Recolonization of Raoul Island by Kermadec red-crowned parakeets Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae cyanurus after eradication of invasive predators, Kermadec Islands archipelago, New Zealand

The Kermadec red-crowned parakeet Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae was driven to extinction on Raoul Island over 150 years ago by introduced cats Felis catus and rats (Rattus norvegicus and R. exulans). These predators were eradicated from the island (2,938 ha) between 2002-04 during the world’s largest multispecies eradication project. In 2008 we documented a unique recolonisation event when parakeets were observed to have returned to Raoul, presumably from a nearby island group, The Herald Islets (51 ha). We captured and aged 100 parakeets, of which 44% were born in 2008, and breeding was observed on Raoul Island. This represents the first evidence of nesting of this species on Raoul Island since 1836. Our findings highlight the global conservation potential for island avifaunas by prioritising eradication areas through consideration of proximity of remnant populations to target management locations, instead of the classical translocation approach alone. The natural recolonization of parakeets on Raoul Island from a satellite source population is to our knowledge, a first for parrot conservation and the first documented population expansion and island recolonization of a parrot species after removal of invasive predators

Uncivil Twitter: A sociopragmatic analysis

Language Use in Past and Presen

Beak and feather disease virus in wild and captive parrots: an analysis of geographic and taxonomic distribution and methodological trends

Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) has emerged in recent years as a major threat to wild parrot populations and is an increasing concern to aviculturists and managers of captive populations. Pathological and serological tests for screening for the presence of beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) are a critical component of efforts to manage the disease and of epidemiological studies. Since the disease was first reported in the mid-1970s, screening for BFDV has been conducted in numerous wild and captive populations. However, at present, there is no current and readily accessible synthesis of screening efforts and their results. Here, we consolidate information collected from 83 PBFD- and BFDV-based publications on the primary screening methods being used and identify important knowledge gaps regarding potential global disease hotspots. We present trends in research intensity in this field and critically discuss advances in screening techniques and their applications to both aviculture and to the management of threatened wild populations. Finally, we provide an overview of estimates of BFDV prevalence in captive and wild flocks alongside a complete list of all psittacine species in which the virus has been confirmed. Our evaluation highlights the need for standardised diagnostic tests and more emphasis on studies of wild populations, particularly in view of the intrinsic connection between global trade in companion birds and the spread of novel BFDV strains into wild populations. Increased emphasis should be placed on the screening of captive and wild parrot populations within their countries of origin across the Americas, Africa and Asia

Can the intake of antiparasitic secondary metabolites explain the low prevalence of hemoparasites among wild Psittaciformes?

Background: Parasites can exert selection pressure on their hosts through effects on survival, on reproductive success, on sexually selected ornament, with important ecological and evolutionary consequences, such as changes in population viability. Consequently, hemoparasites have become the focus of recent avian studies. Infection varies significantly among taxa. Various factors might explain the differences in infection among taxa, including habitat, climate, host density, the presence of vectors, life history and immune defence. Feeding behaviour can also be relevant both through increased exposure to vectors and consumption of secondary metabolites with preventative or therapeutic effects that can reduce parasite load. However, the latter has been little investigated. Psittaciformes (parrots and cockatoos) are a good model to investigate these topics, as they are known to use biological control against ectoparasites and to feed on toxic food. We investigated the presence of avian malaria parasites (Plasmodium), intracellular haemosporidians (Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon), unicellular flagellate protozoans (Trypanosoma) and microfilariae in 19 Psittaciformes species from a range of habitats in the Indo-Malayan, Australasian and Neotropical regions. We gathered additional data on hemoparasites in wild Psittaciformes from the literature. We considered factors that may control the presence of hemoparasites in the Psittaciformes, compiling information on diet, habitat, and climate. Furthermore, we investigated the role of diet in providing antiparasitic secondary metabolites that could be used as self-medication to reduce parasite load. Results: We found hemoparasites in only two of 19 species sampled. Among them, all species that consume at least one food item known for its secondary metabolites with antimalarial, trypanocidal or general antiparasitic properties, were free from hemoparasites. In contrast, the infected parrots do not consume food items with antimalarial or even general antiparasitic properties. We found that the two infected species in this study consumed omnivorous diets. When we combined our data with data from studies previously investigating blood parasites in wild parrots, the positive relationship between omnivorous diets and hemoparasite infestation was confirmed. Individuals from open habitats were less infected than those from forests. Conclusions: The consumption of food items known for their secondary metabolites with antimalarial, trypanocidal or general antiparasitic properties, as well as the higher proportion of infected species among omnivorous parrots, could explain the low prevalence of hemoparasites reported in many vertebrates

Echeandia novogaliciana and E. crudeniana (Anthericaceae): Two new species from western Mexico

Echeandia novogaliciana and E. crudeniana are described from western Mexico. Echeandia novogaliciana is known from three populations, one in the state of Nayarit and two in Zacatecas. Likewise, E. crudeniana is known from two populations in the municipality of Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit. For both species, illustrations are provided and morphological relationships with similar species are discussed. Zapotitlán 2013 The New York Botanical Garden

Tigridia suarezii (Iridaceae, Tigridieae), a new species from Jalisco, Mexico

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Comparison of beak and feather disease virus prevalence and immunity-associated genetic diversity over time in an island population of red-crowned parakeets

Pathogen outbreaks in the wild can contribute to a population’s extinction risk. Concern over the effects of pathogen outbreaks in wildlife is amplified in small, threatened populations, where degradation of genetic diversity may hinder natural selection for enhanced immunocompetence. Beak and feather disease virus (BFDV) was detected for the first time in an island population of red-crowned parakeets (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) in 2008 on Little Barrier Island (Hauturu-o-Toi) of New Zealand. By 2013, the prevalence of the viral infection had significantly decreased within the population. We tested whether the population of red-crowned parakeets showed a selective response to BFDV, using neutral microsatellite and two immunity-associated genetic markers, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and Toll-like receptors (TLRs). We found evidence for selection at viral-associated TLR3; however, the ability of TLR3 to elicit an immune response in the presence of BFDV warrants confirmation. Alternatively, because red-crowned parakeet populations are prone to fluctuations in size, the decrease in BFDV prevalence over time may be attributed to the Little Barrier Island population dropping below the density threshold for viral maintenance. Our results highlight that natural processes such as adaptation for enhanced immunocompetence and/or density fluctuations are efficient mechanisms for reducing pathogen prevalence in a threatened, isolated population

Visual sensitivity, coloration and morphology of red-tailed tropicbirds Phaethon rubricauda breeding on the Kermadec Islands

Subtle sexual dimorphism and its perception in apparently monomorphic bird species warrant assessment of how birds identify the sex of conspecifics, particularly of prospective mates. Visual sensitivity and its potential co-variation with cryptic sexual dichromatism are still uninvestigated in most avian taxa. Using molecular sexing, reflectance spectrometry and perceptual modelling based on the sequencing of short wavelength visual pigments, we assessed the sex-specificity of coloration and colour perception in the red-tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda. We also measured morphological dimorphism at a previously unstudied breeding locality for this species. Our data are in line with both physical and avian-perceived monochromatism with a potential indication of achromatic sex differences in plumage reflectance. The moderate extent of size dimorphism is consistent with reports from other Pacific breeding populations, and morphological measurements from live specimens in this study are in line with reports on museum specimens from the same sample location. Potential differences between individuals of the same sex in size and coloration warrant the assessment of sexual dimorphism in larger sample sizes of this species

Visual sensitivity, coloration and morphology of red-tailed tropicbirds Phaethon rubricauda breeding on the Kermadec Islands

Subtle sexual dimorphism and its perception in apparently monomorphic bird species warrant assessment of how birds identify the sex of conspecifics, particularly of prospective mates. Visual sensitivity and its potential co-variation with cryptic sexual dichromatism are still uninvestigated in most avian taxa. Using molecular sexing, reflectance spectrometry and perceptual modelling based on the sequencing of short wavelength visual pigments, we assessed the sex-specificity of coloration and colour perception in the red-tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda. We also measured morphological dimorphism at a previously unstudied breeding locality for this species. Our data are in line with both physical and avian-perceived monochromatism with a potential indication of achromatic sex differences in plumage reflectance. The moderate extent of size dimorphism is consistent with reports from other Pacific breeding populations, and morphological measurements from live specimens in this study are in line with reports on museum specimens from the same sample location. Potential differences between individuals of the same sex in size and coloration warrant the assessment of sexual dimorphism in larger sample sizes of this species