Leucistic plumage as a result of progressive greying in a cryptic nocturnal bird

Leucism, broadly defined as the lack of melanin pigmentation, occurs in many animal species. Most studies on leucism and other colour aberrations are based on opportunistic observations or small cross-sectional samples, thus limiting our ability to produce reliable results and test theoretical predictions. This study combines cross-sectional and longitudinal data collected in 2016–2020 from a population of red-necked nightjars (Caprimulgus ruficollis). The goals of the study are (i) to investigate sex and age effects on partial leucism, (ii) to separate within-subject effects (progressive greying) from between-subject effects (selective disappearance), and (iii) to examine differences in body mass, structural size, and life span between leucistic and non-leucistic individuals. The probability of leucism in nightjars increased from juveniles to adults at similar rates in males and females. Our longitudinal analysis and life-span comparisons indicated a minor contribution of selective disappearance to age-related changes in leucism, but rather suggested that the loss of melanin from feathers can be attributed to progressive greying in ageing adults. Body mass and size were consistently smaller (5% and 1.5%, respectively) in leucistic than in non-leucistic nightjars, although the reason for this difference remains unclear. Our study sheds light on the sources and mechanisms of variation in leucism in natural populations and its relationship with important life-history traits, such as life span.Open access funding provided by Lund University. C.C. received financial support from Fundación Ramón Areces (BEVP-31A6148) and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (FJC2018-038412-I). PH-R received financial support from the University Pablo de Olavide (Seville) through the contract of reference ‘Plan Propio de Investigación’ No. 1903

Vertidos tóxicos al río Guadiamar: propuestas técnicas para su corrección

Inmediatamente de producirse el vertido tóxico al río Guadiamar, el Grupo T.A.R. se lanzó sin pensarlo dos veces a la búsqueda de soluciones técnicas a un panorama desolador y de efectos desconocidos, todos ellos amenazantes. El ácido “se comía el suelo inundado” por la riada, el agua retenida en Entremuros a pH 3, y con un enorme contenido de metales pesados, ocupaba una extensión de kilómetros. Nos hundimos en el agua hasta el cuello, y cuando nos cubría cogimos la barca, metimos el río a pedazos en nuestro laboratorio, para trabajar todas las hipótesis, ensayar todas las posibilidades. Peleando con la realidad le sacamos datos al Guadiamar, diseñamos actuaciones, poniéndole ingeniería a cuantas hipótesis nos planteaba la situación. En primera fila observamos las mejores actuaciones que nadie diseñó. El propio río, activando sus defensas naturales, mejoró la calidad del agua retenida en el dique de Entremuros subiendo el pH y precipitando los metales pesados. Los mecanismos de entrada de los metales pesados en la cadena trófica parecían ser lentos, dando tiempo a que la retirada de los lodos tóxicos llevada a cabo por la Administración fuera eficaz y diera tiempo a realizar tanto esfuerzo. Aunque el Guadiamar ha trabajado muy duro en su propia recuperación, con su ayuda hemos elaborado una gran cantidad de propuestas técnicas; unas para actuaciones de emergencia, otras a corto, medio y largo plazo. También hemos dado forma a un Plan frente a las previsibles avenidas de este primer otoño después del vertido. Nuestro objetivo ha sido poner a disposición soluciones preparadas para todo tipo de problemas, en primera o en segunda instancia. Prevenir no solo una o dos contingencias, se ha tratado de estar preparado para la mayor cantidad de eventualidades posibles. Por ello algunas serán utilizables, otras estarán en reserva, y muchas irían al cajón de los papeles. Pero ahí están por si acaso. Este libro recoge los trabajos de campo, los ensayos de laboratorio y la ingeniería desarrollada en los primeros cuatro meses. Durante el siguiente preparamos la edición del mismo, mientras, en paralelo, continuábamos en el trabajo experimental y el diseño. Cuando se cumpla el quinto mes, el 25 de Septiembre de 1998, lo presentaremos, ciento cincuenta días después... Con la financiación de la Diputación de Sevilla hemos preparado la primera edición en formato CD Rom e Internet, con muy poco coste para acceder a su contenido. En poco tiempo saldrá la edición en papel, con la misma financiación que la primera. Nos gustaría que este documento fuera entendido como lo que es, en nuestra opinión, una llamada urgente al debate de las ideas. Tratamos de ofrecer la información necesaria y el foro donde recoger las propuestas que seguramente muchos pueden aportar sin saber como transmitir sus experiencias. El Grupo de Tratamiento de Aguas Residuales (T.A.R.) abre con este libro la MESA DE DISCUSIÓN, para buscar un poco de luz, avanzar en las soluciones técnicas a la inmensa tarea de recuperar el río Guadiamar. El libro presenta lagunas, unas por la enorme prisa, otra por falta de datos, muchas por nuestra escasez de conocimientos. Dicen en España que “lo mejor es enemigo de lo bueno”...,y nos gustaría recoger ideas hoy mejor que mañana, que podría ser tarde. Nos comprometemos a seguir trabajando en soluciones técnicas, innovaciones tecnológicas e investigación aplicada a la recuperación del Guadiamar, a conocer lo ocurrido y su remedio. Nos comprometemos a publicar de la misma forma los resultados obtenidos, de manera que la discusión y el debate sigan siempre abiertos. El grupo T.A.R. podría ser un punto de intercambio de conocimientos universal, abierto, respetuoso y tolerante, universitario en definitiva, y por tanto útil en el cumplimiento de sus obligaciones. La primera necesidad de responder urgentemente, está dando paso a unas actuaciones programadas, a medida de los efectos de las correcciones introducidas. Deben instaurarse políticas de prevención y nuevas actuaciones para recuperar el Guadiamar, mejorar urgentemente las condiciones del entorno. Aprender de las soluciones adoptadas y generar mejores prácticas, puede ser una buena conclusión del trabajo realizado por tanta gente. Lo que empezó siendo una carrera de velocidad se nos convierte en un maratón, ya no hay que correr explosivamente, hay que mantener un ritmo en la carrera; hay que persistir en el esfuerzo todos los días durante mucho tiempo. Este nuevo desafío sigue siendo duro y difícil. Podéis contar con el Grupo T.A.R. para recorrer el duro camino de la Recuperación

Can Citizen Science Contribute to Avian Influenza Surveillance?

Global change is an important driver of the increase in emerging infectious diseases in recent decades. In parallel, interest in nature has increased, and different citizen science platforms have been developed to record wildlife observations from the general public. Some of these platforms also allow registering the observations of dead or sick birds. Here, we test the utility of live, sick and dead observations of birds recorded on the platform Observation.org for the early detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) outbreaks in the wild in Belgium and The Netherlands. There were no significant differences in the morbidity/mortality rate through Observation.org one to four weeks in advance. However, the results show that the HPAIV outbreaks officially reported by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) overlapped in time with sudden increases in the records of sick and dead birds in the wild. In addition, in two of the five main HPAIV outbreaks recorded between 2016 and 2021, wild Anseriformes mortality increased one to two months before outbreak declaration. Although we cannot exclude that this increase was related to other causes such as other infectious diseases, we propose that Observation.org is a useful nature platform to complement animal health surveillance in wild birds. We propose possible approaches to improve the utility of the platform for pathogen surveillance in wildlife and discuss the potential for HPAIV outbreak detection systems based on citizen science to complement current surveillance programs of health authorities

Assessing short and long-term variations in diversity, timing, and body condition of frugivorous birds

[Methods] Data include two different datasets (each one separated in a different file): 1) Bird abundance data; 2) Bird trapping data using mist nets. Data were collected in Hato Ratón, in Doñana’s Natural Area, close to Villamanrique de la Condesa, Sevilla province, southern Spain (37° 10’ 26.4” N, 6° 20’ 17.4” W, 11 m a.s.l.). Sampling was carried on in two time periods: 1981-1983 and 2019-2021. Bird abundance was estimated using 1-km linear transects to calculate the kilometric abundance index. These were conducted 2-5 times per month (40 censuses in total). For each individual that was seen or heard, we recorded its species and the time it was seen. Bird censusing started one hour after sunrise and was carried out when weather conditions were not extreme (in absence of rain or strong wind). Data on censed birds include a total of 0 species. Bird ringing data comes from birds captured by mist nets deployed weekly during 1981-1983 (6-10 nets per survey day, average 10-25 mist-net m/h) and fortnightly in 2019-2021 (12-20 nets per survey day, average 25-50 m/h). Data on trapped birds include a total of 32 species. [Usage Notes] Medata information: File: censuses80s_20s.txt Including abundance censuses carried on in 1981-1983 and 2019-2021- Variable names: yeargroup (study period, either 1981-1983 or 2019-2021), Date (Year/Month/Day), year, months, Transect, species, count (number of individuals), distance (transect length), ikas (relative abundance, individuals/km). File: ringing80s_20s.txt Including bird ringing data carried on in 1981-1983 and 2019-2021- Variable names: Date (Year/Month/Day), Species, Tarsus length (mm), Weight (g), residuals (Weight ~ tarsus residuals), Fat_rescaled (fat value after rescaling, from 0 to 8), fat_cat (Fat category: low or medium-high fat content), Migratory_type (Resident, Summer, Wintering, or Migrant), Trophic_type (combinations of Herbivore, Frugivore, Insectivore, Granivore, Carnivore, Omnivore, and Necrophage), Functional type (NF, PC, SP, SD, PC/SP/SD, PC/SP). NF = Non Frugivore; PC = Pulp Consumer; SP = Seed Predator; SD = Seed Disperser.Seed dispersal by frugivorous bird species involves a fine temporal tuning between fruiting plants and birds. However, this interaction may be severely threatened by anthropogenic climate and land-use change, which may result in phenological mismatches and pervasive ecological consequences for avian communities. In this study, we evaluate changes at long (~40 years) and short-time (seasonal) spans in an avian frugivore community using a snapshot resampling. Particularly, we focus on changes in composition, abundance, migratory timing (i.e., phenology), and physical condition in relation to variations in fruit supply. We used bird and fruit data collected during 1981-1983 and 2019-2021 in a Mediterranean scrubland site in Doñana Natural Area, SW Spain. Our findings indicate a profound transformation of species composition, bird phenology, and body condition: in ~40 years, the avian community showed a 66% and 13% decrease of the wintering and seed-disperser species, respectively. Seasonal abundance peaks were advanced for at least one month in 9 out of 11 frugivorous bird species included in the analyses. Avian body condition during the migratory passage has worsened, with fewer individuals showing a high-fat percentage now than in the past. Finally, we report a fruit production decrease of almost half in 2019-2021 compared to 1981-1983, probably linked to habitat encroachment by pine trees and replacement of fleshy-fruited shrubs. Vegetation encroachment and climate change are the most plausible explanations for the observed changes in the avian community, but the relative importance of these factors is yet unknown. Our results at a local scale mirror the dramatic consequences of global change affecting the diversity, phenology, and physical condition of frugivorous bird species reported in multiple studies across the globe. The loss of frugivores may trigger feedback mechanisms in which seed dispersal is disrupted, leading to impaired recruitment of fruiting plants and hence less food availability for the avian community.Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, Award: 798269. Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad, Junta de Andalucía, Award: P18-HO-4814. Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Award: CGL 2017-82847.Peer reviewe

Assessing short- and long-term variations in diversity, timing, and body condition of migratory frugivorous birds

Under current global change context, climate change is driving substantial phenological mismatches between plant species and the organisms that rely on them. Given that frugivorous birds are fundamental for forest regeneration, and most of them are migrant species, identifying the effect of global change over them must be a priority. In this study we have analysed changes in the composition, morphometry, and physical condition in an avian community at long- (40 years) and short time (seasonal) spans. Our findings indicate a profound transformation at practically every level of analysis. In 40 years, the avian community shows a 66% and 13% decrease of the wintering and seed-disperser species, respectively. Seasonal abundance peaks were advanced in 13 out of 15 species. In addition, we have found a significant 1.5% increase in the morphometric measurements of certain species, supporting findings in previous studies, and also a remarkable general decrease of body condition. Our results point towards land use changes and climate change as the main causes. If this influence continues to rise, biodiversity will likely be irreversibly altered, damaging crucial ecosystem functions such as animal-mediated seed dispersal and forest regeneration in particular.This TFM has benefited from the TEMPNET project, funded by a Marie-Sklodowska Curie Fellowship (798269 - TEMPNET - H2020-MSCA-IF-2017) by the European Commission to IM, and in part with funding from project CGL 2017-82847 from Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PJ).N

Feathers turn grey: cross-sectional and longitudinal data from red-necked nightjars

Data set supporting the results of the article “Feathers turn grey: patterns and predictors of progressive greying in a cryptic nocturnal bird”, submitted for publication in October 2021. The readme file contains information about the header cells in the datasets. Questions should be addressed to Carlos Camacho ([email protected]). This data set is subjected to a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International LicenceThis data set includes measurements of the prevalence of unpigmented (leucistic) feathers in red-necked nightjars (Caprimulgus ruficollis). Data on date of capture, sex, age, presence-absence of leucistic feathers and body size of each individual are also included in the data set. Fieldwork was carried out between 19 April 2016 and 15 October 2020 (5 years) in a protected area of the Doñana Natural Park (Spain). Nightjars were captured during the night (1-6 h after sunset) along a 24-km road transect using a butterfly net, measured for standard morphological traits and examined for the presence of leucistic feathersPeer reviewe

Assessing short and long-term variations in diversity, timing, and body condition of frugivorous birds

[Methods] Data include two different datasets (each one separated in a different file): 1) Bird abundance data; 2) Bird trapping data using mist nets. Data were collected in Hato Ratón, in Doñana’s Natural Area, close to Villamanrique de la Condesa, Sevilla province, southern Spain (37° 10’ 26.4” N, 6° 20’ 17.4” W, 11 m a.s.l.). Sampling was carried on in two time periods: 1981-1983 and 2019-2021. Bird abundance was estimated using 1-km linear transects to calculate the kilometric abundance index. These were conducted 2-5 times per month (40 censuses in total). For each individual that was seen or heard, we recorded its species and the time it was seen. Bird censusing started one hour after sunrise and was carried out when weather conditions were not extreme (in absence of rain or strong wind). Data on censed birds include a total of 0 species. Bird ringing data comes from birds captured by mist nets deployed weekly during 1981-1983 (6-10 nets per survey day, average 10-25 mist-net m/h) and fortnightly in 2019-2021 (12-20 nets per survey day, average 25-50 m/h). Data on trapped birds include a total of 32 species. [Usage Notes] Medata information: File: censuses80s_20s.txt Including abundance censuses carried on in 1981-1983 and 2019-2021- Variable names: yeargroup (study period, either 1981-1983 or 2019-2021), Date (Year/Month/Day), year, months, Transect, species, count (number of individuals), distance (transect length), ikas (relative abundance, individuals/km). File: ringing80s_20s.txt Including bird ringing data carried on in 1981-1983 and 2019-2021- Variable names: Date (Year/Month/Day), Species, Tarsus length (mm), Weight (g), residuals (Weight ~ tarsus residuals), Fat_rescaled (fat value after rescaling, from 0 to 8), fat_cat (Fat category: low or medium-high fat content), Migratory_type (Resident, Summer, Wintering, or Migrant), Trophic_type (combinations of Herbivore, Frugivore, Insectivore, Granivore, Carnivore, Omnivore, and Necrophage), Functional type (NF, PC, SP, SD, PC/SP/SD, PC/SP). NF = Non Frugivore; PC = Pulp Consumer; SP = Seed Predator; SD = Seed Disperser.Seed dispersal by frugivorous bird species involves a fine temporal tuning between fruiting plants and birds. However, this interaction may be severely threatened by anthropogenic climate and land-use change, which may result in phenological mismatches and pervasive ecological consequences for avian communities. In this study, we evaluate changes at long (~40 years) and short-time (seasonal) spans in an avian frugivore community using a snapshot resampling. Particularly, we focus on changes in composition, abundance, migratory timing (i.e., phenology), and physical condition in relation to variations in fruit supply. We used bird and fruit data collected during 1981-1983 and 2019-2021 in a Mediterranean scrubland site in Doñana Natural Area, SW Spain. Our findings indicate a profound transformation of species composition, bird phenology, and body condition: in ~40 years, the avian community showed a 66% and 13% decrease of the wintering and seed-disperser species, respectively. Seasonal abundance peaks were advanced for at least one month in 9 out of 11 frugivorous bird species included in the analyses. Avian body condition during the migratory passage has worsened, with fewer individuals showing a high-fat percentage now than in the past. Finally, we report a fruit production decrease of almost half in 2019-2021 compared to 1981-1983, probably linked to habitat encroachment by pine trees and replacement of fleshy-fruited shrubs. Vegetation encroachment and climate change are the most plausible explanations for the observed changes in the avian community, but the relative importance of these factors is yet unknown. Our results at a local scale mirror the dramatic consequences of global change affecting the diversity, phenology, and physical condition of frugivorous bird species reported in multiple studies across the globe. The loss of frugivores may trigger feedback mechanisms in which seed dispersal is disrupted, leading to impaired recruitment of fruiting plants and hence less food availability for the avian community.Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, Award: 798269. Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad, Junta de Andalucía, Award: P18-HO-4814. Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Award: CGL 2017-82847.Peer reviewe

Where did the finch go? Insights from radio telemetry of the medium ground finch (Geospiza fortis)

Movement patterns and habitat selection of animals have important implications for ecology and evolution. Darwin's finches are a classic model system for ecological and evolutionary studies, yet their spatial ecology remains poorly studied. We tagged and radio-tracked five (three females, two males) medium ground finches (Geospiza fortis) to examine the feasibility of telemetry for understanding their movement and habitat use. Based on 143 locations collected during a 3-week period, we analyzed for the first time home-range size and habitat selection patterns of finches at El Garrapatero, an arid coastal ecosystem on Santa Cruz Island (Galápagos). The average 95% home range and 50% core area for G. fortis in the breeding season was 20.54 ha ± 4.04 ha SE and 4.03 ha ± 1.11 ha SE, respectively. For most of the finches, their home range covered a diverse set of habitats. Three finches positively selected the dry-forest habitat, while the other habitats seemed to be either negatively selected or simply neglected by the finches. In addition, we noted a communal roosting behavior in an area close to the ocean, where the vegetation is greener and denser than the more inland dry-forest vegetation. We show that telemetry on Darwin's finches provides valuable data to understand the movement ecology of the species. Based on our results, we propose a series of questions about the ecology and evolution of Darwin's finches that can be addressed using telemetry

Reseñas de libros

<div>Ali, Tariq, Bush en Babilonia. La recolonización de Irak. Madrid, Alianza Editorial, 2004, 286 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 183-185</div><div><br /></div><div>Alfonso Galindo Lucas</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Álvarez Espinosa, Daniel, Cristianos y marxistas contra Franco. Cádiz, Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Cádiz, 2003, 454 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 185-187</div><div><br /></div><div>Gonzalo Ruiz Bidón</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Bonhoeffer, Dietrich, Resistencia y sumisión. Cartas y apuntes desde el cautiverio. Salamanca, Sígueme, 2003, 300 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 187-188</div><div><br /></div><div>Daniel Francisco Álvarez Espinosa</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Cabrera, Miguel Ángel, Historia, Lenguaje y Teoría de la Sociedad. Madrid, Cátedra Universitat de Valencia, 2001, 188 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 188-191</div><div><br /></div><div>Alejandro Estrella González</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Cobo Romero, Francisco, De campesinos a electores. Modernización agraria en Andalucía, politización campesina y derechización de los pequeños propietarios y arrendatarios. El caso de la provincia de Jaén, 1931-1936. Madrid, B. Nueva, 2003, 358 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 191-193</div><div><br /></div><div>David Molina Rabadán</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Colomer Viadel, Antonio, Crisis y Reformas en Iberoamérica ¿... y la Revolución? Valencia, Editorial Nomos, 2002, 231 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 193-196</div><div><br /></div><div>Jesús Fernández García</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Cué, Carlos E., ¡Pásalo!: Los cuatro días de marzo que cambiaron el país. Barcelona, Ediciones Península Atalaya, 2004, 143 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 196-198</div><div><br /></div><div>Inmaculada Ramírez Pérez</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Cuenca Toribio, José Manuel, Catolicismo social y político en la España contemporánea (1870-2000). Madrid, Unión Editorial, 2003, 451 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 198-200</div><div><br /></div><div>Fernando López Mora</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Kagan, Robert, Poder y debilidad. Europa y EEUU en el nuevo orden mundial. Madrid, Taurus, 2003, 165 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 201-202</div><div><br /></div><div>David Molina Rabadán</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Napoleoni, Loretta, Yihad. Cómo se financia el terrorismo en la nueva economía. Barcelona, Ediciones Urano, 2004, 462 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 202-204</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrés Herrera Feligreras</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Paksoy, H.B., How Governed, Who Pays? Lawrence (KS), Carrie, 2001, 79 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 204-206</div><div><br /></div><div>Dan Krejci</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Reinares, Fernando, Terrorismo Global. Madrid, Taurus, 2003, 180 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 206-208</div><div><br /></div><div>Marcela Iglesias Onofrio</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Sala Rose, Rosa, Diccionario crítico de mitos y símbolos del nazismo. Barcelona, Acantilado Quaderns Crema, 2003, 509 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 208-210</div><div><br /></div><div>Julio Pérez Serrano</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Sánchez Recio, Glicerio; Tascón Fernández, Julio (eds.), Los empresarios de Franco. Política y economía en España, 1936-1957. Barcelona, Crítica, 2003, 360 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 210-213</div><div><br /></div><div>Jesús Romero González</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Terzian, Yervant; Bilson, Elizabeth (eds.), El Universo de Carl Sagan. Madrid, Cambridge University Press, 1999, 336 pp.</div><div><br /></div><div>Páginas 213-216</div><div><br /></div><div>Rafael Gómez Sánchez</div