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.

Immunological Determination of the Pharmaceutical Diclofenac in Environmental and Biological Samples

Abstract: A highly sensitive and specific competitive ELISA on 96-microwell plates was developed for the analysis of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac. Within the water cycle in Europe, this is one of the most frequently detected pharmaceutically active compounds. The LOD at a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 3, and the IC 50 , were found to be 6 ng/L and 60 ng/L respectively in tap water. In a comparative study using ELISA and GC-MS, diclofenac levels in wastewater from 21 sewage treatment plants were determined and a good correlation between these methods was found (ELISA vs. GC-MS: r = 0.70, slope = 0.90, intercept = 0.37, n = 24). An average degradation rate of ≈25% can be calculated. Lab-scale-experiments on the elimination of diclofenac in continuous pilot sewage plants revealed a removal rate of only 5% over a period of 13 weeks. In a further study, the ELISA was applied to a number of extracts of various animal tissues from a range of species, and again a very good relationship between ELISA and LC-ESI/MS data sets was obtained (r = 0.90, p<0.0001; n = 117). The ELISA has proven to be a simple, rapid, reliable and affordable alternative to otherwise costly and advanced techniques for the detection of diclofenac in matrix diverse water samples and tissue extracts after only relatively simple sample preparation.

A recovery plan for Roseate Terns in the East Atlantic: an international programme

Abstract: In 1987 an action plan for the recovery of the European populations of Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii was launched. Intervention on the breeding grounds has included the wardening of sites to prevent human disturbance, the provision of nest-boxes to discourage predation, patrolling and controlling to reduce predator presence, planting of Lavatera arborea to shelter nesting birds, and use of the media to establish local interest and commitment. Intervention in the wintering area has focused on Ghana and the reduction there of trapping pressure, through the “Save the Seashore Birds Project-Ghana”, which has involved site protection, legal reform, training, surveys and education programmes.

Resolving the population status of Ascension Frigatebird Fregata aquila using a 'virtual ecologist' model

Abstract: The Ascension Frigatebird is an island endemic whose conservation status was subject to confusion owing to difficulties in counting and misinterpretation of data. Accurate nest counts for this species are problematic owing to their extremely prolonged breeding seasons, high nest failure rates, turnover of individuals at nest-sites, replacement laying and biennial breeding. We conducted repeated complete censuses of Ascension Frigatebird eggs at the species’ sole colony of Boatswainbird Island, and collected data on laying phenology and nest survival rates within sample quadrats, throughout the 2001 and 2002 breeding seasons. We used these data to develop an individual-based model that predicted the number of Frigatebird nests present on each day an actual census occurred assuming an arbitrary 1000 breeding females bred there. We then divided the number of nests counted in these virtual censuses by 1000 to quantify bias, and used this figure to correct real census totals. The model revealed that the population numbered c. 6250 breeding females and c . 9350 mature females in 2001‐2, and that numbers have not changed significantly since the late 1950s. Productivity, at 0.34 chicks/pair, was high compared to previous studies of Ascension Frigatebirds and most of those of congeners elsewhere.

Improving Aquatic Warbler Population Assessments by Accounting for Imperfect Detection

Abstract: Monitoring programs designed to assess changes in population size over time need to account for imperfect detection and provide estimates of precision around annual abundance estimates. Especially for species dependent on conservation management, robust monitoring is essential to evaluate the effectiveness of management. Many bird species of temperate grasslands depend on specific conservation management to maintain suitable breeding habitat. One such species is the Aquatic Warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola), which breeds in open fen mires in Central Europe. Aquatic Warbler populations have so far been assessed using a complete survey that aims to enumerate all singing males over a large area. Because this approach provides no estimate of precision and does not account for observation error, detecting moderate population changes is challenging. From 2011 to 2013 we trialled a new line transect sampling monitoring design in the Biebrza valley, Poland, to estimate abundance of singing male Aquatic Warblers. We surveyed Aquatic Warblers repeatedly along 50 randomly placed 1-km transects, and used binomial mixture models to estimate abundances per transect. The repeated line transect sampling required 150 observer days, and thus less effort than the traditional ‘full count’ approach (175 observer days). Aquatic Warbler abundance was highest at intermediate water levels, and detection probability varied between years and was influenced by vegetation height. A power analysis indicated that our line transect sampling design had a power of 68% to detect a 20% population change over 10 years, whereas raw count data had a 9% power to detect the same trend. Thus, by accounting for imperfect detection we increased the power to detect population changes. We recommend to adopt the repeated line transect sampling approach for monitoring Aquatic Warblers in Poland and in other important breeding areas to monitor changes in population size and the effects of habitat management.