Australian cycads once coexisted with megafauna that could have dispersed their large heavy seeds--such as giant ground birds bigger then present day emus
In this case the retrovirus'effect was to trigger an accumulation of a green-blue bile pigment called biliverdin in the eggshell as the egg develops in the hen.
They are commonly found across species of birds including those that lay blue eggs as well as non-blue eggs within a single population like the cuckoo and guillemot.
The large trees provide breeding cavities for the enormous bird which has a two-meter (six-foot) wingspan.
Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Minnesota Zoo Foundation National Aviary National Birds of Prey Trust United states Forest Service-International Programs and the University of Minnesota.
Focusing on the avian flu virus strain H5n1 research published today in the journal PLOS ONE identifies key stages in the poultry trade chain which lead to its transmission to other birds animals and humans.
which act as huge reservoirs for the virus at bird vaccination centres and at cock fighting contests.
Diseases which originate in birds and mammals such as SARS and bird flu represent 60 per cent of outbreaks.
#Bright birds make good mothersfemale blue tits with brightly coloured crowns are better mothers than duller birds according to a new study led by the University of York.
Unlike humans birds can see ultraviolet (UV) light. While the crown of a blue tit looks just blue to us to another bird it has added the dimension of appearing UV-reflectant.
The three-year study of blue tits which also involved researchers from the University of California Davis USA and the University of Glasgow showed that mothers with more UV-reflectant crown feathers did not lay more eggs
and investigated the factors that affect breeding success in wild birds. In blue tits (Cyanistes Caeruleus) both sexes exhibit bright UV-reflectant crown feathers.
The birds are socially monogamous with the female solely incubating the eggs and both parents feeding the chicks.
and number of chicks fledged--as well as the birds'maternal state. Dr Arnold said: With up to 14 chicks to care for blue tit mothers in our study were feeding their broods every couple of minutes.
A recent study based on data collected by citizen scientists suggests that one more adjective might apply at least from a bird's perspective:
and Cornell University scientist Walter Koenig and others document how an EAB invasion fueled a population boom for four species of birds in the Detroit area.
The four species of birds considered in the study Effects of the emerald ash borer invasion on four species of birds included three woodpeckers that are known to forage on EAB-infested ash trees
Data used in the study were collected by volunteers for Project Feederwatch a Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada project in
which volunteers count birds that visit feeders at backyards nature centers community areas and other locations from November through early April.
The data helps scientists track movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance.
since 1987 and allowing us to track changes in the abundance and distribution of birds across North america.
The study examined bird populations in an area about 25 miles west of downtown Detroit where EAB was discovered first.
however the downy woodpecker was at a significantly higher level relative to control sites during the 2009 bird survey season
Researchers compared the abundance of the four bird species to their abundance in two sets of sites where the impact of EAB has not yet been severe.
They are one of the big elements of ecosystems like birds and trees. They are major movers of stuff.
and special benefits to birds. The report said that berries may be sufficiently important to grizzly bear diet
This could be similar to Important Bird Areas a global effort to identify and conserve places that are vital to birds and other biodiversity.
In fact Tanzania's Priority Primate Areas were also often rich in bird life underscoring their value to conservation in general.
We believe Priority Primate Areas can be a valuable conservation tool worldwide similar to the successful Important Bird Area concept said the study's lead author Tim Davenport of WCS.
For a developing nation of such global conservation importance like Tanzania priority setting is an essential tool in managing wildlife.
#Snakes devour more mosquito-eating birds as climate change heats forestsmany birds feed on mosquitoes that spread the West Nile virus a disease that killed 286 people in the United states in 2012 according to the Centers
However rising temperatures threaten wild birds including the Missouri-native Acadian flycatcher by making snakes more active according to University of Missouri biologist John Faaborg.
and seek more baby birds for food said Faaborg professor of biological sciences in MU's College of Arts and Science.
Although our study used 20 years of data from Missouri similar threats to bird populations may occur around the world.
Increased snake predation on birds is an example of an indirect consequence that forecasts of the effects of climate change often do not take into account.
Faaborg suggested that a likely reason for decreased baby bird survival in hot years was an increase in snake activity.
Low survival in the Ozark nests harms bird numbers in other areas Faaborg said. Birds hatched in the Ozark forest spread out to colonize the rest of the state and surrounding region.
Small fragments of forests in the rest of the state do not support successful bird reproduction
so bird populations in the entire state depend on the Ozarks. In addition to his position in the College of Arts and Science Faaborg is an adjunct professor in the School of Natural resources in MU's College of Agriculture Food and Natural resources.
The American Associate for the Advancement of Science elected Faaborg a fellow in 2001. Story Source:
Overall the chickens purchased at the farmers markets carried higher bacterial loads than the birds purchased at grocery stores.
and that these grassland birds are affected more by rangeland management practices and by the availability of native prairie and vegetation cover at nest sites.
and wind energy companies--who studied how these wind projects influence grassland birds. We had a lot of buy in from stakeholders
and we had an effective oversight committee said Sandercock who studies grassland birds. The research will certainly aid with wind power site guidelines
The researchers studied the birds for seven breeding seasons and captured nearly 1000 total male and female birds around lek sites
which are communal areas where males gather and make calls to attract females. Females mate with the males
What's quite typical for these birds is most of the demographic losses are driven by predation.
The researchers also found that conservation management practices seem to have the strongest effect on the birds Sandercock said.
Prairie chickens are ground-nesting birds and need adequate cover for their nests to survive. Grazing and fire management practices can affect how much nesting cover is available for chickens.
Preliminary data shows that patch-burn grazing seems to provide enough cover for ground-nesting birds Sandercock said.
#Live from the hens egglike a contortionist twisted the chick is lying in its eggshell brain eyes and beak visible in levels of grey.
The head of the spirally-rolled bird was the main reference point. We have focused on the brain and the vitreous body of the eye as bright and distinctive identifying features.
and point out that H7 influenza has a tendency to become established in bird horse and swine populations and may spillover repeatedly into humans.
Also H7 viruses have the ability to mutate from a low pathogenicity form to a high pathogenicity form in birds a scenario that can lead to large-scale culling and ultimately to human exposure to the virus among poultry workers.
and Prof Damien Roussel at the Ecology of Natural and Man-impacted Hydrosystems laboratory in France looked for the first time at how the king penguin chicks'mitochondria in skeletal muscle the main heat producing tissue in birds function during fasting in the winter.
which among birds have unrivalled an fasting endurance (up to 5 months). Fasting in the cold represents a bioenergetics trade-off between sparing energy for body maintenance
It already has been detected in dead birds and mosquitoes in at least 10 counties in recent weeks including Sacramento and Yolo.
when they feed on infected birds. In California around the time of the study#2004 and 2005#hundreds of people were sickened by West Nile virus
because unlike their larger bodied relatives in other parts of the country that eat larger prey their diet consists of small mammals birds carrion insects fungi and other plant material.
because unlike their larger bodied relatives in other parts of the country that eat larger prey their diet consists of small mammals birds carrion insects fungi and other plant material.
#Uncertainty over the benefits of feeding birds in winterwild bird populations are thought generally to benefit from being given additional food in winter
which had lower survival than the chicks of birds that did not receive any additional food.
Our research questions the benefits of feeding wild birds over winter. Although the precise reasons why fed populations subsequently have reduced reproductive success are unclear it would be valuable to assess
whether birds would benefit from being fed all year round rather than only in winter. More research is needed to determine exactly what level of additional food provisioning and at
what times of year would truly benefit wild bird populations. Dr Kate Plummer lead author of the paper said:
One possibility is that winter feeding may help birds in relatively poor condition to survive and breed.
whether winter feeding is contributing to an overall change in the size of bird populations.
It is estimated that around half of UK householders feed birds in their gardens. This equates to around 50-60 thousand tonnes of bird food provisioned each year
As the wider scientific evidence shows feeding wild birds with appropriate foods delivers a range of positive benefits.
Nest boxes and bird feeders were distributed around the woodland study sites and reproductive success was investigated by checking the nest boxes in the spring to determine the number of eggs laid and the growth and survival of chicks.
Studies elsewhere have shown that feeding wild birds in winter can have almost immediate benefits for survival
and inform the debate around the role that feeding wild birds may play in their population processes.
or beneficial to wild bird populations it is clear that more research is needed to better understand its effects.
Bad luck for these birds: at the weekend the fishing fleet is largely in the harbour.
or glabrous canary seed which lacks the tiny hairs of the seed traditionally produced as food for caged birds.
Cities, farms reroute animals seeking cooler climesin spite of considerable human development the southeastern United states region could provide some of the Western hemisphere's more heavily used thoroughfares for mammals birds
The golden mouse ornate chorus frog and southern cricket frog--three of the species that will likely be on the move in southeastern U s.--were among the nearly 3000 mammals birds
and dragonflies and are important members of the food chain right up to fish and birds. Biological diversity in such aquatic environments can only be sustained by them
The Clark's nutcracker a mountain bird can store up to 100000 seeds in underground caches each year. Squirrels also store thousands of seeds underground.
Birds squirrels and bears are not the only species that depend on whitebark pine. Vast stands of whitebark pine help to maintain the mountain snowpacks that provide water to more than 30 million people in 16 U s. states each year.
The impact we observed is different from that observed previously for mammals and birds. Instead of reducing the number of species oil palm affects amphibian communities by replacing habitat suitable for threatened species with habitat used by amphibian species that are not important for conservation.
The birds are also much easier to maintain and study in laboratories than other vocal animals like apes.
and her colleagues can image the brains of live birds in a noninvasive environment. MRI is used widely with human beings
and reproduce behavioral experiments such as bird fmri techniques as described in Dr. Van der Linden's article which are both novel and technically complex.
#The scoop on bird poop: Evolving diversity of microbial life in bird gutsgut bacteria are known to have a central role both in human and in animal health.
Animals acquire different bacteria as they age but how the microbial communities in the bodies of wild animals change over time is understood not well.
The bacteria in the cloaca are known to be similar to assemblages deeper within the gastrointestinal tract so the researchers examined samples from the cloaca of birds at different ages to look indirectly at gut bacteria.
Flushing bacteriato obtain bacterial samples the researchers flushed the birds'cloacae by gently infusing a salt solution into the cloacae and collecting the liquid.
The bacterial diversity in the cloaca of each bird could be estimated with the aid of molecular genetic techniques.
and thus to draw a clear picture of how bacterial communities in bird guts change as the birds age.
The differences may correlate with changes in the birds'gut chemistry over time or with changes in diet
Further studies are needed to determine the causes and consequences of the variation in the bacterial assemblages in guts of wild birds.
#Human activity echoes through Brazilian rainforestthe disappearance of large fruit-eating birds from tropical forests in Brazil has caused the region's forest palms to produce smaller less successful seeds over the past century researchers say.
and evolutionary models to determine that the absence of large seed-dispersing birds in the area was the main reason for the observed decrease in the palm's seed size.
and sugar cane plantations and were no longer capable of supporting large-gaped birds or those whose beaks are more than 12 millimeters wide such as toucans and large cotingas.
In undisturbed patches of forest on the other hand large-gaped birds still make their homes and palms continue to produce large seeds successfully dispersed by the birds they say.
Small seeds are more vulnerable to desiccation and cannot withstand projected climate change explained Galetti.
But small-gaped birds such as thrushes that populate the fragmented patches of forest are unable to swallow
and displaced many large bird populations in the region triggered a rapid evolution of forest palms that resulted in smaller less successful seeds.
#More at-risk bird species in Brazilian forest than previously thoughtin a study published today in the journal PLOS ONE a team of researchers led by NJIT Associate professor Gareth Russell has applied a novel method for linking large-scale habitat
Our goal was to assess the extinction risk for bird species in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil a global'hotspot'of bird diversity said Russell.
The current study applied this metric to 127 forest-dependent passerine birds inhabiting the Atlantic Forest of Brazil an area that has lost over 90 percent of its original forest.
A cuckoo in the nesthoi and colleagues found that many nests housed nestlings fathered outside the pair-bond.
Following analysis of H7n9 influenza viruses collected from live poultry markets it was found that these viruses circulating among birds were responsible for human infections.
birds could pose risk to humansin the summer of 1968 a new strain of influenza appeared in Hong kong.
A new study from MIT reveals that there are many strains of H3n2 circulating in birds
or birds have caused several notable flu pandemics. When one of these avian or swine viruses gains the ability to infect humans it can often evade the immune system which is primed to recognize only strains that commonly infect humans.
However H3n2 strains are also circulating in pigs and birds. Sasisekharan and his colleagues wanted to determine the risk of H3n2 strains reemerging in humans
and birds focusing on the gene that codes for the viral hemagglutinin (HA) protein. After comparing HA genetic sequences in five key locations that control the viruses'interactions with infected hosts the researchers calculated an antigenic index for each strain.
Of these 549 came from birds and 32 from pigs. The researchers then exposed some of these strains to antibodies provoked by the current H3 seasonal-flu vaccines.
There could be viral genes that mix among pigs or between birds and pigs. Sasisekharan and colleagues are now doing a similar genetic study of H5 influenza strains.
Fallow strips along streams and rivers provide corridors for migrating animals and birds. This is an area that is already 95 percent altered--the habitat that remains is said critical Gennet.
The map is composed of bird migration patterns and adding in estimations of poultry production and consumption
The map is based on the northwards migratory patterns of birds (from the 4th february to the end of April) using environmental and meteorological data over the same 12 weeks--from Zhejiang Shanghai and Jiangsu to Liaoning Jilin and Heilongjiang.
Prof Jiming Liu who led the study explained By basing our model on wild bird migration
Previous research by Ken Schmidt of Texas Tech University and Chris Whelan of Illinois Natural history Survey documented that these carnivores can prey more easily on native bird eggs
and nestlings such as robins when nests are built in buckthorn and honeysuckle compared to nests built in native shrubs or trees.
and habitat use by mammal species explained Director of the Urban Wildlife Institute Seth Magle Ph d. We know based on prior research that birds which build nests in buckthorn are more susceptible to predation.
because birds and their nests are easier to prey upon. He suggests that deer may be avoiding these areas
The seasonal timing of the food peak has advanced over twice as fast as that of the birds
We call this relaxed competition as there are fewer fledglings to compete with first author Reed points out.
The great tits that lay eggs earlier in spring are more successful nowadays than late birds
This leads to increasing selection for birds to reproduce early. But the total number of birds in the new generation stays the same.
That is the second paradox the researchers state. Why are population numbers hardly affected despite the stronger selection on timing caused by the mismatch?
which birds survive while for population size it only matters how many survive. Visser: The mortality in one group can be compensated for by the success in another.
The density dependence is only buying the birds time hopefully for evolutionary adaptation to dig in before population numbers are affected substantially according to Visser.
Studies on wild birds conducted as part of APEIR demonstrated the importance of undertaking surveillance in wild birds to characterise the influenza viruses carried by these birds.
and N components of this virus were derived probably from wild birds and also possibly from poultry.
and this information helps in understanding the transmission of other influenza viruses by wild birds.
APEIR researchers including Professor Lei Fumin of the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are currently investigating the possible role of wild birds in transmission of H7n9 avian influenza.
Professor Lei Fumin said We have seen already suggestions that this virus could be transmitted widely among migratory birds
and poultry and it is important to assess the likelihood of this through scientific studies on wild birds as they fly north through China to their summer breeding grounds.
but while groups such as mammals birds and reptiles have been understood fairly well by scientists for decades knowledge about relationships among many types of fishes was essentially unknown--until now.
#Student tracks Asian birds migration patterns; recommends conservation strategiesan Arizona State university biologist and her team have found that the Asian subspecies of great bustard one of the heaviest birds capable of flight covers migratory routes of more than 2000 miles traveling to
and from its breeding grounds in northern Mongolia and wintering grounds in Shaanxi province in China.
We attached GPS transmitters to these birds that collect location data Kessler says. These transmitters relay the datasets to a satellite system
so we are able to remotely monitor the movement of these birds very closely something that has never been done before.
Great bustards are large birds found in grasslands from Spain to Mongolia. Males of the Asian subspecies can weigh up to 35 pounds
and monitoring these birds is no easy feat. Known for their elusive nature and wariness toward humans Asian bustards are seen rarely with the naked eye.
and tag a single bird. The process of capturing these birds requires us to be extremely alert and careful of every footstep
and sound we make Kessler says. The work is so painstaking that it becomes an obsession.
The team also found that the birds tend to migrate in a solitary fashion making multiple long stopovers during their journey.
but to track each tagged bird individually. Kessler says the findings are not only the first of their kind
The birds have a low reproductive rate; adults raise just one or two chicks to maturity every 10 years making hunting unsustainable.
and crush chicks as the birds often nest in agricultural fields. Pesticides kill protein-rich insects that bustard chicks rely on for rapid growth to be able to migrate come fall.
and low reproductive rate could make these birds disappear Kessler says. We need to take immediate measures to conserve them.
This treatment seriously influenced the birds'aggressive behaviour: the losers were chasing the subordinate male in the group to a greater extent
Although through the blocker the testosterone had no effect on these birds temporarily the winners were still able to maintain their social status.
whether to protect the bird as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The U s. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to hold another public comment period this spring before voting on the issue Sept. 30.
The bird is now found only in restricted areas of five states in the southern Great plains:
Nesting hens will avoid nesting near humanmade structures and disturbances in habitat from roads to buildings to the conversion of native grasslands to cropland.
if you have a good year for reproduction enough new birds enter the population and have a survival rate that carries them through three
Shengkai Pan bioinformatics expert from BGI said The two falcon genomes are the first predatory bird genome published.
Better looking birds have healthier babies, study findsa female great tits'(Parus major) appearance is shown to signal healthy attributes in offspring in a paper in Biomed Central's open access journal Frontiers in Zoology.
In these socially monogamous birds both the males and females are coloured brightly however neither the cheek patch nor the stripe in males affected the health of the babies.
--so it is useful for birds to be able to work out which potential mates will produce the best babies.
and his colleague Tsuyoshi Shimmura placed birds under constant light conditions and turned on recorders to listen and watch.
and a refuge for 11 globally-threatened bird species. They are also a vital fishing grazing and traditional rice farming resource for around 1. 1 million people.
These unique grasslands are home to many threatened birds including by far the largest remaining population of the critically endangered Bengal florican--the world's rarest bustard.
This bird has experienced a dramatic population decline of 44 per cent in seven years due to the destruction of its grassland habitat.
Other birds under threat in this area include sarus cranes storks ibises and eagles. Rural communities have been left vulnerable to land-grabbing and privatisation of-communal grasslands.
and birds we've come up with a technique to predict sites where these viruses could mix
--and use the researchers'models to identify other hotspots--for increased monitoring of flu in humans livestock poultry and wild birds.
Swine which are susceptible to both bird and human flu could serve as a mixing vessel for reassortment between the two viruses.
Not all flu outbreaks whether bird or human are tracked. The scientists had to identify indicators of flu outbreaks such as dense poultry populations
and Senior Scientist Woods Hole Research center Falmouth USA Think of migration of birds to the Arctic in the summer and hibernation of bears in the winter:
because current understanding of how wildlife responds to fire is based almost entirely on studies of a limited number of species most of them birds Frick said.
and elsewhere in Europe Increasing deer populations are a serious threat to biodiversity--particularly impacting on woodland birds such as migrant warblers and the nightingale.
#Exurban residences impact bird communities up to 200 meters away, study findsaccording to a study by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) impacts to bird communities from a single rural exurban
The study also determined that sensitive bird species such as the hermit thrush and scarlet tanager prefer unbroken forests with no houses.
As part of the study scientists sampled the presence of 20 species of birds both near and far from 30 rural residences in the Adirondack Park.
and lawn can change bird communities some 200 meters away which means more than 30 acres of the surrounding landscape depending on
It is important that we learn how birds and other wildlife react to particular kinds of human activities
While breeding bird communities were used to measure the impacts of exurban development in the study the authors note that birds can serve as valuable indicators of overall biodiversity.
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