Non-selective waterbird hunting in a Natura 2000 site results in killing of protected species: A case study from western Poland
September 2025
Non-selective hunting of waterbirds poses a significant challenge in biodiversity-rich areas such as Important Bird Areas (IBAs), where protected and game species congregate. Here, we present evidence...
Visual cognition of birds and its underlying neural mechanism: A review
2022
Birds have acute vision and many remarkable visual cognition abilities, due to their unique living environment. The underlying neural mechanisms have also attracted interests of researchers in neuroscience....
Three subspecies of Black-tailed Godwit share non-breeding sites in the world's largest river delta
March 2025
During the non-breeding season (September–April), Black-tailed Godwits (Limosa limosa) are commonly seen in coastal and inland wetlands of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta in Bangladesh. We hypothesize...
Negative effects of artificial nest boxes on birds: A review
2023
Artificial nest boxes are placed to attract birds to nest and breed in a specific location, and they are widely used in avian ecology research and in the attraction of insectivorous birds. There is...
A review of eDNA technology in avian monitoring: Current status, challenges and future perspectives
June 2025
In recent years, environmental DNA (eDNA) has garnered significant attention as a novel tool in biodiversity monitoring, recognized for its efficiency, convenience, and non-invasiveness. Despite its...
Migration pattern of a population of Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) breeding in East Asian tropical region
2024
Birds exhibit a high degree of migratory diversity, which is influenced by various ecological factors and life history strategies. Conducting studies on tropical bird migration, of which research is...
Sri Lanka's laughingthrush: An ecological and phylogenetic assessment of a babbler confused for a laughingthrush
September 2025
The Ashy-headed Laughingthrush (Argya cinereifrons), a species endemic to Sri Lanka, has been historically considered a laughingthrush in the genus Garrulax. However, based on phylogenetic evidence,...
Avian acoustic communication: Understanding of peripheral and central neural systems with ecological adaptations
June 2025
Avian vocal communication represents one of the most intricate forms of animal language, playing a critical role in behavioral interactions. Both peripheral and central auditory-vocal pathways are essential...
Correlates of avian extinction timing around the world since 1500 CE
2024
Avian extinctions have been relatively well documented in modern history, and in the past millennia, more bird species are known to have gone extinct than species in any other vertebrate class. We examined...
Vultures as a model for testing molecular adaptations of dietary specialization in birds
2023
Vultures are the only obligate scavengers among extant vertebrates. They provide valuable ecological services in ecosystems through removing carcasses, thus preventing the growth of other scavenger...
Multi-dimensional niche segregation of sympatric breeding seabirds in the Xisha Archipelago
September 2025
Studying coexistence mechanisms is practically important for understanding and conserving marine biodiversity and community structure. Tropical marine ecosystems may exhibit higher competition between...
Migration patterns and spatial connectivity of Pallas's Gulls (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus) from Alakol lake, Kazakhstan using ring recovery and tracking data
September 2025
Understanding migration patterns and spatial connectivity is crucial for conserving long-distance migratory birds. While satellite telemetry has advanced the study of large gulls, Pallas's Gull (Ichthyaetus...
More than a simple egg: Underlying mechanisms of cold tolerance in avian embryos
2023
Avian embryos, which develop within eggs, exhibit remarkable tolerance to extremely low temperatures. Despite being a common trait among all birds, the mechanisms underlying this cold tolerance in avian...
Responses of steppe birds to habitat fragmentation: Insights from niche specialization and functional traits
September 2025
Habitat fragmentation poses a significant threat to bird communities, especially those in open and semi-open ecosystems such as steppes. This study investigates how steppe birds adapt to and utilize...
Chinese Blackbirds (Turdus mandarinus) mimic electric moped sounds with lower consistency and frequencies
June 2025
Passerine mimics often imitate various vocalizations from other bird species and incorporate these sounds into their song repertoires. While a few anecdotes reported that wild songbirds imitated human-associated...
Transcontinental evolutionary dynamics and phylogeography of Alectoris (Aves: Galliformes): Identifying refugia, dispersal corridors, and cryptic diversity in the Palearctic region
September 2025
The Alectoris (Galliformes: Phasianidae) has a wide distribution range in the Palearctic region, with seven species and 27–31 subspecies that were distinguishable by minor morphological differences....
Avian hippocampus: Recent advances in anatomy and physiological functions
2024
The avian hippocampus, akin to its mammalian counterpart, plays a critical role in cognitive and physiological processes despite notable structural differences. Initially thought to be less developed,...
Phylogenetic definitions for 25 higher-level clade names of birds
2022
Knowledge of the higher-level phylogenetic relationships of birds has grown substantially during the past two decades due to the application of genomic data. However, the nomenclature of higher-level...
Evaluation of the visual signal in playback by territorial responses of nuthatches
September 2025
A playback experiment is a well-established method for behavior research, especially in the study of the territorial responses of songbirds. Birds obtain information from multimodal signals, whereas...
Birds' co-occurrence is mediated by diet, habitat type, and anthropogenic disturbances in Ghana's Central Region
September 2025
Understanding the fundamental drivers of large-scale species co-occurrence is a critical issue in ecology and conservation research. Here, we assessed foraging guilds, habitat type and disturbances...
Reconciling Bergmann's rule throughout the annual cycle in two congeneric large-bodied migratory waterbirds
September 2025
Bergmann's rule predicts that the larger of two homeotherm species differing only in size would occur at higher latitudes, or in cooler climates than the smaller, because of relative thermoregulatory...
Predatory birds in agroforestry: Dawn of a new era for biological control from multitrophic interactions
September 2025
Ensuring food security for a rapidly growing global population amidst resource limitations and climate change is a major challenge. Agroforestry an ecologically sustainable land-use system that integrates...
Local song evolution after three decades in a complex songster, the Thrush Nightingale
March 2025
Birdsong is an important secondary sexual trait which may vary between but also within species. Intraspecific variation is generally studied either on the geographical or on the temporal scale; most...
Quantifying avian wing shapes: Evaluating indices, their relationships, and ecological correlates
December 2025
Avian wings are central to their remarkable flight ability and diverse life history strategies, including behaviors such as fighting and mating. These multifaceted functions are intricately tied to...
Variation of migration routes in the central Asian-breeding Common Cuckoo population influenced by the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
September 2025
Ecological barriers present significant challenges to bird migration by limiting the availability of stopover sites and shelters. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, a major migratory barrier located in higher...