Symposium S1
The avifauna of the Sino-Himalayas: history, ecology, future
Convenors:
Dieter Thomas Tietze
Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Straße 13,60439 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Yue-Hua Sun
Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beichenxilu 1-5, Chaoyang, Beijing
100101, People’s Republic of China
Symposium description:
The Himalayas and the adjacent Chinese areas harbor the highest biodiversity on theEurasian continent. Two major reasons are: Palearctic and Indo-Malayan realms meet here
and Earth’s highest mountains offer a broad scale of habitats from tropical lowland forests
to dry and cold steppes. Ornithologists from many countries around the globe haveundertaken various approaches to describe the diverse Sino-Himalayan avifauna, to delimit
species, to quantify elevational ranges, to consider causes for the decrease in species
richness from the southeast toward the northwest, and to reconstruct historical processes
among and within species. This symposium aims to bring together researchers fromdifferent continents and fields for exchange of ideas and the development of future
perspectives. The whole Sino-Himalayan avifauna is under eminent threat: On the one hand
it is squeezed by the two most populous nations in the world with ever-growing hunger forvarious resources which are freely taken from higher and higher elevations. On the other
hand climate change forces species to shift their ranges further up the mountains, thus
driving the species already adapted to marginal habitats of the highest elevations into
extinction. Action is needed, but also requires insight into the adaptive and dispersal
potential of these birds. Such insight might be gained through understanding historical
processes over millions of years during the uplift of the Himalayas and the Qinghai-Tibetan
Plateau as well as over 20 000 years of glacier retreat, taking the associated climate andvegetation changes into consideration. Such demanding efforts can be best made jointly andfrom various perspectives that are all invited to come together in this symposium.

Symposium S2
Rice fields as a model system for studying bird ecology and conservation.
Convenors:
Chris Elphick
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut
75 N. Eagleville Road, U-43, Storrs, CT 06269-3043, USA.
Tatsuya Amano
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK.
Symposium description:
Rice occupies >1% of the Earth’s ice-free land, grows in 114 countries, and provides 21% of
the calories and 15% of the protein consumed by humans. Rice fields are used by hundredsof bird species, and support globally important populations of high conservation interest.
Although rice fields occur widely and in many ecological contexts, they are very similar
worldwide. Compared to most natural habitats they are simple systems, with one dominant
plant species, relatively uniform flooding, predictable disturbance patterns, etc. Typically,
they are well replicated, with many similar, yet discrete, units distributed across thelandscape. As such, they make an ideal model system for considering basic and appliedquestions. Researchers have recognized these characteristics and the habitat has been thefocus of studies of foraging ecology, population limitation, the influence of landscapeheterogeneity on habitat use, community structure, and more. Rice fields have also been thefocus of management attention and provide a model for developing conservation strategies
that are consistent with highly productive farming. This symposium will bring together
researchers using rice fields as a model for asking broad questions of interest toornithologists. Talks will address ways in which rice fields have been used to answer thesequestions and opportunities to use rice systems in the future.

Symposium S3
Light in the darkness: how does artificial night lighting influence bird behaviour and ecology?
Convenors:
Bart Kempenaers
Department Behavioural Ecology & Evolutionary Genetics
Max Planck Institute for Ornithology
Eberhard Gwinnerstr
82319 Seewiesen, Germany
Caren Cooper
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY USA 14950
Symposium description:
Human activities strongly shape the environment through habitat loss, climate change, andchemical and noise pollution. Another important and pervasive anthropogenic influence onnatural environments is artificial night lighting. Night lighting is a form of pollution
associated with urbanization globally. Artificial night light can disrupt traits that have
evolved in response to natural photoperiods. Consequently, light pollution may lead tomaladaptive orientation, timing of reproduction, mating patterns, and influence overall
reproductive success, communication, and dynamics of competition and predation.
The goal of this symposium is to explore and synthesize the breadth and depth of current
research on artificial light pollution and identify research frontiers across ornithology. The
preponderance of artificial light research in ornithology currently focuses on orientation andbird strikes into lighted objects. The purpose of this symposium is to draw on the field of
chronobiology as a theoretical basis to identify areas of fruitful research on effects ofartificial light. Our objectives include (1) reviewing the scope of influence of natural
photoperiods, (2) assessing the scope of light pollution and its impacts on birds, (3) survey oftechnical aspects of studying light pollution and field methods, (4) assessing and anticipating
the scope of fitness impacts, and (5) highlighting new frontiers in ornithology as well astrans-disciplinary frontiers.

Symposium S4
Birds and agroecosystems: experiences from the tropics
Convenors:
Augusto João Piratelli
Universidade Federal de São Carlos – Campus Sorocaba
Departamento de Ciências Ambientais
Rodovia João Leme dos Santos, Km 110 - Itinga
18052-780, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil
Ian MacGregor-Fors
Red de Ambiente y Sustentabilidad
Instituto de Ecología, A.C.
Antigua carretera a Coatepec 351
El Haya, Xalapa 91070, Veracruz, Mexico
Symposium description:
Because the tropics represent high-productivity areas, and given the need to produce foodand energy, tropical lands have been dramatically altered for agricultural purposes. The
globalized model of agriculture has promoted monocultures and raising cattle extensively,
and this has changed preexistent landscapes, fragmenting and isolating the remnants ofnative vegetation, deriving in impoverished avifaunas with an overrepresentation ofgeneralist species. Also, recent studies suggest that avian populations and communities
can become isolated in landscapes dominated by agricultural lands, potentially reducing
their genetic variability. Thus, ecosystem functions can be severely compromised. Somealternative strategies have been proposed aiming to make these areas suitable forbiodiversity, including shaded plantations (e.g. coffee) and agroforestry systems,
promoting not only the presence of species, but the use of habitats for feeding and nesting.
This symposium aims to assess the state of knowledge related to the effects of habitat
replacement by agricultural practices in tropical environments. The main goal is to review
the effects of reduction in feeding and breeding sites, losses of ecological functions,changes in gene flow and population control. We also expect case studies reporting
successful experiences of joining both agriculture production and conservation of tropicalbirds.

Symposium S5
Recent advances in the study of Psittaciformes: breeding biology, population ecology andphylogeography.
Convenors:
Mike Perrin
Research Centre for African Parrot Conservation, School of Life Sciences
University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, 3201, South Africa
Jörn Theuerkauf
Museum and Institute of Zoology
Polish Academy of Sciences
00-679 Warsaw
PolandSymposium description:
Psittaciformes are one of the most endangered orders of birds. The Parrot Action Plan
(2000−2004, IUCN and World Parrot Trust) considered that 29% of parrot species worldwide
are at some risk of extinction. This situation is even worse in the Neotropics, where 34% of
the species are at risk of extinction. The principal sources of threat are loss, fragmentation ordegradation of habitat, introduction of exotic species, and illegal trade. Specialists agree thatthese figures have worsened and thus, the Parrot Action Plan is currently being revised as aseries of regional review papers.
For most parrot species there is a serious lack of breeding biology data, which are necessary
for the identification of specific threats, the monitoring of population dynamics, and theevaluation of the conservation measures to be taken. The continued lack of hard core data is
beginning to be stemmed, but remains a particular concern.
Much research on the breeding biology and habitat requirements of Psittaciformes has been
carried out in the past decade. This is particularly true for African and Neotropical species,
but also Australasian species. Many other research projects are being carried out on ecology,
conservation biology and the molecular systematics of poorly known taxa. This informationmust be made readily available to managers and conservators as well as scientist. There is anurgent need for methods of disseminating this recently gained knowledge.
This symposium will:a) Review and update parrot breeding biology, particularly breeding success, andpopulation demography,b) Illustrate exciting new research in parrot aut-ecology and conservation biology;c) Identify gaps in our knowledge in the systematics and phylogeny of Psittaciformes,andd) Propose lines of future research, with especial attention to conservation biology.

Symposium S6
Avian reintroductions in changing environments
Convenors:
Nagata Hisashi
Center for Transdisciplinary Research, Niigata University,
8050 Ikarashi-Ninocho, Niigata, 950-2181 Japan
Phillip Seddon
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, P.O.Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New ZealandSymposium description:
Over the last 50 years humans have altered the world’s ecosystems to a great extent and theEarth has entered its sixth great extinction event. The 2011 Red List assessment found that
1,253 species of birds are classified as globally threatened with extinction. Habitat changes
due to human activity, alien invasive species, and global warming are now the major threatsfacing birds globally. Successful conservation intervention increasingly requires population
restoration through conservation translocation to reinforce or reintroduce wild populations.
Almost reintroductions have taken place at relatively intact habitat, because less modified
release site might successfully restore population.
Habitat modification by agricultural and urban expansion is becoming an important threat tobirds globally. Thus the area of natural or relatively intact habitat available in which toundertake reintroductions is shrinking. We need therefore to consider the active restorationof viable wild populations within habitats that have been substantially altered. Although
habitat restoration may be necessary before or during reintroduction in highly modified
conditions, some avian species will be more adaptable to modified habitats than we assume..
Habitat degradation will be also progressed through global warming, especially for birds
inhabiting higher altitude and latitude regions. Habitat restoration is difficult for thosespecies, because suitable range is moving rapidly. Assisted Colonization, a form ofConservation Introduction to establish populations outside their indigenous ranges, might benecessary. To minimize any adverse effects on recipient ecosystems, careful risk assessment
is necessary before Assisted Colonisation can proceed.
Rapid economic development in Asia and global warming alter natural habitat, and threaten
many bird species with extinction. Many avian reintroduction programmes have beenrunning concurrently in Pan-Pacific area. Crested Ibis and Oriental White Stork havereintroduced into agricultural ecosystems in Japan, in areas that have been modified over along history of interactions between human and nature.
This symposium at 2014 IOC in Tokyo will consider the growing importance of avian
restoration in modified habitats, reviewing national and international case studies, andconsidering the controversial area of conservation introductions. This symposium is timely as
the field of Reintroduction Biology expands to consider more risky forms of population
restoration through translocations. Symposium speakers will be able to draw upon thecompletely revised Reintroduction Guidelines, due to be approved by the IUCN World
Congress in September 2012.

Symposium S7
To understand what birds actually see: toward a newer synthesis of visual perception andmethods to study coloration
Convenors:
Keita D. Tanaka
College of Science, Rikkyo University
3-34-1 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8501, Japan
Martin Stevens
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge Address: Downing Street, Cambridge CB2
3EJ, UK
Symposium description:
Birds rely greatly on visual information for many aspects of their lives. This influences anddrives much of the diversity in colour patterns in nature, not only of their own coloration but
also of organisms with which birds interact, such as fruits and flowers of plants, orvertebrates and invertebrates that they prey on. Thus to know what birds see is in itself
interesting and scientifically significant and has long attracted scientific study. However, thevisual system of birds is different in many ways from ours (humans), so we need advanced
knowledge and techniques to estimate what birds see. This is of great importance incorrectly understanding and interpreting the evolution and behaviour of birds and otherorganisms. In this symposium, we present new techniques to analyze visual information inaccordance with birds’ visual performances, by integrating new technologies into formerly
developed perspectives. The methods we present provide ways to analyze colours andpatterns in a more synthesized way. One of the most important issues in current ornithology
is comprehensive recording of bird species such as the DNA barcoding. Thus the methods weintroduce should also be powerful tools to collect and analyze megadata of bird coloration.

Symposium S8
Why Birds Matter: Birds’ Ecological Functions, Ecosystem Services, and Value to Society.
Convenors:
Daniel G. Wenny
Department of Biology, Loras College, 1450 Alta Vista, Dubuque, IA 52001 USA
Kayoko Kameda
Lake Biwa Museum, 1091 Oroshimo, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-0001, Japan
Symposium description:
Birds are involved in numerous important ecosystem functions that help sustain Earth’s
diverse ecosystems, yet few of these functions have been quantified or even studied froman ecosystem service perspective. The current challenge is to obtain meaningful calculationsof ecosystem services that can be used to incorporate biodiversity conservation into land
use management and policy. Recent work on birds’ ecosystem services has made progress
towards this goal, but much remains to be done. Our objectives in this symposium are to
fully describe several main ecosystem services provided by birds, highlight recent progress
towards quantifying them, and, finally, to suggest directions for future research. Global
efforts to conserve bird populations and sustain avian biodiversity also preserve the diverse
ecosystem services provided by birds, thus contributing to human well-being.
Birds are the best studied major group of organisms and are also followed by millions ofpassionate birdwatchers worldwide. Despite this knowledge base and huge interest in birds,
most work on ecosystem services does not include birds. One reason for this omission is thatvaluation of ecosystem services provided by birds is complex because most of their services
are indirect and often result from foraging behavior. A symposium at IOC will be the ideal
way to bridge the gap between the current work in ecosystem services and the vast amountof data available on bird populations and ecology that could inform the models on
ecosystem services. The level of detail a symposium allows and the international scope ofthe conference will stimulate discussion and generate interdisciplinary collaborations for
future work.
Birds are well-known, diverse, occur world-wide and provide mobile links within andbetween ecosystems. Thus, birds are ideal for characterizing ecosystem services and the
topics will be of interest to a broad audience. We seek papers for this symposium that will
explore the scientific basis for ecosystem valuation as an integral part of conservation
strategy and sustainability.

Symposium S9
Vocal communication and vocal control in sub-oscine passerines.
Convenors:
Dinesh Bhatt
Department of Zoology and Environmental Science
Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar 249 404, Uttarakhand, India
Maria Luisa da Silva
Federal University of Pará, Rua Augusto Correa, 1 Campus Guamá, Belém, PA, Brazil
Symposium description:
Although birds are the best-studied vertebrate group, most studied species are endemic to
the temperate zones while about half of all bird species live in the tropics. Further, among
the tropical species many belong to the so-called sub-oscine passerines while the temperatezones are dominated by their sister group, the oscines or songbirds. The vocalizations andneuroendocrine vocal control of songbirds have been intensively studied over the last 3
decades while the ones of sub-oscines have been widely neglected. Here we propose toinvite presentations that cover the vocal communication of various sub-oscine species andthat focus on the neural mechanisms of their vocal control. Concerning the vocal
communication, we shall mainly focus on lekking and duetting species due to the complexityof temporal organizations of such behaviours. Concerning the vocal control, we shall provide
data on the neural system that drives the syrinx of sub-oscines and compare the molecular,
including hormone receptors, equipment of these brain regions and of the syrinx incomparison to songbird species. This neuroanatomical study includes the screaming piha ofwhich Aubin shall present the complexity of its vocal communication. From presentations
covering these topics, we shall learn if sub-oscines have individual and/or group vocal
signatures, if vocalizations or vocal interactions of sub-oscines are plastic and hormone
sensitive, if vocal plasticity and temporal dynamics of sub-oscines require forebrain vocal
control areas similar to those of songbirds or can be achieved by mid- and hindbrain vocal
areas that are common to all birds. Answers to these questions are important to appreciate
whether vocal plasticity is linked to vocal learning and/or hormone sensitivity as seen in
songbirds and by this way to understand the evolution of vocal learning.

Symposium S10
Physiological factors influencing migratory strategies
Convenors:
Cas Eikenaar
Institute of Avian Research
An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven
Germany
Leonida Fusani
Department of Biology and Evolution, University of Ferrara
Via Luigi Borsari 46, 44100 Ferrara
Italy
Symposium description:
The physiological factors, including the hormones that regulate avian migratory behaviour,
are little known. This is surprising since in many bird species migration encompasses a large
portion of their annual life-history cycle. Moreover, migration entails a series of risky,energetically demanding activities, which strongly affect survival, thereby shaping
population dynamics. While the genetic and environmental effects on strategies of
migration have been the focus of much research, the study of the behavioural physiology
and endocrinology of migration has lagged behind.
This symposium focuses on physiological factors that contribute to the decision of anindividual to initiate, interrupt or continue migration. Our aim is to bring together
researchers that study different aspects of migratory behaviour such as hyperphagia,
refuelling, sleep, hormones, oxidative damage, and behavioural patterns, to delineate thecomplex physiological adaptations of birds during the journey to their breeding or wintering
quarters.

Symposium S11
Invasive species and Pacific island bird conservation
Convenors:
N. Suzanne DauphinéDepartment of Marine and Wildlife Resources
American Samoa Government
PO Box 3730 Pago Pago
American Samoa 96799
Christopher A. Lepczyk
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management
University of Hawaii at Manoa
1910 East-West Road
Honolulu, HI 96822 USA
Symposium description:
Alien species invasions are one of the major threats to biodiversity today and continue to be
spread by global travel, worldwide trade, and climate change. Approximately one third of
the world’s threatened bird species, the majority of which occur on islands, are affected byinvasive species, including alien plants, animals, and pathogenic and/or parasitic
microorganisms. Invasive species are responsible for the extinction of more native insularspecies than any other cause. Island bird species are particularly vulnerable to the impacts ofinvasive species due to their occupation of limited ranges in relatively simplified ecosystems
and, in many cases, their evolutionary isolation from predators. Impacts of invasive species
include ecosystem modification, predation, resource competition, hybridization, the spreadof disease, and chain reactions caused by the interactions of multiple impacts. Many Pacificislands may be especially susceptible to damage by invasive species because of theirisolation from human impacts until relatively recently. In this symposium, we will review
recent research on invasive species and Pacific island birds, including specific impacts andcase studies, and identify priorities for future research. We will also highlight management
actions, such as eradication and control efforts, and recommend strategies that benefit birdconservation.

Symposium S12
Evolution and behavioral adaptation of waterbirds flying in the air and in the water
Convenors:
Yutaka Watanuki
Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences
Hokkaido University, Japan
Julia ClarkeJackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, USA,
Symposium description:
Birds are the most mobile among animals both in the air and in the water where the densityof media differs dramatically. Therefore waterbirds moving in both media show broad scaleof morphological and behavioral adaptation to contrasting physical constraints (gravity,
buoyancy, drag). Albatrosses and shearwaters fly in the air by gliding, auks fly in the air andswim under the water by propelling small wings and cormorants fly by propelling large wings
and swim by propelling small foots. Penguins and extinct great auks only swim by wingpropelling and Galapagos cormorants and extinct Hesperornis only swim by foot-propelling.
They are believed to show morphological adaptation to efficient moving in the air and in thewater. However, their morphological evolution has not been fully understood andbehavioral adaptation (regulation of wing and foot-propullusion) in the wild has beendifficult to study. This symposium aims to give insight for understanding evolution ofwaterbirds through integrating new products of studies on their functional morphology,
paleontology and biomechanics.

Symposium S13
Avian dispersal: Implications for speciation, community build-up and migration
Convenors:
Knud A. Jønsson
Division of Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY,
United Kingdom.
Anders P. Tøttrup
Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Department of Biology, University of
Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
Symposium description:
This symposium will concentrate on how key advances in tracking methodology can be
combined with phylogeny to assess the evolution of dispersal. Dispersal is important for the
re-distribution of taxa leading to colonization, mixing of gene pools, and exploitation of
resources. Still, we lack a basic understanding of dispersal abilities and how these may vary
between species and populations with different movement strategies. Although phylogenies
are often used to infer dispersal patterns, such patterns may be blurred by historicalextinctions, resulting in disjunct distributions that are incorrectly assigned as long-distancedispersal. Thus, more direct methods are required to assess the amount of dispersal forbirds. Recent and imminent technological advancements such as geolocaters and satellite
transmitters enable the tracking of even small passerine birds on a global scale including
long distance migrants. Now, it is timely to synthesize the current knowledge of avian
dispersal stemming from migration research, historical biogeography and phylogeography toelucidate the impacts of dispersal on speciation, and the role of migration ability.
Current climate change and global land-use changes will alter living conditions for life onearth within the next century; dispersal is one possible option for birds to adjust to thesechanges.

Symposium S14
Neural plasticity and the waxing and waning of cognition in birds
Convenors:
Scott A. MacDougall-Shackleton
Departments of Psychology and Biology
University of Western Ontario
London Ontario Canada N6A 5C2
Susan D. Healy
Schools of Biology and Psychology
University of St. Andrews
St. Andrews, Fife, United Kingdom
Symposium description:
Cognition is not a stable property of individuals, animal or human. Cognitive abilities change
under the influence of intrinsic factors such as reproductive condition and extrinsic factors
such as stress, social status, and pathogens. Much of our understanding of the factors
influencing changes in cognition have been pioneered in studies of birds, including studies ofsong learning and spatial cognition. This symposium will examine the nature of suchchanges in cognition. Questions addressed include whether changes in cognitive ability are
adaptive or merely incidental effects of other neural and physiological changes, whether
changes in cognition are the outcome of tradeoffs with other functions, and the possible
costs of cognitive ability and its neural mechanisms.
Learning, memory, spatial ability, timing, and other cognitive traits show remarkable
plasticity over the lifetime of the same individual. Covariation between endocrine status inboth males and females and cognitive abilities such as song learning and spatial ability are
well-known examples. Similarly, brain areas with cognitive functions such as the
hippocampus and the song control nuclei are known to change in response to changing
hormonal condition and factors such as stress and experience. Research on birds has
provided a great deal of new information in this area. But why do these changes occur? Ifchanges in neuronal structure and organization can improve cognitive function, why are
cognitive functions not maintained at their maximum capacity? Two broad classes of
explanation are usually offered. The first is that the neural underpinnings of cognition areenergetically costly and so are disassembled when not in use. A second, less exploredexplanation is that cognitive functions interfere with each other: maintaining some at
maximum performance disrupts others. This symposium will examine recent researchfindings in avian cognition and neuroscience on the waxing and waning of cognition andevaluate current hypotheses of its causes, functions, and adaptive significance.

Symposium S15
Social complexity, vocal communication and cooperation
Convenors:
Indrikis Krams, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Tartu University, Vanemuise 46, EE51014 Tartu, Estonia
Todd M. Freeberg, Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Austin Peay Building
301B, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA.
Symposium description:
A number of studies have suggested that communication and seemingly-cooperativeinteractions in birds are motivated only by short-term, selfish rewards. In non-primate
species, furthermore, cognitive skills may also constrain individuals’ ability to establish andmaintain social relationships and to communicate in complex ways, which could explain why
finding evidence for referential communication and contingent reciprocity in non-primate
animals has been difficult. However, some other recent evidence suggests that birds havegood memory and are indeed capable of acting according to their future, rather than current,
needs. The emerging evidence also shows the complexity of an individual’s social group can
impact the vocal signals used in its interactions with others. As a result, the complexity ofsocial groups may be a driver of the diversity and complexity of vocal signalling systems andcooperative interactions, in both a proximate (mechanistic/developmental) and ultimate(ecological/evolutionary) sense. The main goal of the proposed symposium is to exchange
the knowledge based on recent studies in the field of avian sociality and communication in
an attempt to use the ‘Social Complexity Hypothesis’ as a key to explain and predict theorigin and evolution of communicative systems and cooperative ability in social birds. The
Social Complexity Hypothesis predicts that individuals in more socially complex groups
would produce a greater diversity of vocal signals and/or express more diverse cooperative
behavior compared with individuals in less socially complex groups. We will review anddiscuss what is known about vocal complexity in birds and make links to different aspects of
their sociality. We would like to summarize the existing knowledge on communication,
cooperation, and sociality across countries and continents. Finally, we would like to discuss
the advances in techniques to record and analyze bird calls, and terminology on how to
describe the existing knowledge.

Symposium S16
Radar Aeroecology
Convenors:
Jeffrey F. Kelly
Oklahoma Biological Survey and Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman,
OK 73019
Felix Liechti
Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
Symposium description:
Aeroecology is an emerging area of interdisciplinary science unified by a desire tounderstand the behavior, density, distribution, and diversity of organisms in the aerosphere(lower free atmosphere), and the role of atmospheric conditions for eco-system connectivity.
Birds are a primary focus of aeroecological inquiry because of their dominant role inaeroecological dynamics at many temporal and spatial scales. Improving our understandingof ecology of birds while in the aerosphere is a pressing need as the pace of land cover andclimate changes accelerate. The impacts of these anthropogenic changes on the ecology ofbirds on the lithosphere and in the hydrosphere are relatively well known, but the impact of
the changing aerosphere on birds is poorly documented. For example, global declines inavian aerial insectivores may be an indication of systematic changes in the physical or
biological characteristics of the aerosphere, but quantitative studies of these attributes andtheir interactions are rare. Research on avian aeroecology requires overcoming manylogistical problems associated with making observations in the aerosphere. We focus
primarily on radar as a means of observing aeroecological dynamics. Our specific purpose isto provide information on recent development, validation, and optimization of tools,
products, and applications that will enable broad use of radar as an efficient biologicalsensor of birds in the aerosphere. We focus on validation and optimization of radar withrespect to three specific quantitative measurements that are critical to using radar inornithology: (1) timing of biological activity (Phenology), (2) distributions and densities ofanimals, and (3) the diversity of animals in the aerosphere. We present both ornithologicaland meteorological perspectives on these recent advances.

Symposium S17
Avian Phylogeography in East Asia
Convenors:
Isao Nishiumi
Curator of Birds, Department of Zoology
National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo
Amakubo 4-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0005, Japan
Bailey McKay
Department of Ornithology
American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West at 79th St.
New York, NY 10024, USA
Symposium description:
Over the last half-century, systematic study of East Asian birds has lagged behind manyother areas of the world. However, this is starting to change, and several recent studies haveapplied molecular tools to address questions of avian evolution in East Asia. These studies
have revealed remarkably deep and complex patterns of diversification that equal or exceed
species-level diversification found in other parts of the world. In this talk, I will review pastwork with a special focus on identifying the phylogeographic discontinuities that are sharedby multiple taxa. Two important conclusions emerge. First, increasing molecular andmorphological evidence suggests that the East Asian bird fauna is overlumped and thatcurrent species-level diversity is underestimated. This will hinder conservation work that
depends on an accurate assessment of biological diversity for listing, prioritization, andmanagement. Second, several shared phylogeographic divisions in south China, Taiwan, andthe islands of Japan suggest that the region has experienced an unexpectedly complicatedbiogeographic history that is still poorly understood. Future work should focus on
characterizing species-level diversity, inferring the evolutionary history of taxa, anddetermining the historical factors that contributed to diversification in the region. This will
provide a predictive framework for the conservation of both species and areas of endemism
as well as contribute to our growing understanding of how Earth history events affectbiological diversification.

Symposium S18
Conservation research on woodpeckers: threatened species and indicator value of Picidae

N
CA

Convenors:

Martjan Lammertink,
CICyTTP-Conicet, Matteri y España s/n, (E3105BWA) Diamante, Entre Ríos, Argentina
Grzegorz Mikusinski
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Ecology
Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, SE-730 91 Riddarhyttan, Sweden

CE

Symposium description:ED

LL

This symposium links two internationally important fields in conservation research on
woodpeckers: the biology and management of globally threatened woodpecker species, andthe use of woodpeckers as tools in biodiversity conservation. Many species in the nearly
cosmopolitan family woodpeckers (Picidae) depend on old-growth and natural forests fortheir breeding and foraging. Frequently, woodpeckers specialized on old-growth forest
qualities are among the most noticeable organisms of ecosystems with such characteristics,
and often are perceived as effective indicator, umbrella, and focal species. The first keynote
talk will identify common patterns in vulnerability, threats, and conservation of
woodpeckers, and identify gaps in knowledge and in conservation actions. The second
keynote talk will provide a synthesis of research from around the world on the effectivenessof woodpecker species as indicator species for natural forests, old-growth forests, and forest
biodiversity. We invite symposium speakers with research projects concerning theconservation of threatened species of Picidae and studies evaluating the utility of using
woodpeckers as indicators of different aspects of biodiversity and conservation.

Symposium S19
The Evolution of Avian Social Behaviour: from Neuropeptides to Neurogenomics
Convenors:
Yang Liu
State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University,
Guangzhou, 510275, China

CA

Tamás Székely
Dept of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
Symposium description:

CE

N

Social behaviour, involving interactions with conspecifics, is a basic feature in the lives ofanimals. Yet, we are only beginning to understand how social behaviour is convergent anddivergent inn nature. Similar to the evolution of morphological traits, the evolution of
behavioural traits is a consequence of both selection on the variation of the behavioural trait
in question and inheritance of the behavioural phenotype. However, the evolution of social
behaviour may be influenced by complicated genetic mechanisms, e.g. polygenic control,
pleiotropy and epigenetic regulation.

LL

Exciting progress has been made recently in this field with the rapid development ofgenomic tools for evolutionary genetic studies. We have used the comparative genomic
approach to identify candidate genes or changes in gene expression levels responsible for
substantial variation in social behaviour. Meanwhile, the distribution and variation of key
neuropeptide receptors have been demonstrated to play important roles in the regulation ofsocial behaviour in some organisms.

ED

Birds exhibit a diverse array of social behaviours, including flocking, group-living, breeding
systems that embrace mate choice, sexual conflict and pair bonds, and parental carestrategies. Thus, birds are exemplary model organisms through which we can enhance ourunderstanding of how these traits are selected for (or against) in nature, and how complex
behaviours are transmitted from one generation to another. However, the precise neuraland genetic/genomic mechanisms that underlie these processes are largely unknown. The
goal of this symposium is to further our understanding of the neurogenomic basis of social
behaviour that regulates avian social life.
Our specific objectives are three-tiered: (i) to bring together researchers who use different
approaches (behavioural ecology, neuro-endocrinology, neuro-genomics, comparative
analyses) and to integrate their perspectives into a comprehensive framework to understandsocial behaviour; (ii) to review recent advances in studies of social behaviour in birds and tooutline new methods and approaches that will advance this field; and (iii) to illustrate how
selection and genetic variation together may mould social behaviour. The talks of the
keynote speakers will focus on the link between ultimate and proximate factors layers that
contribute to understanding diversity and variation of social behaviours. We expect
contributed papers on fundamental aspects of social behaviour evolution including (i)genetic/genomic and (ii) neuro-endocrinological basis of social behaviour.

Symposium S20
Avian nest predation: New perspectives
Convenors:
Juan Diego Ibáñez-Álamo
Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias. Universidad de Granada. E-18071 Granada,
Spain
Robert L. Thomson.
Section of Ecology, Dept of Biology, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland
Symposium description:
This symposium will focus on nest predation, a key source of selection for birds. Due to theoften conspicuous negative impacts on fitness, nest predation studies have been a popularand relevant field of ornithology for decades. While the long history of nest predation
studies, and the theory linked to it, have formed an integral part of avian ecology,
methodological improvements and new ecological perspectives have actually caused a
considerable increase in nest predation studies in recent years. New technology now allows
researchers to monitor nests 24 hr per day, providing access to previously hidden aspects ofnest predation processes and allowing a deeper and more detailed perspective on the topic.
In addition, enhanced physiological techniques allow a mechanistic approach to understandthe risk of nest predation. Investigations considering the community and social information
flow relevant to nest predation have opened exciting perspectives within this field. Indeed,
the study of nest predation now forms a vital part of research in different areas, frombehavioural to population ecology, from evolution to conservation biology. We encourage
researchers investigating nest predation in any of its forms to apply for participation in this
symposium, especially those using cutting-edge techniques or new perspectives on the studyof this topic.

Symposium S21
Avian Neurosteroids: Biosynthesis and BiologicalAction
Convenors:
Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
Department of Biology, Waseda University
Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University
2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
Barney A. Schlinger
Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology
University of California-Los Angeles
610 Charles E. Young Dr. East
Los Angeles, CA 90095-7239, USA
Symposium description:
The brain was widely recognized as a target site of peripheral steroid hormones. Steroids
supplied by peripheral steroidogenic glands regulate a variety of important brain functions
during development, as well as in all adult vertebrates. Because they are lipid-soluble,
peripheral steroid hormones cross the blood-brain barrier to act on neural tissue throughintracellular receptors that regulate the transcription of specific genes. Thus, peripheral
steroids, including the gonadal sex steroids, have profound effects on vertebrate behavior.
Of all vertebrates, birds contributed enormously to our understanding of the mechanisms ofsteroid actions on reproductive behaviors, such as courtship, copulatory, aggressive andparental behaviors. In the past twenty years, this set of classical concepts has shown that, inbirds, the brain itself can synthesize steroids from cholesterol through mechanisms at least
partly independent of peripheral steroidogenic glands. These steroids, synthesized de novo
in the central nervous system, are called "neurosteroids". Their discovery in the avian brain
has expanded our appreciation for the sources of active steroidal molecules, the time-courseof their actions on brain and the kinds of brain functions on which steroids have significant
functions. Studies of avian neurosteroids are currently an area of great interest to many
ornithologists. This symposium will highlight current knowledge regarding the biosynthesis
and biological actions of neurosteroids in the avian brain.

Symposium S22
Sensory and molecular genetics mechanisms of migratory traits
Convenors:
Miriam Liedvogel
Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab, Department of Biology, Lund University, 223 62 Lund,
Sweden.
Dmitry Kishkinev
Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, N1G 2W1 Guelph, ON, Canada.
Symposium description:
Bird migration is not only a fascinating phenomenon per se, but also represents an example
of a highly adapted phenotype that is regulated by fine-tuned sensory and genetics
mechanisms. To a large extent, these mechanisms still remain unknown. Migratory birds
follow an innate migratory programme to find their way between breeding and wintering
grounds. They accomplish this challenge with amazing precision by make use of naturalreference cues, like the sun, stars, the Earth’s magnetic field, olfactory cues and landmarks
to find their way.
What is the underlying genetic architecture that determines in which direction(s) and how
long a migratory bird migrates to successfully reach wintering grounds and return back tobreeding range to give birth for the next generation? Which sensory systems are involved inavian navigation and compass orientation? How is information from different orientation
cues integrated? In the last 10-15 years, the body of studies in this field has increased rapidly.
At the same time, experimental data usually get published years after they have beencollected. The objective of this symposium is to give a detailed overview about the latest
progress in understanding of sensory and behavioral mechanisms of orientation andnavigation, as well as their underlying genetic architecture.

Symposium S23
Avian brood parasitism - novel findings and new puzzles
Convenors:
Fugo Takasu
Department of Information and Computer Sciences, Nara Women's University
Kita-Uoya Nishimachi, Nara 630-8506, Japan
Jin-Won Lee
Korea Institute of Ornithology, Kyung Hee University
Hoegi 1-dong, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 130-701, Korea (ROK)
Symposium description:
Avian brood parasites explore parental care of their hosts at the expense of the host
reproductive success. In such parasitic interactions we expect that hosts will evolve defense
against parasitism while parasites will counter the host defense, which further invokes hostdefense in different forms. Avian brood parasitism has been thought as an ideal system tostudy co-evolutionary interactions because the cost-benefit consequences of the parasite
and the host reproduction are direct and easy to quantify.
Although this co-evolutionary view has been largely supported by empirical studies
conducted in the past decades, recent advance of the study on avian brood parasites hasbrought us an array of novel findings and new puzzles which defies rational explanations, i.e.,lack of apparently adaptive traits/behaviors, polymorphism of egg morphs, hostmanipulation by parasitic chicks, host cognitive mechanisms to detect parasitism which
seems maladaptive, etc.
In this symposium we aim to demonstrate audience the most recent research outputs in thelast four years since IOC 2010 in Brazil and provide a place for open discussion to activate
the future research to better understand parasitic interactions between avian broodparasites and their hosts.

Symposium S24
Fire regimes and bird population responses.
Convenors:
Richard H. Loyn
Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research,
Department of Sustainability & Environment, PO Box 137 (123 Brown St)
Heidelberg VIC 3084, Australia
Lluis Brotons
Department of Animal Biology, University of Barcelona, Av Diagonal 645
08028 Barcelona, Spain
Symposium description:
This symposium considers how bird populations respond to fire regimes in forest landscapesand other habitats. It addresses topical issues in study design; implications for policy andmanagement; long-term perspectives and the value of retrospective analysis. Biologists
need to engage with policy makers and management agencies, to help shape future fire
regimes under climate change to reduce human risks while conserving biodiversity.
Examples are taken from landscapes in Australia, southern Europe and other places where
extreme fire events have raised the profile of fire management. Birds have been valuable
subjects in developing strategies for managing fire regimes to conserve biodiversity while
reducing risks to people.
Severe fires have occurred recently in many parts of the world, usually in hot dry summersthat may be related to climate change. This has led to intense public debate about fire
management, and options to reduce risk (e.g. more planned burning), while conserving
native flora and fauna. Such a balance requires strategic data on responses of birds andother biota to fire regimes. This symposium will be of interest to researchers, policy makers
and land managers who may need such information to manage fire in their respective
landscapes.

Symposium S25
Developmental stress beyond bird song: Can early life stressors engineer physiology andbehavior for harsh environments?
Convenors:
Kendra Sewall
Biology Department
Virginia Tech Box 0406
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Britt Heidinger
Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine
University of Glasgow
Glasgow, G12 8QQ
Symposium description:
The developmental stress hypothesis posits that male bird song is an honest signal ofdevelopmental history, and thus quality, because song learning is vulnerable to early life
perturbations. Although research has shown that early life stressors can negatively impact
sexual ornaments such as bird song, little is known about their impacts on non-sexual traits
that influence fitness. While early exposure to stressors is known to affect diverse behavioral,
physiological, and morphological traits, there are few predictions about which traits should
be relatively more impacted by or buffered from early stress, nor how this should vary
among species. Further, the developmental stress hypothesis has not been fully integrated
with research from the broader field of phenotypic plasticity. Specifically, some phenotypic
plasticity ‘matching’ models predict that exposure to developmental stressors can engineer
individuals to better cope with harsh environments. If so, the fitness consequences of earlystress exposure will depend on the environmental context in which they are measured,
which has seldom been considered in avian research on developmental stress. Thissymposium will review research on the impacts of early life stressors on traits other thanbird song and strengthen the conceptual links between research on the developmental
stress hypothesis and phenotypic plasticity.

Symposium S26
Plasticity in birdsong production
Convenors:
Roderick A. Suthers
Indiana University, Jordan Hall, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
Kazuo Okanoya
Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences,
The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, JAPAN.
Symposium description:
Song is a major means of avian communication. It has a crucial role in many aspects of bird
behavior, including mate selection and territorial defense. This symposium will focus onsome recent developments in our understanding of the mechanisms and limitations of vocal
performance, including the importance of neural and vocal plasticity and stereotypy in thefunction, structure and evolution of song. The symposium aims to provide an updated view
on peripheral and central mechanisms of birdsong production. Peripheral and central
mechanisms are often separately treated in most meetings and symposia. By putting
researchers in song peripheral production and song motor control together, we aim toextend our understanding in the nature of vocal plasticity in songbirds.

Symposium S27
Non-native birds as natural experiments: ecological and evolutionary change during
biological invasions.
Convenors:
Diederik Strubbe
Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University ofMiddelheimcampus GV310, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerpen, Belgium

Antwerp,

Darius Stiels
Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Section Ornithology, Adenauerallee 160, D53113 Bonn, Germany
Symposium description:
Invasions of non-native species are considered a substantial threat to biodiversity, but also
provide researchers with numerous unplanned and frequently replicated experiments thatcan be used to better understand ecological and evolutionary processes. Due to the large
amount of historical data on bird introductions, analyses of non-native bird occurrence havealready contributed significantly to our knowledge about the invasion process. For example,
bird introductions have been instrumental in showing that propagule pressure (i.e. thenumber of individuals introduced) is a crucial determinant of invasion success, often
overwhelming biotic and abiotic constraints on species’ establishment. Yet, as is true forinvasion biology in general, most research on non-native birds has focused on the first stagesof the invasion process only (i.e. introduction and establishment). In this symposium, we
focus on what happens when non-native birds have established self-sustaining populations.
Specifically, we review how birds can be used to gain knowledge about the contemporary
evolution of non-native species in their new range and discuss how species introduction andsubsequent spread results in patterns of non-native species richness.

Symposium S28
Avian cognition in natural populations
Convenors:
Sang-im Lee
Institute of Advanced Machinery and Design
Seoul National University56-1 Shillim-dong Kwanak-gu, Seoul
Korea
Piotr Jablonski
Centre for Ecological Research
Polish Academy of Sciences
Ul. M. Konopnickiej 1
Dziekanów Leśny
05-092 Łomianki
PolandSymposium description:
Most studies in classical avian cognition use caged birds or birds in captivity. However, in
recent years an increasing number of studies on wild birds address questions typical foranimal cognition. Although captive settings may provide controlled environment that iseasier to manipulate, the natural environment that wild birds experience and interact intheir daily lives presents problems that are much more complex and diverse. Thus, theunderstanding of cognitive properties of birds obtained from captive settings may not fully
represent the actual complexity and flexibility of the cognitive processes that are happening
in the wild. The goal of this symposium is to provide an overview of the direct empirical(rather than literature based metanalyses) studies that fit the following criteria: (a) areconducted on wild birds in their natural habitats rather than in cages, aviaries, or any
seminatural settings, (b) address questions within fairly broadly defined cognition. This
involves, among others, basic perceptual processes and perceptual mechanisms on objects
and the surroundings, learning, memory, social cognition, culture, etc. The objectives of this
symposium are to stimulate interests in studies in the wild, to identify their importance, andto point out approaches unique for such studies. The two keynote presentations aredesigned to focus on two complementary research approaches: proximate (Jablonski) andultimate (Morand-Ferron) aspects. We hope that this symposium will stimulate an exchangeof ideas between ornithologists with various research approaches and traditions.

Symposium S29
The value of long-term ringing data in ornithology
Convenors:
Ommo Hüppop
Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland"
An der Vogelwarte 21
D-26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Nikita Chernetsov
Biological Station Rybachy, Zoological Institute199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
Symposium description:
Long-term data from ringing stations provide valuable insights into different aspects ofornithology. Bird observatories in both Europe and North America have caught, ringed andmeasured birds - notably passerines and other small birds - for long periods, from half acentury up to more than 100 years under fairly constant and comparable conditions andeffort. Our symposium will bring together people from these ringing stations with a long
history in bird ringing such as Rybachy and Helgoland. We aim to focus on a range of
population dynamic questions (e.g. reproductive success, density dependent effects, intraand interspecific competition, survival) and on impacts of environmental change beyond theby now well known climate-change effects on phenology (e.g. effects on biometrics andbody condition). At this stage in time, after ongoing climate and global change effects haventaken place, the 26th IOC offers a unique opportunity to throw new light on these data andto test a broad spectrum of hypotheses underlying the observed changes in avian biology.
An especial chance (and challenge) will be the integrated use of the huge sets of datacollected over long periods and a large variety of species to test these hypotheses.

Symposium S30
Ecophysiology of Circannual and Long-term Timing Mechanisms: Recent Advances
Convenors:
Asha Chandola-Saklani
School of Biosciences
Apeejay Stya University, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
Barbara Helm
Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine
Graham Kerr Bldg, University of Glasgow, UK - Glasgow G12 8QQ
Symposium description:
Reproductive success and survival of birds commonly depend on adequate timing of lifecycle events relative to the cyclically fluctuating environment. Breeding should coincide withthe most appropriate food supplyfor the upbringing of offspring, moult should occur during
a sufficient phase of residency, and migration must be timed so that birds reach theirbreeding and wintering grounds at correct times of year. These activities typically requirepreparation well in advance.The main challenges the bird faces are therefore, 1. to adjust
activities to the seasonally fluctuating environment , 2. to preclude or minimize
simultaneous occurrence of energetically expensive seasonal events like reproduction,
fattening, molting or migration, and 3. to anticipate appropriate times of year using cues andlong-term timing mechanisms. How does the bird meet these challenges?
Since the times of Baker, Marshall, and Dolnik an enormous literature has establishedphotoperiod as a proximate cue for timing in temperate zone birds. Photoperiod is used in
combination with long-term timing mechanisms, which in some species continue underconstant conditions as circannual rhythms. In the tropics, almost all bird species investigatedwere also found to be photosensitive. Yet because of the small amplitude of the annual
photocycle and arguably less predictable seasonality it was debated whether tropical birds
could depend on this cue, often even ignoring some experimentally sound evidence. Instead,
flexibility in response to environmental factors like food or rain, complete absence ofseaonality, or circannual rhythms were considered more plausible in these species. Recent
studies point to a continuum of cue-use in birds across the tropics and higher latitudes.
Depending on species biology, photoperiod can play a major role, circannual rhythms can bestrongly developed, or direct environmental effects may be prevalent. Tropical species,
however, may use photic cues in previously undescribed ways. However in birds the modus
operandi of circannual clocks and their interaction with the environmental photocycle is far
from clear.
The goals and objectives of this symposium shall be an overview of long-term timing
mechanisms in tropical and temperate-zone birds, integration of photoperiodism withcircannual approaches, and identification of the ways ahead in the light of recent data frombirds and other taxa.

Symposium S31
Birds in space: is individual variation relevant?
Convenors:
Niels Dingemanse
Behavioural Ecology, Department Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich,Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
Pim Edelaar
University Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. Utrera km. 1, ES-41013 Sevilla, Spain.
Symposium description:
In a world that is rapidly changing spatially due to habitat fragmentation and changes inclimate and land use, a deeper understanding of spatial population processes is highly
relevant. It is increasingly suggested that the incorporation of individual variation indispersal theory could lead to novel predictions about movement and dispersal ofindividuals, population abundance and meta-population dynamics, rates of range expansion
and biological invasion, and levels of population divergence and local adaptation. Thissymposium focusses on the importance of individual variation for spatial population
processes. We aim to present studies that have investigated ecologically relevant aspects ofindividual variation in dispersal such as morphology, physiology, behaviour or genotype, andstudies that have evaluated how this variation has (or has not) impacted upon the
distribution of individuals and the composition of populations. Preferably, these studies also
address or speculate about the long-term demographical, ecological or evolutionary
consequences of individual variation in spatial distributions. By doing so, we aim to stimulate
further empirical and theoretical integration between individual variation and populationlevel processes in a spatial setting.

Symposium S32
Lifetime fitness and environmental stressors
Convenors:

N
CA

Mary Ann Ottinger
Department of Animal and Avian Sciences
University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
Olivier Chastel
CNRS-Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé
79360 Villiers en Bois, FranceCE

Symposium description:ED

LL

There are many environmental challenges facing wild bird populations, not the least ofwhich are environmental chemicals and climate related changes in habitat. A growing
number of long-term studies in a variety of birds provide valuable insights into species andhabitat specific differences. Our overall objective is to consider these long-term studies andbanding databases in combination with information on the incidence of environmental
chemicals. This will provide the foundation to begin to model the potential impacts of
exposure with observed effects on both individuals and populations. We have three goals:
1) provide an overview of the long-term studies of selected avian populations thatencompass longitudinal data with insights into fitness of the individuals, and 2) assess thecurrent and future risks to avian populations in the context of environmental chemicals,
especially endocrine disrupting compounds, and 3) integrate the potential and realized
impacts of climate change on avian populations.

Symposium S33
Departure decisions in nocturnal migrants
Convenors:
Heiko Schmaljohann
Institute of Avian Research “Vogelwarte Helgoland”
An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Arseny Tsvey
Biological Station Rybachy of the Zoological InstituteRussian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 1, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
Symposium description
The seasonal ecological fluctuations between the hemispheres are a strong force in forming
migration, resulting in extraordinary long-distance journeys. These journeys are covered bymigratory flights each followed by a resting and re-fuelling phase. A considerably higher
proportion of time and energy is allocated to stopovers than to flight stages, because fuelaccumulation during stopover is much slower than energy expenditure during flight. This
indicates that migrants’ behaviour at a stopover site is crucial for the understanding of
movement ecology. Here we will identify internal and external factors influencing theindividual momentary departure decision of nocturnal migrants from a stopover site at theday-to-day level and on the level of the night. For that we need first to define what are
migratory departures and how can they be distinguished from nocturnal explorative flights
and/or nocturnal displacements.
The environmental cues, e.g., wind and temperature, are together with food availability
determining bird’s fuel deposition rate the key factors regulating the day-to-day departuredecision. Depending on the environment ahead birds might adjust their flight direction to
circumvent ecological barriers or to cross the barrier when conditions are favourable forsuch flights. We will here emphasis the individual phenotypic response to varying
environmental conditions in respect of migrants’ departure decision.
To date we still lack information on the individual nocturnal departure times of migratory
songbirds. This information is, however, crucial as it determines the potential nocturnal
flight duration. Early nocturnal take-off and flight until sunrise maximizes migrants’nocturnal travel range which, as a seasonal average, defines the overall number of stopovers
during migration. As more time is spent on the ground than flying the total number ofstopovers significantly contributes to the overall speed and costs of migration. However,information on whether nocturnal departure times might be organized with respect to thelength of the night and whether remaining migration distance might influence the nocturnal
departure time is lacking. Individual-based studies, most from the temperate zone of Europe,demonstrated a surprisingly wide scatter of nocturnal departure times. Most of thenocturnal departure times were manually radio-tracked, but automated tracking stations
will provide more data and inside in the organization of the nocturnal departure times.
The aims of this symposium are bringing together scientists working on departure eventswith migrants, summarizing the status quo of what we know about this topic and setting
future hypotheses to incorporate our work within the framework of movement ecology.

Symposium S34
Effects of radiation on birds and other organisms: Chernobyl, Fukushima
and beyond
Convenors:
Keisuke Ueda
Laboratory of Animal Ecology
Rikkyo University.
Nishi-ikebukuro 3-34-1, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8501,
Japan
Anders Pape Moller
Laboratoire Ecologie, Systematique et Evolution
UMR 8079 CNRS-Universite Paris-Sud XI-AgroParisTech
Batiment 362 Universite Paris-Sud XI
F-91405 Orsay Cedex
Keynote speakers:
Symposium description:
The Fukushima disaster provides a unique opportunity to investigate the immediate, shortand long-term effects of accidental exposure to radioactivity on free-ranging organisms suchas birds, which are among the most radiosensitive wildlife groups. In addition, physiologicaland behavioral traits provide some of the best information about the real-time, dynamic
responses of organisms to their environment. We examined the impact of chronic, naturalrange exposure to ionizing radiation on birds at the individual level, by assessing key
physiological and behavioural factors that may underlie their radio-sensitivity. These effects
varied with levels of radiation exposure in a dose-dependent. This can provide important
evidence of radiation exposure effects not only for birds, but also relevant for people living
in contaminated areas. We believe that this theme is most timely because the Fukushima
nuclear catastrophe offers the scientific community a unique opportunity to study theeffects of radiation on wildlife under natural conditions. The worst nuclear disaster in history,
which occurred in Chernobyl, has been extensively studied in ecophysiological andevolutionary contexts, but research was largely absent during the first ten years following
the disaster. We collected much data about radiation exposure effects on birds almost
immediately after the Fukushima disaster. So, we can compare the effects of contamination
between Fukushima and Chernobyl. Everybody who likely to be interested in our theme forscientific, societal or personal reasons will be welcomed.

Symposium S35
Lifelong individual development as an important component of life history
Convenors:
Peter H. Becker
Institute of Avian Research, "Vogelwarte Helgoland", An der Vogelwarte 21, D-26386
Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Hugh Drummond Durey
Departamento Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, UNAM AP 70-275, México, D.F.
04510, México
Symposium description:
To date the significance of lifelong ontogeny has been underestimated or even neglected,
mainly because adequate data were lacking to address this topic.
Individual-based long-term studies, innovative field techniques and modern statistical
approaches nowadays are providing relevant data. Recent findings show that individualchange over the lifespan is a ubiquitous phenomenon in both long- and short-lived bird
species, but little is known about the extent to which rates of change vary among individuals
or about causes and consequences of such variation. Change with age occurs not only in
reproductive traits but also in survival and physiological characters, timing of arrival andlaying, foraging and behaviour, and this change needs to be recognized by researchers.
Physical and social environments experienced in infancy, improvements early in thebreeding career and senescence with advancing age can have far-reaching impacts on
individual life trajectories, fitness and demography. Ontogeny in combination with selection
shapes the part of the population that produces the next generations. The symposium aims
to integrate measures of ontogeny and to address their role in life history. Exciting new
findings from longitudinal studies of natural populations will be presented with the aim ofunderstanding the constraints and adaptive processes of ontogeny, thereby throwing newlight on the evolution of life histories in birds.

Symposium S36
Colour polymorphisms
Convenors:
Alexandre Roulin
Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Andy T.D. Bennett
Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Australia
Symposium description:
Colour polymorphisms – defined as the presence of two or more colour morphs inindividuals of the same age, sex and population, with the least frequent morph at a rate toohigh to be maintained by mutation alone – are found in many bird families. Although themaintenance of colour polymorphisms has been a topic of interest since the time of Darwin,
the number of studies has sharply increased recently. This renewed interest is explained
partly by the fact that coloration can be used as a phenotypic marker of genetic strategies,
and partly by recent methodological and conceptual advances. The aim of this symposium
will be to review the latest advances in our understanding, focusing on the adaptive functionof colour polymorphisms, and its underlying genetic basis and evolutionary consequences.

Symposium S37
Genomes and the evolution of modern birds
Convenors:
Jon Fjeldså
Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, University of Copenhagen
Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Erich Jarvis
Department of Neurobiology, Box 3209, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North
Carolina 27710, USA.
Symposium description:
Because of the substantial knowledge of the global avifauna, birds have been used
extensively as a model group for analyzing evolutionary and ecological questions of great
generality. However, this work remains hampered by uncertainties and controversies that,
despite great advances in molecular phylogenetic studies, surround the phylogenetic
relationships among the major groups of living birds. In particular, evolutionary patterns andprocesses operating within the radiation of the Neoaves remain poorly known, including
whether the divergence rate peaked before, during or after the end-Cretaceous extinction
events, and how the early history of extant birds relates to earth history events.
To address these and other issues in biology, we recently organized an international
consortium of persons to sequence the genomes of all 10,400 living and some extinct bird
species, called the Bird 10K (B10K) project. This includes accessing the world’s largest
collections of frozen tissue samples, including collections in the Americas, Europe, Asia, andAustralia, and assembling leading experts in sample curation, genomics, phylogeny, and trait
genetics. BGI in China is sponsoring sequencing of many of the genomes, and many otherinstitutions are sponsoring collecting samples and data analyses. We have completed thesequencing of the first 48 genomes (including the published chicken, turkey, and zebra finch
genomes) that have at least one species each that span all major avian lineages.
In this symposium, we will update the progress of the B10K project, the phylogenomics ofthe major orders of birds, and new discoveries being made in biology using genome-scaledata for birds. The data provide a robust comparative framework for studying the natural
history of genome evolution in birds, and the genetic basis for the evolution of diverse traits,
ranging from different forms of development to feeding specializations, cognition and vocal
learning. The preliminary data are revealing support for some prior controversial species
relationships, as well as bringing up new controversies and possible signatures of
convergence in some regions of the genome. The symposium will also include presentationsof visions for the further development of genomics in ornithology.

Symposium S38
Evolutionary Morphology of Birds: New Methods and Concepts
Convenors:
Andrei V. Zinoviev
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Tver State University, Tver 170002, Russia.
Dominique G. Homberger
Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803,
USA
Symposium description:
Functional morphology of birds has experienced an exciting revitalization through advancesin several areas. For example, the continuing discovery of ever larger numbers and species
of fossil birds has completely changed our understanding of avian diversity and evolution
from what it was three decades ago. The technique of 3D imaging and animation based on
x-ray CT scans has opened new avenues for the study and explanation of avian functional
morphology and biomechanics. And morphology has become a tool for trying to understandthe influence of environmental factors on the development of structures and their functions.
These advances, used by themselves or in combination, allow for a better understanding ofevolutionary trends and transformations in birds. The symposium aims at introducing a nonspecialist audience to the exciting developments in avian morphology and is expected to
attract a broad variety of ornithologists, while also serving as a focal point for the relatively
small worldwide community of morphologists to interact.

Symposium S39
Ethno-ornithology: Birds, Culture & Conservation
Convenors:
Andrew G Gosler
Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology & Institute of Human Sciences, Oxford, UK
Robert Gosford
Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University, Canberra
ACT
Australia
Symposium description:
Birds feature in the folklore of every human culture in the world; the conservation
community has barely realized the practical significance of this. Ethno-ornithology embraces
the rich research interests of human culture (linguistic, social and cognitive anthropology)
and birds (ornithology and ecology). It seeks to describe and understand the diverse
relationships that exist between humans and birds. Within a broader framework of ethnobiology, it has contributed to the anthropological understanding of human cognition and, inpractice, ethno-ornithology is contributing to policy formation on global issues as diverse as
nature and language conservation, human conflict resolution and peace-building. The
reasons for this are complex, but some relevant issues are: a) the benefits ofhuman connection with nature are well attested, and deprivation of such links compromise
health and social cohesion; b) socio-cultural developments and growing urbanization mean
post-industrial humans are more disconnected from nature than any people in history, a factwhich can lead to irrational fears and/or misunderstandings of nature; c) irrespective of theirmaterial utility, like humans, most birds are active, inquisitive, vocal, colorful, diurnal andnon-threatening, but they also fly! They appear to us as subjects, rather than objects, in thelandscape, and consequently birds impress upon the human psyche more than do any othervertebrates. For many people, therefore, birds are not only the first wild creaturesencountered, but they are also the most significant.

Symposium S40
Turning the tide for East Asia’s migratory shorebirds
Convenors:
Jutta Leyrer
Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University,
Locked Bag 20000 Geelong VIC 3220, Australia
Zhijun Ma
Institute of Biodiversity Science
School of Life Sciences, Fudan University No. 220 Handan Road, Shanghai, 200433, People
Republic of China
Symposium description:
Shorebirds perform some of the most amazing feats of migration, travelling hundreds ofthousands of kilometres in their lifetimes. Yet their populations and the wetland habitats on
which they depend are under threat. The situation is particularly serious in the East Asian –Australasian Flyway, where according to a recent IUCN situation analysis, migratory
shorebird populations are declining by 5-9% per year. Recent analyses of satellite data haverevealed rapid rates of coastal habitat loss across the region, and there is an urgent need to
identify robust and workable conservation solutions.
This symposium will bring together ecologists and conservation scientists to showcase thelatest developments in our understanding of the biology of migratory shorebirds in East Asia,and identify solutions for their conservation. Recent revelations from satellite telemetry
about migration routes are challenging us to think in new ways about achieving conservationof these species that regularly cross international borders. International co-ordination is
likely to be essential if we are to turn the tide for migratory shorebird populations in East
Asia and elsewhere around the world.

Symposium S41
Persistent organic pollutants - lasting problems and new aspects in migratory birds
Convenors:
Maris Strazds
University of Latvia, Riga
Anders Bignert
Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
Symposium description:
Contamination research first became an important topic for the I.O.C. in Amsterdam in 1972,
only ten years after publication of R. Carson’s book “Silent Spring”. Much knowledge has
accumulated since then on the impact of persistent organic pollutants on the environmentand birds, and on the physiological mechanisms involved. Costly monitoring programmes inmost of the countries affected had resulted in hundreds of studies following thedevelopments of contamination rate, most of them indicating an improvement of thesituation. However, although the use of DDT was banned in many countries its production
was not. The World Health Organization has even recommended its use in disease vector
control by “indoor residual spraying” as recently as in 2006. A possible consequence of thissituation is the production recently of data suggesting that a new wave of DDT (DDE andmetabolites) contamination might be “on the way”. Species wintering in Africa are affectedmost so far and are of current concern, including the Black Stork, Lesser Black-backed Gull,
European Roller. Our symposium will try to summarize lessons from the past and discuss towhat extent the recent developments represent a case of “history repeating”. We aim also
to discuss which aspects in contamination transport via wintering and migration are new andhow to handle them in bird conservation.

Symposium S42
Nutritional satisfaction: new perspectives on how birds acquire necessary energy andnutrients
Convenors:
Dr. Scott McWilliams
Department of Natural Resources Science, University of Rhode Island
105 Coastal Institute, 1 Greenhouse Way, Kingston, Rhode Island, 02881 USA
Dr. William Buttemer
Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University
Geelong, Victoria 3217, Australia
Symposium description:
All birds must acquire necessary energy and nutrients while avoiding being eaten. Studies offood relations and the underlying dynamic flow of energy and nutrients between organisms
have been centrally important for our understanding of animal ecology, from the individual
to ecosystem levels. This symposium focuses on new and emerging perspectives on the
nutrient requirements of birds in relation to their ecology and life history. It will identify
novel ways in which birds acquire food (e.g., biofilm), novel mechanisms for how birds
assimilate nutrients, and how birds dynamically modify their diets to satisfy changes inenergy and nutrient requirements.

Symposium S43
Ecological immunology at 30: a midlife crisis or newfound opportunity?
Convenors:
Kirk C. Klasing
Department of Animal Science
University of California
Davis One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616
US
Kevin D. Matson
Animal Ecology Group
University of Groningen
PO Box 11103
9700 CC Groningen NL
Symposium description:
Over thirty years have passed since Hamilton and Zuk first published their well-known
hypothesis, which is sometimes seen as launching the field of ecological immunology. At first,
interests in immunology by ecologists remained grounded in the realm of behavior. These
interests, however, have diversified rapidly. Ornithologists began measuring and integrating
multiple immunological parameters to better describe the immune systems of wild birds.
Now, as ecological immunology continues to mature, an ever greater emphasis is being
placed on understanding the roles of related physiological systems and life history variables
along with the effects of varied environmental and ecological factors, such as diseasecommunities. In this symposium, we endeavor to highlight the breadth of contemporary
research in ecological immunology. We hope to illustrate the field’s vitality by offering aforum for presentations that link immunology to widest possible range of domains, including
microbial-, disease-, physiological- and community ecology.

Symposium S44
New finds and old bones – integrative palaeornithology for the 21st century
Convenors:
Gerald Mayr
Senckenberg Research Institute Frankfurt, Ornithological Section
Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Xu Xing
Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology, Beijing, China.
Symposium description:
Not least due to the spectacular new finds from the early Cretaceous of China, fossil birds
have attracted much attention outside the narrow circle of specialists in the past decades.
Still, however, the significance of palaeornithology for an understanding of modern birds is
not always fully appreciated and this is true for both, Mesozoic and Cenozoic representatives.
Fossil birds are not only requisite for the calibration of molecular phylogenies, but also
contribute to an understanding of historical biogeography and provide the only available
data on character evolution in birds. Knowledge of the diversity of the theropod ancestors ofbirds can help to trace the evolution of major bird characters, including feathers, wings, andeven some behavioral traits, and there are many other aspects, in which fossils are ofsignificance for an understanding of present bird communities. The symposium aims topresent new results concerning both Mesozoic and Cenozoic fossil birds for a non-specialist
audience. Although emphasis is put on overview talks that put the past avian diversity in aperspective relative to that of their modern relatives, submission of contributions on all
aspects of palaeornithology is encouraged.

Symposium S45
Avian phylogenetics: advances in understanding of Old World passerine evolution
Convenors:
Alice Cibois
Department of Mammalogy and Ornithology
Natural History Museum of Geneva
CP 6434
1211 Geneva 6, Switzerland
Shao-Hsien Li
Department of Life Science
National Taiwan Normal University
88 Ting-Chow Rd, Sec 4
Taipei, Taiwan, 116
Symposium description:
In recent years, molecular phylogenies have greatly clarified the relationships within
Passeriformes, the largest order within the Neornithes. This symposium will focus on one of
the biogeographic units within Passeriformes that has been intensively studied in molecularsystematics recently, the Old World passerines. This large group is an ideal case study toevaluate the impact of comprehensive phylogenies on the understanding of morphologicalevolution and cryptic speciation, and to assess the implication of calibrated trees for theevaluation of biogeographical scenarios.

Symposium S46
Recent insights on sexual selection from avian models
Convenors:
Patricia L. R. Brennan
Department of Biology
UMASS Amherst
Richard O. Prum
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary
Yale University
Symposium description:
Avian research has contributed greatly to the development of theories of sexual selection in
the past few decades. Despite the growing number of sexual selection studies, the field isstill young, and many recent attempts have been made at revising basic theoreticalassumptions, and to encourage research in new areas that can help move the field forward.
This symposium seeks to highlight some of the exciting advances in the field that havederived from avian research, as well as to highlight some systems in which the action of
specific mechanisms of sexual selection is well understood. Some themes will include therelative contributions of sexual selection and ecological adaptation in speciation: a unified
framework, the role of aesthetic evolution on mate choice, and how phenotypic plasticity
affects theories of sexual selection.

Symposium S47
Patterns and mechanisms of metabolic flexibility in birds
Convenors:
David Swanson, Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD 57069,
USA
François Vézina, Department of Biology, University of Quebec at Rimouski, Rimouski,
Quebec, G5L 3A1, Canada
Symposium description:
Phenotypic flexibility is defined as temporary, reversible changes in phenotypes allowing
organisms to match phenotypes to environmental or ecological demands, such as climatic
variation, migration and reproduction. One poorly known aspect of phenotypic flexibility inbirds is how the capacity for phenotypically flexible responses (i.e., reaction norms)
correlates with environmental variability. Symposium participants will review examples ofmetabolic flexibility and outline future research necessary to better understand general
patterns and drivers of metabolic flexibility and to evaluate the importance of such flexibility
to the evolution of avian life histories. The mechanistic bases underlying flexible metabolic
phenotypes in birds are also incompletely understood. Organismal metabolic flexibility is
known to involve changes in organ masses and/or changes in cellular aerobic capacity(perhaps coupled to changes in oxygen and substrate delivery pathways). Studies to datesuggest variable contributions of these mechanisms in different birds and different
ecological or environmental contexts. Symposium participants will discuss examples ofmechanistic adjustments at the sub-organismal level and relate these adjustments toorganismal metabolic flexibility. They will also discuss potential research avenues to further
the mechanistic understanding of variable metabolic phenotypes.

Symposium S48
Physiological mechanisms underlying individual variation in life-history traits
Convenors:
Marcel E. Visser, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB
Wageningen, The Netherlands
Tony D Williams, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University
Drive, Burnaby, V5A 1S6, Canada.
Symposium description:
In any population only a small percentage of individuals (< 20%) survive to breeding age andthen produce offspring which themselves survive and recruit to the breeding population(Clutton-Brock 1988; Newton 1989). These few ‘high quality’ individuals appear to “always
do better”, over their whole lifetime, and over a range of environmental conditions (e.g.
Hamel et al. 2009; Lescroël et al. 2009): they lay many, large eggs, with a relatively earlylaying date, rear large broods, and recruit more offspring, while also having higher future
fecundity and survival, thus apparently ‘avoiding’ underlying trade-offs or costs ofreproduction which would predict negative correlations between these traits. Many avian
ecological and evolutionary studies therefore invoke differences in “individual quality” toexplain variation among individuals in traits associated with reproduction, survival and,ultimately, fitness. While “individual quality” remains an elusive concept within ecology(Wilson & Nussey 2010), it is an even more elusive concept from a mechanistic or
physiological perspective (Williams 2008, 2012).
In this symposium, we will explore the extent to which individual variation in key life-history
traits, that are components of fitness (fecundity, parental care, survival) and trade-offs
between traits (e.g. costs of reproduction), is associated with, and potentially caused by,individual variation in physiology. While we have a knowledge of general, physiologicalmechanisms underpinning some life-history traits (e.g. timing of breeding [Visser et al. 2010],
ageing [Monaghan 2010]) it is less clear if these mechanisms are adequate, or can beextended, to explain individual, phenotypic variation in these life-history traits. For otherlife-history traits (including clutch size, and parental care) we currently lack general,physiological mechanisms to explain variation in these traits, or we have few data to support
the putative, favoured mechanisms that are commonly discussed in the literature. In both
ecology and physiology most studies to date have used a single trait as a proxy or indicatorof “individual quality”. However, it is likely that measuring multiple traits will better capture“individual quality” (e.g. Travers et al. 2010), and a focus of this symposium will be how
multivariate, physiological studies of life-history traits can be designed and integrated into
long-term ecological, population studies of birds.