Pale-headed Brush-finch Atlapetes pallidiceps is a restricted-range species that is threatened with extinction due to habitat loss. The total population of 60–80 individuals achieved a reproductive output of only 0.74 young per breeding pair in 2002. Brood parasitism by Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis was a major factor reducing breeding success, affecting 38.5% of broods. Parasitism rates reached 50% in an ungrazed reserve, but only 14% on an adjacent grazed plot. The resulting difference in breeding success was not, however, attributable to vegetation parameters used to describe microhabitat use. Cowbird parasitism rates therefore seem to be influenced largely by factors operating at the landscape level. These may include grazing scheme, topography, humidity and host availability. It is suggested that lower species diversity and bird abundance rendered the grazed site less attractive to cowbirds. Current parasitism rates are of great conservation concern due to the low population size of Pale-headed Brush-finch, and the initiation of controlling measures is pressing. Management options described from intensive cowbird control programmes in North America are reviewed and evaluated for their applicability here. To combine the possibility of further data collection with commencement of immediate conservation action, we consider two alternative approaches. Nest monitoring and cowbird egg removal would enable the study of the distribution of parasitism in relation to landscape and vegetation variables, whereas cowbird shooting and nest monitoring might provide a larger short-term benefit to reproductive output. Habitat management, resumption of some grazing in the reserve and cowbird removal should be considered for the intermediate future.

Migration patterns of four Asian Houbara Chlamydotis macqueenii wintering in the Cholistan Desert, Pakistan in 1998 were monitored using satellite transmitters. Their homeward migration began between 15 and 31 March, and they arrived on breeding grounds in China, Mongolia and Uzbekistan between 16 and 27 May. The houbara stayed on their breeding areas for c. 135 days (range = 124–140). They arrived on the wintering grounds in the Cholistan Desert between 20 October and 15 December. During their migration, they avoided the mountain massifs of Hindu Kush, Pamir, Tien Shan and Himalaya. They could fly up to 220 km day−1 and covered a total distance of up to 4,400 km between their departure and destination points. Long stopovers were made mainly in the Registan Desert (Afghanistan), the Kyzylkum Desert (Uzbekistan/Kazakhstan), the Muyunkum and Taukum Deserts (Kazakhstan) and to a lesser extent the Zhob Valley (Pakistan). Conservation issues of a long-distance migrant species like Asian Houbara should be addressed at a broader scale through an international collaboration between Central Asian countries, from the breeding grounds of China to the wintering grounds of the Indian subcontinent.

The past five years have seen the arrival and extremely rapid expansion of West Nile virus (WNV) in the Western Hemisphere. The rapid sweep across North America has permitted little time for developing knowledge of the virus's potential impacts on wildlife in the New World. Given this information gap, we here summarize for the ornithological community what is known or can be anticipated for WNV's effect on bird communities in coming years. Our particular focus is on impacts of WNV on the conservation status of birds, the principal vertebrate reservoir for the virus.

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.

Internal security problems from the 1960s up until 1998 prevented any fieldwork in Cambodia. Since then, the situation has improved greatly and the Royal Government of Cambodia, in collaboration with international conservation NGOs, has been conducting general biological surveys across the country. Survey reports were used to investigate current occurrence of hornbills. Historically, three hornbill species — Great Hornbill Buceros bicornis, Wreathed Hornbill Aceros undulatus and Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris — were known from Cambodia. Recent surveys show that populations of Great and Wreathed Hornbills have declined significantly since the 1960s, while Oriental Pied is still common. A fourth hornbill species, Brown Hornbill Anorrhinus tickelli, was reported in 1998 in Kirirom National Park spanning the border of Koh Kong and Kompong Speu provinces in south-west Cambodia. Conservation priorities and priorities for future surveys are being developed.

Black Harrier Circus maurus is a rare southern African endemic that may have lost over 50% of its core breeding habitat in the last century as a result of extensive land transformation by agriculture, invasive alien vegetation and urbanization in the Fynbos biome. We partially surveyed both the western (Swartland) and southern (Overberg) coastal plains of south-western South Africa, over 3 years (2000–2002) for breeding Black Harriers, and found a distinctly polarized distribution. Nests were concentrated either along the coastal strip or inland in montane habitats, and generally absent from heavily cultivated and transformed inland plains areas. Limited evidence (direct observations, prey remains) suggests that harriers forage in cereal croplands but generally do not breed in these modified environments. We recorded breeding success at nests in coastal (Dune Thicket) and montane (Mountain Fynbos) habitats. Harriers bred successfully along the coast and nests were aggregated in loose colonies around wetlands. Harriers in montane environments bred poorly, took a wide range of prey, and were subject to high levels of nest predation. We propose that Black Harriers have been displaced from lowland Renosterveld and Fynbos habitats (characterized by better foraging and nesting opportunities), primarily by the advent and spread of cereal agriculture. The conservation and future research implications of this hypothesis are discussed.

Kulal White-eye Zosterops kulalensis is endemic to Mt Kulal, northern Kenya. It is currently considered a Vulnerable species because of its restricted range. We investigated its habitat and microhabitat use, and flocking and foraging behaviour, with respect to seasonal and diurnal variation. In the dry season, Kulal White-eye was encountered only in montane forest, where it was more abundant in glades than in closed-canopy habitats. Here it fed frequently on fruit, as most fruiting occurred in the drier months. In the wet season population density was also higher in glades than in closed-canopy forest, but birds were mostly insectivorous. Foraging in bush outside the forest was favoured. In the wet season, Kulal White-eye inhabited both the forest and the drier bush at lower altitudes, and avoided habitats with mature trees, preferring young tree formations where vegetation was thicker. Flock size was larger in the dry season, and, in the wet season, larger flocks were encountered in the morning and in late afternoon. Our study suggests that Kulal White-eye is less restricted to mature forest than previously thought. The conservation of the species requires that both the forest and the adjoining bush habitats receive adequate protection. Although some traditional human activities could be compatible with conservation, grazing of domestic animals inside the forest and the removal of large tracts of bush to create new pastures could be detrimental to the species.

Pale-headed Brush-finch Atlapetes pallidiceps is on the verge of extinction, with fewer than 100 individuals surviving in an area of less than 4 km2 in the Yunguilla valley in the province of Azuay, southern Ecuador. A reserve created for the protection of the species held 10 or 12 pairs in 1999, 14 in 2000, 16 in 2001 and 17 in 2002. Nearly all males had distinctive songs, showing little or no change from one year to the next. The yearly turnover of singing males was 40% in both 2000 and 2001 (4/10), and 29% in 2002 (4/14). Altitudinal range of A. pallidiceps was 1,650–1,950 m. Habitat was typical of regenerating landslides and fallow fields, composed of early succession growth in the ecotone between dry, thorny valley-bottom and humid forest remnants on the upper slopes. Territory size averaged 1.0 ha (range 0.7–1.4 ha, n = 37), and nearly all territories were within 100 m of a stream or an irrigation channel. Most were on steep slopes with Chusquea bamboo, and deciduous bushy cover with few or no spines, typically including the composite Steiractinia sodiroi, and with some open areas. Although habitat improved considerably between 1999 and 2002, some territories were vacant some years. Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis parasitism was noted, and could be even more important than habitat as a limiting factor of the population size. The song of A. pallidiceps was found to be similar to songs of several other Atlapetes spp. in general pattern. Diet was composed of arthropods, fruit and a few seeds. Arthropods were almost invariably picked from the bark on upper- and under-surfaces of twigs and small branches. Seeds were taken from the ground. Young (cowbirds) were apparently only fed insects. Between 1,800 and 1,950 m A. pallidiceps occurred with Rufous-naped Brush-finch A. latinuchus, which replaces it at higher elevations. Territories did not overlap, and where they met, A. latinuchus was confined to slightly taller and more humid vegetation, or to forest. In interspecific encounters A. pallidiceps was subordinate to Stripe-headed Brush-finch Buarremon torquatus, with which it coexisted in all its territories. Habitat management began in 2002, and limited cowbird control is planned to begin in 2003.

The diet of the endemic Madeira Laurel Pigeon Columba trocaz in agricultural and forest areas of Madeira Island was studied in 1997 by means of microhistological analysis of 157 faecal samples, 94 from two of the main agricultural zones and 63 from a laurel forest. Cabbage was the most important component of the diet in agricultural areas, representing more than 54% of the optical fields analysed. Samples collected further from the forest contained a higher proportion of cabbage. Native fruits did not figure highly in the samples collected from agricultural areas and crop plants did not appear in the forest samples, suggesting a degree of dietary separation and that some individuals may concentrate on crops. Madeira Laurel Pigeon is normally a highly frugivorous species and fruit availability is relatively high in winter when the birds go to agricultural areas to feed. This suggests that it is not a shortage of natural foods that causes them to leave the forest. The unpopularity of the pigeon as a result of its pest status is the main threat to its existence. More information on the seasonal physiological requirements of Madeira Laurel Pigeon and the pattern of individual use of crops is needed to ensure the future conservation of this species.

There are no previous studies supporting the link between the decline of Roller Coracias garrulus populations in the Palaearctic and agricultural intensification. We studied the effect of farming practices on Roller reproduction during 1988–1991 in south-west Spain. Nest-boxes were installed on power pylons that crossed six different man-made habitats representing the most characteristic habitats in the Mediterranean region: pasture fields with and without holm oak Quercus rotundifolia trees, cereal fields with and without holm oak trees, scrub fields and irrigated fields. Rollers nesting in nest-boxes erected in unwooded pasture field had the highest breeding success, suggesting that this is the most suitable nesting habitat of Rollers in the region. There were no significant effects of farming practices in habitat adjacent to nests on Roller laying date and clutch size. However, after controlling for laying date, current agricultural practices around nests affected chick mortality, with higher losses in irrigated fields. Breeding success and egg productivity were also affected by farming activities, with the lowest values in irrigated fields. Future conservation plans for Rollers should consider that nest-box provision might increase habitat suitability for Roller reproduction and that highly intensified agricultural practices might have deleterious effects on Roller populations.

The western Angola Endemic Bird Area has 14 range-restricted species. Little is known about the conservation status of the region's birds due to the civil war that has raged in Angola for the last 27 years. The greatest diversity of restricted-range species is found in Cuanza Sul province, and given the uncertainty about their current status, many of these species are listed as Threatened. In this paper we report the first significant ornithological visits to the Gabela region since 1974. We visited an extensive scarp forest patch at Kumbira Primero, near Conda, as well as smaller forest areas along the Sumbe–Gabela and Sumbe–Seles roads. Most of the threatened species were relocated, including several species not seen since the 1970s. Gabela Bush-shrike Laniarius amboimensis was common and Monteiro's Bush-shrike Malaconotus monteiri was fairly common in degraded secondary forest, old coffee plantations and primary forest at Kumbira. Pulitzer's Longbill Macrosphenus pulitzeri was fairly common at higher elevations at Kumbira as well as in the dense understorey of secondary forest west of Seles. Gabela Akalat Sheppardia gabela was less common, with only three birds found at Kumbira and one near Seles, but may have been overlooked. Only one group of eight Gabela Helmet-shrike Prionops gabela was recorded, in open woodland at the base of the scarp between Kumbira and Seles. Angola Cave-chat Xenocopsychus ansorgei was found on the rocky slopes above the forest at Kumbira. We describe the first sound recordings for five threatened species, which will help future systematic surveys of the region's forests. Vocal evidence confirms the close relationship between Gabela Bush-shrike and Lühder's Bush-shrike L. luehderi. The most pressing need is to assess the extent of remaining forests, map the distribution of key species of conservation concern, and then draft a strategy to conserve key habitat blocks.

We surveyed birds in two remnant patches of montane evergreen forest landscapes differing in intensity of habitat fragmentation, land use patterns and development. Present landscape configurations in Mae Tuen and Om Koi show that both became heavily fragmented (Table 1, see also Figure 1) between 1954 and 1996. The low abundance at Om Koi of large frugivores, such as Brown Hornbills Ptilolaemus tickelli and Great Hornbills Buceros bicornis, and their lack at Mae Tuen, are probably effects of prolonged fragmentation.

The Eastern Arc Mountains of East Africa are known for an exceptionally rich flora and fauna with very high endemism. For the conservation of rare forest birds these mountains are of the utmost importance in Africa. We provide the first population estimate of the endemic Loveridge's Sunbird Nectarinia loveridgei in the Uluguru Mountains of eastern Tanzania. Our study was conducted between September and December 2000. Capture-recapture using mistnets was used to gather data at eleven study sites between 1,300–2,600 m altitude in four different areas of the Ulugurus. The program CAPTURE was used to estimate the population at each study site. Since the home range of Loveridge's Sunbird is unknown, the density of the potential population was calculated by assuming home ranges ranging from 0 km2 through to 3 km2. When combined with data on the forest area in the Ulugurus and fixing the lower and upper home range sizes for this species at 0.1 km2 and 0.8 km2, we obtain an estimated total population ranging from 21,000 to 166,000 individuals. A median home range of 0.45 km2 estimates the population close to 37,000 individuals. The species does not seem threatened but its long-term survival will depend on the survival of the forest, and in particular on how well the forest reserves on the Ulugurus are managed in the future.

The coastal and offshore waters of Southwest Greenland are internationally important winter quarters for seabirds. We crudely estimate a minimum of 3.5 million seabirds using the region in winter, mainly from Arctic Canada, Greenland and Svalbard, with smaller numbers also from Alaska, Iceland, mainland Norway and Russia. The most numerous species are Common Eider Somateria mollissima, King Eider S. spectabilis, Brünnich's Guillemot Uria lomvia and Little Auk Alle alle. The most immediate threat to the seabirds in Southwest Greenland is hunting, and current levels of usage of the Greenland breeding populations of Brünnich's Guillemot and Common Eider are considered unsustainable. Conservation measures are required for these populations.

We examined the influence of forest fragmentation and resource availability on the abundance and distribution of Sumba Hornbill Aceros everetti, a large, canopy-dwelling bird endemic to Sumba Island, Indonesia. Hornbill numbers were estimated monthly from August 1998 to September 1999. Estimates were made in three large (≥1,000 ha) and three small (<1,000 ha) forest fragments, using a standard line transect method. Phenological patterns of canopy trees were assessed in 10 × 50 m plots. Our data indicated that forest patch size may be a better predictor of Sumba Hornbill abundance and distribution than overall resource availability. Hornbills occurred at higher densities in large forests (6/km2) than small forests (2.4/km2). Small forests produced more fruit/ha per month but lacked a number of important hornbill food species. Monthly fruit availability in large and small forest fragments had no significant effect on fluctuations in hornbill density. However, hornbill densities were significantly higher in forests with high densities of strangling figs, after controlling for patch size, and in larger forests hornbill densities correlated with the abundance of ripe figs. We hypothesize that small patches still have conservation value if they are within hornbill ranging distance, and speculate that Sumba's forests are in a dynamic phase before the full impact of fragmentation has been expressed.

Between 1989 and 1999, the Spanish population of Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus increased from 8,064 to 22,455 breeding pairs. This increase was not linked to any clear density-dependent process of population control given that the population grew more steadily in the more densely occupied sectors. This growth was related to a small increase in the breeding range of the species supporting the strong effect of the availability of nesting sites in limiting the range of the species. Around 85% of the breeding pairs were restricted to limestone sectors where cliffs suitable for breeding colonies were more abundant. In these limestone sectors, changes in the number of breeding pairs were positively correlated to changes in livestock abundance during 1989–1999, supporting a functional relationship between food availability and vulture abundance. Any active destruction of livestock carcasses to prevent the spread of some epidemic livestock diseases (e.g. bovine spongiform encephalopathy, African swine fever, foot and mouth disease) will probably produce a concomitant reduction of the Spanish population of Griffon Vulture.

Crested Ibis Nipponia nippon is an Endangered species that has experienced a severe but short-lived population bottleneck in recent years. Only one wild population and two captive populations exist in China today, all of which were probably initiated from two breeding pairs rediscovered in 1981. This paper represents the first study of the genetic diversity of Crested Ibis by analysing sequence variation of a fragment spanning domains II and III of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of both wild and captive populations. Two haplotypes were identified in both wild and captive populations, and the captive population had a bias towards haplotype 1. The species as a whole demonstrated an extremely low level of genetic diversity, with a haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity of 0.386 ± 0.074 and 0.069% ± 0.013%, respectively. Despite the rapid increase in numbers of birds under intensive management, the paucity of genetic diversity remains a real threat to the species. The mtDNA control region variations detected in the present study could provide significant information additional to the studbook data of Crested Ibis; therefore we suggest that special attention be paid to individuals with haplotype 2 when considering captive breeding management. Overall, great care should be taken in the selection of reintroduction sites for this rare bird, as species with low genetic diversity are thought to be more limited in their ability to tolerate a wide range of environmental extremes and diseases.

Surveys of threatened lowland forest bird species and forest habitats were conducted during a 21-month census of lowland bird communities in Tambopata, Department of Madre de Dios, south-east Peru. A combination of distance sampling census methods and direct counts was used for the census in five sites located along the Rio Madre de Dios and Rio Tambopata. All five sites consisted of different forest types with significantly different habitat components. Three of these sites were classified as primary forest habitats whilst the remaining two were classified as disturbed forests. Population densities were calculated for eight of the threatened species recorded during the census. Density estimates of non-bamboo specialists were higher in primary forest habitats than in disturbed forest habitats. Density estimates of most bamboo specialists were higher in primary Old Floodplain forest with extensive bamboo understorey than in primary Middle/Upper Floodplain forest with smaller, patchy areas of bamboo understorey. Calculation of regional population estimates based on the amount of forest cover from satellite photographs shows that only two of the threatened bird species have substantial populations currently protected by the Parque Nacional Bahuaja-Sonene and Reservada Nacional de Tambopata. Selective logging operations that reduce overall tree biomass and remove a large proportion of palm tree species from primary forest habitats will have an adverse affect on local populations of four of the threatened bird species in the region.

Red-legged Cormorant Phalacrocorax gaimardi, considered Near Threatened, is one of the most conspicuous seabirds on the south Pacific coast, although its current status is unknown. During spring and summer of 1998, 1999 and 2000 we surveyed Red-legged Cormorants along the Chilean coast. Survey portions of the coast were chosen based on published information, and discussions with local people. Nesting sites were distributed from Arica (18°30′S) to the Peninsula de Taitao (46°25′S). We found 40 breeding areas with at least 54 colonies, ranging from two to 964 nests. Colony size (as number of breeding birds) was larger in the south than in the north. Isolated pairs or small colonies were found in the northern and central part of Chile. The southern coast (Xth Region) held most colonies, including the largest one with approximately 1,000 breeding pairs, suggesting it is a critical area for the species. We estimated the Red-legged Cormorant population in Chile to be between 5,018 and 5,218 breeding pairs. The Xth Region holds approximately 80% of the whole Chilean population. Factors affecting the breeding distribution of this bird in Chile include coastal development, nesting habitat availability and the occurrence of El Niño (ENSO) events. Human consumption may be important locally, mainly in the south. Chile holds more than 70% of the world breeding population, estimated at fewer than 15,000 individuals. The Peruvian population has declined during recent decades, and the Argentinean population seems to be small and stable. Thus the Chilean coast, particularly the Xth Region, is a critical area for the conservation of this species.