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The three North American Rosy-Finch species (Brown-capped [Leucosticte australis], Black [L. atrata], and Gray-crowned [L. tephrocotis]) are among the most climate-threatened species in the United States. New Mexico is an important location for investigating the effects of climate change because it is the southernmost location in which Brown-capped Rosy-Finches breed...

Knowledge of animal-movement patterns is a crucial component in identifying areas with high potential for human–wildlife conflict and in prioritizing associated management actions. Electrical energy infrastructure is a major source of mortality for animals worldwide, with millions of birds colliding with or being electrocuted by power lines and power-pole infrastructure...

Nocardia spp. are opportunistic pathogens of humans, domestic animals, and wildlife that can cause high levels of morbidity and mortality. Here, we present a unique case of nocardial airsacculitis in a free-ranging mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) from Arizona, USA, and compare it to the hosts, geographic distribution,...

Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) and African rock pythons (Python sebae) have established invasive populations in southern Florida, severely disrupting local ecosystems. We analysed necropsy data from 2,179 pythons captured between 2006 and 2022, revealing nine cases of coelomic...

Measurements of chlorophyll concentration reported by fluorometers (fChl) are used in environmental research and monitoring, as inputs to models, and in the interpretation of remote sensing data. Researchers and managers benefit from understanding how to interpret and ensure the accuracy of fChl data collected by in situ fluorometers. Although fChl...

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) has caused extensive mortalities in wild birds with a disproportionate impact on raptors since 2021. The population-level impact of HPAIV can be informed by telemetry studies that track large samples of initially healthy, wild birds. We leveraged movement data from 71 rough-legged hawks (Buteo...

Hawaii hosts one of Earth’s most unique and threatened avifaunas. Upslope migration of mosquito-vectored avian malaria on Kauaʻi (maximum elevation 1,598 m) has likely caused its rapid loss of avifaunal diversity; only 8 of 13 historic forest bird species remain. We update the status and trends of Kauaʻi forest bird populations...

Universally recognized scientific names for organisms are necessary for accurate and efficient communication. Incongruence in taxonomic treatments results in situations where one name is used for different entities or one entity is known by different names, with negative consequences for conservation, science, trade, legislation, law enforcement, and education, leading to...

Since the introduction of the Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) to Haleakalā volcano, Maui, three decades ago, subsequent reports have hinted at an expansion of this nascent population. We draw from a variety of data sources to learn about this pheasant's present status on Maui. First, forest bird surveys conducted every...

Following the recovery of Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus), the US Fish and Wildlife Service began a process to allow “take” (capture) of wild peregrines for falconry in the United States. Recently, that effort involved generating updated estimates of the collective abundance of the three North American peregrine subspecies: F. p. anatum, F....

Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs), including saxitoxin (STX) and its congeners, are neurotoxins that can be produced during harmful algal blooms and cause illness or death in humans, fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Since 2014, multiple large-scale seabird mortality events have occurred in Alaska waters, with STXs detected in some carcasses....

Hybridization is a common process among bird species that can precipitate a mix of positive or negative species outcomes. Particularly for rare populations, detrimental effects of hybridization on demographic growth rates and genetic integrity are of serious concern. In Alaska and a small region of northwestern Canada, the endemic subspecies...

This Memo to All Banders (MTAB 112) was released in June 2025. Subjects in this this memo are 1. The Chief’s Chirp; 2. Message from the Director of Eastern Ecological Science Center; 3. Staff Updates – celebrating Craig “Tut” Tuthill’s remarkable career and retirement; 4. Alerts – New reportband.gov link...

The Steller’s Eider is a sea duck that uses specific molting areas in lagoons in southwest Alaska, and these molting populations have declined in recent decades. The annual flight feather molt is a significant stage in avian life-history. The focus of this study was to characterize the...

Species distributions depend on fine-scale ecological processes and population growth trajectories and are influenced by climate and weather changes. However, the characterization of inter-population dynamics underlying the geographic distributions of migratory organisms remains challenging. We adopted a stable isotope approach to investigate the dynamic population geography of a terrestrial migratory...

Exploring the causes of differential migration, or variation in migration distance, has increased our understanding of the remarkable variation in migratory behavior exhibited by birds more generally. However, considerable uncertainty exists regarding the mechanisms underlying differential migration distance in birds despite it being a common phenomenon. We leveraged migration distances...

1. Avian fatalities caused by collisions with overhead power lines are an important conservation issue worldwide. Although mitigation strategies can help reduce mortalities, given their considerable cost and the vast scale of power line infrastructure, cost-effective action requires that these efforts be prioritised to areas with the highest potential risk...

Emergent tidal wetlands are declining globally as a result of sea level rise and land use change. This habitat loss can keenly affect rare plant species within wetlands, and may require restoration to meet species recovery goals related to retaining populations throughout species' ranges. Soft salty bird’s-beak (Chloropyron molle ssp....

Greenland White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons flavirostris exhibit prolonged parent–offspring and sibling–sibling associations, suggesting fitness advantages to such behaviour, so we used reduced representation genome sequence data to determine the degree to which marked flock members observed associating in apparent parent–offspring and sibling–sibling relationships in the field were genetically related. Among 50 bled,...

Executive SummaryHighly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is an ecologically and economically important animal disease that can also directly affect humans (a “zoonotic” disease). HPAI was once limited almost exclusively to domestic poultry but has rapidly adapted to diverse animal hosts. Viruses causing HPAI now appear to be maintained and dispersed...

Since 1985, the Hakalau Forest Unit of the Big Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex (hereafter, Hakalau) has protected the largest endemic forest bird diversity in the State of Hawaii. This includes three endangered and one threatened species and their habitats. Hakalau’s vast area (155 km2), mostly high elevation (>1500 m)...

Invertebrates, such as brine shrimp and brine flies, are key prey items for millions of resident and migratory birds that utilize saline lakes such as Great Salt Lake (GSL). Elevated methylmercury (MeHg) in invertebrate and waterfowl species of GSL has been assumed to be linked to elevated MeHg in GSL’s...

Native Hawaiian forest birds are experiencing an unprecedented extinction crisis. In particular, the iconic Hawaiian honeycreeper radiation has declined to just 17 out of ∼60 species remaining, most threatened with extinction due to avian malaria. Here, we investigate the genomic signatures of these declines in three honeycreeper species: the critically...

Changes in vegetation cover are occurring across sub-Saharan Africa and can have substantial effects on ecological communities, but limited data make understanding status and trends difficult for many taxa. We surveyed birds for several decades across Uganda using point counts. Using time-to-detection analysis in a trait-informed Bayesian multi-species occupancy framework,...

Captive breeding and translocation programs are an increasingly common conservation tool and management strategy used for some of the rarest and most endangered species in the world. These programs come at a high cost, and many translocation programs fail to monitor animals after release. Light-footed Ridgway’s rails (Rallus obsoletus levipes)...