Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

About: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is a nonprofit organization based out in Sandy, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Biodiversity. The organization has 670 authors who have published 1425 publications receiving 88006 citations. The organization is also known as: RSPB & Plumage League.

Population densities of understorey birds across a habitat gradient in Palawan, Philippines: implications for conservation

Abstract: There is widespread concern for many under- storey and ground-dwelling bird species in the Philip- pines that appear intolerant of forest alteration. We present density estimates for 18 key bird species in old growth forest, advanced and early secondary growth and active cultivation within the Puerto Princesa Subterra- nean River National Park in Palawan. Six species were not recorded in cultivation and the abundance of these and several others increased along the successional gradient from cultivation to old growth forest. Eleven species, including five endemics and three of four threatened species, had highest density estimates in old growth forest. However, several species had high density estimates in the heavily disturbed habitats and every habitat type held highest densities of at least one of the bird species. The commonest habitat association across the bird community was a preference for areas contain- ing large trees, indicating the importance of retention of such trees in allowing suitable ground and understorey microhabitats to persist. Old growth forests have the highest conservation value for Palawan's endemic birds and, while some species thrive in the anthropogenic habitats that occur within the Park, the present extent of cultivation and associated successional stages within its boundaries should not be increased. We caution against extrapolation of the abundance figures from the Park to the whole island but we suggest that population sizes for the threatened species are likely to be much greater than previously thought. We urge authorities to strengthen management within the protected area net- work in Palawan to ensure survival of key species.

Volunteer field technicians are bad for wildlife ecology

Abstract: Many advertised field-technician positions sound worthwhile, but have no or very low pay. Although these can be valuable experiences, not paying technicians for their work undermines their professionalism and the professionalism of science as a whole. These unpaid technician positions are available to only the privileged few; and the positions exclude minorities, parents, and other groups who cannot afford to work unpaid. By creating such positions, we prevent everyone, regardless of background, from having a chance to get the field experience they need, and this limits the diversity of voices in wildlife ecology and conservation. We recognize finances are often tight, and there is a long tradition of unpaid work, but these are not valid rationalizations for continuing this practice. Unpaid technicians and internships are bad for science, and the conservation of our natural world. We cannot afford to not pay our technicians. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.

The diet of Dippers Cinclus cinclus wintering in the catchment of the River Wye, Wales

Abstract: We studied the diet of Dippers in the River Wye catchment by faecal analysis during the winters of 1983/84 and 1984/85 Diptera, Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera comprised respectively 34, 23, 18 and 11% of 4650 items recorded from over 350 faecal samples The Simuliidae (Diptera) and Baetidae (Ephemeroptera) were the commonest macroin vertebrate families recorded despite their small size Fish and trichopteran larvae comprised respectively an estimated 63 and 19% of the diet by weight By contrast with Dippers foraging for nestlings, the proportions and reconstructed weights of items appearing in faeces strongly reflected those in stream samples Birds probably fed opportunistically Consequently, Dippers feeding on hard water streams ingested more calcium-rich prey than those on soft-water streams The results are discussed in relation to the influence of stream acidity on aspects of Dipper ecology

Field-scale dispersal of Aphodius dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in response to avermectin treatments on pastured cattle.

Abstract: Very few studies have examined, at the field scale, the potential for faecal residues in the dung of avermectin-treated cattle to affect dung-breeding insects. The current study examined populations of dung beetles (Scarabaeidae: Aphodius) using pitfall traps baited with dung from untreated cattle on 26 fields across eight farms in southwest Scotland. The fields were grazed either by untreated cattle or by cattle treated with an avermectin product, i.e. doramectin or ivermectin. During the two-year study, significantly more beetles were trapped in fields grazed by treated cattle (n=9377 beetles) than in fields where cattle remained untreated (n=2483 beetles). Additional trials showed that beetles preferentially colonised dung of untreated versus doramectin-treated cattle. This may explain the higher captures of beetles in traps baited with dung of untreated cattle, which were located in fields of treated cattle. Given that Aphodius beetles avoided dung of treated cattle in the current study, the potential harmful effects of avermectin residues in cattle dung could be reduced through livestock management practices that maximise the availability of dung from untreated livestock in areas where avermectins are being used.

The impacts of introduced House Mice on the breeding success of nesting seabirds on Gough Island

Abstract: Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels; Darwin Initiative; Overseas Territories Environment Programme; Royal Naval Birdwatching Society; RSPB; South African National Antarctic Programme