The Salmon-crested Cockatoo Cacatua moluccensis is endemic to the Seram island group, Maluku Province, Indonesia. An apparently considerable population decline, attributed t o over-exploitation for the parrot trade, prompted CITES to ban all trade in the species in 1989. A short census was undertaken on Seram using the variable circular plot method. Cockatoo density estimates were highest in little-disturbed lowland forest and lowest in recently logged forest and in non-forested areas. Discriminant function analysis was used t o describe the distribution of the species. The discriminant profile suggested that cockatoos were associated with mature lowland forest closer to rather than farther away from settlements. No conclusions are possible as to the relative importance of bird capture and habitat alteration on the population of the Salmon-crested Cockatoo, but an urgent need for further standardized censuses of cockatoo populations, and for research concerning the population dynamics of this and other traded parrot species, is stressed.

Understanding the factors that determine habitat use and abundance of exploited species is essential to develop effective conservation strategies. We studied the four forest pigeons on São Tomé Island to assess the species’ distribution and abundance patterns. We determined ecological factors likely to be associated with each species’ use of habitats and numbers, as well as the influence of hunting pressure. In total, 35 km of line transects were surveyed in the rainy season and at the start of the dry season. Pigeons differed in their use of habitats; there were also strong seasonality effects. The most abundant species was the Lemon Dove Columba simplex, the only non-hunted species. The São Tomé Green Pigeon Treron sanctithomae and Maroon Pigeon Columba thomensis were less abundant and had more restricted ranges. Both species were strongly associated with old-growth forests. In contrast, the Bronze-naped Pigeon Columba malherbii was relatively abundant and widespread; this species favours human-altered habitats such as shade forests and non-forested areas. Fruit availability measured within the different habitats was linked with the distribution and abundance of the three hunted species. Potential human predation pressure on all species was determined from hunting signs found along the surveyed transects. There was a significant negative correlation between the abundance of two of the hunted species and hunting pressure. Our results indicate the importance of adequately protecting old-growth and secondary forests as core habitats for the survival of viable populations of all pigeon species in the island. However, control of hunting is also crucial.

Dadia Forest in north-eastern Greece is well known for its diversity of breeding birds of prey. In 1980, the area was declared a wildlife reserve. One of the most endangered species at that time was the Black Vulture Aegypius monachus. To help the population of Black Vultures a feeding station was established in 1987. A monitoring programme from 1984 until present indicates that the operation of the feeding station has coincided with an increase in the numbers of Black Vultures wintering in Dadia by nearly threefold, an increase in the number of breeding pairs from 10 to 21, and an increase in breeding success from 40% to a peak of 95%. A slight faltering in the continued rise in the numbers of Black Vultures in Dadia is attributed to a poisoning event in 1995.

The parany is a device used in Comunidad Valenciana (Spain) for trapping birds by the use of limed sticks. Between 1988 and 2001 successive Comunidad Valenciana governments authorised the legal trapping of thrushes Turdus spp. in 5,000 parany each year. Approximately 1.5 million thrushes (mostly Song Thrush Turdus philomelos and Redwing T. iliacus) along with half a million birds of many protected species (including raptors) were trapped annually. Authorisation ceased in 2001 but illegal trapping still occurs, using at least 2,000 parany. Comunidad Valenciana governments have explicitly supported bird trapping on both legal and technical grounds claiming that only small numbers of thrushes are caught and that other species are unaffected, thus complying with the EU Birds Directive. Such assertions have never been proven, and regional, national and international courts have declared that the parany contravenes nature protection laws. Comunidad Valenciana governments have deliberately overlooked such judgements. It is concluded that eradication of parany through law enforcement and educational schemes would be the best option. Nevertheless, according to the EU Birds Directive, controlled bird trapping would be feasible, and the requisites for such a strategy are discussed. The main obstacle to both eradication and strictly controlled use of parany is the lack of political will by Comunidad Valenciana governments.

Wetlands in the Biebrza Valley, north-east Poland, are inhabited by two closely related Aquila species: the more numerous Lesser Spotted Eagle A. pomarina prefers human-transformed landscapes, whereas the very rare Greater Spotted Eagle A. clanga is associated with natural marshy landscapes. At least since the last decade of the 20th century, these two species have been known to hybridise in the broad zone of their sympatric occurrence in Europe. The aim of the present study was to compare habitat preferences of both spotted eagle species in order to detect which environmental factors could increase the probability of hybridisation. We analysed nesting and hunting habitats for 148 breeding territories (61 of A. pomarina, 56 of A. clanga and 31 of mixed pairs). As expected, the presence of breeding Greater Spotted Eagles was associated with non-transformed marshy landscapes, whereas Lesser Spotted Eagles clearly preferred human-transformed areas. We hypothesised that mixed pairs should occur in intermediate habitat, confirming this assumption by analysing several variables: distance to human settlements, distance to open areas, and proportion of wetlands, shrublands, grasslands, agricultural mosaic and arable land. Results of this study suggest that some landscape changes can enable two species with different habitat requirements to inhabit the same area and hybridise. This scenario has potential conservation implications for the rarer species, Greater Spotted Eagle, which has narrower habitat preferences.

The Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata macqueenii is a regular winter visitor from northern breeding grounds to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) but the migration routes and origin of these birds are still poorly known. Five bustards were fitted with platform transponder terminals in UAE in the winter of 1996-1997. The overall distances covered by the birds were very variable, ranging from 3,747 km to 11,938 km. The return migration date of Houbara from UAE ranged from 19 March to 2 April 1997, while the outward migration began from 10 September to 7 November 1997. The Houbara spent the summer n i different areas, namely China (north of lake Nor), Kazakhstan (Kyzyl Kum desert and north of the Aral Sea), Uzbekistan (south of the Aral Sea) and north Afghanistan. These results are the first to describe an annual cycle of migration for Houbara Bustards and should aid the development of appropriate conservation measures for this species.

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.

From October 1991 to January 1993, the Polynesian Megapode or Malau Megapodius pritchardii on the island Niuafo'ou, Kingdom of Tonga, was studied as part of a conservation project. The reproductive population was estimated at 188–235 pairs. Owing to an apparent lack of juveniles, the total population is not expected to be much larger. Compared to previous assessments this estimate gives evidence for a serious decline, but the methodologies used in all estimates differ considerably. However, a decline is also indicated by the fact that two of the 11 communal nesting grounds have been abandoned since 1979, while no new sites have been reported. Additionally, the Malau has disappeared from the vicinity of villages during the last 15 years. On a cat-free and undisturbed islet in the crater lake the density of Malaus is 1.29 pairs per ha. In other areas, where access for humans, dogs and cats was easy, the density of the Malau was only 0.16 pairs per ha. The main reason for the decline isover-harvesting of eggs by the local people. Habitat destruction or degradation are not responsible, and rats and domestic pigs seem to have no negative influence.

The Restinga Antwren (Thamnophilidae: Formicivora littoralis) is endemic to a small region on the coast of Rio de Janeiro state in southeastern Brazil. Currently, it is considered ‘Critically Endangered’ by IUCN due to continuing habitat loss within its very small and severely fragmented range. Data available to assess its conservation status, however, are scarce. From 2005 to 2007, we conducted bird surveys to produce more rigorous estimates of geographic range limits, available habitat, local population density, and global population size. We used these data and IUCN criteria to reassess the conservation status of the Restinga Antwren. We recorded the species in a new locality (Tucuns, Armação dos Búzios), expanding its range by 5 km from the easternmost known limit. The species was present in 65% of the points surveyed within its range, in restinga fragments that cover an area of c. 42 km2 (84% of the total restinga within the species’s range). We estimated that this bird has an Extent of Occurrence of 233.5 km2, an Area of Occupancy of 148 km2, and a global population size < 5,000 individuals. We therefore recommend downlisting Restinga Antwren from ‘Critically Endangered’ to ‘Endangered’. We also recommend that the Massambaba and the Pau Brasil Areas of Environmental Protection be transformed into Biological Reserves, to increase restrictions on human activities in the area and preserve crucial habitat for the Restinga Antwren.

The Greater Spotted Eagle is an extremely rare species which is strongly associated with wetlands during the breeding period. The winter habitats of this vulnerable species have not been extensively studied so far, although eagles spend over one third of the year there, and these are therefore also crucial for the conservation of the species. We investigated the distribution of Greater Spotted Eagle wintering grounds in the Mediterranean Basin on the basis of telemetry data from individuals caught in breeding grounds, detailed species counts during wintering in Greece, and a literature search. We found that at least 300–400 individuals (c.15% of the European population) winter in the Mediterranean Basin, sometimes numbering a few dozen in particular river valleys. Individuals used on average 89.7 km2 home ranges for wintering. The Maxent model of wintering habitats performed with high reliability, indicating that most of the coastline along the Mediterranean Sea and some parts of the Black Sea are suitable for the wintering of this species. The distribution of coastal marshes was the most informative for the model. Compositional analyses done for home ranges of GPS tracked individuals and wintering sites in Greece showed the highest preference for salines and salt marshes but also a high preference for coastal lagoons and water courses. We link wetland preference with the availability of medium size prey, optimal for this species, and prey specialisation common to breeding sites.

Populations of both Imperial and Red-necked Parrots on Dominica have declined during the present century with substantial contractions in range, particularly from the southern portion of the island. Parrot densities may be relatively low anyway due to the effects of centuries of hunting. However, declines have been accelerated by habitat destruction and loss of food plants and nesting sites as a result of both human encroachment on the forest and damage caused by Hurricanes David and Allen in 1979 and 1980 respectively. The hunting of birds for meat and for the live cage-bird trade were important threats in the past but conservation education programmes over the last 10 years, and enforcement of legislation prohibiting those activities, have greatly reduced these pressures. Ten years after the debilitating effects of the two hurricanes, the populations of both parrot species (but particularly Red-necks) are showing signs of recovery. Present estimates (May 1990) are of c.80 Imperial Parrots and c.300 Red-necked Parrots in the wild. The major threat to both parrot species is presently habitat destruction, with forested areas being cleared at an accelerating rate for the planting of tree crops, particularly bananas. This process has been aided by recent development programmes towards the building and improvement of feeder roads, making previously remote areas much more accessible. The need for the north-west portion of the Northern Forest Reserve (which includes the entire Morne Diablotin massif) to be declared a national park is ever more critical if the two parrot species are to survive in the long term.

Setting favourable reference values (FRV) for conservation targets may help in assessing the conservation status of species and habitats. FRVs should be expressed through population size or demographic parameters that are likely to ensure the long-term persistence of a species across its range. We developed a conceptual framework for defining FRVs for Italian birds included in Annex I of the European Union’s Wild Birds Directive 79/409/CEE. The approach was based on demographic trends, current population size and the minimum viable population concept. We subdivided bird species according to abundance at the national scale, spatial distribution in discrete isolated populations and/or biogeographic categories. FRVs based on population viability analysis (PVA) were provided for populations of less than 2,500 pairs. For species with more than 2,500 pairs and a wide, more or less continuous range, the FRV was expressed in terms of breeding density at different spatial scales for non-colonial species. Out of the 88 species considered, we were able to formulate FRVs based on PVA for 47 populations belonging to 21 species, and breeding density for 15 further species; lack of adequate data prevented us from defining FRVs for the remaining species. Further work should focus on the translation of FRV density values into population size and on the definition of reference values for range and habitat.

Seabirds face a diverse array of threats and are considered to comprise one of the most threatened avian groups globally. Development of appropriate conservation action requires a knowledge of the marine distribution of seabirds, furnished either by tracking the movements of individuals, or from at-sea surveys. Obtaining information on the distribution of the smallest seabird species, the storm-petrels Hydrobatidae, is challenging, but the recent development of <1 g GPS tracking tags now enables high-precision tracking and this study reports the first multi-year high-precision tracking of European Storm-petrels Hydrobates pelagicus from their largest UK breeding colony. A total of 42 successful tag deployments were made over four breeding seasons during incubation, brooding and post-brood phases, and there was no evidence of adverse impacts on adult body mass or nest survival rates. Foraging trips lasted between one and three days and ranged up to 397 km from the colony (median = 159 km). Foraging range and total distance covered were positively correlated with trip duration but did not differ across breeding stages. Storm-petrels did not feed to the west of the colony at the edge of the continental shelf where high concentrations have been reported in previous decades from boat surveys, but rather, foraging was restricted to shallow waters south of the colony, consistent across individuals, breeding stages and years. Two areas were identified that exceed the threshold criteria for marine Important Bird Area status and should be considered for statutory protection. The home range estimated across all three breeding stages overlapped with 206 active hydrocarbon wells and 14 operating platforms which represent potential threats as sources of surface pollution or through attraction of birds to gas flares. Improved understanding of the foraging distribution of storm-petrels from this protected colony greatly assists the identification of potential threats and informs appropriate marine spatial planning.

The mountains of south-eastern Nigeria are a western extension of the Cameroon mountain range, which is classified as an endemic bird area (EBA). Unlike its eastern extension in Cameroon, most of the ornithological surveys in the western extension of the Cameroon highlands in Nigeria have produced only limited checklists and inventories. There is a clear need for quantitative baseline data so that conservation problems can be identified. Twenty line transects covering a total transect length of 28.8 km were used to survey five sites (Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Oban Division and Okwangwo Division of Cross River National Park, Sankwala Mountains and Mbe Mountains) in the westernmost extension of the Cameroon Mountains EBA in south-eastern Nigeria. Vegetation measurements were taken to control for the potential confounding effect of variation in vegetation density and structure on detectability of birds between sites. The 193 bird species recorded in Afi, 158 in Sankwala, 124 in Oban, 100 in Mbe and 73 in Okwangwo Division included most of the Cameroon highlands restricted range species. The results show that the mountains of south-eastern Nigeria are important parts of the Cameroon EBA, particularly Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary. However these sites are threatened by fire and livestock grazing on the hilltops, shifting agriculture on the hillsides and lowlands, and logging for timber in some parts, as well as wildlife hunting for bushmeat.

Most studies of Corncrakes have been conducted in grasslands used for hay-cutting, and earlier hay-cutting has been suggested as the main cause of population decline in this species. Less is known about habitat preferences in relation to other land-uses and landscape structure. This paper investigated habitat composition and landscape structure in territories and at random sites in arable fields and meadows in south-central Sweden. Calling Corncrakes preferred sites with tall vegetation, moist ground, and locations close to ditches (55% of territories). Suitable conditions occurred on abandoned unmanaged wet meadows (31% of territories), mown wet meadows (14%), leys (30%) and non-rotational set-asides (15% of territories). Corncrakes avoided annual crops and other crops with short vegetation in the spring. Cutting of vegetation before mid-July was recorded in 21% of the territories and resulted in 100% abandonment of these sites. In contrast to many other ground nesting farmland birds, Corncrakes did not avoid forest edges (42% of territories within 100 m of edges). A strategy to conserve Corncrake populations should focus on maintenance of moist natural and sown grasslands (unmanaged or mown late) with tall vegetation and prevention of succession to woodland. Target areas should be in forested landscapes, because many other meadow birds that are more dependent on management (e.g. yearly mowing or grazing) prefer open landscapes.

Resort development and coastal beach erosion have led to declines in beach breeding habitat for the near-threatened Malaysian Plover (Charadrius peronii) in the Gulf of Thailand. Semi-natural saltflats may provide supplementary nesting areas. We compared the environmental conditions, incubation behaviour and nesting success of plovers breeding on sandy beaches and saltflats in Thailand. In total we monitored 21 and nine nesting attempts in 2004 (beaches and saltflats, respectively) and 26 and 22 nesting attempts in 2005. Despite higher air temperatures in the saltflats (P < 0.0001), we detected no significant differences in nest attendance (P = 0.542 and P = 0.885 for 2004 and 2005, respectively), number of incubator changes between parents (P = 0.776 and P = 0.823) or number of parental nest departures (P = 0.087 and P = 0.712) during 120 incubation observations on 55 nests. There was also no difference in hatching success between beaches in 2004 (beach = 0.65, saltflat = 0.55; P = 0.692, n = 26) and 2005 (beach = 0.46, saltflat = 0.35; P = 0.539, n = 41). These results suggest that saltflats may provide nesting habitat for Malaysian Plovers and could help enhance overall hatching success rates by reducing nesting densities on beaches. Although there are few remaining intact saltflats in coastal Thailand, there are currently vast areas of abandoned tiger prawn aquaculture ponds that could be rehabilitated into saltflats at relatively low cost. Given the large area of disused aquaculture ponds throughout Thailand and South-East Asia and the substantial human pressure on coastal habitats, there could be considerable conservation benefits to the restoration of aquaculture ponds.

Detecting and quantifying threats and researching and implementing management actions are key to improving the conservation status of endangered species. Bibliometric analysis can constitute a useful tool for the evaluation of such questions from a long-term perspective. Taking as a case study the Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus in Spain, we tested relationships between population dynamics, research efforts, existing threats and conservation milestones. The population growth of the species (from 206 pairs in 1976 to 2,068 in 2011) was parallelled by the increase in the total number of publications, the number of articles in SCI journals and the number of published works dealing with aspects of conservation, threats and management. These results are discussed in terms of cause-effect relationships taking into account that the influence of other non-mutually exclusive factors could also probably explain such associations. Similarly, we analysed the trend of the Cinereous Vulture breeding population with respect to different threats and indices of food availability, obtaining a positive correlation with the increase in big-game hunting bags in Spain. With respect to conservation milestones, we concluded that the current situation is positive in terms of the protection of the species and its habitat, with the situation in relation to food availability being unclear. Finally, we reviewed the main conservation actions that have been taken for the species in Spain and how these have been progressively modified based on new scientific and technical evidence, as an example of adaptive management applied to conservation.

The Cape Parrot Poicephalus robustus is a habitat specialist, restricted to forest patches in the Eastern Cape (EC), KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Limpopo provinces of South Africa. Recent census estimates suggest that there are less than 1,600 parrots left in the wild, although historical data suggest that the species was once more numerous. Fragmentation of the forest biome is strongly linked to climate change and exploitation of the forest by the timber industry. We examine the subpopulation structure and connectivity between fragmented populations across the distribution of the species. Differences in historical and contemporary genetic structure of Cape Parrots is examined by including both modern samples, collected from 1951 to 2014, and historical samples, collected from 1870 to 1946. A total of 114 individuals (historical = 29; contemporary = 85) were genotyped using 16 microsatellite loci. We tested for evidence of partitioning of genotypes at both a temporal and spatial scales by comparing shifts in allelic frequencies of historical (1870–1946) and contemporary (1951–2014) samples across the distribution of the species. Tests for population bottlenecks were also conducted to determine if anthropogenic causes are the main driver of population decline in this species. Analyses identified three geographically correlated genetic clusters. A southern group restricted to forest patches in the EC, a central group including birds from KZN and a genetically distinct northern Limpopo cluster. Results suggest that Cape Parrots have experienced at least two population bottlenecks. An ancient decline during the mid-Holocene (∼ 1,800-3,000 years before present) linked to climate change, and a more recent bottleneck, associated with logging of forests during the early 1900s. This study highlights the effects of climate change and human activities on an endangered species associated with the naturally fragmented forests of eastern South Africa. These results will aid conservation authorities with the planning and implementation of future conservation initiatives. In particular, this study emphasises the Eastern Cape mistbelt forests as an important source population for the species and calls for stronger conservation of forest patches in South Africa to promote connectivity of forest taxa.

The risk of the Nene Branta sandvicensis becoming extinct has been minimized by the release of over 2,000 captive-reared geese, but the population (now at 500) is yet to achieve a self-sustaining status. The majority of birds released have been reared in gosling-only groups, thus missing out on the opportunity to learn social and feeding skills from adults. In this paper we test the hypothesis that rearing experience affects the subsequent behavioural traits of Nene goslings. We raised 42 goslings under four conditions: a gosling group not exposed to adults, a gosling group exposed to adults from 16 days onward, three groups in view of “foster” adults for 14 days, and four groups reared continuously by parents. All birds were eventually released into an 8 ha pen where a flock of adult Nene roamed. The method by which Nene goslings were raised had a significant effect on dominance, flock integration, and vigilance. Parent-reared birds were dominant to and more vigilant than goslings raised without parents or goslings reared in sight of adults. Parent-reared birds also integrated into the adult flock sooner than other goslings. Growth rate and final body size were not affected by rearing regime (with or without parents or foster parents). In future, managers should provide goslings with as much “parental” experience as possible in order to equip them with appropriate skills to cope once released in the wild.

Ludwig’s Bustard Neotis ludwigii is globally ‘Endangered’ because of a projected population decline resulting from high collision mortality on power lines throughout its southern African range. Population monitoring is key to the effective conservation of threatened species, but there are no population trend data to confirm the impact of this mortality. We repeated extensive road and aerial census counts of Ludwig’s Bustards and other large terrestrial birds, previously conducted in the late 1980s, across the Karoo, South Africa. An aerial survey gave similar density patterns to a concurrent road count, suggesting that road counts are an adequate method for censusing Ludwig’s Bustards. In common with the 1980s surveys, there was a strong seasonal effect in the Succulent Karoo, with Ludwig’s Bustards abundant in winter and rare in summer. There was no evidence of a corresponding decline in the Nama Karoo in winter, but this probably relates to reduced detectability in the Nama Karoo in summer as there is evidence for large proportions of the population migrating between biomes. No relationship was found between the numbers of Ludwig’s Bustards and rainfall, perhaps because of larger scale rainfall patterns in the Karoo and/or because the species is not strictly nomadic. Compared with the 1980s, Ludwig’s Bustards were more strongly associated with transformed lands, which have increased marginally on road count transects. Using Distance, the current South African population is estimated at 114,000 (95% CI 87,000-148,000) birds, with no evidence for a population decline over the past two decades. Numbers of Blue Cranes Anthropoides paradiseus increased since the 1980s, corresponding with other data supporting this trend, but numbers of Karoo Korhaan Eupodotis vigorsii, Southern Black Korhaan Afrotis afra and Blue Korhaan E. caerulescens all decreased, raising concerns about the conservation status of these resident bustard species.