Macaronesia, a group of archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde) in the Atlantic Ocean, is one of the global biodiversity hot-spots. However, for species that occur throughout these archipelagos the extent of genetic and morphological differentiation between the archipelagos and mainland Iberia and Africa is often unknown. Here we investigate phenotypic and genetic differentiation of Kentish Plovers Charadrius alexandrinus, the most common breeding shorebird of Macaronesia. We show strong genetic and moderate morphological differences among breeding populations. Our results suggest that although these populations are far from being a species-level endemism, they deserve conservation attention given their uniqueness in terms of genetic variation. Recent loss in suitable breeding sites in Canary Islands and Azores put substantial pressure on the extant plover populations. Further studies of the conservation status and threat to these populations are needed along with a comprehensive conservation action plan to halt population decline and facilitate recovery.

Knowledge of the feeding habits of a bird species is necessary to evaluate how food availability can affect its population status. The Woodpigeon Columba palumbus is a granivorousfrugivorous species that is widely distributed throughout Europe. However, there is little information about its feeding habits both in Spain and Mediterranean region. The diet of Woodpigeons in a mountain area of southern Spain was quantitatively assessed on a monthly basis during 2011 and 2012. The birds were sampled on their way to roost sites after they had finished feeding and the contents of their crops were subsequently analysed. Twenty plant species and five snail species were identified in the diet. The consumed items varied significantly between seasons. Thus, acorns of Quercus sp. were the most consumed item during winter, cereals dominated the summer diet and tree fruits predominated in spring and autumn. The Woodpigeons showed a preference for cereals and acorns rather than tree fruits and pasture vegetation. Woodpigeons showed considerable plasticity in their feeding habits, since they were able to change the main food item consumed over a short period of time and fed on most of the typical Mediterranean tree fruits.

Croplands are habitats with high availability of food resources for seed-eating birds. The use of particular fields by birds may vary considerably depending on crop type. Some crop stubbles hold high amounts of spilled grain after harvest, which may support seed-eating bird populations throughout the year. We examined the role of crop stubble type and biomass of spilled grain on species richness and abundance of seed-eating birds in the Pampas of central Argentina. During 2011–13 we sampled 166 stubble fields: 77 fields during the austral spring-summer of 2011–12 and 2012–13 (44 wheat and 33 barley stubbles); and 89 fields during the austral autumn of 2012 and 2013 (49 soybean, 27 corn and 13 sunflower stubbles fields). We recorded birds on a 700 × 100 m transect and estimated spilled grain on 1 m² of stubble cover in each field. Comparisons among species accumulation curves showed that wheat and barley stubbles had similar bird species richness in spring-summer, whereas in autumn, sunflower stubbles supported higher bird richness than soybean stubbles. Generalized linear mixed models revealed that the abundance of some seed-eating birds had significant associations with crop stubble types. Some species were positively associated with spilled grain biomass on particular stubble types. In general, these associations varied seasonally, being more evident in autumn than in spring-summer. Knowledge of bird species populations and their specific association with given food resources during periods when crops remain only as stubble could be a key tool to help plan management strategies designed to reduce bird impacts on agricultural crops prior to harvest, when they are most susceptible to significant levels of damage.

The Iberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus ibericus has recently been accepted as a full species, but is still very difficult to distinguish from the Common Chiffchaff P. collybita when molecular and acoustic evidence is lacking. Distinguishing these cryptospecies is essential for obtaining accurate population estimates for each, which is especially important in the case of the Iberian Chiffchaff due to its restricted distribution. We re-assessed the discriminant methods available in the literature and propose some alternative traits to distinguish both species. We used information from 24 morphological traits measured in c. 6,700 individuals of the two species trapped during the autumn migration period in Doñana National Park, Spain, between 2004 and 2015. Discriminatory methods available in the literature were unable to distinguish the two species efficiently. Despite some biometric differences, morphological measurements showed a high degree of overlap and so could not distinguish between Iberian and Common Chiffchaffs. The best discriminatory factor at our study site was the passage date, since 90% of Iberian Chiffchaffs have already departed when the first Common Chiffchaffs arrive. Those traits associated with migration, such as wing size and shape and fat deposits, were also able to discriminate the species, albeit weakly. This result fully concurs with the trans-Saharan migration of the Iberian Chiffchaff in contrast to the Common Chiffchaff, which chiefly winters in Mediterranean latitudes. In conclusion, biometric traits are useless for discriminating the two species and we do not recommend their use. A comprehensive examination of colouration and plumage seems to be the only reliable way of guaranteeing the correct identification of these species in the hand.

Injuries have the potential to influence individual behaviour, reproduction and/or survival.One of the least frequently observed and least known injuries in birds is sublingual fistulation, which has only been reported in four species to date. Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii is now added to this list. Based on periodical re-sightings of darvic-ringed gulls at four Mediterranean sites, the prevalence of this injury in Audouin's Gulls was estimated to be 0.13%. No negative effects of fistulas on short-term survival of injured birds were reported; the minimum survival period was 999 days. However, our findings should be treated cautiously because of the low detected incidence of this injury in free-living birds.

Appropriate survey design is essential to estimate population size reliably, especially for endangered species. Dupont's Lark Chersophilus duponti, one of the most endangered passerines in Europe, has been monitored using diverse counting methods. This variation in the methods employed may have a significant effect on the estimates of population sizes. The present study compares four methodologies cited in the literature as having been used for Dupont's Lark censuses: the Finnish line transect (25 m inner belt width), line transect (500 m inner belt width, a specific application of the transect method developed for the second national census of the species in Spain), mapping and point counts methods. We also determined the adequate number of visits needed to detect a reliable number of territories by the mapping method and analysed the effect of census month on the number of males recorded in line transects. According to our results, we consider that the mapping method, based on four visits, is the most adequate methodology for monitoring the species. However, for surveys in large areas the use of the line transect method during May and June may be more affordable. Although census date did not have a significant effect on the number of males recorded by line transect surveys, a larger number of males were indeed detected during May and June. Thus, censuses carried out in March may lead to greater underestimation of population sizes. Nonetheless, the best date for counting Dupont's Lark may differ for populations located at lower altitude. Point counts and Finnish line transects should not be used for counting the species, since both overestimate population sizes by about 35%, according to the mapping method and line transect results.

The Ecuadorian Hillstar Oreotrochilus chimborazo is a high Andean hummingbird that inhabits paramo ecosystems from extreme southern Colombia to southern Ecuador. The species is currently divided into three subspecies that differ in morphology and geographic distribution but no molecular differences have been found between them using mitochondrial markers. The aim of this study was to isolate and test microsatellite loci to further explore possible genetic variability between and within these subspecies. Screening an enriched genomic library of O. chimborazo we obtained eleven polymorphic microsatellite loci. These markers will be used to further elucidate evolutionary patterns in the species.

Song playback of a particular avian species is well-known to have the potential to bias the sample of conspecifics that can be captured during mist-netting sessions, with respect to sex, age or body condition. However, the possibility that playback affects heterospecific captures has been less explored and lacks solid experimental evidence. In this study, we used an experimental approach to test whether Bluethroat Luscinia svecica song playback altered the overall number of individuals of other species captured during autumn migration in a wetland in southwestern France. We found that playback increased the capture rates of species that were not the direct target of the playback. This heterospecific attraction effect should be assessed and carefully considered when designing any avian monitoring programme.

The European Roller Coracias garrulus has been described as a socially monogamous species with biparental care. Recently, intense monitoring and new methodological tools have suggested that alternative breeding strategies may occur. Here, we describe the first known record of social polygyny with multi-brood paternal care in the European Roller. During a long-term monitoring programme in Castro Verde, Southern Portugal, we recorded a male Roller simultaneously attending two neighbouring nests throughout the incubation and chick-rearing periods. Brood provisioning was female-biased in one of the nests, while the degree of male parental care during chick-rearing was similar between nests. Chicks fledged successfully from both broods. Future studies should investigate the prevalence and the drivers of this alternative breeding strategy in this species.

This section includes the abstracts of some of the PhD-Dissertations submitted in Spain during the 2015–2016 academic year as well as some others not published in earlier volumes of Ardeola. They are in alphabetical order by University where they were presented and, then, by year and alphabetical order of the author's surname. For the first time, this section includes a link to access the full version of the reviewed thesis when available.

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Observaciones de aves raras en España, 2014. El presente informe publica 743 registros nuevos sobre la presencia de 134 taxones de aves raras en el conjunto de España, con un índice de aceptación del 91,84%. Se informa de la homologación por primera vez de diez taxones para España: petrel freira (Pterodroma madeira), cormorán pigmeo (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus), gavión cabecinegro (Larus ichthyaetus), carraca abisinia (Coracias abyssinicus), chotacabras egipcio (Caprimulgus aegyptius), tarabilla siberiana ‘de Hemprich’ (Saxicola maurus hemprichii), zarcero pálido (Iduna pallida), curruca zarcerilla ‘siberiana’ (Sylvia curruca blythii/halimodendri), alcaudón pardo (Lanius cristatus), mascarita común (Geothlypis trichas), chingolo cantor (Melospiza melodia) y reinita charquera norteña (Parkesia noveboracensis), esta última sustituyendo a la reinita charquera de Luisiana (Parkesia motacilla), que desaparece de la Lista de aves de España tras la reconsideración de una cita antigua. También estrenan su nuevo estatus de rareza el mérgulo atlántico (Alle alle) y el somormujo cuellirrojo (Podiceps grisegena), este último volviendo a la lista de especies sometidas a homologación después de 20 años sin considerarse. Se presentan las primeras citas de seis taxones para España peninsular: paíño pechialbo (Pelagodroma marina) —cuatro citas—, rabijunco etéreo (Phaeton aethereus) —dos citas—, gaviota cocinera (Larus dominicanus) —una cita, que es también la segunda para España— y gaviota patiamarilla ‘de las Azores’ (Larus michahellis atlantis) —una cita—. Se describen los segundos registros para España de águila imperial oriental (Aquila heliaca), gallineta chica (Gallinula angulata), zorzal robín (Turdus migratorius) y cascanueces común (Nucifraga caryocatactes). Se incluyen las primeras citas para Canarias de curruca carrasqueña ‘oriental’ (Sylvia cantillans cantillans/albistriata), mosquitero común ‘siberiano’ (Phylloscopus collybita tristis) y escribano lapón (Calcarius lapponicus). Resulta igualmente destacable el recopilatorio de registros de petrel gon-gon/freira (Pterodroma feae/madeira) que se ha recogido durante los últimos años en Estaca de Bares, lo que arroja algo de luz sobre el estatus de esta ave marina en España. Por último, se presenta un nuevo criterio numérico de rareza con el objetivo de reflejar en este concepto tanto la escasez como la irregularidad de una especie.

Este informe recopila información de 179 especies que se reparten por toda la geografía nacional siguiendo la secuencia taxonómica y los nombres de la Lista de las Aves de España (Gutiérrez et al., 2012) y teniendo en cuenta las especies consideradas actualmente como rarezas (Rouco et al., 2016). Se recuerda la importancia del envío de las citas de aquellas especies que han salido recientemente de la lista de aves consideradas como raras con el objetivo de poder conocer cómo evoluciona su estatus, si las observaciones aumentan o su presencia vuelve a ser puntual o excepcional. Por otro lado, para registrar y consultar los datos del Noticiario Ornitológico, así como de aves exóticas o de aves raras, se ha preparado una aplicación con la opción de ser utilizada a través de la telefonía móvil:  www.gruposdetrabajoseo.org