In Memoriam, Academician Prof. Dr. Osor Shagdarsuren (1929-2010)

Academician, Professor Osor Shagdarsuren passed away due to apoplexy on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, at the age of 81. He was one of the most respected Mongolian ornithologists, biologists, and educators. The Mongolian scientific community has lost one of its greatest members, the premier Mongolian ornithologist

Brutareale und Brutbiologie der Greifvogelarten der Mongolei = Grid Mapping and Breeding Ecology of Raptors in Mongolia

This work summarizes the longtime ecological research of the German-Mongolian scientific cooperation regarding biodiversity studies in Central Asia, focusing on native raptor species (Aves: Falconiformes). There is included a short overview on the history of raptor research in Mongolia. One of the primary goals was the creation of distribution maps of breeding records based on definitive time and space coordinates. Additional data on the breeding biology amend the distribution data. Currently 43 raptor species are recorded for Mongolia. Whenever possible were also incorporated data from adjacent regions of Mongolia (China, Tuva, Burjatia, Pribaikalia), in order to embed the avifauna of Mongolia into this wider geographical setting. First data on migration based on ringing and marking are available for the Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus), Black Kite (Milvus migrans), and the Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus)

Bird Red List and Its Future Development in Mongolia

With the involvement of the World Bank, Zoological Society of London, Dutch Government and National University of Mongolia, the volumes of Mongolian Red Lists of Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles, Birds and Mammals were completed, and Mongolia is now among the few nations that have up-to-date conservation assessments for all vertebrates. Of the 476 assessed native bird species of Mongolia, 10% were categorized as regionally threatened including Near Threatened. A further 0.6% were categorized as Critically Endangered (CR), 1.7% as Endangered (EN), 3.3% as Vulnerable (VU), and 4.4% as Near Threatened (NT). Almost 90% of Mongolian birds are categorized as Least Concern (LC) (excluding DD and NA). Just 30 species were categorized as Data Deficient (DD). A further 87 species were categorized as Not Applicable, as they did not meet the requirements for regional assessment. This result highlights the need for research on raptors in Mongolia. Of all passerines found in Mongolia, 82.1% are categorized as Least Concern. This shows that most of the passerines have not reached threat categories. The Tree Pipit, Reed Parrotbill, Saxaul Sparrow, White-throated Bushchat, Japanese Reed Bunting and Yellow-breasted Bunting, however, all fall within threat categories. A total of 36 species of bird are regionally threatened or Near Threatened in Mongolia. Of these, 2 species are categorized as Critically Endangered, 6 species as Endangered and 12 species as Vulnerable. Sixteen species are categorized as Near Threatened. High species richness of birds in Mongolia was recorded in the regions with forest steppe and river valleys. The species richness map shows a decreasing trend in the richness from north to south. High species richness for Mongolian birds was documented in the subdivisions of Mongol Daguur, Eastern Mongolian Plain (particularly Buir lake and the northeast), Ih Kyangan and Khangai mountain ranges, Great Lakes Depression and Huvsgul mountain range (Darkhad Depression). High species richness of birds also occurred in the protected areas of Numrug, Altan Els and Mongol Daguur Strictly Protected Areas, Onon-Balj, Khustai, Hugnukhaan, Otgontenger, Uvs, Khar-Us lake and Tsambagarav National Parks, and Toson Khulstai, Khar Yamaat, Ugtam, Bulgan, and Ikh Nart Nature Reserves. Data Deficient species’ richness was high in the regions of Khalkh river-Buir lake and Great Khyangan Mountain, Huvsgul Mountain Range, Great Lakes Depression including Uvs lake Depression, Baruunkhurai or Dzungaryn Gobi and basins of Ulz, Herlen, Orkhon and Selenge rivers. High species richness areas have contained high number of Data Deficient species. The areas with high species richness and a high number of Data Deficient species within Mongolia need field surveys conducting on population size and density, breeding ecology, and population threats. Using the IUCN Red List categories of dominant threats, we have compared the threats and potential threats to all species of birds in Mongolia. 38.1% of species are threatened by habitat loss and degradation, 13.6% by human disturbance, 11% by pollution and 10.7% by changes in native species. All species of crane and pheasant are under significant threat of regional extinction. Bird conservation strategies and plans should focus on these threats. It is now imperative that the Red Lists for each vertebrate group, including the bird, be updated every five years so that trends in extinction risk can be measured through time

Human-mediated introgression of exotic chukar (Alectoris chukar, Galliformes) genes from East Asia into native Mediterranean partridges

Mediterranean red-legged (Alectoris rufa) and rock (Alectoris graeca) partridge populations are affected by genetic pollution. The chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar), a species only partly native to Europe, is the most frequently introgressive taxon detected in the genome of hybrid partridges. Both theoretical (evolutionary) and practical (resources management) matters spur to get insight into the geographic origin of the A. chukar hybridizing swarm. The phenotypic A. rufa populations colonizing the easternmost part of the distribution range of this species, the islands of Elba (Italy) and Corsica (France), were investigated. The analysis of both mitochondrial (mtDNA: Cytochrome-b gene plus Control Region: 2,250 characters) and nuclear (Short Tandem Repeats, STR; Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA, RAPD) genomes of 25 wild (Elba) and 20 captive (Corsica) partridges, disclosed spread introgression of chukar origin also in these populations. All mtDNA haplotypes of Elba and Corsica partridges along with those we obtained from other A. rufa (total, n = 111: Italy,Spain, France) and A. graeca (n = 6, Italy), were compared with the mtDNA haplotypes of chukars (n = 205) sampled in 20 countries. It was found that the A. chukar genes detected in red-legged (n = 43) and rock partridges (n = 4) of Spain, France and Italy as well as in either introduced (Italy) or native (Greece, Turkey) chukars (n = 35) were all fromEastAsia. Hence, awelldefined geographic origin of the exotic chukar genes polluting the genome of native Mediterranean A. rufa and A. graeca (inter-specific level) as well as A. chukar (intra-specific level), was demonstrated

Exonic Versus Intronic Snps: Contrasting Roles In Revealing The Population Genetic Differentiation Of A Widespread Bird Species

Recent years have seen considerable progress in applying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to population genetics studies. However, relatively few have attempted to use them to study the genetic differentiation of wild bird populations and none have examined possible differences of exonic and intronic SNPs in these studies. Here, using 144 SNPs, we examined population genetic differentiation in the saker falcon (Falco cherrug) across Eurasia. The position of each SNP was verified using the recently sequenced saker genome with 108 SNPs positioned within the introns of 10 fragments and 36 SNPs in the exons of six genes, comprising MHC, MC1R and four others. In contrast to intronic SNPs, both Bayesian clustering and principal component analyses using exonic SNPs consistently revealed two genetic clusters, within which the least admixed individuals were found in Europe/central Asia and Qinghai (China), respectively. Pairwise D analysis for exonic SNPs showed that the two populations were significantly differentiated and between the two clusters the frequencies of five SNP markers were inferred to be influenced by selection. Central Eurasian populations clustered in as intermediate between the two main groups, consistent with their geographic position. But the westernmost populations of central Europe showed evidence of demographic isolation. Our work highlights the importance of functional exonic SNPs for studying population genetic pattern in a widespread avian species.Wo