DOCSLIB.ORG

MAKE YOUR BIRDING COUNT! How Citizen Science Can Make a Real Difference to Conservation

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
MAKE YOUR BIRDING COUNT! How Citizen Science Can Make a Real Difference to Conservation ALL THE Fantastic rare diver double bill! LATEST NEWS Full accounts of Yorkshire’s Pacifi c and Lincolnshire’s White-billed The home of birding • www.birdwatch.co.uk Issue 297 • March 2017 • £4.20 SPECIES PROFILE THE LOST PLOVER The life and times of a former British breeder TRAVEL ENDEMICS WEEKENDER! Ticking all of Tenerife’s IDENTIFICATION specialities in 48 hours HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT? The rare gull that could be lurking on a tip near you WHERE TO WATCH DAYS OUT Great late winter itineraries for Lothian, Norfolk and Dorset IN THE FIELD MAKE YOUR BIRDING COUNT! How citizen science can make a real difference to conservation Bill Oddie Expert advice On test DISPLAY UNTIL 22 MARCH • £4.20 Why lectures on birds Identifying birds by colour, How good is need showmanship, not your questions answered and Meopta’s new B1 statistics and graphs nding spring migrants 8x32 binocular? 1703 digital p001 cover v2 FIN.indd 1 17/02/2017 12:10 The Best Birdwatching Optics since 1970 READ THE NEW NEW REVIEWS MODEL MODEL opticron.co.uk /reviews Explorer WA ED Natura BGA ED DBA VHD Unbeatable combination of quality and With wide-field optics, ED objectives and “Smaller, Lighter, Brighter, Sharper”, specification for anyone wanting wide a micro hinge body, the Natura delivers the DBA VHD has taken our design field full-size 8x42/10x42. benchmark quality & performance. philosophy to a new level. Prices from £219 Prices from £249 Prices from £579 Fieldscopes & Digiscoping READ THE REVIEWS NEW opticron.co.uk MODEL /reviews HR GA ED MM4 GA ED Designed and engineered without compromise, HR ED Designed and manufactured in Japan, the new MM4 GA ED fieldscopes deliver exceptional optical performance delivers enhanced light transmission and resolution over combined with sublime handling and total reliability. previous models in the same compact, lightweight take- 30 year guarantee. anywhere fully armoured nitrogen waterproof body. Bodies (Str or 45˚): HR 66 GA ED £699, HR 80 GA ED £849 Compatible with HDF/SDLv2 eyepieces. 30 year guarantee. Recommended eyepieces: SDLv2 18-54x/24-72x £299, Bodies (Str or 45˚): MM4 50 GA ED £329, MM4 60 GA ED £429 HDF T 20xWW/27xWW £139 Recommended eyepieces: HDF T 12-36x/15-45x £199, HDF T 13xWW/17xWW £139 Phonescoping Adapters Opticron smartphone photoadapters are a simple, easy-to-use and inexpensive way of attaching your smartphone to your Opticron spottingscope eyepiece and shooting high magnifi cation photos and video. Available for iPhone 4/4S, 5/5S & 6 and Samsung Galaxy S3, S4, S5, S6 & S7. Prices from £49.95 Opticron equipment can be tried, tested and purchased at good optical retailers nationwide. For more information, your nearest stockist and to order a Product Guide please phone 01582 726522 or visit us online at www.opticron.co.uk Opticron. Unit 21, Titan Court, Laporte Way, Luton, Beds, LU4 8EF UK Fax: 01582 723559 Email: [email protected] p002.inddBirdwatching 1 Mar 17.indd 1 10/02/201727/01/2017 11:0012:26 THIS ISSUE MARCH 2017 33 Lothian’s Where 25 Aberlady to watch birds Contents Bay promises large numbers of seaduck and other exciting species, Norfolk’s Yare Valley boasts geese and Arne in Dorset offers Dartford Warbler. EDITORIAL OFFICE Warners Group Publications plc The Chocolate Factory, 5 Clarendon Meopta’s new 8x32 Road, London N22 6XJ GULL BY ANDREW MOON SLATY-BACKED B1 binocular is put Tel: 020 8881 0550 52 Fax: 020 8881 0990 IN a move that surprised many, the British list is through its paces, plus new Email: [email protected] about to undergo one of the biggest changes in its Web: www.birdwatch.co.uk books on bird names, Facebook: www.facebook.com/ history. Having disbanded the Taxonomic Sub- African gamebirds and the birdwatchmagazine Twitter: @BirdwatchExtra Committee of its own Records Committee, the ‘cuddly killer’ of birds. Managing Editor: Dominic Mitchell British Ornithologists’ Union recently announced Assistant Editor: Rebecca Armstrong that it will be embracing the taxonomy of the Staff Writer: David Callahan Head of Design: Lynn Wright IOC World Bird List (see page 63). It is a bold Optics Editor: Mike Alibone decision to give up infl uence in the world of ‘splits’ and ‘lumps’ in Photographic Consultant: Steve Young Identification Consultants: Andy favour of an international body, but a welcome one. Stoddart and Keith Vinicombe The IOC has a progressive approach and does a fi ne job of Publisher: Rob McDonnell Advertisement Sales Manager: refl ecting the latest taxonomic thinking in its regularly updated Ian Lycett (020 8881 0550) world list. Adopting its collaborative view will mean that Advertisement Design: Cathy Herron (01778 391167) Britain becomes part of an inevitable – and desirable – process Marketing Brand Manager: Nicola aiming for greater alignment in avian taxonomy. Perhaps other Lumb (01778 395007) Office and Bookshop Manager: Heather European countries will now follow suit. O’Connor Whether the BOU also fully adopts the IOC’s English names High-pressure SUBSCRIPTIONS AND ORDERS remains to be seen. Long-established bird names have much 60 overshooting For all subscription and order enquiries please contact Warners Group cultural signifi cance and are not given up lightly but, again, there migrants in early spring, the Publications: 01778 392027 or email are obvious benefi ts to standardisation. Divers or loons, skuas or [email protected] importance of camouflage to jaegers – what’s your view? Write in and let us know. predators and prey, Q&A with our expert panel, the latest NEWSTRADE DISTRIBUTION news and ListCheck. Birdwatch is on sale in many branches of W H Smith and other good newsagents, and should be available to order. If you have a problem obtaining a copy in your area, please call Warners Group Publications on FEATURES 8 Analysis: rarities 01778 391150. ADVERTISEMENT SALES 26 Species profile: Kentish Plover Wintering Siberian vagrants dominated. We also manage advertisement sales The life and times of a former British 12 Analysis: scarcities for the official programme of the British Birdwatching Fair, the industry’s wildlife breeding bird with a fascinating history. Lincolnshire’s star diver heads the line-up. event of the year. For more details please call us on 020 8881 0550. 33 ID photo guide: Slaty-backed Gull 16 Western Palearctic © Warners Group Publications 2017. Unknown in Europe 10 years ago, this Ivory Gull, Basalt Wheatears and more. ISSN 0967-1870 mega-rare larid is now firmly on the radar. 25 The political birder: Mark Avery No part of this magazine may be reproduced, copied or stored in a retrieval system 40 Make your birding count How little we know about ‘bird flu’. without the prior permission in writing of Sarah Harris explains how citizen science 69 Your letters and photos the publisher. The views expressed are not necessarily those of Warners Group is helping the BTO and conservation. The last word on birds and politics. Publications or its staff. No liability can be accepted for any loss or damage to material 45 A parallel universe 70 News of the wild: Bill Oddie submitted, however caused. Can James Lowen find all of Tenerife’s How not to give a presentation. This publication is endemic birds in 48 hours? printed by Warners READER SERVICES 01778 395111 REGULARS 31 Reader holiday: Georgia 4 The big picture Endemics of the Caucasus. ADVISORY PANEL What’s an African vulture doing roosting 57 Birdwatch Bookshop Tim Appleton MBE, Mike Fraser, on a block of flats in Europe? The latest titles at great prices. Chris Harbard, Erik Hirschfeld, Stephen Moss, Killian Mullarney, 6 The big stories 65 Subscriptions Bill Oddie OBE, Hadoram Shirihai, It’s a loon special, with exclusive finders’ Sign up to Britain’s best bird magazine for Keith Vinicombe, Martin Woodcock, Steve Young. accounts of Pacific and White-billed Divers. six months and get another six issues FREE! Associate Sponsor Subscribe and get SIX FREE issues! See page 65 or call 01778 392027 COVER PHOTOS: GREY HERON BY MARKUS VARESVUO AND (INSET) AFRICAN BLUE TIT BY JAMES LOWEN BY MARKUS VARESVUO PHOTOS: GREY HERON COVER www.birdwatch.co.uk Birdwatch•March 2017 3 1703 p03, Contents FIN.indd 3 2/10/2017 10:57:27 AM BIRD NEWS THE BIG PICTURE AFRICA ON THE BALCONY he build-up to full migration begins in Britain this month, but countries in southern Europe already have their migrant birds coming through in full fl ow. This is nowhere more apparent than in the British Overseas TTerritory of Gibraltar at the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula, famous for its raptor migration spectacle which is at its peak in March and April. During these months, this important migration corridor hosts impressive fl ocks of birds of prey and other large soaring birds, with huge ‘kettles’ of Black Kites, Honey Buzzards, Booted and Short-toed Eagles, and Gri on and Egyptian Vultures a frequent occurrence. Within the masses of commoner species are the expected rarities, and since 1992 these have included Rüppell’s Vulture, a sub-Saharan species which has occurred annually since 1997 – sometimes in double fi gures – and moves north with the hordes of Gri on Vultures which have spent the winter to the south of Spain in Morocco and beyond. The groups of migrating vultures often roost on cli s and hillsides when they arrive in Spain, waiting for thermals to develop in the morning before continuing their journey, but can also stop to rest in built-up Gibraltar. Sometimes it is hard for a tired bird to distinguish between a cli and a balcony on a block of fl ats, and so it was last spring with this particular immature Rüppell’s Vulture (which can be aged by its pale underwing covert bar and dark underside with pale streaks).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 164 (2021) 107291
    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 164 (2021) 107291 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev Sequential colonization of oceanic archipelagos led to a species-level radiation in the common chaffinch complex (Aves: Fringilla coelebs) María Recuerda a,*, Juan Carlos Illera b, Guillermo Blanco a, Rafael Zardoya a, Borja Mila´ a a National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid 28006, Spain b Biodiversity Research Unit (UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo University, 33600 Mieres, Asturias, Spain ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Oceanic archipelagos are excellent systems for studying speciation, yet inference of evolutionary process requires Islands that the colonization history of island organisms be known with accuracy. Here, we used phylogenomics and Phylogenomics patterns of genetic diversity to infer the sequence and timing of colonization of Macaronesia by mainland Phylogeography common chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs), and assessed whether colonization of the different archipelagos has Speciation resulted in a species-level radiation. To reconstruct the evolutionary history of the complex we generated a Species delimitation Systematics molecular phylogeny based on genome-wide SNP loci obtained from genotyping-by-sequencing, we ran ancestral range biogeographic analyses, and assessed fine-scale genetic structure between and within archipelagos using admixture analysis. To test for a species-level radiation, we applied a probabilistic tree-based species delimitation method (mPTP) and an integrative taxonomy approach including phenotypic differences. Results revealed a circuitous colonization pathway in Macaronesia, from the mainland to the Azores, followed by Madeira, and finally the Canary Islands. The Azores showed surprisingly high genetic diversity, similar to that found on the mainland, and the other archipelagos showed the expected sequential loss of genetic diversity.
    [Show full text]
  • Fringilla Polatzeki Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch Fringilla Teydea Tenerife
    828 FRINGILLIDAE Fringilla teydea Tenerife Blue Chaffi nch Th e Tenerife Blue Chaffi nch is an endemic species of the Canary Is- lands restricted to Tenerife. Until recently, it included Fringilla polatze­ ki from Gran Canaria, which has now been recognised as a separate species (Sangster et al. 2016). Confi ned to the pine forest belt of the island, mainly between 1200 and 2000 m asl, its breeding range has increased considerably since the 1970s as a consequence of massive plantations of Pinus canariensis from the mid-20th century, which restored the fragmented habitat. In the N it is also present at the lower limit of the pine forest, where the undergrowth consists of tree-heath, small-leaved holly, faya and laurel, and occupies some areas of introduced P. radiata. Occasionally it moves above 2000 m asl to the high-mountain shrubland around the Pico del Teide. In the S it may descend in winter to cultivated areas near scat- tered pines at about 700 m asl. Th e total population has been estimated at 1,000–2,500 pairs [ERL], but these numbers are unreliable as there has never been a prop- er census. Some density estimates indicate it is more abundant in the E of its range, especially above 1600 m, with higher density in the S than in the N (Carrascal & Palomino 2005). However, other studies have Abundance (in pairs) found similar maximum densities in the N and S (García-del-Rey & >100,000 Cresswell 2005). 10,000–99,999 Th e population trend is poorly known, but numbers are thought 1,000–9,999 to be increasing due to clearance of planted pines to promote better 100–999 10–99 growth of pines as well as the diff erent species of the understorey, where 1–9 the chaffi nches obtain insects to feed the chicks.
    [Show full text]
  • In Gran Canaria Naturetrek Itinerary
    Go Slow … in Gran Canaria Naturetrek Itinerary Outline itinerary Day 1 Fly Gran Canaria Roca Negra Hotel Day 2 Botanical Garden Day 3 West of island and Cetacean trip Day 4 Roque Bentayga and Canary Pine forest Day 5 Laurel forest and mountains Day 6 Dunes, caves and tapas Day 7 North of island and wine tasting Day 8 Fly London Departs February/March and September Focus Birds, plants, butterflies, cetaceans and history Grading Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch Grade A. Limited amounts of easy walking only Dragon Tree alley Dates and Prices See website (tour code ESP56) Highlights Comfortable spa hotel with pool Explore the beautiful Laurel forest and UNESCO World Heritage Site Gran Canaria Giant Lizard and endemic flora Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch, Canary and Laurel Pigeon Chance to dive for any PADI-certified guests Bottlenose Dolphins and other cetaceans possible Cory's Shearwater and Bulwer's Petrel Led by expert Gran Canarian naturalist guide + Naturetrek leader Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Itinerary Go Slow … in Gran Canaria NB. Please note that the itinerary below offers our planned programme of excursions. However, adverse weather and other local considerations can necessitate some re-ordering of the programme during the course of the tour, though this will always be done to maximise best use of the time and weather conditions available. Introduction The Canary Islands are remarkable for their wealth of unique plant and animal-life and are a popular holiday destination for those seeking rugged beauty and year-round sunshine.
    [Show full text]
  • In Gran Canaria
    Go Slow… in Gran Canaria Naturetrek Tour Report 7th – 14th March 2020 Gran Canaria Blue Chaffinch Canary Islands Red Admiral Report & images by Guillermo Bernal Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report Go Slow… in Gran Canaria Tour participants: Guillermo Bernal and Maria Belén Hernández (leaders) together with nine Naturetrek clients Summary Gran Canaria may be well-known as a popular sun-seekers’ destination, but it contains so much more, with a wealth of magnificent scenery, fascinating geology and many endemic species or subspecies of flowers, birds and insects. On this, the second ‘Go Slow’ tour, we were able to enjoy some of the best of the island’s rugged volcanic scenery, appreciating the contrasts between the different habitats such as the bird- and flower-rich Laurel forest and the dramatic ravines, and the bare rain-starved slopes of the south. The sunset from the edge of the Big Caldera in the central mountains, the wonderful boat trip, with our close encounters with Atlantic Spotted Dolphins and Cory’s Shearwater, the Gran Canarian Blue Chaffinch and the vagrant Abyssinian Roller, the echoes of past cultures in the caves of Guayadeque, and the beauty of the Botanic Garden with its Giant Lizards were just some of the many highlights. There was also time to relax and enjoy the pools in our delightful hotel overlooking the sea. Good weather with plenty of sunshine, comfortable accommodation, delicious food and great company all made for an excellent week.
    [Show full text]
  • Informe Layman ENG Pinzón Azul.Cdr
    LAYMAN REPORT LIFE+PINZÓN LIFE14 NAT/ES/000077 Project to increase range and population size of the priority species Gran Canaria Blue Chafnch Fringilla polatzeki 2015 / 2020 www.lifepinzon.org LAYMAN REPORT LIFE+PINZÓN LIFE14 NAT/ES/000077 Index Project data sheet / pag. 4 / Budget / pag. 4 / What are Natura 2000 Network and LIFE programme? / pag. 4 / Summary, objectives, expected and obtained results. / pag. 5 / Historical timeline / pag. 6 / Project area map / pag. 7 / Description of the Blue Chafnch / pag. 8 / /a/ Legal Protection / pag. 8/ /b/ Biology / pag. 8/ /c/ Habitat / pag. 9/ Population trend / pag. 10 / Project motivation / pag. 11 / Project actions and results / pag. 11 / Contact Web, twitter and facebook /a/ Preliminary actions / pag. 11 / LIFE+Pinzón LIFE14 NAT/ES/000077 www.lifepinzon.org / @lifepinzon / @Life_Pinzon / b / Ecological corridor / pag. 11 / EMPRESA DE TRANSFORMACIÓN AGRARIA S.A. (TRAGSA) Calle León y Castillo 71 / c / Release in the pine forest of the central Summit / pag. 13 / Planta 1ª A , oficina 1 y 4 35003 Las Palmas de G. C. / d / Monitoring of the blue chafnch in Gran Canaria / pag. 14 / COORDINATION RUTH DE OÑATE (TRAGSA) / e / Introduced predator control / pag. 15 / DRAFT LUIS Mª CARRASCAL, MANUEL NOGALES, RUTH DE OÑATE, FELIPE RODRÍGUEZ. PHOTOGRAPHS JOSÉ MANUEL CABALLERO, EVA Mª CASTELLANO, AINHOA DARQUISTADE, ALEJANDRO DELGADO, DANIEL GONZÁLEZ, DAVID J. GUERRA, CARLOS M. MARTÍN, ÁNGEL MORENO, GUILLERMO NAVARRO, RUTH DE OÑATE, MIGUEL ÁNGEL PEÑA, / f/ Dissemination Actions / pag. 16/ ALEJANDRO SUÁREZ, JOSÉ M. SUÁREZ, RAFAEL SUÁREZ, MANUEL A. VEGA. DESIGN AND LAYOUT JAVIER RUIZ. / g / SPA declaration / pag. 18/ REPORT WRITTEN IN DECEMBER 2019 / h / Socioeconomic benets and environmental impact / pag.
    [Show full text]
  • Canary Islands Extension BIRDS
    Field Guides Tour Report Morocco 2018: Canary Islands Extension Sep 25, 2017 to Sep 30, 2017 Jesse Fagan and Godfried Schreur For our tour description, itinerary, past triplists, dates, fees, and more, please VISIT OUR TOUR PAGE. The lava fields below Teide Volcano on Tenerife were impressive, and a favorite of most everyone on the trip. Photo by guide Jesse Fagan. A wonderful inaugural tour to the Canary Islands! We visited four islands in 6 days, which included a couple of ferry rides and one small hop from Gran Canaria to Fuerteventura by plane. Overall, it was a relaxed and fun island adventure in which we recorded all the endemic species and a bunch of interesting subspecies. Thanks to my great group and my excellent coleader, Godfried. All the best birding for the remaining 2018 and beyond. Jesse (aka Motmot) from Lima, Peru KEYS FOR THIS LIST One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant BIRDS Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl) RUDDY SHELDUCK (Tadorna ferruginea) – Good numbers seen at Los Molinos reservoir on Tenerife. MALLARD (Anas platyrhynchos) – One drake was seen at Los Molinos. It looked a bit lonely. Procellariidae (Shearwaters and Petrels) CORY'S SHEARWATER (BOREALIS) (Calonectris diomedea borealis) – Good numbers (500 indiv.) on the ferry to La Gomera and smaller numbers from Tenerife to Gran Canaria. Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) GRAY HERON (Ardea cinerea) – One on Tenerife and large numbers at Los Molinos Reservoir. LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta) – Singles around Tenerife and Gran Canaria, but good numbers again on Fuerteventura.
    [Show full text]
  • Atlantic Islands Special
    BIRDING AFRICA THE AFRICA SPECIALISTS Atlantic Islands Special Cape Verde islands, and Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands 2023 © Alexandre Vaz © Alexandre 24-30 April + 1-13 May 2023 Atlantic Islands Special Raso Lark Tour leader: Michael Mills BIRDING AFRICA THE AFRICA SPECIALISTS Birding Africa Tour Summary Tour Africa Birding Summary Tour Africa Birding Islands of the Atlantic • Back-to-back tours covering the endemics of the islands of Macaronesia Boto & Madalena Vaz © Alexandre • Visit the most important birding Our back-to-back tours to the islands of Th e last islands we will visit are the Spanish Canary islands of Cape Verde Macaronesia, one to Cape Verde and one to the Islands, where we'll start off on Gran Canaria Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands, off er a searching for the region's rarest endemic, Gran • See Azores, Madeira and the unique opportunity to search for all 25 endemic Canaria Blue Chaffi nch, which we'll need some Canary Islands Michael's incredible focus, dedication and ability to birds of these eastern Atlantic Islands. luck to see. Next is the arid island of Fuerteventura where Fuerteventura Stonechat, Berthelot's Pipit locate and show Africa's toughest birds is probably In Cape Verde, an independent country of about and Houbara Bustard are our top targets. Finally, • 25 endemics, including almost unequalled on the continent. He has led dozens of 10 main island, we focus most of our time on on the islands of La Palma and Tenerife we'll search 20 landbirds and 8 seabirds tours across Africa and his experience in locating the islands of Santiago and São Nicolau where for Bolle's Pigeon, Laurel Pigeon, Atlantic Canary, birds on just the soft est of calls or briefest of views virtually all landbird endemics are found - Iago Plain Swift , Canary Islands Chiff chaff , Tenerife Blue • Pelagic trips impresses those who travelled with him.
    [Show full text]
  • The Canary Islands
    The Canary Islands Naturetrek Tour Report 23 February – 2 March 2019 Canary Bellflower by Jessica Turner Mount Teide by Andrew Bray Euphorbia atropururea by Jessica Turner Barbary Partridge by Andrew Bray Report and images by Jessica Turner and Andrew Bray Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report The Canary Islands Tour participants: Andrew Bray and Jessica Turner (leaders) together with 16 Naturetrek clients Summary The Canary Islands may be well-known as a general tourist destination, but they contain a wealth of natural treasures, and we were fortunate to experience many of them. Their isolation has given rise to many endemic species and subspecies, of which the great views of Tenerife Blue Chaffinch in perfect light were a highlight for many. We marvelled over the flora, so different to that of mainland Europe, and enjoyed the various species of lizards, plus the butterflies and other invertebrates we encountered. The day on La Gomera was a delight, not least for the numbers of Cory’s Shearwaters, whales and dolphins, plus the White-faced Storm Petrels we encountered. Lovely weather with plenty of sunshine, comfortable accommodation, good food and great company all made for an excellent week. Day 1 Saturday 23rd February Fly to Tenerife South – La Chafiras – Road to Vilaflor Fifteen tour group members met with Andrew and Jessica at Gatwick’s North Terminal for the 6.50am Easyjet flight to Tenerife South Airport. After a bit of a delay due to fog at Gatwick, we landed on the island at around 12.15pm, meeting up with our last group member, who had arrived on the island the previous day.
    [Show full text]
  • Endemic Island Songbirds As Windows Into Evolution in Small Effective
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.07.030155; this version posted April 9, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. 1 Endemic island songbirds as windows into evolution 2 in small effective population sizes 3 4 The nearly neutral theory in light of passerine birds’ genomes 5 6 1,2 1,3 1 1,4 7 Thibault Leroy , Marjolaine Rousselle , Marie-Ka Tilak , Aude Caizergues , Céline 1 5 6 7 8 Scornavacca , Maria Recuerda Carrasco , Jérôme Fuchs , Juan Carlos Illera , Dawie 8 9 5 1 9 H. De Swardt , Christophe Thébaud , Borja Milà & Benoit Nabholz 10 11 1 ISEM, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France 12 2 Department of Botany & Biodiversity Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 13 3 Bioinformatics Research Centre, Aarhus University,C. F.Møllers Alle 8,DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark 14 4 CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, Univ Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France 15 5 National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain 16 6 Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, 17 Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP51, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France 18 7 Research Unit of Biodiversity (UMIB, UO-CSIC-PA), Oviedo University, 33600 Mieres, Spain 19 8 Department of Ornithology, National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa 20 9 Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique (EDB), UMR 5174 CNRS - Université Paul Sabatier - IRD, 21 Toulouse, France 22 23 Corresponding authors: 24 Thibault Leroy, [email protected] 25 Benoit Nabholz, [email protected] 26 27 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.07.030155; this version posted April 9, 2020.
    [Show full text]
  • Kzn Birds 50
    March 2017 KZN BIRDS No 50 Newsletter of KZN bird clubs which are affiliated to BirdLife South Africa KZN BIRDS No 50 KZN BIRDS No 50 EDITORIAL CONTENTS CHAIR’S CHIRPS t h o s e s t a y i n g o v e r a t W e s s a congregated in Steve and Roy's cottage NEARLY 60 years since she taught Roy 3 Chair’s Chirps and discussed everything and anything Cowgill at school in Grade 3, a friend of 3 BirdLife Port Natal whilst sharing supper and a chat. His mine still remembers him as “a little boy 7 BirdLife KZN Midlands knowledge was phenomenal, so a walk always bubbling with enthusiasm”. It is 8 BirdLife Trogons with him in Howick or doing a CWAC something he had never outgrown, 11 BirdLife Zululand count was always such a pleasure. which was clear from all the tributes paid Mindful of you the sodden earth in spring, Thanks to all those members who made to him by speaker after speaker at his 13 Tribute And all the flowers that in the springtime grow, his memorial on Sunday 22 January at memorial service in January. 13 Roy Cowgill: A life lived to the fullest And dusty roads, and thistles, and the slow Stainbank NR a day that he would have Amongst his many achievements as a Rising of the round moon, all throats that sing enjoyed to the full. teacher and in the birding world, Roy 17 Conservation and Projects The summer through, and each departing wing, Roy will be missed by many people, was instrumental in setting up the 17 More than 700 new bird species And all the nests that the bared branches show, and in many different ways, but here I KwaZulu-Natal Bird Forum which is held 19 Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver in KZN And all winds that in any weather blow, want to take the opportunity to write that twice a year in Howick.
    [Show full text]
  • The Canary Islands
    The Canary Islands Naturetrek Tour Report 11 - 18 November 2017 Blue Chaffinch by Andrew Bray Dragon Tree by Andrew Bray Tenerife Lizard by Martin Beaton Fuerteventura Chat by Martin Beaton Report and images by Andrew Bray and Martin Beaton Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report The Canary Islands Tour participants: Andrew Bray and Martin Beaton (leaders) with 14 Naturetrek clients Day 1 Saturday 11th November We arrived at Tenerife South airport to join the throngs, and meet up with the earlier arrivals. After lunch at a small cafe called Casa Pedro in Las Chafiras, we went to a small reservoir where we saw our first Little Egret (one ringed with a yellow Darvic ring) and Spanish Sparrow. The landscape here is a semi-desert plain, typical of the south coast, with plants like Canary Islands Candle Plant or Verode (Kleinia neriifolia), Canary Island Cactus- spurge (Euphorbia canariensis), Balsam Spurge (Euphorbia balsamifera), Canary Samphire or Schizogyne (Schizogyne sericea), Barbed-wire Bush (Launaea arborescens) and Balo or Plocama (Plocama pendula). From here we drove to Amarilla Golf Course and Golf de Sur which were teeming with golfers and one Little Egret. We moved on to the dam to the north of Los Abrigos, but there was no water at all and the only bird seen was a Kestrel. As it had been a very early start for the group, we headed up the mountain to our hotel at Vilaflor, stopping only for cold water from the garage at San Isidro.
    [Show full text]
  • Sea to Sahara: Cape Verde, Canary Islands & Morocco WILDLIFE
    Sea to Sahara: Cape Verde, Canary Islands & Morocco WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS (Birds & Mammals) Compiled by Jim Wilson Note: Species listed in order of us first seeing them. April MAMMALS 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 1 Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae X 2 Spinner Dolphin Stenella longirostris X X 3 Atlantic Spotted Dolphin Stenella frontali X X 4 Fin Whale Balaenoptera physalus X 5 Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus X 6 Striped Dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba X BIRDS 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 1 Brown Booby Sula leucogaster X X X 2 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis X X X X X X X 3 Little Egret Egretta garzetta X X X X 4 Cape Verde Common Buzzard Buteo bannermani X 5 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus alexandri X X X 6 Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola X X 7 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres X X X 8 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus X X X 9 Feral Pigeon Columba livia (domestic) X X X X X X X X X X X 10 Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto X X X X X X X X 11 Cape Verde Swift Apus alexandri X X X X 12 Grey-headed Kingfisher Halcyon leucocephala acteon X X X Ammomanes cinctura X 13 Bar-tailed Lark cinctura 14 Eurasian Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla X X X X X X X X 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15 Cape Verde Warbler Acrocephalus brevipennis X 16 Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis X X X X 17 Cape Verde Sparrow Passer iagoensis X X X X 18 Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis X X X X 19 Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus X X 20 Sanderling Calidris alba X X X 21 Western Barn Owl Tyto alba detorta X X Boyd’s Shearwater Puffinus boydi X 22 (Macaronesian) 23 Cape Verde Shearwater Calonectris edwardsii X 24 Bulwer’s Petrel Bulweria bulwerii X X 25 Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula X X 26 Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus neglectus X 27 Osprey (Western) Pandion haliaetus X 28 Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris borealis X X X X 29 Northern Gannet Morus bassanus X X X X X 30 Tern Sp.
    [Show full text]