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Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) flying above a colony in Saskatchewan. Photo by Nic Shephard

A multi-pronged approach to animal tracking and the benefits of wide-ranging collaborations

By Ann E. McKellar Linked Paper: Weak genetic structure, shared nonbreeding areas, and extensive movement in a declining waterbird by Nicholas G. Shephard, Patricia Szczys, David J. Moore, Matthew W. Reudink, Jeffrey N. Costa, Annie M. Bracey, Simeon Lisovski, and Ann E. McKellar, Ornithological Applications. The Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) is a species of concern in …

A brooding female Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) on a nest containing two 4-day-old nestlings. The bill and head of one of the nestlings is visible on the female’s left. Photo by Ron Mumme.

Living with cowbird nest parasitism—and thriving

By Ronald L. Mumme and Claire Lignac Linked paper: Brood parasitism of Hooded Warblers by Brown-headed Cowbirds: Severe impact on individual nests but modest consequences for seasonal fecundity and conservation by Claire Lignac and Ronald L. Mumme, Ornithological Applications.  Even the most ardent bird enthusiasts find it tough to love the Brown-headed Cowbird. An obligate …

Orange-crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata), one of the most common warblers that uses Iona Island as a migration stopover site in southwestern British Columbia every year. Photo credit: Brendan Toews.
Orange-crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata), one of the most common warblers that uses Iona Island as a migration stopover site in southwestern British Columbia every year. Photo credit: Brendan Toews.

Should they stay or should they go: What drives variation in refueling rates and stopover length among migrating songbirds?

By Kiirsti Owen, Andrew Huang, and Devin R. de ZwaanLinked paper: Mass gain and stopover dynamics among migrating songbirds are linked to seasonal, environmental, and life-history effects, by D.R. de Zwaan, A. Huang, Q. McCallum, K. Owen, M. Lamont, & W. Easton. Ornithology. Anyone who has stopped to fuel up their car has thought to …

HPAI wild birds North America
Generalized ecology of avian-origin influenza A (AI) viruses showing common directionality of cross-species transmission events, including those for highly pathogenic (HP) phenotypes. Reprinted from the Journal of Wildlife Management (2022) with permission.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI): An emerging disease threat in North America

By Andrew M. Ramey and Colleen M. Handel, U.S. Geological Survey Linked paper: Highly pathogenic avian influenza is an emerging disease threat to wild birds in North America by A. M. Ramey, N. J. Hill, T. J. DeLiberto, S. E. J. Gibbs, M. C. Hopkins, A. S. Lang, R. L. Poulson, D. J. Prosser, J. …

Automated Bird Surveys? How to make ARUs and AI work for you

by Jerry Cole Linked paper: Automated bird sound classifications of long-duration recordings produce occupancy model outputs similar to manually annotated data by Jerry S. Cole, Nicole L. Michel, Shane A. Emerson, and Rodney B. Siegel. Ornithological Applications.  New technology is exciting! It’s always fun to brainstorm ways you can use the latest and greatest thing …

A Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) brings prey to nestlings in a recently burned forest in northern California. Photo Credit: Jean Hall

Advances in Avian Diet: Methods and Applications, Part 3

By Sabrina S. Taylor, Senior Editor, Ornithology The final two papers in a Special Feature highlighting Advances in Avian Diet: Methods and Applications have been published in the AOS journal Ornithology (see the links below or the January 2022 issue of Ornithology and the February 2022 issue of Ornithological Applications for six previously published articles). …

How do so many wood warbler species coexist?

By T. W. Sherry and Cody M. Kent Linked Paper: Extensions and limitations of MacArthur (1958): A review of ecological and evolutionary approaches to competition and diet in the New World wood warblers (Parulidae) by T.W. Sherry and C.M. Kent. Ornithology. Explaining the variety of avian species requires understanding a variety of species interactions, in …

Guava fruits (Psidium guajava) were the most important part of the diet for Red-and-Green Macaws reintroduced to the Iberá Wetlands. Photo credit: Noelia Volpe.

Advances in Avian Diet: Methods and Applications, Part 2

By Sabrina S. Taylor, Senior Editor, Ornithology A Special Feature bringing together a series of papers highlighting Advances in Avian Diet: Methods and Applications in the AOS journals Ornithology and Ornithological Applications has published the next two papers of the series in the February 2022 issue of Ornithological Applications (see the links below or the …