same legislative and administrative restraints which limit the actions of other environmental non-governmental organizations, thus hindering the effective discourse between China’s government and its emerging but still strictly controlled and regulated civil society.

Tricolored Blackbird Agelaius tricolor is a rapidly declining species largely endemic to California and forms larger breeding colonies than any other extant North American landbird following the extinction of Passenger Pigeon Ectopistes migratorius. We present information on its distribution, breeding habitat and changes in global population size using data collected since the 1930s. We also present data on reproductive success at 103 colonies between 1992 and 2003. While possibly once the most abundant bird throughout much of its range, it declined by over 50% between the 1930s and early 1990s, and by a further c. 56% between 1994 and 2000. The global population is now smaller than the historic size of some individual breeding colonies. Reproductive success was significantly higher in upland non-native vegetation (primarily Himalayan blackberry Rubus discolor) than in native emergent cattail Typha spp. and bulrush Scirpus spp. marshes, its likely predominant historic breeding habitat. Contemporary losses of important upland nesting substrate, combined with low reproductive success in native habitats and complete breeding failure in harvested agricultural fields, are the most likely causes of recent declines. Recovery of this species presents possible conflicts in conservation policy because successful reproduction now largely depends on invasive non-native plants and the willingness of farmers to delay harvest or to lose portions of their crops.

A number of former forest farms in southern Sichuan province, south-west China have been designated as protected areas following the 1998 logging ban in the upper Yangtze basin. These are within the range of the endemic Sichuan Partridge Arborophila rufipectus which has a fragmented distribution in the remnant broadleaf forests of this region, and is currently listed as ‘Endangered’ by IUCN. The design of a robust conservation plan for this species has been hampered by a lack of knowledge about its habitat preferences in a heavily modified environment. To remedy this, ranging behaviour and habitat utilization by this species was studied through a combination of a call count method and radio tracking of individual birds. The results indicate that A. rufipectus significantly prefers primary and older planted secondary broadleaf forest compared to forest degraded by human activity or scrub. Individual birds were found on the upper parts of slopes and made particular use of areas with a dense canopy and open understorey, whilst avoiding the lower slopes and areas close to trails where human disturbance is likely to be greater. The ongoing conservation programme for this partridge species is based on these findings and includes further protected area designations and management plans, the establishment of new forest corridors, and better control of hunting and other forms of forest exploitation.

An important component of many conservation studies is the assessment of bird-habitat relationships, but limited resources often lead to constraints on study design, quality and quantity of bird data, and restrict the number and types of habitat variables gathered. The aim of this study was to identify habitat features that were both relatively easy and quick to collect and powerful in identifying bird-habitat relationships. We also discuss some issues with our study and alternative approaches that may help in future bird-habitat studies in tropical forests. Twenty-four habitat measures representing geographical (e.g. altitude, topography, X and Y coordinates), vegetation structure (e.g. tree sizes), and tree floristics (abundance of 28 indicator tree species) features were collected in association with bird presence/absence data from point transects within a 1,500 ha Philippine lowland forest. We used hierarchical partitioning of regression analyses to assess which of these geographical and structural variables along with four floristics axes derived from DECORANA were the most important variables for explaining the occurrence of individual bird species and guilds. The ten most powerful variables for a range of bird species included seven geographical and three floristic variables, while the ten least important were all structural variables. There were differences in importance of individual variables across guilds, with, for example, floristics very important in canopy frugivores, and geographical variables more important for upperstorey gleaning insectivores. We stress the importance of geographical variables in linking birds to habitat at this local scale, but also suggest that efforts are made to collect some floristics data, perhaps a subset of species that represent resources for birds (e.g. Ficus spp.), people's use of the forest (e.g. dipterocarps), and indicators of forest type. While the habitat variables and approach in this study adequately identified bird-habitat relationships for most species, we suggest improvements and alternative methods that may improve results in other studies.

A Houbara survey of Lanzarote and the small island of Graciosa, during December 1993, resulted in a total count of 146 birds and an estimated total population of about 400 Houbaras. These numbers are higher than found on most previous surveys of Fuerteventura, considered as the main stronghold of this subspecies, and indicate that the Houbara population on Lanzarote is much more important than was formerly supposed. A study of habitat preferences showed that the species tended to select zones with greater height of shrubs.

Alien species can cause severe impacts in their introduced ranges and management is challenging due to the large number of such species and the diverse nature and context of their impacts. Lists of the most harmful species, like the “100 of the World’s Worst” list collated by the Invasive Species Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) or the “100 of the Worst” invaders in Europe collated by the Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories in Europe (DAISIE) project, raise awareness about these impacts among the public, and can guide management decisions. Such lists are mainly based on expert opinion, but in recent years a more objective comparison of impacts has become possible, even between highly diverse taxa. In this study, we use a semi-quantitative generic impact scoring system to assess impacts of the three birds listed among the “100 of the World’s Worst” IUCN list (IUCN100) and the four birds on the list of “100 of the Worst” European invaders by DAISIE (DAISIE100) and to compare their impacts with those of other alien birds not present on the respective lists. We found that generally, both lists include some of the species with the highest impacts in the respective regions (global or Europe), and these species therefore deserve the dubious honour of being listed among the “worst”. However, there are broad overlaps between some species with regards to the impact mechanisms and the related issues of invasions, especially those of the Common Myna Acridotheres tristis and Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer on the IUCN100, are very similar which might not warrant listing both species. To make the selection of species on such lists more transparent we suggest moving beyond lists based on expert opinion to a more transparent and defendable system for listing alien species based on published records of their impacts and related mechanisms.

Seabird populations breeding in the UK Overseas Territories remain relatively understudied compared to UK seabird populations, despite their international importance. Here we present results from one of the first seabird tracking studies in the Caribbean region, of Brown Boobies Sula leucogaster breeding on the Important Bird Area (IBA) of Dog Island, Anguilla. Birds were tracked for 5–7 days during the chick-rearing period using GPS data loggers. We assess how representative the at-sea areas of use (utilisation distributions) identified from our sample of 16 birds are likely to be of those of the whole breeding colony, and examined the effect that grid cell size used in the ‘time-in-area’ analytical approach has on these predictions. We also assess the effectiveness of the BirdLife International’s seaward extension approach to marine IBA designation, where terrestrial IBAs are buffered a set distance using existing information on the foraging radii of the same or similar breeding species. Foraging trips were 125.3 ± 54.4 (SD) km long and lasted for 5.6 ± 1.95 hrs on average. Birds travelled into the waters of four neighbouring territories; Saint Martin, Saba, Saint Eustatius and Saint Barthelemy. Our models suggest that many more individuals would need to be tracked to fully identify important at-sea areas for this colony, although this depends on the scale that important areas are defined. Whilst a smaller grid cell size may be necessary for assessing fine-scale habitat use, a larger grid cell size may be more appropriate for marine spatial planning processes. Although the BirdLife Seaward extension approach using maximum foraging distance recorded from Brown Boobies at a Mexican colony predicted a smaller foraging area than that used by Dog Island birds this approach still incorporated at least 99% of their 50% UD, 98% of their 75% UD and 86% of the 95% UD.

In the 1490S a minimum of 28 species of psittacines occurred in the West Indies. Today, only 43% (12) of the species survive. All macaws and most parakeet species have been lost. Although the surviving parrot fauna of the Greater Antilles, Cayman Islands, and Bahama Islands has fared somewhat better than that of the Lesser Antilles, every species has undergone extensive reductions of populations and all but two have undergone extensive reductions in range, mostly as a result of habitat loss, but also from persecution as agricultural pests, conflicts with exotic species, harvesting for pets, and natural disasters. The Cayman Brae Parrot Amazona leucocephala hesterna, with its tiny population (lessthan 150 individuals in the wild) and range, and the Puerto Rican Parrot A. vittata, with 22-23 birds in the wild and 56 individuals in captivity, must be considered on the of extinction and in need of (in the tatter's case, continuing) aggressive programmes of research and management. Other populations declining in numbers and range include the Yellow-billed Amazona collaria, and Black-billed A. agilis Parrots of Jamaica, Hispaniolan Parakeet Aratinga chloroptera, Hispaniolan Parrot Amazona ventralis, Cuban Parrot A. leucocephala leucocephala and, most seriously, Cuban Parakeet Aratinga euops. The population of the Grand Cayman Parrot (Amazona leucocephala caymanensis), although numbering only about 1,000 birds, appears stable and the current conservation programme gives hope for the survival of the race. An active conservation and public education programme has begun for the Bahama Parrot A. l. bahamensis, which still occurs in good numbers on Great Inagua Island, but is threatened on Abaco Island. Recommendations for conservation of parrots and parakeets in the region include (1) instituting term programmes of research to determine distribution, status, and ecology of each species; (2) developing conservation programmes through education and management approaches that are culturally, politically, and economically sensitive to the region; and providing and protecting habitat within suitably sized reserves.

Breeding dispersal subsequent to nest failure is hypothesised to be a behavioural response to danger posed by nest predators. We used histories and locations of male and female Snowy Plover Charadrius nivosus nests in northern California over a 10-year period to examine effects of nest fate, mate fidelity, residency, predator exclosures, and age on dispersal distance. Within years, females moved a median distance of 2.2 km after changing mates; males moved a median of 0.9 km. Between years, plovers moved the shortest distances when they retained a mate from the prior year and were successful in hatching eggs (males = 0.2 km, females = 0.3 km). Both females (13.0 km) and males (2.6 km) dispersed farther when mate change coincided with nest failure in the prior year. The observation that most plovers did not disperse far enough to move away from sites where predators are abundant and have strong effects on plover reproductive success suggests that effective predator management will be challenging.

Based on surveys during 2000–2012 and best available knowledge, we estimate the global population size of the Endangered Scaly-sided Merganser Mergus squamatus to be c.1,940 pairs (or c.4,660 birds prior to reproduction). In Russia, surveys identified the breeding range in the Sikhote-Alin mountain range and the area adjoining the lower Amur River. Particular effort was made to define the edge of the range. Breeding densities in the Sikhote-Alin were applied to un-surveyed rivers within the range to estimate overall numbers. The breeding range comprises c.7,800 km of 120 rivers: 6,800 km in Russia, 600 in China and 400 in DPR Korea. In Russia it comprises 88 rivers of both the western and eastern slopes of the Sikhote-Alin Range, and two small isolated areas, one in central Khabarovsk and the other in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. All known and potential breeding areas were surveyed in China, where the breeding range comprises the western slope of the Changbai Mountains, and one isolated river system in the Lesser Xingan Mountains. Scaly-sided Mergansers are also assumed to breed on the eastern slope of the Changbai Mountains in DPR Korea. No recent surveys have been made there but numbers were estimated by applying densities from China to rivers with apparently suitable habitat. Detailed examination of past records suggests that an earlier claim of breeding Scaly-sided Mergansers on the Dep River was erroneous and we conclude that the breeding range never extended as far west as has been portrayed in most literature. The lack of comparable surveys previously precludes an assessment of change in population range or size, though it seems inevitable that habitat loss in China is likely to have resulted in some loss of range and numbers, particularly in Heilongjiang Province, in recent decades.

A high proportion of island birds are threatened with extinction as a result of their vulnerability to introduced predators, habitat destruction, and fragmentation/isolation effects. In order to conserve island species effectively, it is necessary to disentangle these effects on distribution and abundance. We attempt to do this for the nine native passerines in the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands, using a database of presence/absence on 59 offshore islands in the archipelago, linked to data for each island on mammal presence, habitat modification, and isolation. Falklands native passerines are of considerable conservation importance, comprising one endemic globally threatened species, several endemic subspecies, and several restricted range species. Presence of rats on islands was by far the most important predictor of passerine presence, overriding the effect of habitat modifications. The globally threatened endemic Cobb's Wren Troglodytes cobbi was absent from all islands containing rats. Some species were more likely, and others less likely to occur on islands where tussac Poa flabellata grassland had been destroyed by grazing. The former species were primarily those adapted to dwarf-heath vegetation, and/or that thrive around human settlements. Island size and isolation were important predictors of occurrence for several bird species. The analyses show that, if vegetation restoration in the Falklands is to meet conservation aims, then it should be accompanied by introduced mammal control. Secondly, they indicate that biogeographical effects on bird distribution among islands in the Falklands are important, and need to be considered when assessing the conservation status of species, and when considering conservation action.