bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La Salut
Authors: Colom Mendoza Enric
Published: December 2023

Ficha del yacimiento La Salut ubicado a Sabadell (Barcelona) incluida en el proyecto Figlinae Hispanae (FIGHISP). Catálogo en red de las alfarerías hispanorromanas y estudio de la comercialización de sus productos.
Mas Manolo
Authors: Colom Mendoza Enric
Published: December 2023

Ficha del yacimiento Mas Manolo ubicado a Caldes de Montbui (Barcelona) incluida en el proyecto Figlinae Hispanae (FIGHISP). Catálogo en red de las alfarerías hispanorromanas y estudio de la comercialización de sus productos.
Can Carerac
Authors: Colom Mendoza Enric
Published: December 2023

Ficha del yacimiento Can Carerac ubicado a Caldes de Montbui (Barcelona) incluida en el proyecto Figlinae Hispanae (FIGHISP). Catálogo en red de las alfarerías hispanorromanas y estudio de la comercialización de sus productos.
Can Vendrell
Authors: Colom Mendoza Enric
Published: December 2023

Ficha del yacimiento Can Vendrell ubicado a Santa Eulàlia de Ronçana (Barcelona) incluida en el proyecto Figlinae Hispanae (FIGHISP). Catálogo en red de las alfarerías hispanorromanas y estudio de la comercialización de sus productos.
Alella Autopista
Authors: Colom Mendoza Enric
Published: December 2023

Ficha del yacimiento Alella Autopista ubicado a Alella (Barcelona) incluida en el proyecto Figlinae Hispanae (FIGHISP). Catálogo en red de las alfarerías hispanorromanas y estudio de la comercialización de sus productos.
Cal Ros de les Cabres
Authors: Colom Mendoza Enric
Published: December 2023

Ficha del yacimiento Cal Ros de les Cabres ubicado a El Masnou (Barcelona) incluida en el proyecto Figlinae Hispanae (FIGHISP). Catálogo en red de las alfarerías hispanorromanas y estudio de la comercialización de sus productos.
Club de Tennis Barcelona
Authors: Colom Mendoza Enric
Published: December 2023

Ficha del yacimiento Club de Tennis Barcelona ubicado a Teià (Barcelona) incluida en el proyecto Figlinae Hispanae (FIGHISP). Catálogo en red de las alfarerías hispanorromanas y estudio de la comercialización de sus productos.
Veïnat del Sant Crist
Authors: Colom Mendoza Enric
Published: December 2023

Ficha del yacimiento Veïnat del Sant Crist ubicado a Cabrils (Barcelona) incluida en el proyecto Figlinae Hispanae (FIGHISP). Catálogo en red de las alfarerías hispanorromanas y estudio de la comercialización de sus productos.
Can Portell
Authors: Colom Mendoza Enric
Published: December 2023

Ficha del yacimiento Can Portell ubicado a Argentona (Barcelona) incluida en el proyecto Figlinae Hispanae (FIGHISP). Catálogo en red de las alfarerías hispanorromanas y estudio de la comercialización de sus productos.
Torre Llauder
Authors: Colom Mendoza Enric
Published: December 2023

Ficha del yacimiento Torre Llauder ubicado a Mataró (Barcelona) incluida en el proyecto Figlinae Hispanae (FIGHISP). Catálogo en red de las alfarerías hispanorromanas y estudio de la comercialización de sus productos.
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS IN AFRICAN SOCIAL WORK: IMPLICATIONS FOR U.S. PRACTICE
Authors: Beatrice Adedayo Okunade  , Foluke Eyitayo Adediran  , Bukola A, Odulaja  , Ololade Elizabeth Adewusi  , Rosita Eberechukwu Daraojimba
Published: December 2023

This study delves into the burgeoning realm of technological advancements in African social work and their consequential implications for practice in the United States. The primary purpose is to unravel the unique challenges encountered in the African social work landscape and to explore how innovative technological solutions have been employed to address these challenges, thereby offering valuable insights and potential applications for U.S. social work practice. Employing a comprehensive literature review as its methodological backbone, the study meticulously examines the evolution and integration of technology in global social work, with a keen focus on the African context. This approach facilitates a deep dive into the nuances of technological innovations such as mobile technology, digital platforms for community engagement, and e-health services, especially in crisis situations. The findings illuminate the significant strides made in African social work through technology, overcoming geographical, logistical, and resource constraints. These innovations have not only enhanced service delivery but also fostered greater community engagement in remote and underserved regions. A comparative analysis with current U.S. practices reveals both parallels and gaps, suggesting areas ripe for adaptation and integration. Conclusively, the study underscores the transformative potential of technology in social work, advocating for its tailored application within specific social, cultural, and economic contexts. Recommendations include the adaptation of successful African technological models to the U.S. context, the development of ethical guidelines for technology use in social work, and the promotion of technological competency among social workers. This research paves the way for further exploration into the practical implementation and evaluation of these technological adaptations in the U.S. social work sector.

Keywords: Technological Advancements, African Social Work, U.S. Social Work Practice, Digital Innovation, Comparative Analysis.
HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT FOR HIGH-QUALITY MARKETING: RESEARCH IN VIETNAM TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION
Authors: Vo Thi Thanh Huyen
Published: December 2023

In recent years, with a high economic growth rate, Vietnam has surpassed the threshold of a poor and underdeveloped country, which is a very encouraging achievement. The important contribution to this success cannot be denied the role of human resources. According to many studies, the issue of "human resource quality" is one of the decisive factors for the success of enterprises and the economy. Growth theories have also confirmed that "improving human resource quality" is one of the three basic pillars contributing to strong economic growth. The strong development of international economic integration has placed many new demands on high-tech human resources in general and marketing human resources (MARKETING) in particular. However, the marketing industry's workforce is currently lacking in quantity and weak in quality.

Keywords:  Training, Human Resources, High Quality, Marketing, International Economics.
Long-term spatio-temporal dynamics of corvids wintering in urban parks of Warsaw, Poland
Authors: Zmihorski M. , Halba R. , Mazgajski T. D.
Published: December 2023

Wintering in urban habitats seems to be a profitable and an increasingly important strategy for many bird species. In central Europe, the corvids Rook, Jackdaw, Magpie and Hooded Crow constitute one of the most abundant groups of wild vertebrates in cities. Counts of corvids wintering in Warsaw, central Poland were conducted in three parks from October to December during 18 seasons (1977-2003; 258 separate daily counts, 26,166 records). We tested the effects of date, year, park identity and snow cover on the observed densities, and that of snow depth on the vertical distribution, of corvids. From October to December, the densities of Rook and Jackdaw increased while those of Magpie and Hooded Crow decreased. The density of Rook decreased, and that of the other species increased, in the long-term. Apart from the Rook, the densities of these species also varied among parks. Snow occurrence negatively affected the densities of Rook and Jackdaw, but it had no significant effect on the densities of Magpie and Hooded Crow. The vertical distribution of Rooks and Jackdaws depended on the depth ofsnow cover: Almost all individuals were observed in trees when the cover was deep, suggesting a change in foraging strategy during snowy periods. After excluding the factors snow, year and park from the models, corvid densities correlated with each other, suggesting that factors other than competition, such as food availability, may be responsible for synchronizing the dynamics of these species in urban parks.
Sex allocation from an owl perspective: clutch order could determine brood sex to reduce sibling aggression in the Eagle Owl Bubo bubo
Authors: Penteriani V. , Krugersberg I. , Melletti M. , Penteriani G. , Ortego J. , Calvo J. F. , Martinez J. E. , Ortega M. L. , Sanchez Zapata J. A. , García S. , Botella F. , Perez-García J. M. , Delgado M. M. , M. O.
Published: December 2023

Hatching asynchrony in altricial bird species occurs if incubation starts before clutch completion. It determines differential within-brood growth, which may result in a competitive and developmental hierarchy among siblings.As a consequence, asymmetric sibling competition frequently results in post-hatching mortality of the last-hatched offspring. Because nestling hierarchy is not necessarily adaptive, species that are able to raise large broods should have evolvedmechanisms to reducewithin-broodmortality due to sibling competition. One mechanism to reduce offspring mortality could be to favour the occurrence of the larger sex among late-laid chicks. We explored this possibility by studying the sex allocation of 349 Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) chicks from 137 broods, as a function of clutch size and order. In broods of four chicks, parents seemed to invest in the less energetically expensive sex (male) at the third position, and females (the larger sex) as the last, and therefore smallest, chick in the brood. This strategy should reduce asymmetric sibling competition: the relative position of chicks of each sex within the brood is likely to be crucial for maximizing the success of clutches.
Song divergence of two Bluethroat subspecies (Luscinia s. svecica and L. s. cyanecula)
Authors: Turcokova L. , Osiejuk T. S. , Pavel V. , Glapan J. , Petruskova T.
Published: December 2023

As birds adapt to changing biotic and abiotic environmental conditions, parameters of their acoustic signals are modified by selective pressure for efficient communication. Such changes in song features may result in acoustic divergence among populations of the same species. We studied the divergence of songs in four populations of two genetically distinct subspecies of the Bluethroat Luscinia svecica  L. s. svecica and L. s. cyanecula. Males of svecica, occupying tundra habitats, produced less diverse songs with lower fre-quencies than cyanecula males occurring in several types of habitat. The differences in frequency parameters may be related to larger body size of the former subspecies; how-ever, habitat associations predict an opposite relationship. Contrary to expectations, rep-ertoire size did not significantly differ between the two subspecies, although cyanecula inhabits habitats with higher density and diversity of songbirds (which it may imitate). Temporal song parameters (song length, pause length, and song rate) differed signifi-cantly among populations but not between subspecies. Differences in song characteristics might be important in subspecies recognition, and may therefore contribute to the mainte-nance of subspecific differences or even influence the speciation process.
Organized persecution of birds of prey in Finland: historical and population biological perspectives
Authors: Pohja-Mykrä Mari , Vuorisalo Timo , Mykrä Sakari
Published: December 2023

In Finland, the persecution of birds of prey was already encouraged in the Swedish State Law of 1734, and was first included in bounty schemes in the Royal Decree on Avian Pests in 1741. All species of Finnish raptors and owls were persecuted during 1898–1923, the most intense period of active bounty-paying by municipalities and hunting societies. Elimination of avian predators was regarded as reasonable game management, and was also justified on moral grounds. Since the late 19th century, persecution of many species was questioned by professional biologists.We investigated the legal basis of persecution at different times, changes in attitudes towards birds of prey, and local and long-term impacts of persecution on population ranges and sizes in Finland.We found that in analysing the consequences of persecution, both the spatial and temporal scales of study are important. While populations of persecuted species may have dramatically declined at local scale, at the national level the ranges may have remained more or less stable.Active persecution had a severe short-term impact on many species: for example, the established breeding population of the Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga) was totally exterminated in the 1920s. Active conservation measures have in recent decades compensated for the losses caused by earlier persecution.
Sex and age differences in the development of breeding plumage in the Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola during spring migration in north-eastern Poland
Authors: Meissner Wlodzimierz , Remisiewicz Magdalena , Gogga Patrycja
Published: December 2023

We investigated the effects of sex and age on the progression of breeding plumage moult in the Wood Sandpiper, a migrant wader that shows weak sexual size dimorphism and no dichromatism. We sexed the birds by DNA and examined the plumage of 416 Wood Sandpipers caught at a spring stopover site in north-eastern Poland. We scored the proportion of new breeding-type feathers on the head, back and scapulars in 20%-wide stages, and summed these scores as a body moult index, and on the lesser and median wing coverts summed as a wing covert moult index. Only 10% of all these birds fully developed breeding plumage on the upper body and 8% had only 21-40% of new feathers there. About 90% of the birds had moulted less than half of their wing coverts. No Wood Sandpiper showed a complete breeding plumage. We investigated whether moult indices were related to the date of the bird's capture and its body mass adjusted for size, age and sex, using generalised linear models. The best model indicated that the body-moult index was significantly affected by age, sex and year. Immatures had a more advanced body moult than adults, and females were more advanced than males. None of the predictors had a significant effect on the wing-covert moult index.
Levels of heavy metals in House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) from urban and rural habitats of southern Finland
Authors: Kekkonen Jaana , Hanski Ilpo K. , Väisänen Risto A. , Brommer Jon E.
Published: December 2023

Urbanization has led to increasing amounts of pollutants which can harm organisms that share our living environment. In Finland, the House Sparrow has declined by two thirds during the last couple of decades. One hypothesis suggested to lead to this decline is heavy metal pollution.We used a museum collection from the 1980s to investigate the accumulation of eight heavy metals (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb) in the livers of House Sparrows living in either rural or urban habitat. We used principal components derived from these as dependent variables in the statistical analyses, and found significantly higher heavy metal concentrations in the livers of urban than in those of rural House Sparrows. There was a tendency for males to accumulate more heavy metals, but age dependence in this respect was not found. Heavy metal levels in urban habitat were not as high as in some other House Sparrow studies. Even though heavy metal pollution is an unlikely sole cause of House Sparrow declines, pollution is more pronounced in cities and could thus contribute to declines through indirect effects, such as insect availability.
Susceptibility to intestinal parasites and juvenile survival are correlated with multilocus microsatellite heterozygosity in the Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus)
Authors: Isomursu Marja , Rätti Osmo , Liukkonen Tuija , Helle Pekka
Published: December 2023

Inbreeding can have a negative influence on several life-history traits as well as disease resistance in birds and mammals through different geneticmechanisms. Endangered and declining populationsmay be at particular risk for inbreeding. The level of inbreeding can be estimated by assessing individual heterozygosity at neutralmicrosatellitemarkers.We studied the relationships between intestinal helminth infections, age, sex and heterozygosity in Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus).We assessedmicrosatellite heterozygosity at eight autosomal loci and calculated two different indices (multilocus heterozygosity MLH and mean d 2) to quantify individual heterozygosity. Capercaillie were infected by three species of cestodes (Paroniella urogalli, Skrjabinia cesticillus and Hymenolepis sp.) and one nematode species (Ascaridia compar).We found that the probability of nematode infection decreased as the level of heterozygosity (measured by mean d 2) increased. Also, the intensity of nematode infection decreased as heterozygosity (measured by MLH) increased. However, we did not observe correlation between heterozygosity and the occurrence of cestodes. In addition, heterozygosity (bothMLHandmean d 2)was dependent on age class: adultCapercaillie had higher heterozygosity than juveniles. Results suggest selection for heterozygosity which can be reinforced by differences in genetic parasite resistance.
The role of forest structural elements in determining the occurrence of two specialist woodpecker species in the Carpathians, Poland
Authors: Kajtoch Lukasz , Figarski Tomasz , Pelka Jakub
Published: December 2023

The White-backed Woodpecker (WbW) and the Three-toed Woodpecker (TtW) are rare woodpecker species that inhabit natural old-growth forests with abundant dead wood in Eurasia. We studied stand-related environmental factors subject to forest management (stand structure, tree-species composition, accessibility by humans) in determining the distribution of these two species in mountainous forests of the Polish Carpathians. Data were collected during 2007-2009 at the Beskid Wyspowy Mountains. WbWs preferred multispecies deciduous over pure beech forests, whereas TtWs were most frequently found in spruce-dominated forests. The thresholds of dead and dying wood for WbW presence in managed forests were approximately 50 m3ha 1 and35m3ha respectively, and for TtW were approximately 30 m ha and 115 m ha , respectively. These were 5-8 times higher than in randomly-selected control plots with no woodpeckers. In both cases, lower logging intensity on difficult-to-access slopes and higher amount of dead and dying wood correlated with increasing occupancy probability of the woodpeckers. These results help develop classification criteria for the monitoring of woodpecker habitats over the Natura 2000 network and improve the ecological soundness of forest management guidelines.
Response of Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea) to human disturbance in a suburban village in Poland
Authors: Jakubas Dariusz , Manikowska-Slepowronska Brygida
Published: December 2023

Human-caused disturbances affect, e.g., the spatial distribution and breeding performance of most organisms, including birds. Here, we assessed the response of Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea) to frequent human disturbance in a large heron colony in Poland during 2009-20 12. The colony covered an area of 2.5 ha and had annually 174-220 occupied nests. We found that egg losses increased and nest occupancy decreased with an increase in the area covered by buildings nearby. The distances to the nearest building or road were not significantly related to egg losses.
Post-fledging behaviour of juveniles in the Little Owl (Athene noctua)
Authors: Pedersen Dorthe , Thorup Kasper , Sunde Peter , Jacobsen Lars , Rahbek Carsten
Published: December 2023

Before dispersal, social and spatial behaviour in owls has only been briefly studied. We used radio tracking to monitor age-influenced social and spatial behaviour in 10 juvenile Little Owls (Athene noctua) from nests in Northern Jutland, Denmark. On average, the post-fledging dependency period lasted 35 days (n = 6). Juveniles stayed on the natal territory 45 days (n = 5) from independence to dispersal. Half of the juveniles had dispersed by mid-September, and the other half remained on the natal territory until at least mid-October. The home range size (minimum convex polygons) was 0.56 +/- 0.53 ha (mean +/- SD) from fledging to independence and 3.25 +/- 4.15 ha from independence to dispersal. Within the first 40 days after fledging, the nightly distance from the nest and the distance between siblings increased, and the frequency and intensity of begging calls decreased. These results were consistent with the notion that food provided by the parents decreased as juvenile foraging skills increased.
Concentrations of plasma metabolites as predictors of nestling condition in the Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis)
Authors: Minias Piotr , Kaczmarek Krzysztof
Published: December 2023

We investigated the reliability of basic plasma metabolite concentrations as predictors of body condition in the nestlings ofthe Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis) , a species with marked hatching asynchrony and well-established intra-brood hierarchies. For this purpose we analyzed relationships between the levels ofplasma proteins, triglycerides and glucose measured at the age of ca. 3 weeks with body mass, mass-size residuals, and growth rates of 185 Great Cormorant chicks from the colony in central Poland. Concentrations of all studied plasma metabolites correlated with at least one ofbody condition indices. We found concentration of plasma glucose to be the most robust predictor of body condition, as it was positively related with size-adjusted and unadjusted body mass, as well as with chick growth rates. The level of plasma proteins was found to be of limited practical applicability (positive relationship only with mass-tarsus residuals), while the usefulness of plasma triglycerides as an index ofbody condition was intermediate (positive relationships with mass-size residuals and growth rates). Predictive power of all significant relationships was low.
Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) population during winter season in North-Eastern Romania: the influences of density, habitat selection, and weather
Authors: Baltag Emanuel S. , Pocora Viorel , Bolboaca Lucian E. , Bolboaca Lucian E.
Published: December 2023

Common Buzzards (Buteo buteo) in Eastern Europe are partial migrants, and their numbers in a specific area fluctuate during the winter season. In the cold season of 2010-2011 we carried out 15 car-transect counts, each 40 km in length, during four months (November-February) to study the wintering population of the Common Buzzard in North-Eastern Romania. The counts revealed a density of 0.334-0.539 individuals/ km for the winter season. Birds were non-randomly distributed across habitat types: agricultural land and especially areas with natural perches (trees or bushes) were used disproportionately commonly. The density of Common Buzzard varied during the four months, and was influenced by temperature. The numbers of Common Buzzards peaked at transects with complete snow cover and during periods of lower-than-average temperature.
Population decline in the Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica in Norway
Authors: Dale Svein , Hansen Kjetil
Published: December 2023

Since the expansion of the Rustic Bunting (Emberiza rustica) westwards in northern Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries, declines have been reported in Fennoscandia. The Norwegian population was 100-500 breeding pairs in 1994. We carried out censuses to detect Rustic Buntings in Norway during 2008-12, and compared these results with previous records to evaluate recent population changes. Transect censuses made along 15 km of optimal habitat (swamp forest along rivers) yielded 18 territories during 1972-78, but in 2008 we found only 5 territories, and none since 2011. We also detected Rustic Buntings in 21 of 74 previously-occupied sites (one or more records during 1963-2007). During the study period 2008-12, we recorded Rustic Buntings in 41 sites, with a maximum of 47 territories in 2008. However, from 2008 to 2012 we detected a decline of 82% (yearly decline of 34% ± 9%; 95% CI). Local extinctions occurred in at least 31 sites. The current known population size is 13 territories in 9 sites, and the true population size may be only slightly larger. About half of all territories were associated with beaver dams, but the rate of decline during 2008-12 did not depend on dams. Extinctions could be attributed to habitat loss or change in 9/53 sites (1 logging, 1 cultivation, and 7 loss of a beaver dam). We suggest that the population decline of Norwegian Rustic Buntings is due to factors operating during migration or in wintering areas.
Weather conditions explain variation in the diet of Long-eared Owl at winter roost in central part of European Russia
Authors: Sharikov Alexander , Makarova Tatiana
Published: December 2023

The influence of weather conditions on the winter diet of the Long-eared Owl was studied in 2005-2013 at one roost site in Moscow, Russia. Pellets were collected every week from November to March. The diet composition of the owls included 6 rodent species, 2 in-sectivore species and 18 bird species. Common Vole was by far the most frequent prey (70.0%), followed by Ural Field Mouse (10.8%) and Brown Rat (7.5%). Among birdprey (5.3%), House Sparrow, Great Tit, Bullfinch, Tree Sparrow and Blue Tit were the most numerous species. The winter diet showed marked interannual fluctuations. In terms of weather conditions, depth of snow cover appears to be the most important factor affecting the availability of the most frequent prey species and prey groups in the diet of the Long-eared Owl. Wind speed and precipitation do not play a significant role in predating on voles and mice. The proportion of bird prey was relatively low, but increased with precipitation, indicating the high importance of birds as an alternative prey for owls. The results thus suggest that specific features of behavior and activity of prey in different weather conditions explain their proportions in the diet of the Long-eared Owl.
Sex-specific diet analysis of the Eurasian Eagle Owl in Finland
Authors: Mikkola Heimo , Tornberg Risto
Published: December 2023

In this study we used the stomach contents of Eagle Owls (primarily 1st winter birds) made available from Finnish museums or taxidermists. Female owls from Finland had an average weight of 2760g (N=50), while male weights averaged 2200g (N=35). The most common prey for both male and female owls was Field Vole. Despite our limited material (42 female and 24 male stomachs), it suggests that Eagle Owl females preyed upon relatively larger prey (Hedgehogs, Muskrat and a wider variety of larger birds) than males. A more correct way to test whether females and males select different prey, diet for males and females hunting in the same area simultaneously should be studied. This would include intensive radio telemetry and/or the video filming of the sexed individuals.The dead found Eagle Owl specimens used in the current study, however, provide the cheapest avenue to address sexual dietary differences in species where internal examination is the only sure way to determine gender.
Breeding phenology in Great and Blue Tits (Parus spp.): are urban populations more resistant to climate change than rural ones?
Authors: Solonen Tapio , Hildén Martti
Published: December 2023

Urbanization and climate change are two environmental factors that have most prominently affected breeding phenology of birds during recent decades. We examined such relationships in rural, suburban and urban nest box populations of Great Tits Parus major and Blue Tits P. caeruleus in the capital region of Finland in the 1980s and 1990s. We expected that mild winters and high spring temperatures may advance the breeding season of tits, but less so in urban habitats, where breeding should in any case start earlier than elsewhere. On average, Blue Tits began egg laying a few days earlier in spring than Great Tits. Contrary to expectations, tits bred later in the urban parks of the city than in other habitats, whereas breeding was earliest in suburban areas. It seems that these intermediate habitats, in some way, offer the advantages of both rural and urban habitats. During the study period, the timing of breeding in tits showed advancing temporal trends in rural habitats, and in the Blue Tit also in urban habitats. The effect of increasing winter temperatures on laying dates was mainly minor, but a significant delay emerged in urban Great Tits. The main effect of increasing April temperatures on laying dates was a significant advancement. In urban habitats, however, the advancing effect was in Great Tits significantly stronger and in Blue Tits significantly weaker than in other habitats. The results suggest that breeding of tits may advance also with warming climate but some urban populations might be more resistant to climate change than rural ones.
Behavioural responses of great tits to experimental manipulation of nest temperature during incubation
Authors: Álvarez Elena , Barba Emilio
Published: December 2023

In several bird species only one member of the pair incubates the eggs. This individual should trade-off the time between caring for the eggs and leaving the nest to forage or perform other self-maintenance activities. Thus, daytime incubation is intermittent, and the number of " sessions " and " recesses " , and their length, impact egg temperatures and therefore embryo development. We evaluated female investment decisions, and their reproductive consequences, by experimentally heating or cooling great tit Parus major nests during the incubation period in a Mediterranean population. Heated females were less often encountered within the nest incubating, and their recesses tended to be longer. Even though mean nest temperatures were higher in heated than in control nests, heating did not affect breeding success, size or condition of the nestlings, or parental condition or behaviour when feeding the nestlings. On the other hand, temperatures in cooled nests were lower than those in control nests during the daytime (but not during the night). However , females seemed able to compensate for the treatment, since breeding success was similar in cooled and control nests, and neither nestlings nor parents showed negative effects of the cooling treatment.
Contribution of released captive-bred Mallards to the dynamics of the natural population
Authors: Champagnon Jocelyn , Guillemain Matthieu , Mondain-Monval Jean-Yves , Souchay Guillaume , Legagneux Pierre , Bretagnolle Vincent , Van Ingen Laura , Bourguemestre François , Lebreton Jean-Dominique
Published: December 2023

The consequences of releasing captive-bred game animals into the wild have received little attention, despite their potential demographic impact, as well as costs and/or benefits for recipient populations. If restocking aims at increasing harvest opportunities, increased hunting pressure is expected, which would then be supported by either wild or released individuals. On the other hand, the wild recipient population may benefit from the release of captive-bred conspecifics if this reduces hunting pressure on the former through dilution of risk or selective harvesting of captive-bred individuals. Here, we modelled a Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) population consisting of wild individuals supplemented by captive-bred conspecifics, a very common practice in Europe over the last 40 years. The objective was to test the effect of an increase of harvest rate on released and wild individuals, respectively. Our results show that, due to the low reproductive value of the released Mal-lards, the population was hardly affected by a change in harvest of these low performance individuals. Conversely, a 15 percent increase in harvest rate of the wild individuals would lead to a quick decline of the population. We discuss these results in the context of the Camargue population, located in the South of France, which has experienced an increase in Mallard harvest without apparent reduction of population size. We suggest that this has only been possible due to the release of captive-bred Mallards.
Seeking explanations for recent changes in abundance of wintering Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope) in northwest Europe
Authors: Fox Anthony D. , Keller Verena , Langendoen Tom , Lehikoinen Aleksi , Lorentsen Svein-Håkon , Molina Blas , Nilsson Leif , Stipniece Antra , Svenning Jens-Christian , Hornman Menno , Holt Chas A. , Dalby Lars , Christensen Thomas , Nagy Szabolcs , Balsby Thorsten J. S. , Crowe Olivia , Clausen Preben , Deceuninck Bernard , Devos Koen , Wahl Johannes
Published: December 2023

We analysed annual changes in abundance of EurasianWigeon (Anas penelope) derived frommid-winter InternationalWaterbird Census data throughout its northwest European flyway since 1988 using log-linear Poisson regressionmodelling. Increases in abundance in the north and east of the wintering range (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland), stable numbers in the central range (Belgium,Netherlands,UKand France) and declining abundance in the west and south of the wintering range (Spain and Ireland) suggest a shift in wintering distribution consistent with milder winters throughout the range. However, because over 75% of the population of over 1 million individuals winters in Belgium, the Netherlands, UK and France, there was no evidence for a major movement in the centre of gravity of the wintering distribution. Between-winter changes in overall flyway abundance were highly significantly positively correlated (P = 0.003) with reproductive success measured by age ratios in Danish hunter wing surveys and less strongly and inversely correlated (P = 0.05) with mean January temperatures in the centre of the wintering range, suggesting thatwinter severitymay also contribute to influence survival. However, adding winter severity to a model predicting population size based on annual reproductive success alone did not contribute tomore effectivelymodelling the observed changes in population size. Patterns in annual reproductive success seem therefore to largely explain the recent dynamics in population size of northwest European Wigeon. Summer NAO significantly and positively explained 27% of variance in annual breeding success. Other local factors such as eutrophication of breeding sites and changes in predation pressure undoubtedly contribute to changes in the annual production of young and differences in hunting pressure as well as winter severity affect annual survival rates. However, it seems likely that the observed flyway population trend since 1988 has been mostly influenced by climate effects on the breeding grounds affecting reproductive success and marginally on the winter quarters affecting survival. We urge improved demographic monitoring of the population to better assess annual survival and reproductive success.We also recommend development of an adaptive management framework to remove uncertainties in our knowledge of Wigeon population dynamics as information is forthcoming to better informmanagement, especially to attempt to harmonise the harvest with annual changes in demography to ensure sustainable exploitation of this important quarry species now and in the future.
Effects of food provisioning and habitat management on spatial behaviour of Little Owls during the breeding season
Authors: Jacobsen Lars Bo , Chrenková Monika , Sunde Peter , Šálek Martin , Thorup Kasper
Published: December 2023

The population of Little Owls in Denmark is close to extinction. The main cause is food limitation during the breeding season. Efforts to improve breeding success include providing breeding pairs with supplementary food and attempts to improve foraging habitats by creating short grass areas near the nests. In addition to increasing the reproductive output, feeding and habitatmanagementmay cause parents towork less hard improving their future reproductive value. We studied working efforts of five radio-tagged Little Owl pairs in years of absence and presence of food provisioning, and/or access to short sward vegetation areas near to the nest.We quantifiedmovement as theminimumflight distance hour–1 (MFD), using themean distance from the nest (DN) as a supplementary index. Under unmanipulated conditions, males had higherMFD and DN than females. If provided with food and/or areas with short sward vegetation, males but not females reduced their MFD and DN significantly. If MFD was adjusted for DN (the two measures correlated positively), both sexes reduced their DN-adjusted MFD as response to food provisioning but not to habitat provisioning. Food provisioning therefore had similar proximate effects on the foraging effort ofmales and females, whereas provisioning of short sward habitats had an indirect effect onmale but not female MFD, because of decreased commuting distances between nest and foraging sites. The results indicate that food provisioning not only leads to increased reproductive output in an endangered raptor, but also to decreased working effort, which in turn may improve adult survival.
Interaction between Common and Siberian Chiffchaff in a contact zone
Authors: Marova Irina , Shipilina Daria , Fedorovk Vjatcheslav , Alekseev Valery , Ivanitskii Vladimir
Published: December 2023

The study of hybridization between closely related taxa of animals sheds light on many important issues of evolution biology and taxonomy. Common Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita abietinus) and Siberian Chiffchaff (Ph. c. tristis) co-occur in an extended zone of sympatry in the area from theWhite Sea to the South Urals. In allopatric populations, these two races are well differentiated in the external appearance and song. Under sympatric conditions, individuals with intermediate appearance and vocalizations are found practically everywhere but the occurrence of hybridization has not been documented up to date. The article describes the results of our study of interrelations between Common and Siberian Chiffchaffs in mixed populations found in the Arkhangelsk Region, the Komi Republic, and the Southern UralMountains. Allopatric populations were studied in central Russia (Moscow and Kostroma regions) and central Siberia (Yenisey River and SayanMountains). Inmixed populations, 30.2% of the individuals with species specific phenotype showed a phenotype/haplotype mismatch while there were no such mismatches in allopatric populations. 58.7% of the individuals with typical abietinus phenotypes carried tristis haplotypes while only 4.0% possessed the opposite phenotype/ haplotype combination. Most of the individuals with intermediate phenotype had tristis haplotypes (97.6%). Only 9.8% of the individuals with known haplotypes performed mismatched songs. Inmixed populations, 9 of 11males clearly responded to the playback of the song of another taxa while in allopatry no such reactions were observed for the 14 males tested. Our results strongly suggest hybridization between abietinus and tristis in the mixed populations.
Experimental manipulation of Blue Tit nest height does not support the thermoregulation hypothesis
Authors: Järvinen Pauliina H. , Kluen Edward , Tiiri Maiju , Brommer Jon E.
Published: December 2023

Birds show immense variation in nest sizes within species. At least siz different hypotheses have been forwarded to explain intraspecific variation in nest size in cavity nesting species, but very few of those hypotheses have been tested experimentally. In our study, when nestlings were 2 days old, we manipulated the height of 182 Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) nests to either 5 cm or 11 cm while standardizing their ectoparasite load and genetic and maternal background. In line with the the hypothesis that larger nests to show increased growth of nestlings compared to shallow nests, or to imrove female somatic condition. We found that the nest height manipulation affected the tail length of 16-day old nestlings, but did not affect any other morphometric measure (tarsus length, body mass, head size and wing length). In addition, nest height manipulation had no impact on nestling survival and did not affect female body condition. Our results do not therefore provide strong support for the thermoregulatory hypothesis and suggest regional differences in the relationship between nest size and reroductive success.
Autumn irruptions of Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) in Norway in relation to acorn production and weather
Authors: Selås Vidar
Published: December 2023

In Scandinavia, the Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) is a resident forest-dwelling species, which in some years show eruptivemovements in the autumn. Such irruptions seem to be related to the variation in seed crops of oaks (Quercus spp.).When there has been a high seed crop, termed mast, Jays use hoarded acorns not only during winter, but also as food for their young in the succeeding spring. However, whether this leads to an irruption in a succeeding year may also depend on other factors that affect survival and reproduction. AJay hunting index (1995–2015) and a Jay irruption index (observations at a coastal ornithological station 1976–2015) from southern Norway peaked in years withmast failure, but there also was a significant negative relationship with mean snow depth in January– February and precipitation in April–May. Much snow is assumed to reduce winter survival, bymaking hoarded acorns less available, whereas heavy rain in spring is known to have a negative effect on passerine breeding success in general.
To filter or not to filter: assessing the exclusion of hunting and persecution data in ringing recovery studies
Authors: Potvin Dominique A. , Pavón-Jordán Diego , Lehikoinen Aleksi
Published: December 2023

In recent years, ringing recovery records in Europe have been identified as a potential important source of data for assessing the impact of climate change and other long-term changes on wintering population distributions of migrating birds. As with any voluntarily- gathered data, however, there are clear sources of bias that might impact results if researchers are not selective.Conversely,methods that exclude data should not be universally applied without proper assessment of their impact on final results.We examine the specific and seemingly conventional method of excluding data collected from hunted or intentionally killed individuals in studies of winter distributions of migrating European birds, to evaluate whether the exclusion or inclusion of this data does indeed affect the outcome of the analysis. We find that the exclusion of these data is warranted for many species, however may impact the power of statistical analyses unjustifiably for others. Our findings showed that wintering range sizes of species are similar when using data of killed or non-killed birds, although theremay be latitudinal differences. Furthermore, we did not find evidence that wintering ranges of investigated 37 species would havemoved northwards in general as would have been expected due to climate change. We suggest that rather than a universally-applied method of exclusion, these contributed data should be analyzed in context of the hunting history of the species in question and the time frame being considered, and give guidelines on how to most efficiently utilize this important data resource.
Evolutionary divergences in Luscinia svecica subspecies complex – new evidence supporting the uniqueness of the Iberian bluethroat breeding populations
Authors: García Javier , Johnsen Arild , Fuertes Benito , Suárez-Seoane Susana
Published: December 2023

The assessment of evolutionary divergences within subspecies complexes provide an effective short-cut for estimating intraspecific genetic diversity, which is relevant for conservation actions.We explore new evidence supplementing the existing knowledge about the singularity of Iberian bluethroats within the Luscinia svecica subspecies mosaic.We compared biometric traits of Iberian males (L. s. azuricollis) to the closest subspecies (L. s. cyanecula, L. s. namnetum and L. s. magna) using general linear models and analysed the correlations between biometric and genetic differentiation (based on nuclear microsatellites) among the target subspecieswith aMantel test. Biometric differenceswere calculated using 63 museum skins and 63 live specimens. Genetic distances were estimated in a sample of 136 individuals. An additional characterisation of the plumage of Iberian males was shaped from 22 live specimens. We highlight the distinctiveness of Iberian birds within the subspecies mosaic since L. s. azuricollis had longer wings than L. s. cyanecula and L. s. namnetum, but shorterwings than L. s. magna. Indeed, L. s. azuricollis had longer tarsus and bill than L. s. namnetum, but shorter bill than L. s. magna. Biometric divergence was not significantly associated with genetic distance. Iberian males showed an all-blue plastron in 77% of specimens, a mostly non-marked black band and no white band, which distinguished them from males of L. s. cyanecula and L. s. namnetum. We conclude the importance of considering phenotypic and genotypic differences at subspecies level, which is essential for designing realistic conservation strategies addressed to preserve species genetic diversity patterns.
The Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) in the archipelago of southern Finland – population growth and nesting dispersal
Authors: Yrjölä Rauno A. , Holopainen Sari , Pakarinen Raimo , Tuoriniemi Sini , Luostarinen Matti , Mikkola-Roos Markku , Nummi Petri , Väänänen Veli-Matti
Published: December 2023

Urbanization and other human activities can lead to decreasing animal populations in nearby areas. The impact of human activities may vary depending on the characteristics of the areas and region or on the strength of the disturbance. We investigated forest bird population changes in an EU Natura 2000 area during the construction of the new Helsinki Vuosaari Harbour in southern Finland in 2002-2011 as part of an environmental impact assessment. We evaluated whether the changes observed were linked with the harbour construction work by comparing the populations at sites near the development with those corresponding values obtained from national common bird monitoring in southern Finland. The mean population changes of 23 boreal forest bird species that inhabited the Natura 2000 area and southern Finland were significantly and positively correlated, but the population inside the Natura 2000 study area also showed lower mean numbers (a mean decline of 9% occurred over the study period). Our case study emphasizes the importance of intensive monitoring before, during and after work at the construction site and in the surrounding areas to detect actual changes in the populations.
Influence of temperature on the timing of spring arrival and duration of migration in Arctic goose species at a central European stopover site
Authors: Polakowski Michal , Kasprzykowski Zbigniew , Golawski Artur
Published: December 2023

Many birds are advancing their migratory phenology and arriving earlier at their spring staging areas in response to climate warming. The duration of the spring migration of geese depends on the interaction between feeding conditions and dates. We studied White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons and Bean Geese Anser fabalis in north-eastern Poland (one of the coldest areas in the country lowlands), where one of the main central European stopover sites for staging geese is the Biebrza Basin White-fronted Goose and Bean Goose first arrival dates (FADs) in north-eastern Poland were negatively related to local mean spring temperature in January–March during 1996–2015, but FADs of both species (median 28 February) neither differed nor advanced significantly. Total numbers of birds in 10-day periods during 2008–2014 were also analysed. The stay duration of both goose species at the Biebrza stopover site (based on 10-day periods during 2008–2014) varied from 5 to 10 10-day periods.