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We show that variation in an intronic length polymorphism in the CHD1‐Z gene in Black‐tailed Godwits Limosa l. limosa is associated with fitness correlates. This is the second example of the CHDZ‐1 gene being correlated with fitness, a previous study having established that Moorhens Gallinula chloropus carrying the rare Z* allele have reduced survival. In Godwits, however, carriers of the Z* allele...
Rice fields are an important habitat for waterbirds. Knowledge of the availability of this habitat is important since the reduction in the area of natural wetlands has converted rice fields into vital refuges. This paper presents a method for mapping habitat availability in rice fields according to different waterbirds’ habitat preferences and examining its phenology during the crop cycle. Data from...
We review the conservation issues facing migratory shorebird populations that breed in temperate regions and use wetlands in the non‐breeding season. Shorebirds are excellent model organisms for understanding ecological, behavioural and evolutionary processes and are often used as indicators of wetland health. A global team of experienced shorebird researchers identified 45 issues facing these shorebird...
The Eurasian Stone‐curlew is a species of conservation concern in Europe. We investigate for the first time the extent of population structure among populations sampled from six geographical areas, representing four subspecies inhabiting the western part of the species' distribution. Neither mitochondrial nor nuclear markers fully supported current subspecies boundaries. However, both markers support...
The Common Redshank Tringa totanus breeding population on British saltmarshes has declined by over 50% since 1985, with declines linked to changes in grazing management. Conservation initiatives have encouraged low‐intensity grazing of less than one cattle per hectare, but Redshank have continued to decline, even in regions where light grazing was predominant. This study quantified effects of grazing...
In Europe, lowland wet grasslands have become increasingly fragmented, and populations of waders in these fragments are subject to unsustainably high levels of nest predation. Patches of taller vegetation in these landscapes can support small mammals, which are the main source of prey for many predators. Providing such patches of habitat could potentially reduce levels of nest predation if predators...
Birds’ responses to human disturbance are interesting due to their similarities to anti‐predator behaviour, and understanding this behaviour has practical applications for conservation management by informing measures such as buffer zones to protect priority species. To understand better the costs of disturbance and whether it will impact on population size, studies should quantify time‐related responses...
How individual birds schedule their movements and use different sites during the non‐breeding season are fundamental issues in avian migration ecology, and studies have often revealed strong seasonal variation in such strategies. Using geolocators we tracked Common Ringed Plovers Charadrius hiaticula from northern Norway to West Africa and back to assess whether there were differences in migratory...
Key demographic parameters often show substantial annual variation that can have important consequences for rates of population growth. Since 2011 we have conducted annual estimates of the productivity of Icelandic Black‐tailed Godwits Limosa limosa islandica over a large part of their breeding range. During this period, a volcanic eruption resulted in extensive dust deposition across the region....
The Chestnut‐banded Plover Charadrius pallidus is a Near‐Threatened shorebird species endemic to mainland Africa. We examined levels of genetic differentiation between its two morphologically and geographically distinct subspecies, C. p. pallidus in southern Africa (population size 11 000–16 000) and C. p. venustus in eastern Africa (population size 6500). In contrast to other plover species that...
Birds exhibit a wide diversity of breeding strategies. During incubation or chick‐rearing, parental care can be either uniparental, by either the male or the female, or biparental. Understanding the selective pressures that drive these different strategies represents an exciting challenge for ecologists. In this context, assigning the type of parental care at the nest (e.g. biparental or uniparental...
Conservation of beach‐nesting medium‐distance migrants has focused on breeding areas because protection of nests is more tractable than protection of non‐breeding habitat. As breeding ground management has encountered diminishing returns, interest in understanding threats in non‐breeding areas has increased. However, robust estimates of non‐breeding demographic rates and abundance are generally lacking,...
For federally listed species such as Least Tern Sternula antillarum and Piping Plover Charadrius melodus, correct determination of nest fates and causes of nest failure is crucial for understanding population dynamics and improving monitoring programmes. We used video cameras to evaluate nest fate misclassification rate and to identify factors that may cause researchers monitoring nests at different...
Cooperative breeding is rare in shorebirds, and when found it is thought to be due to polygamous mating (cooperative polygamy). Here we describe the social structure of cooperatively breeding groups in Southern Lapwing Vanellus chilensis and test the prediction that offspring sex ratio is skewed towards the sex that helps. The social groups consisted of a breeding pair with one or two young (mostly...
The estimation of abundance is fundamental to ecology and conservation but often is difficult or impossible to accomplish reliably. Recent improvements in wildlife cameras and ecological modelling have allowed for improved accuracy in estimates of abundance. In this study, we paired nest captures and high‐definition nest video camera monitoring with modelling for a novel approach to estimate survival...
Occurring across Eurasia, the Black‐tailed Godwit Limosa limosa has three recognized subspecies, melanuroides, limosa and islandica from east to west, respectively. With the smallest body size, melanuroides has been considered the only subspecies in the East Asian‐Australasian Flyway. Yet, observations along the Chinese coast indicated the presence of distinctively large individuals. Here we compared...
Recreational activities in nature have increased considerably in recent decades. Human disturbance may trigger similar trade‐offs in birds that the natural risk of predation generates on productivity through parental investment decisions. To estimate how the impact of human presence affects breeding birds on Mediterranean beaches, the behaviour of incubating Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus...
The ecological reasons for variation in avian migration, with some populations migrating across thousands of kilometres between breeding and non‐breeding areas with one or few refuelling stops, in contrast to others that stop more often, remain to be pinned down. Red Knots Calidris canutus are a textbook example of a shorebird species that makes long migrations with only a few stops. Recognizing that...
Embryonic vocalizations in birds may enable communication between embryos and incubating parents but responses of parents to embryonic vocalizations have not been measured experimentally. In two ground‐nesting shorebirds, we compare parental care of eggs without embryonic vocalizations, those with natural embryonic vocalizations, and those in which we experimentally introduced embryonic vocalizations,...
Long‐distance migratory species often include multiple breeding populations, with distinct migration routes, wintering areas and annual‐cycle timing. Detailed knowledge on population structure and migratory connectivity provides the basis for studies on the evolution of migration strategies and for species conservation. Currently, five subspecies of Bar‐tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica have been described...
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