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Birds Ecology: Monitoring of Bird Health and Populations, Volume II
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Birds Ecology: Monitoring of Bird Health and Populations, Volume II

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Birds".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 8929

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jacek Józef Nowakowski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Ecology & Environmental Protection, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-727 Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: ecology; ornithology; biostatistics; biometry; evolutionary ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Global processes observed around the world, leading to the transformation of environments and their transformation due to human pressures and climate change, are currently the main factors identified as being responsible for the decline in biodiversity and as leading to specific responses of organisms to the changing environment.

In recent decades, there has been an increase in research aimed at understanding the impact of global environmental change, particularly urbanization, climate change, and ecotoxicology, not only on taxonomic biodiversity but also on functional biodiversity and on the responses of organisms at physiological, biochemical, molecular levels. Identifying and monitoring the health and physiology of animals helps us understand the mechanisms of diversity decline and the processes of adaptation to a changing environment. A changing environment is a 'challenge' to the living world, leading to microevolutionary processes and adaptation to new conditions. One group of animals frequently studied in these aspects, referred to as 'model' animals, are birds, which are also considered important bioindicators of environmental health.

Monitoring bird health and fitness is an important challenge to better understand adaptation to changing environments and the long-term impacts of stressors, including responses leading to species and biodiversity decline. Recent research has focused on determining appropriate markers of environmental stress responses and markers of the 'health status' of wild birds. Studies on the response of the blood system, endocrine system, and immune and biochemical responses to environmental factors are being developed.

The development of novel research methods and techniques and an increasing understanding of ecological processes make it possible to more precisely test responses occurring at the level of ecological systems. Research is also evolving toward understanding physiological processes that are important for an organism's adaptation to constantly changing environmental conditions. This diverse approach of researchers to assessing and searching for markers of bird fitness and health can help develop methods for monitoring and protecting biodiversity.

This second Special Issue of Animals, entitled “Birds Ecology: Monitoring of Bird Health and Populations, Volume II”, invites you to explore the results of studies, especially those looking for links between changing environmental conditions and bird 'health', the course of physiological and immunological functions, the course of the disease, and studies related to bird population monitoring.

We invite papers on bird fitness and bird population health, as well as review articles summarizing knowledge in this area. We also welcome the submission of papers on bird population monitoring.

Dr. Jacek Józef Nowakowski
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • global environmental change
  • monitoring
  • birds
  • birds condition
  • birds condition markers
  • birds health
  • birds health markers
  • population monitoring

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2022 KiB  
Communication
The Presence of Microplastics in the Gastrointestinal Tracts of Song Thrushes (Turdus philomelos) Wintering in Apulia (Southern Italy)—Preliminary Results
by Simona Tarricone, Maria Antonietta Colonna, Pierangelo Freschi, Carlo Cosentino, Giuseppe La Gioia, Claudia Carbonara and Marco Ragni
Animals 2024, 14(14), 2050; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142050 - 12 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 999
Abstract
The term microplastics (MPs) describes a heterogeneous mixture of particles that can vary in size, color, and shape. Once released into the environment, MPs have various toxicological and physical effects on wildlife. The Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) is a migratory species, [...] Read more.
The term microplastics (MPs) describes a heterogeneous mixture of particles that can vary in size, color, and shape. Once released into the environment, MPs have various toxicological and physical effects on wildlife. The Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos) is a migratory species, staying in Italy in late autumn and winter. The aim of this study is to assess, quantify, and characterize the presence of microplastics in Song Thrushes hunted in the Apulia region of Italy. The birds (n = 360) were hunted in the Bari countryside and donated for research purposes by hunters. MPs were classified in relation to their shape in fibers, films, fragments, and pellets; then, they were divided according to their color and the length of the particles was measured. Nikon image analysis software was applied to the litter size measurements. Of the total of 360 birds, MPs were detected in the stomachs of 129 birds shot in December and 128 birds shot in January. The majority of ingested MPs were fibers that were observed in all contaminated birds. Film fragments were observed in every contaminated specimen. Among all the MPs found, 31.75% were red, 30.13% were black, and 25.91% were blue, while the other colors were less represented. This study provides the first analysis of MPs bioaccumulation in Song Thrushes wintering in the Apulia region, and the high contamination of thrushes confirmed the ubiquity of MPs in terrestrial ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Birds Ecology: Monitoring of Bird Health and Populations, Volume II)
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16 pages, 3080 KiB  
Article
Are Current Protection Methods Ensuring the Safe Emancipation of Young Black Storks? Telemetry Study of Space Use by Black Storks (Ciconia nigra) in the Early Post-Breeding Period
by Dariusz Anderwald, Marek Sławski, Tomasz Zadworny and Grzegorz Zawadzki
Animals 2024, 14(11), 1558; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14111558 - 24 May 2024
Viewed by 1238
Abstract
The black stork is a protected species in Poland, and its numbers have declined significantly in recent years. The protection of nesting sites during the period of growth and independence of young birds is crucial for the population. In 2022–2023, 34 young storks [...] Read more.
The black stork is a protected species in Poland, and its numbers have declined significantly in recent years. The protection of nesting sites during the period of growth and independence of young birds is crucial for the population. In 2022–2023, 34 young storks were equipped with GPS-GSM backpack loggers. On average, birds had left the nest by the 87th day of life. In the period between the first flight attempt and the final abandonment of the nest, the birds spent 82% of their time in a zone up to 200 m from the nest. During the period of independence, resting areas played an important spatial role, 75% of which were located within 500 m of the nest. As the young birds grew older, their area of activity gradually increased. Differences in nesting phenology were observed depending on the geographical location of the nest. A shorter migration route from the wintering grounds allowed for earlier breeding. As a result, the young birds begin to fledge earlier. The data collected confirm the validity of designating protective zones with 500 m radii around nests and the need to maintain them from the beginning of the breeding season in March until the end of August. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Birds Ecology: Monitoring of Bird Health and Populations, Volume II)
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10 pages, 722 KiB  
Communication
Nest Box Bacterial Loads Are Affected by Cavity Use by Secondary Hole Nesters
by Agnieszka Zabłotni, Adam Kaliński, Michał Glądalski, Marcin Markowski, Joanna Skwarska, Jarosław Wawrzyniak and Jerzy Bańbura
Animals 2023, 13(18), 2989; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13182989 - 21 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1135
Abstract
Among the environmental factors that affect bird nesting in nest boxes, the influence of microbial communities is relatively poorly understood. In this study, nest boxes used for breeding by secondary cavity nesters were sampled before the start of the breeding season to assess [...] Read more.
Among the environmental factors that affect bird nesting in nest boxes, the influence of microbial communities is relatively poorly understood. In this study, nest boxes used for breeding by secondary cavity nesters were sampled before the start of the breeding season to assess the bacterial loads of the nest box in relation to their previous year status. Different parts of the wooden nest box offer variable conditions for the development of bacteria. During the breeding season, the nest box entrance hole is wiped out by birds, delivering bacteria to their bodies, but during winter, it is exposed to unfavourable external conditions. The interior of the nest box, in turn, is also wiped by birds, but the conditions during winter are more stable there. Therefore, samples from the entrance hole and the interior of the nest box were taken at two different study sites: an urban parkland and a natural forest. We predicted that both the occupancy of the nest boxes during the previous breeding season by birds and the nesting sites would influence the bacterial load of the nest box. To verify this prediction, two categories of nest boxes were sampled at both study sites: nest boxes occupied by any of the two tit species (Great Tit or Blue Tit) in the previous season for breeding and nest boxes that had remained empty that year. The interior bacterial load of the nest box was higher in the nest boxes occupied in the previous breeding season, but only in the forest area. Furthermore, the bacterial load of both the entrance hole of the nest box and the interior was significantly higher in the forest study area in both occupied and unoccupied nest boxes. Our results show that the bacterial load of the nest box is positively related to the presence of nests in the previous breeding season and can vary between different sites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Birds Ecology: Monitoring of Bird Health and Populations, Volume II)
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15 pages, 5201 KiB  
Article
Comparison of the Gut Microbial Communities of Domestic and Wild Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) Based on High-Throughput Sequencing Technology
by Yaoyin He, Minghui Zhang, Chuanyin Dai and Lijiang Yu
Animals 2023, 13(18), 2956; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13182956 - 18 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1450
Abstract
Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) are currently one of the most popular species in rare bird breeding in several southern provinces of China, but there have been no studies comparing the gut microbial communities of domestic and wild mallards. In this study, 16S [...] Read more.
Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) are currently one of the most popular species in rare bird breeding in several southern provinces of China, but there have been no studies comparing the gut microbial communities of domestic and wild mallards. In this study, 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing technology was used to compare the composition and diversity of gut microbial communities in domestic and wild mallards. Alpha diversity analysis showed significant differences in gut microbial communities between the two groups of mallards, and the diversity and richness of gut microbial communities were significantly higher in wild mallards than in domestic mallards. Beta diversity analysis showed that the two groups of stool samples were mostly separated on the principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) plot. In domestic mallards, Firmicutes (68.0% ± 26.5%) was the most abundant bacterial phylum, followed by Proteobacteria (24.5% ± 22.9%), Bacteroidetes (3.1% ± 3.2%), Fusobacteria (2.2% ± 5.9%), and Actinobacteria (1.1% ± 1.8%). The dominant bacterial phyla in wild mallards were Firmicutes (79.0% ± 10.2%), Proteobacteria (12.9% ± 9.5%), Fusobacteria (3.4% ± 2.5%), and Bacteroidetes (2.8% ± 2.4%). At the genus level, a total of 10 dominant genera (Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Clostridium, Lactobacillus, Soilbacillus, Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Comamonas, Shigella, and Cetobacterium) with an average relative abundance greater than 1% were detected in the fecal samples of both groups. The average relative abundance of five potential pathogenic genera (Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Acinetobacter, Comamonas, and Shigella) was higher in domestic mallards than in wild mallards. The enrichment of pathogenic bacteria in the intestinal tract of domestic mallards should be of sufficient concern. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Birds Ecology: Monitoring of Bird Health and Populations, Volume II)
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23 pages, 3765 KiB  
Article
Bird Object Detection: Dataset Construction, Model Performance Evaluation, and Model Lightweighting
by Yang Wang, Jiaogen Zhou, Caiyun Zhang, Zhaopeng Luo, Xuexue Han, Yanzhu Ji and Jihong Guan
Animals 2023, 13(18), 2924; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13182924 - 14 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3523
Abstract
The application of object detection technology has a positive auxiliary role in advancing the intelligence of bird recognition and enhancing the convenience of bird field surveys. However, challenges arise due to the absence of dedicated bird datasets and evaluation benchmarks. To address this, [...] Read more.
The application of object detection technology has a positive auxiliary role in advancing the intelligence of bird recognition and enhancing the convenience of bird field surveys. However, challenges arise due to the absence of dedicated bird datasets and evaluation benchmarks. To address this, we have not only constructed the largest known bird object detection dataset, but also compared the performances of eight mainstream detection models on bird object detection tasks and proposed feasible approaches for model lightweighting in bird object detection. Our constructed bird detection dataset of GBDD1433-2023, includes 1433 globally common bird species and 148,000 manually annotated bird images. Based on this dataset, two-stage detection models like Faster R-CNN and Cascade R-CNN demonstrated superior performances, achieving a Mean Average Precision (mAP) of 73.7% compared to one-stage models. In addition, compared to one-stage object detection models, two-stage object detection models have a stronger robustness to variations in foreground image scaling and background interference in bird images. On bird counting tasks, the accuracy ranged between 60.8% to 77.2% for up to five birds in an image, but this decreased sharply beyond that count, suggesting limitations of object detection models in multi-bird counting tasks. Finally, we proposed an adaptive localization distillation method for one-stage lightweight object detection models that are suitable for offline deployment, which improved the performance of the relevant models. Overall, our work furnishes an enriched dataset and practice guidelines for selecting suitable bird detection models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Birds Ecology: Monitoring of Bird Health and Populations, Volume II)
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