We studied shorebird diversity, abundance, distribution, and behavior on Bulls Island, South Carolina, a protected and minimally disturbed barrier island on the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States during the non-breeding seasons of 2018 and 2019. We recorded 21 shorebird species on Bulls Island. Average densities of shorebirds ranged from 4102505 birds per linear km of beach throughout the two study seasons. Shorebird species richness was significantly affected by the number of local microhabitats (χ²₁ = 83.51, P < 0.0001, n = 35) and by number of invertebrate taxa (χ²₁ = 10.21, P = 0.001). Foraging behavior of four focal species varied across available habitats and both location and rate of foraging were associated with greater invertebrate availability and proximity to other foraging shorebirds. Dunlin (Calidris alpina) exhibited the highest foraging rate compared to Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus), Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus) and Sanderling (Calidris alba). Despite some differences between species, foraging rates were highest on marsh relicts and mudflats in March and April, and lowest during high tide in all habitats. Aggressive interactions occurred in 12225% of observations depending on the species and were more frequent in habitats with greater invertebrate availability. Bulls Island, through its mosaic of habitats, provides conditions for a diverse and abundant shorebird community, and thus is an important non-breeding location worthy of further protection.

Malaysia lies within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF), among the world's most species-rich and threatened flyways, which provides stop-over sites for millions of passages and wintering birds. Although some mudflats along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia are classified as Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA), no detailed studies have been conducted to compare shorebird composition and diversity between these locations. Hence, the species composition and diversity of shorebirds was assessed in established plots on mudflats of the North-central Selangor Coast (NCSC) and Teluk Air Tawar Kuala Muda Coast (TAT-KMC) between December 2022 and January 2023. A total of 31 species from three families, Charadriidae, Scolopacidae, and Laridae, were documented throughout the study. There was a significant difference in shorebird species composition between the two sites. TAT-KMC recorded more threatened species including the Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis and Nordmann's Greenshank Tringa guttifer. Despite the presence of more threatened species at TAT-KMC, the results showed both stop-over sites are important for migratory shorebirds along EAAF. The data obtained are valuable for assessing the current species richness and abundance, highlighting the importance for these IBAs to be designated as another Flyway Site Network representing west coast Peninsular Malaysia in order to enhance their protection and conservation efforts.

Lake Izunuma-Uchinuma in northern Japan experienced extensive flooding in July 2022, resulting in significant damage to the vegetation of the lotus Nelumbo nucifera. Lake Izunuma which has an area of 357 ha, was 62% covered by lotus vegetation in October 2021, but only 11% in September 2022. Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygnus) that winter in Lake Izunuma-Uchinuma forage mainly on the rhizomes of the lotus. The number of Whooper Swans wintering from November 2022 to January 2023 decreased significantly compared to the preflood season of 2021/2022. The number of swans in Lake Izunuma-Uchinuma decreased significantly compared to the populations of swans at other wintering sites, despite the fact that the daily average temperatures at the three sites on the migration route of the swans did not differ significantly between these seasons. The significant decrease in lotus vegetation caused by flooding in July 2022 is considered the cause of the decrease in the number of Whooper Swans wintering on the lake in the 2022/2023 season.

Pigeon Guillemot (Cepphus columba) populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA were damaged by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, with no sign of recovery after 20 years. The continued decline was unexpected because by 2004 there was no evidence of direct exposure to residual oil. The large guillemot population nesting at the Naked Island Group in central Prince William Sound declined by 12% per year during 1990–2008 but was stable at nearby islands. Mortality rates for eggs and chicks at the Naked Island Group increased after the spill, largely due to introduced American mink (Neovison vison). Prevalence of lipid-rich fish in the diet of chicks at the Naked Island Group in 2008 was similar to post-spill levels, but lipid-rich fish abundance from aerial surveys was greater in 2008 than after the spill. Evidence suggests that, although residual oil impacted guillemots and their prey for at least a decade post-spill, mink predation gradually became the primary limiting factor at the Naked Island Group during the late 1990s and into the 2000s. The magnitude and persistence of guillemot declines at the Naked Island Group indicate that this population is unlikely to recover without management to reduce predation from non-indigenous mink.

Monitoring nests with cameras has become increasingly popular to accurately identify the cause of nest loss; however, the use of cameras may influence nest fate and parameter estimates, which is of particular concern for waterbirds with small population sizes. In 2020–2021, 159 nests of the federally endangered Hawaiian Common Gallinule (‘Alae ‘ula; Gallinula chloropus sandvicensis) were monitored to compare nest success between nests monitored using regular human visits to check nests versus using a combination of human visits and cameras to monitor nests. There was no added effect of camera monitoring on nest survival across years and habitat type (95% confidence interval DSR 0.972–0.986 camera, 0.965–0.989 no camera). Adult gallinule nesting in managed wetlands took longer to return to nests after camera installation than birds nesting in taro (Colocasia esculenta) fields. We hypothesize that adult gallinules nesting in taro fields are more accustomed to the higher human activity associated with taro farming compared to those nesting in the larger wetland units that experience less human activity. For gallinule, nest monitoring with cameras had no negative impact on nest success and provides greater clarity about nest fate and the cause of nest loss.

The Black-naped Tern (Sterna sumatrana) breeds throughout the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans. Given the comparative rarity of the mathewsi subspecies, a better understanding of its population dynamics is needed. This study aims to improve knowledge of Black-naped Tern breeding ecology and contribute to regional population assessment. Data was collected at the Alphonse Group, Seychelles, where between 2008 and 2022 surveys recorded; abundance of adults, breeding pairs, productivity, location, and seasonality. Counts of maximum adults ranged from 38 to 62 (50.53, SD 7.29), displaying a slight positive trend, while breeding pairs numbered 11 to 28 (16.98, SD 5.04), showing a decrease. Estimates of minimum and maximum productivity were 0.00 to 0.75 (0.23, n = 21) and 0.00 to 1.88 (0.49, n = 21), respectively, and showed a significant relationship with site and season. Results indicate reproductive success and breeding site preference is becoming increasingly variable. Breeding was temporally widespread, with two discernable peaks in activity in February and June. Changing environmental conditions are the likely cause of breeding pair declines and increasing variability of; inter-annual productivity, breeding onset and site-selection. Findings highlight this species vulnerabilities, the importance of consistent monitoring, and enforced protective measures such as capped visitor numbers and seasonal closure of breeding sites.

The Gochang Tidal Flat plays a crucial role as a stopover site for migratory shorebirds within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). This study focuses on 10 shorebird species observed at Gochang to assess their migration patterns using standardized survey methods. From July 2022 to June 2023, we conducted 24 surveys across five designated sites and 25 survey points. The selected species—the Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola), Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus), Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus), Common Greenshank, (Tringa nebularia), Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus), Dunlin (Calidris alpina), Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica), and Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris)—showed distinct seasonal distributions in abundance. During southward migration in fall, Kentish Plovers and Common Greenshanks were most prevalent, while Whimbrels, Dunlins, and Bar-tailed Godwits dominated during northward migration in spring. Species like the Grey Plover, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Terek Sandpiper, and Far Eastern Curlew were consistently abundant in both seasons. Spatially, Grey Plovers and Dunlins were concentrated in the inner tidal areas, whereas Far Eastern Curlews, Whimbrels, and Terek Sandpipers favored central and outer regions. Large populations of Black-tailed Gulls and Eurasian Oystercatchers were observed along oceanfront. This study

underscores the ecological significance by elucidating annual shorebird population dynamics.

Common Loons (Gavia immer) in the northeastern United States are exposed to a wide variety of environmental and anthropogenic stressors. The use of non-lethal biomarkers to assess physiological condition and population health of loons can aid in the management of this species of concern, however, many of the biomarkers currently used in field studies are influenced by capture and handling stress. Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) is found within the red blood cells of most vertebrates and has a well-known role in mediating the cellular stress response. The objective of this study was to provide the first evaluation of HSP70 as a potential biomarker of physiological condition in free-living Common Loons. Our results indicate that: (1) similar to other avian species, HSP70 is detectable in the blood cells of Common Loons; (2) HSP70 abundance does not vary significantly with age, sex, or blood mercury concentrations, and (3) elevated abundance of HSP70 may be associated with anemia. Our results also confirm that adults and hatch-year loons exhibit differences in several blood parameters including hemoglobin, hematocrit, plasma glucose, and mercury concentrations. Together, we suggest that HSP70 abundance in blood cells may be a useful biomarker of physiological condition in free-living Common Loons, especially when used in combination with other well-established blood biomarkers.

Foraging behavior of Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula) was studied in a tidal estuary in the northeastern USA over a three-year period. Among all observations of egrets foraging (n = 1,223), 8.4% were of “tongue-fluttering', a foraging technique in which an egret inserts the tip of its bill into the water surface and flutters its tongue so that a stream of ripples is generated. Tongue-fluttering was usually practiced when the bird stood in deep water and oriented downstream to produce an expanding ‘V’ of ripples. Limited observations suggested that the ripples attracted small fish and that the egrets had high capture success. Multiple observations suggested that egrets feeding simultaneously by tongue-fluttering distributed themselves in echelon formation, so that downstream birds were located near to ripples generated by upstream birds. These observations provide new information on tongue-fluttering, show that it is locally frequent in a tidal estuary, and suggest that Snowy Egrets practicing this technique can catch fish at rates comparable to those that have been reported for other foraging techniques.

An adult Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis was kept and hand-fed in an outdoor encloser. Prey-fish were provided ad libitum, and daily caloric intake was calculated. Activity was monitored to ensure accurate metabolic assessment. Body mass fluctuation and distinct meal sizes were revealed.