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.

The role of habitat composition in determining breeding site occupancy in a declining Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus population

Abstract: Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus breeding site occupancy in the Moorfoot Hills, southeast Scotland, was determined during the periods 1952‐85 and 1998‐2000, and sites were classed as either occupied or deserted during the latter period. Site occupancy during 1998‐ 2000 was related to habitat data derived from a supervised classification of a Landsat 7 satellite image. Breeding sites were more likely to have remained occupied if they were at higher altitudes and had more heather cover within radii of both 200 and 450 m, although these effects became non-significant when spatial autocorrelation was accounted for. Using only topographical variables, potential breeding sites were predicted and the habitat surrounding them was compared with actual breeding sites. Actual breeding sites were more likely to have heather or grass‐heather mosaic within 100 m than potential breeding sites, but there were no further habitat differences between actual and potential breeding sites within radii of 200 or 450 m. These results indicate that breeding sites at higher altitudes and with a higher cover of heather were less likely to have been deserted, and that lack of heather may prevent otherwise suitable breeding sites from becoming occupied by Ring Ouzels. More detailed field studies are needed to understand the mechanisms underlying these associations.

Audience segmentation to improve targeting of conservation interventions for hunters.

Abstract: Audience segmentation could help improve the effectiveness of conservation interventions. Marketers use audience segmentation to define the target audience of a campaign. The technique involves subdividing a general population into groups that share similar profiles, such as sociodemographic or behavioral characteristics. Interventions are then designed to target the group or groups of interest. We explored the potential of audience segmentation for use in defining conservation target groups with a case study of hunters in Liberia. Using 2 data sets describing households (n = 476) and hunters (n = 205), we applied a clustering method in which infinite binomial mixture models group hunters and households according to livelihood and behavior variables and a simple method to define target groups based on hunting impact (hunting households and high-impact hunters). Clusters of hunters and households differed in their experiences with confiscation of catch at roadblocks and participation in livelihood-support programs, indicating that these interventions operate unevenly across subsets of the population. By contrast, the simple method masked these insights because profiles of hunting households and high-impact hunters were similar to those of the general population. Clustering results could be used to guide the development of livelihood and regulatory interventions. For example, a commonly promoted agricultural activity, cocoa farming, was practiced by only 2% (out of 87) of the largest hunter cluster of nonlocal gun hunters but was prevalent among local trappers, suggesting that assistance aimed at cocoa farmers is less appropriate for the former group. Our results support the use of audience segmentation across multiple variables to improve targeted intervention designs in conservation.

Throwing the baby out with the bathwater: does laurel forest restoration remove a critical winter food supply for the critically endangered Azores bullfinch?

Abstract: The invasive Clethra arborea has a dual-role in the diet of the Azores bullfinch, a critically endangered bird species endemic to the island of Sao Miguel (Azores, Portugal) This is a crucial winter food resource but it lowers the availability of native laurel forest species that compose most of the bird’s diet throughout the year The removal of this and other invasive alien species is part of current laurel forest habitat restoration programmes, disregarding the impact on the Azores bullfinch population In order to evaluate the first responses of the Azores bullfinch to habitat restoration, we studied bird diet, foraging behaviour, food availability and habitat occupancy in managed (without C arborea) and control areas Significant increases in the availability of native food resources in managed areas were noticeable in the diet, particularly the intake of Ilex perado ssp azorica and Prunus lusitanica ssp azorica flower buds In most of the studied months birds heavily used and foraged in managed over control areas The one exception was in December, when a resource-gap occurred in managed areas, which may be overcome in the short-term due to re-establishment of native plants following removal of invasive aliens

Population trends and breeding success of albatrosses and giant petrels at Gough Island in the face of at-sea and on-land threats

Abstract: Several factors threaten populations of albatrosses and giant petrels, including the impact of fisheries bycatch and, at some colonies, predation from introduced mammals. We undertook population monitoring on Gough Island of three albatross species (Tristan albatross Diomedea dabbenena L., sooty albatross Phoebetria fusca Hilsenberg, Atlantic yellow-nosed albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos Gmelin) and southern giant petrels Macronectes giganteus (Gmelin). Over the study period, numbers of the Critically Endangered Tristan albatross decreased at 3.0% a year. Breeding success for this species was low (23%), and in eight count areas was correlated (r 2 = 0.808) with rates of population decline, demonstrating chick predation by house mice Mus musculus L. is driving site-specific trends and an overall decline. Numbers of southern giant petrels were stable, contrasting with large increases in this small population since 1979. Significant population declines were not detected for either the Atlantic yellow-nosed or sooty albatross, however, caution should be applied to these results due to the small proportion of the population monitored (sooty albatross) and significant interannual variation in numbers. These trends confirm the Critically Endangered status of the Tristan albatross but further information, including a more accurate estimate of sooty albatross population size, is required before determining island wide and global population trends of the remaining species.