Freilandbeobachtungen am Waldrapp (Geronticus eremita) in Marokko: Verhalten immaturer Individuen

Summary The live stock of the extremely endangered Bald Ibis is still declining. The eastern population is extinct. The remaining three small colonies are concentrated at the Moroccan atlantic coast. In 1989, we recorded 43 breeding pairs with 89 chicks. Within the colonies there were also 15 yearlings and 15 individuals two years old. In January 1990, we found three subadults at the colonies together with the breeding pairs. The rest of the young birds (28) we located at the mouth of the river Tanri.     

Neue Beobachtungen des Waldrapps (Geronticus eremita) im Jemen

Summary In spring 1989 (28 March–1 April) two unbanded non adult individuals of Bald Ibis were recorded in North Jemen, one at a well known resting site near Tai'zz and one in the lowlands of the Tihama. The two individuals may have spent the summer in Yemen. In November 1989, two fully aduld birds were seen at Tai'zz byM. Ullman. Presumably all the birds belong to the colony of Birecik/Turkey.     

New records of the Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) from Saudi Arabia

Summary 24 Bald Ibises (Geronticus eremita) in four groups were recorded during 1991 in an area of only approx. 8 km², close to Taif in southwestern Saudi Arabia. These observations lead to the conclusion that the eastern population of the Bald Ibis is not yet extinct, as was believed up to now, and that colonies do still exist, either in Asia Minor or in southwestern Arabia. All records from Arabia are presented and the status of the eastern Bald Ibis is discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Im südwestlichen Saudi Arabien, nahe der Stadt Taif, wurden 1991 24 Waldrappe (Geronticus eremita) festgestellt, darunter ein Trupp von 15 Vögeln. Alle Beobachtungen erfolgten in einem Gebiet von nur etwa 8 km², in dem sich ein Trupp von 7 Vögeln und ein einzelner Vogel jeweils etwa 2 Wochen lang aufhielten. Keiner der Vögel war beringt, alle waren älter als zwei Jahre. Die Beobachtungen führen zu dem Schluß, daß die östliche Population des Waldrapps noch nicht, wie bisher angenommen wurde, ausgestorben ist, und daß bisher unbekannte Brutkolonien noch existieren. Die geographische und zeitliche Verteilung aller bisher bekannten Beobachtungen aus dem Mittleren Osten weist darauf hin, daß es sich bei den nahe Taif beobachteten Vögeln wahrscheinlich um subadulte umherstreifende Sommergäste handelte, entweder von einem bisher nicht bekannten Brutvorkommen in Südwest-Saudi Arabien, oder aus einer noch verbliebenen Brutkolonie in Kleinasien.

     

Breeding ecology and behaviour of the last wild oriental Northern Bald Ibises (Geronticus eremita) in Syria

A relict colony of Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita), a critically endangered species, was unexpectedly discovered in Syria in 2002. During six subsequent breeding seasons (2002–2007), the 3, and then 2, breeding pairs of Northern Bald Ibises have shown to be still vital and, when intensively protected, showed a higher average breeding success than that recorded in Morocco, the only other country where these birds still breed in the wild. During the six breeding seasons, a total of 24 chicks fledged and left the breeding area successfully. Between 2004 and 2007, a total of 5 immature ibises have made a return to the colony, separately and later than adults. As a consequence, two recruitment events have taken place (2006 and 2007), partly compensating for the gradual decrease in the number of adults. Breeding adults arrive from migration during the second half of February, separately, and leave together around mid-July. They nest in cavities and ledges of two limestone cliffs of the central Syria desert, located 20 km apart, well protected from the predominant wind. Breeding behaviour and the cycle are described, summarised and compared with data from the wild colonies of Morocco and the colony of Turkey before the extinction. Key threats still in place at the Syrian breeding quarters are human disturbance during settling and incubation, chick depredation by ravens, uncontrolled hunting and habitat degradation. Recommendations on how to enhance the breeding performance and ensure the survival of this colony in the future are given.     

First evidence of mtDNA sequence differences between Northern Bald Ibises (Geronticus eremita) of Moroccan and Turkish origin

Summary We examined two segments of the mitochondrial genome of Moroccan and Turkish Bald Ibises. One point mutation was consistently discovered in a 307 bp portion of the cytochrome b gene which was population specific. This is the first indication of a genetic differentiation between the two populations. The consequences of this finding for the conservation of the highly endangered bird are discussed. In future captive breeding and releasing programmes, only birds of known origin should be used.

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Erster Nachweis von Sequenzunterschieden in der mtDNS zwischen marokkanischen und türkischen Waldrappen (Geronticus eremita)

Zusammenfassung Bei der Untersuchung von zwei Segmenten der mitochondrialen DNS marokkanischer und türkischer Waldrappe konnten wir eine Punktmutation in einem 307 bp langen Abschnitt des Cytochrom b-Gens feststellen. Dies ist der erste Hinweis auf eine genetische Differenzierung zwischen den beiden Populationen. Die Konsequenzen der Ergebnisse für den Schutz dieser stark bedrohten Vogelart werden diskutiert. Bei Zucht- und Auswilderungsprogrammen muss die Herkunft der Tiere zukünftig unbedingt berücksichtigt werden.

     

Blood values of Bald Ibis ( Geronticus eremita) in captivity: comparative ranges and variability with age, sex and physical condition

The Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) is one of the worlds most threatened species of birds. The number of individuals in captivity is several times greater than the number of individuals in the wild, so that the re-introduction of individuals from captive breeding into their natural habitat may be vital for the recovery of the species. A knowledge of the health problems associated with the handling of captive individuals and the improvement of their veterinary care could have great importance in determining the success of these captive breeding programs. Haematology and blood chemistry are very useful complementary tools in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in birds, and provide valuable information about the individuals nutritional status and physical condition. The present work reports haematocrit and blood chemistry values for individuals belonging to a captive population of this species, and analyses their variability with respect to age, sex, and physical condition of the animals. Adults presented greater values of haematocrit, uric acid, total proteins, cholesterol, and aspartate amine transferase than the young. With respect to sex differences, adult female birds had higher concentrations of alkaline phosphatase than males, contrary to previous results for captive individuals of this species. The condition index of adults was positively correlated with triglycerides, glucose, and alkaline phosphatase levels, and negatively with urea and lactate dehydrogenase levels. These results may be very useful as a complementary diagnosis tool during the veterinary care of individuals of this species included in re-introduction programs.     

Populationsgenetik und Vaterschaftsanalyse beim Eleonorenfalken (Falco eleonorae)

Zusammenfassung In einer größeren Brutkolonie des Eleonorenfalken der Ägäis siedeln sich die Männchen relativ nahe am Geburtsrevier an (mittlere Ansiedlungsentfernung 192 ± 153 m); die Weibchen zeigen eine etwas größere Dispersion (Ansiedlungsentfernung 738 ± 1104 m) und wandern zu einem kleinen Prozentsatz auch zu den benachbarten Brutkolonien aus. Durch DNA-Fingerprinting mit Oligonucleotidsonden konnte bei 17 Familien mit insgesamt über 60 Jungvögeln gezeigt werden, daß sog. Extra-Pair-Fertilizations und intraspezifischer Brutparasitismus nicht auftreten, d. h. daß die Altvögel am Nest auch die leiblichen Eltern sind. Als Folge der hohen Philopatrie erwiesen sich 24 % der Brutvögel innerhalb einer Inselpopulation als relativ nah verwandt. Mit der eingesetzten DNA-Fingerprinting-Methode kann jedoch nicht die Populationszugehörigkeit erkannt werden.

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Population genetics and paternity analysis of Eleonora's Falcon (Falco eleonorae)

Summary Philopatry was studied in a larger breeding colony ofFalco eleonorae on an Aegean island. Male falcons settle in or very close to the territory in which they were born (mean distance 192 ± 153 m), whereas females disperse to adjacent territories (mean distance 738 ± 1104 m) and even colonies to some degree. DNA fingerprinting of 17 families (with a total of over 60 young) revealed that intraspecific brood parasitism and extra-pair fertilizations do not occur although these falcons breed in close vicinity, sometimes only 5 m apart. This means, that the birds feeding at the nest are also the physical parents. Band-sharing coefficients show that the birds within the same colony show some degree of relatedness, but no clear band patterns were evident between different colonies lying within the same island archipelago.

     

Ontogenese des Beutefangverhaltens beim Steinkauz(Athene noctua)

Zusammenfassung 34 handaufgezogene Steinkäuze wurden unter Laborbedingungen nach ihrem Alter bei der Erstdarbietung lebender Beute, Geschlecht, Beutegröße bei den 20 ersten Beutedarbietungen und Gruppengröße miteinander verglichen. Als Beute wurden lebende, tote unbewegte und tote künstlich bewegte Mäuse, Vögel und Evertebraten und Attrappen angeboten. Die vollständige Beutefanghandlung trat nach einem Reifungsprozeß auf, welcher mehrere Stadien umfaßte und im Mittel im Alter von 62–76 Tagen abgeschlossen war. Die Beutefanghandlung beim adulten Steinkauz besteht aus obligatorischen Anteilen (Fixieren, Annäherung, Schlagen der Beute und Endhandlung-Freßakt oder/und Deponieren der Beute) und fakultativen Anteilen (z. B. Gefiedersträuben, Manteln). Die Ausprägung der einzelnen Anteile hängt von der internen Situation des Kauzes (Alter, Hungerzustand) oder/und von externen Faktoren (Beutegröße bzw. -abwehr, Nahrungskonkurrenz) ab. Gefiedersträuben erwies sich als Drohverhalten gegenüber Beute und Nahrungskonkurrenten, Beuteabdecken beim Schlagen (Manteln) als Drohverhalten gegenüber der Beute und das Beuteabdecken nach dem Schlagen (Brutstellung) als Drohgebärde gegenüber Nahrungskonkurrenten. Die Käuze unterschieden nicht zwischen aktiver und artifizieller (bloßer Ortsveränderung) Bewegung der Beute. Innerhalb eines bestimmeten Größenbereiches löste jede Art optisch erfaßter Beutebewegung die Beutefanghandlung aus.

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Ontogenetic development of catching and handling prey in the Little Owl (Athene noctua)

Summary 34 captive-raised little owls were compared in laboratory conditions according to the date of their first presentation with living prey, sex, the size of the prey during the first 20 presentations and the size of the group. Mice, birds and invertebrates (coleopters, hymenopters, lumbricides, etc.), which were either alive, dead and inert or dead and artificially moved, were presented as prey. The complete act of catching prey appeared after a process of maturing covering several stages. This process was concluded at an average age of 62 to 76 days. The act of catching prey of an adult owl consists of necessary components (locating the prey, approach, attacking the prey and final act-eating or/and storing the prey) and non-obligatory components (e.g. ruffling feathers or covering prey with the wings). These components can appear in one of several possible forms depending on the internal situation of the owl (age, state of hunger) or/and on external factors (size of prey or resistance on the part of the prey, competition for food). The owl's ruffling the feathers proved to be a threat behaviour towards the prey and competitors for food. The owl's covering prey with its wings when attacking it appeared as a threat behaviour towards the prey, and its covering prey with the wings after attacking it was a threat behaviour towards competitors for food. The beating of wings on a prey still moving (only in large prey) merely served the purpose of retaining balance. The owls did not distinguish between real and artificial movement of the prey. Within a specific size range of prey every kind of movement perceived triggered off the act of catching the prey. A reaction to the form of the prey alone occured according to a process of conditioning, in part depending on the preference of a certain kind of prey.

     

Geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede beim Nahrungserwerb des Fichtenkreuzschnabels (Loxia curvirostra)

Summary By recording the rate of glancing (i. e. looking up), the number of seeds taken by a crossbill per unit time from a larch cone (Larix X eurolepis) was evaluated. Female crossbills took more seeds per unit time from the cones than males do. Because of similar bill (and body) sizes the sexual difference could be explained in the following ways: a) during the breeding season the females need more energy for egg production than males do for spermatogenesis; b) females are more vigilant than males.     

Syringeale Kippschwingungen und Klangerzeugung beim Feldschwirl (Locustella naevia)

Zusammenfassung Durch eine akustische Analyse des Feldschwirlgesangs wird die vonBrackenbury aufgestellte These widerlegt, daß der Vogel während des Gesangs hechelt, d. h. während einzelner Elemente ein- und ausatmet. Die mittlere Strophenlänge beträgt 62 s. Ferner wird vorgeschlagen, daß dem Gesang ein Kippschwingungsmechanismus mit einer Frequenz von etwa 25 Hz zugrunde liegt, dem hochfrequente (ca. 6 kHz) Schwingungspulse überlagert sind.

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Relaxation oscillations and sound production in the Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella naevia)

Summary By acoustical analysis of the Grasshopper Warbler's song it is demonstrated that this bird, contrary to Brackenbury's hypothesis, does not sing by performing mini-breaths during single song elements. The mean length of uninterrupted song sections is 62 s. It is suggested that the Grasshopper Warbler's song is made up by a relaxation oscillation of about 25 Hz on which high frequency pulses of about 6 kHz are superimposed.

     

Nestlingswachstum und Niederschlag beim Neunt?ter (Lanium collurio)

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Korrelation zwischen Embryonen-Sterblichkeit und DDE-Kontamination beim Sperber (Accipiter nisus)

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Brutaufteilung und Habitatuntzung beim Cassinschn?pper (Muscicapa cassini)

Zusammenfassung Am Cassinschnäpper, einem Bewohner tropischer Flußlandschaften, konnte als besondere Strategie der Brutfürsorge eine Aufteilung der Jungen auf die Eltern beobachtet werden. Jeder Elter nimmt sich dabei eines der beiden Jungen an, wobei Elter und Junges sich individuell erkennen. Diese Aufteilung der Brut dürfte eine Anpassung an den Lebensraum sein, der durch geringe Beutedichte und geklumpte Verteilung der Jagdwarten charakterisiert ist. So wird wahrscheinlich eine bessere Versorgung jedes Jungen, eine Verkürzung der Fütterflüge und der Suchzeit der Jungen sowie eine bessere Lernmöglichkeit des Beutefangs für das einzelne Junge gewährleistet.

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Brood division and habitat usage in the Cassins's Grey Flycatcher (Musicapa cassini)

Summary Cassin's Grey Flycatcher, inhabitants of tropical forest rivers, were observed at a river near Limbe (Westcameroon). The parent birds fed one fledgling each and did not feed the other's young. The separation between the parents and their young was stable during the whole observation period. Parents seem to recognize their individual young and vice versa. The possible functions of brood division are discussed with respect to prey abundance and habitat usage.

     

Nistplatzwahl, Neststandort und Nestbau beim Wasserpieper (Anthus spinoletta)

We investigated specific adaptations in nest-site selection and nest building behaviour of female Water Pipits, which are thought to be key mechanisms explaining the high reproductive success of this species in the alpine tundra. Water Pipits were studied from 1983 to 1989 in Obergurgl (1935–2400 m), Ötztal, Austria. Female Water Pipits spent 3–4 weeks for thorough scanning of potential nest cavities within territories. Nests were situated at sites which gave shelter from drifting snow or rain, from prevailing winds and from extreme radiation. All nests were deeply sunken into the ground and more resembled nest cavities, than simple ground-troughs. Additional adaptations were found in the technique of nest building.

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Ellen Thaler zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet     

Brutreifealter und Bruteinsatz beim Rotstirnbartvogel(Tricholaema l. leucomelan)

Summary A captive-bred pair of sibling pied barbets (Tricholaema l. leucomelan), had its first egg laid at 218 days of age and successfully reared 2 young. After fledging, and prior to breeding the pair had killed a third sib, with which it had been living. — Another pair (parents of the former) responded on two occasions to a suitable trunk with immediate excavation of a hole and commenced laying 11 and 16 days later, respectively.     

Circadiane Rhythmik und photoperiodische Zeitmessung beim Star(Sturnus vulgaris)

Zusammenfassung Um zu prüfen, ob bei dem durch lange Photoperioden induzierten Gonadenwachstum des Stars(Sturnus vulgaris) ein circadianer Mechanismus im Spiel ist, wurden 8 Gruppen männlicher (Versuch 1, Abb. 1) und 6 Gruppen weiblicher (Versuch 2, Abb. 2) Stare im Winter Licht-Dunkel-Zyklen ausgesetzt, die alle dieselbe kurze (6stündige) Lichtzeit hatten, deren Periode aber von Gruppe zu Gruppe als Folge unterschiedlich langer (bis zu 66stündiger) Dunkelzeiten verschieden war. In beiden Versuchen zeigte sich, daß die Periode der Licht-Dunkel-Zyklen, welche Gonadenwachstum stimulierten (bzw. jener, die es nicht stimulierten) ungefähr 24 Stunden auseinanderlagen. Diese Ergebnisse stehen deshalb im Einklang mit Bünnings Hypothese der photoperiodischen Zeitmessung, schließen aber auch andere circadiane Modelle nicht aus. Sie zeigen, daß bei der Kontrolle der Fortpflanzungsaktivität des Stars neben einer endogenen circannualen Rhythmik auch eine endogene circadiane Rhythmik beteiligt ist.

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Circadian rhythms and photoperiodic time measurement in the starling(Sturnus vulgaris)

Summary The role of a circadian mechanism in photoperiodic induction of gonadal growth was investigated. The experiments were conducted in the winters of 1973/74 and 1975/76 on eight groups of male European starlings, and six groups of female starlings. The birds were placed in photoperiodic cycles of 6 hours light and between 6 to 66 hours darkness, varying from group to group. Both male and female experiments showed that gonadal growth was stimulated by light-dark cycles which occurred at multiples of 24 hours. The results are in accord with the Bünning hypothesis of photoperiodic time measurement. However, they do not exclude other circadian models. The experiments mainly indicate that along with the endogenous circannual rhythm, an endogenous circadian rhythm is involved in the control of starling reproductive activity.

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Mit Unterstützung der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft, SPP Biologie der Zeitmessung.

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Stipendiat der Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung     

Territorial- und Werbeverhalten des Chinahaselhuhns(Bonasa sewerzowi)

Zusammenfassung Zwischen 2. und 10. Mai 1997, dem Höhepunkt territorialer Aktivität, wurden im Lianhuashan-Reservat (Gansu, China) Territorial- und Werbeverhalten anhand von 18 farbberingten und besenderten Chinahaselhühnern mittels Ton- und Videotechnik verfolgt. Die Hähne markieren ihre Reviere durch instrumentale Flügelgeräusche, die durch Flattersprünge am Boden, seltener durch Revierflüge hervorgebracht werden. Die Flattersprunghäufigkeit kulminiert am frühen Morgen, die Nahrungsaufnahme am Abend. Die erste Paarung fand am 9. Mai statt.

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Territorial and courtship behaviour of Chinese Grouse(Bonasa sewerzowi)

Summary Field observations, sound and video recordings of the rare endemic Chinese Grouse were carried out during May 2 and 10, 1997, the optimal time to study display, in the Lianhuashan reserve (Gansu province) at altitudes between 2800 and 3200 m a.s.l. We found the density in spring extraordinarily high: 15 occupied territories/km² in the best studied plot. 18 colour-banded and radio-tagged birds were recorded. We were able to record on tape most of the vocal and instrumental sounds produced by the displaying grouse. Chinese grouse males perform a wing-beat display. The main elements of the territorial activity were variable flutter-jumps on the ground up to 1 m high and 2–4 m wide, sometimes also from a tree to the ground and vice-versa, producing instrumental sounds. An evident peak of flutter jumping activity was observed just after the birds left the roost tree in the morning (5.30 h local time) up to 8 o'clock. Noisy territorial flights in the crowns of trees were rarely observed. The low frequency sounds produced by the wings of the jumping cocks produced a typical impressive morning concert, especially, if 3–4 conflicting males came close together. First copulation was recorded on May 9. In the mating time, flutter jumping activity abated considerably.

     

Schaubalz und geschlechtliche Auslese beim Kampfl?ufer(Philomachus pugnax)

Ohne ZusammenfassungAus dem Englischen mit freundlicher Genehmigung des Verfassers frei übertragen von H. Culemann, durchgesehen von F. Steinbacher.Observations tending to throw light on the question of sexual selection in birds, including a day-to-day diary on the breeding habits of the Ruff (Machetes pugnax); The Zoologist 1906 und 1907.