Nestling mortality in a reintroduced population of the endangered and endemic hihi/stitchbird (Notiomystis cincta) was investigated over one breeding season (2008-09) at Zealandia – Karori Sanctuary, New Zealand, to determine whether disease impacted on nestling survival. High rates of both hatching failure (56%) and nestling mortality (39%) in the first clutch made this the least successful breeding season since translocation in 2005. Overall 34% of eggs survived to fledge, compared to 52% and 58% in 2005-06 and 2006-07 respectively. Samples collected from 34 live and 25 dead nestlings were screened for evidence of disease. Bacterial and fungal pathogens were isolated from gastrointestinal swabs but there was no evidence of coccidia or other intestinal parasites in faecal samples. There was no evidence of significant abnormalities in the blood collected from hihi prior to fledging in the haematological parameters tested, and all blood samples were negative for malarial parasites. Tropical fowl mites (Ornithonyssus bursa) were found on nestlings and recovered from nest material in very small numbers. Sixty percent of nestling mortality occurred during the first 7 days of life, most often caused by starvation (16%) or poor pulmonary aeration (20%), and death was associated with seasonally low minimum daily temperatures below 11oC. Two older nestlings that died suffered from aspergillosis and an unidentified haemoparasite respectively. Seven nestlings (28%) aged 6-19 days died as a consequence of ventriculitis due to traumatic penetration by insect remnants identified as bee or wasp stings (Hymenoptera). The resulting granulomatous lesions were found in the gizzard mucosa, muscle layers and ventricular or intestinal serosa, and were associated with bacterial and/or yeast secondary infection. It was concluded that hihi may lack the evolutionary adaptations to safely consume introduced bees (Apis mellifera) and wasps (Vespula germanica, V. vulgaris) that are attracted to the feeding stations used to support reintroduced hihi populations. Histopathological examination showed candidiasis contributed to the deaths of four nestlings and Candida albicans was isolated from the gastrointestinal swabs of 13 live nestlings from four nest sites, eight of which survived to fledge. The potential of all pathogens may be increased by any cause of temporary or permanent immunosuppression and, in this establishing population, the majority of nestling deaths were associated with environmental conditions (temperature) and ecological factors (introduced prey). It is suggested that ongoing monitoring should include use of temperature data-loggers in hihi nest boxes, health screening of live nestlings, necropsy examination of dead birds, and spore counts to determine environmental levels of Aspergillus. Nest box insulation and/or heating could reduce the incidence of hypothermia in nestlings. A review of the carbohydrate provisioning protocols may reduce bee/wasp numbers and minimise the effect of Candida albicans at this site.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 2008. / Title from title page screen (viewed on Sept. 15, 2009). Thesis advisor: David A. Buehler. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Two chapters in this thesis try to explain whether insectivorous birds can smell volatile compounds released by plants attacked by herbivorous insect, and use them as a cue to locate prey rich plants. First chapter describes field experiments with chemical induction of volatile compounds similar to those released during real herbivory. Second chapter depicts foraging behaviour of birds towards trees with "true" herbivory caused by live caterpillars in a cage experiment.

Integrating hardware in simulations is useful in many applications, for example to investigate the performance of an aircraft with the non-ideal response of a physical system. This thesis aims to integrate a flight simulator, JSBSim, with an actuator test rig, FLUMES Iron Bird. Two aircraft models were replicated in JSBSim, a passenger aircraft and a delta winged fighter aircraft. The models were analyzed to ensure proper flight performance in regards to stability. The stability analysis was conducted from both the aerodynamic data provided as well as through state-space theory. The fighter aircraft was unstable in the subsonic region and in need of a flight control system to fly properly. The integration with the test rig was implemented using Simulink S-functions and a real-time target computer ensuring synchronous communication with the actuator test rig. The passenger aircraft was successfully integrated and tested with the actuator test rig. / Att integrera hårdvara med simuleringar är behjälpligt i många situationer, exempelvis för att undersöka hur ett flygplan reagerar med ett icke-idealt svar från ett fysiskt system. I det här examensarbetet är målet att utveckla ett gränssnitt mellan en flygsimulator, JSBSim, och en aktuatortestrigg, FLUMES Iron Bird. Två flygplansmodeller skapades i JSBSim, ett passagerarflygplan och ett stridsflygplan. För att vara säker på flygplansmodellernas prestanda analyserades modellerna med avseende på stabilitet. Stabilitetsanalysen beräknades både utifrån aerodynamisk data såväl som utifrån tillståndsanalys, där både statisk och dynamisks stabilitet inkluderades. Stridsflyget var instabilt i underljudsfart och behöver därför ett styrsystem för att vara flygbart. Integreringen med testriggen utfördes i Simulink med hjälp av S-funktioner och en realtidsdator för att garantera synkronisk kommunikation mellan flygsimulatorn och testriggen. Det modellerade passagerarflygplanet kunde integreras och testas med testriggen.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Seasonal variation in food availability is one of the primary limitations to avian populations, particularly during the breeding season. However, the behavioral responses between species may differ based on foraging strategies. I examined the influence of food availability on landscape-level habitat selection, patch-level habitat selection, and movements of two wading bird species with divergent foraging strategies, the Great Egret and White Ibis. On a landscape scale, there appeared to be a relationship among resource availability, the temporal scale of the independent variable, and whether the response was similar or different between species. At the patch level, results demonstrated a relationship between resource availability and the spatial scale of the independent variables selected by birds. Species movements were consistent with the differing strategies. This study is the first to make the link between landscape hydrology patterns, prey availability, and responses in wading bird habitat selection at multiple spatial scales. / by James M. Beerens. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2008. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

城市發展被認為是導致本土物種滅絶的最主要原因，對鳥類群落結構有著極其重要的影響。雖然香港的城市化程度非常高，但對於鳥類尤其候鳥來說，其仍具有很高的保育價值。截至目前，有關城市化及多尺度生境因素對香港城市鳥類群落的影響的研究還非常少。 / 在城市景觀中，公園是鳥類多樣性的熱點地區。本研究選取了30個公園 (15個位於發達地區，15個位於新近發展地區) 作為研究樣地，分別於2010-2011年的繁殖季和越冬季，採用樣點法調查了所有樣地的鳥類群落。結果顯示，新近發展地區的鳥類群落較發達地區的更為均勻，嵌套程度更高。但不論何種發展類型，留鳥均為城市公園中的優勢群體。發達地區有較多的食穀鳥和偏好開闊生境的鳥類，而新近發展地區則吸引了較多的食蟲鳥、食蟲食果鳥和森林專一性鳥類。發達和新近發展地區的鳥類群落結構的差異，與生境均勻性 (400米尺度)、最大林地斑塊指數 (400米尺度) 及景觀聚集度指數 (400和1000米尺度) 密切相關。 / 香港公園的鳥類群落具有明顯的季節差異。繁殖季與越冬季的鳥種組成、鳥類豐富度和多樣性均有顯著差異。與繁殖季相比，越冬季的食蟲鳥、食蟲食果鳥及在灌木層和喬木層覓食的鳥類較繁殖季明顯增多，而食穀鳥及在地面覓食的鳥類則較繁殖季減少。 / 本研究進一步探討了公園屬性、人類干擾和植被結構對不同季節的鳥類群落結構的影響。結果顯示，公園面積和訪客率對於不同季節的鳥類群落有顯著影響。不論是繁殖季還是越冬季，鳥類豐富度和多樣性均隨公園面積的增加而增加；越冬季鳥類豐富度隨訪客率增加而減少。另外，繁殖季的鳥類總密度隨訪客率增加而增加。不同種團在不同季節對生境變量的反應也有所不同。例如，候鳥、食蟲鳥和食蟲食果鳥在越冬季隨公園面積的增加而增加，但隨訪客率的增加而減少；而雜食性鳥類在繁殖期均隨公園面積和訪客率的增加而增加。 / 對于不同景觀尺度的生境變量對冬季城市鳥類群落的影響的分析結果顯示，200米尺度上的林地和草地的覆蓋度對鳥類豐富度有顯著影響。單個物種的反應上，200和400米尺度上的斑塊密度對叉尾太陽鳥 (Aethopyga christinae) 的出現與消失有最好的解釋度。與叉尾太陽鳥不同，單一尺度生境變量對暗綠繡眼鳥 (Phylloscopus proregulus)、烏鶇 (Turdus merula)、灰背鶇 (T. hortulorum)、噪鵑 (Eudynamys scolopaceus) 和喜鵲 (Pica pica) 的分佈模式具有最好的解釋度，即200或400米尺度上的植被（包括林地、灌木和草地）覆蓋度對其在特定樣地的出現與消失有顯著影響。總之，小尺度生境變量 (400米以內) 對香港城市鳥類群落的影響值得更多關注。 / 最後，本文還探究了景觀 (400米) 和斑塊尺度上的生境變量對冬季鳥類群落的共同影響。非度量多維標度 (Non-metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling) 分析結果顯示，景觀尺度上的林地比例和斑塊密度及斑塊尺度上的樹木密度對鳥類分佈有強烈影響。多尺度交叉模型對候鳥、食穀鳥、食蟲鳥和食蟲食果鳥的分佈均有很好的解釋度。另外，相對于單一的景觀或斑塊尺度模型，多尺度交叉模型也能更好地解釋單個物種的分佈模式。可以說，景觀變量的加入能大大提高單一的斑塊尺度模型的預測能力。綜上，同時考慮景觀和斑塊尺度上生境變量對鳥類群落的共同影響是非常必要的。 / 本研究首次系統地研究了香港城市公園的鳥類群落結構及多尺度生境變數對鳥類分佈的影響；研究結果能為土地擁有者和公園管理者更好的保育城市生態系統提供理論依據。 / Urban development affects avian community structure dramatically, and it is considered a major cause of native species extinction. Hong Kong is a highly urbanized city, but has great conservation values for birds particularly migrants. There is a paucity of information on the effects of urbanization and multi-scale habitat characteristics on urban birds in Hong Kong. / Parks are hotspots of avian diversity in urban landscapes. Thirty parks, scattered throughout the territory, were selected as sampling sites from developed and new growth areas. Bird community structure was studied in the breeding and wintering seasons in 2010-2011. Regarding the effects of urbanization, bird communities in the new growth areas were more homogeneous and nested than those in the developed areas. Residents dominated urban parks in both development types. More granivores and open-habitat species, but fewer insectivores, insectivore-frugivores, and forest-specialist birds appeared in the developed areas than in the new growth areas. These differences were strongly associated with habitat evenness and largest patch index for woodland at 400-m scale and contagion index at 400- and 1000-m scales. / There were obvious seasonal differences in urban bird communities. Species composition, richness, and diversity were significantly different between the breeding and wintering seasons. Compared to breeding bird communities, more insectivores, insectivore-frugivores, and species feeding on plants, but less granivores and species feeding on the ground appeared in the wintering season. / The effects of park attributes, human disturbance, and vegetation structure on the seasonal differences were determined. Species richness and diversity were positively affected by park size in both seasons. Species richness was negatively affected by visitor rate in the wintering season. Total bird density increased with visitor rate, but only in the breeding season. In other words, park size and visitor rate were the major factors affecting bird communities in both seasons. Moreover, different species groups had different responses to habitat characteristics in different seasons. For examples, migrants, insectivores, and insectivore-frugivores were positively affected by park size, but negatively by visitor rate in the wintering season. However, omnivores in the breeding season increased with both park size and visitor rate. / The effects of habitat characteristics at five landscape scales on wintering bird communities were addressed. Total species richness was significantly affected by the availability of woodland and grassland at 200-m scale. For the six selected species, the incidence of Fork-tailed Sunbird (Aethopyga christinae) was affected by patch density, positively at 200-m scale but negatively at 400-m scale, and the incidences of the other five species (including Pallas's Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus, Common Blackbird Turdus merula, Grey-backed Thrush T. hortulorum, Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus, and Eurasian Magpie Pica pica) were best predicted by the availability of greenspaces within 400 m. Consequently, factors at fine scales (within 400 m) should be more concerned while conserving birds in Hong Kong. / Finally, the cross-scale effects of habitat measurements at 400-m landscape and local scale on wintering bird communities were examined. The percentage of woodland and patch density at landscape scale, and tree density at local scale were mostly strongly correlated with species distribution. Most species groups and the incidences of individual species were better predicted by cross-scale approaches, and landscape characteristics increased the efficiency of local-only models. It is necessary to simultaneously consider the joint effects of landscape- and local-scale characteristics on birds in urban environments. / This research is the first to systematically study bird communities in urban parks of Hong Kong, and determine the factors influencing bird distribution patterns at multiple scales. The knowledge acquired would help land owners and park managers to conserve a more diverse ecosystem in Hong Kong. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Zhou, Daqing. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-165). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.I / Acknowledgements --- p.VI / Table of Contents --- p.VIII / List of Tables --- p.XIII / List of Figures --- p.XVI / List of Appendices --- p.XVIII / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Bird community ecology and its developments --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Effects of urbanization on urban bird communities --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Urbanization --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Major impacts of urbanization --- p.5 / Chapter 1.3 --- Effects of multi-scale habitat characteristics on bird communities --- p.7 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Importance of spatial scale --- p.7 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Effects of local-scale habitat characteristics on urban bird community --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3.2.1 --- Park attributes --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3.2.2 --- Human disturbance --- p.11 / Chapter 1.3.2.3 --- Vegetation configuration --- p.12 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- Effects of landscape-scale habitat characteristics on urban bird community --- p.13 / Chapter 1.3.3.1 --- Various landscape-scale habitat characteristics --- p.14 / Chapter 1.3.3.2 --- Scalar effects of landscape-scale habitat characteristics --- p.16 / Chapter 1.3.3.3 --- Combined effects of local- and landscape-scale habitat characteristics --- p.17 / Chapter 1.4 --- Overview of Hong Kong --- p.18 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- General situation --- p.18 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Knowledge gaps --- p.20 / Chapter 1.4.3 --- Research significances --- p.21 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- Avian community structure of urban parks in developed and new growth areas: A landscape-scale study in Southeast Asia --- p.22 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.22 / Chapter 2.2 --- Methods --- p.26 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Study area --- p.26 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Bird census --- p.27 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Landscape-level habitat factors at 400- and 1000-m scales --- p.36 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Data analyses --- p.38 / Chapter 2.2.4.1 --- Community attributes --- p.38 / Chapter 2.2.4.2 --- Species groups --- p.39 / Chapter 2.2.4.3 --- Species composition --- p.39 / Chapter 2.2.4.4 --- Nestedness --- p.41 / Chapter 2.2.4.5 --- Community responses to landscape-scale habitat factors --- p.41 / Chapter 2.3 --- Results --- p.42 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Comparisons of community attributes between developed and new growth areas --- p.43 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Responses of species groups to the development type --- p.45 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Differences in species composition --- p.46 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Nestedness of developed and new growth areas --- p.49 / Chapter 2.3.5 --- Responses of bird community to landscape-scale habitat factors --- p.49 / Chapter 2.4 --- Discussion --- p.50 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Bird community structure for the two development types --- p.50 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Responses to landscape-scale habitat factors at two spatial scales --- p.56 / Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- Seasonal dynamics of bird community structure in urban parks of Hong Kong --- p.58 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.58 / Chapter 3.2 --- Methods --- p.59 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Study area --- p.59 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Bird census --- p.60 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Data analyses --- p.62 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results --- p.64 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Differences in community attributes --- p.66 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Differences in the composition of species groups --- p.67 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Differences in individual species composition --- p.68 / Chapter 3.3.4 --- Nestedness pattern of breeding and wintering bird communities --- p.69 / Chapter 3.4 --- Discussion --- p.69 / Chapter 3.5 --- Conclusions --- p.73 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- How would size, age, human disturbance, and vegetation structure affect bird communities of urban parks in different seasons? --- p.74 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.74 / Chapter 4.2 --- Methods --- p.76 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Study area --- p.76 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Bird census --- p.78 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Measurements of human disturbance --- p.78 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Vegetation structure --- p.79 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Data analyses --- p.80 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results --- p.82 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Species number --- p.83 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Species diversity --- p.85 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Total bird density --- p.86 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Responses of seasonal status classes and feeding guilds --- p.86 / Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.89 / Chapter 4.5 --- Conclusions --- p.93 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- How did spatial scale affect the responses of wintering bird communities in urban parks? The importance of small landscape-scale approaches --- p.95 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.95 / Chapter 5.2 --- Methods --- p.97 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Study area --- p.97 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Bird census --- p.98 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- Habitat characteristics at five landscape scales --- p.99 / Chapter 5.2.4 --- Data analyses --- p.102 / Chapter 5.3 --- Results --- p.103 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Species selected in this study --- p.103 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Responses of total species richness to five landscape-scale habitat characteristics --- p.105 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Responses of six specific species to five landscape-scale habitat characteristics --- p.106 / Chapter 5.4 --- Discussion --- p.109 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Most influential spatial scales --- p.109 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Effects of habitat availability and patch distribution at varying scales --- p.111 / Chapter 5.5 --- Conclusions --- p.113 / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- Cross-Scale effects of landscape- and local-scale habitat characteristics on wintering bird communities in highly urbanized Hong Kong --- p.115 / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.115 / Chapter 6.2 --- Methods --- p.117 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Study area --- p.117 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Bird census --- p.119 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- Landscape-scale habitat characteristics --- p.119 / Chapter 6.2.4 --- Local-scale habitat characteristics --- p.121 / Chapter 6.2.5 --- Data analyses --- p.122 / Chapter 6.2.5.1 --- Correlation analyses --- p.122 / Chapter 6.2.5.2 --- Cross-scale effects of landscape- and local-scale characteristics on bird communities --- p.123 / Chapter 6.2.5.3 --- Cross-scale effects of landscape- and local-scale characteristics on species groups --- p.125 / Chapter 6.2.5.4 --- Comparison between single-scale and cross-scale approaches for some specific species --- p.125 / Chapter 6.3 --- Results --- p.126 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Community responses to landscape- and local-scale habitat characteristics --- p.126 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Responses of species groups --- p.128 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- Responses of six individual species --- p.130 / Chapter 6.4 --- Discussion --- p.131 / Chapter 6.4.1 --- Responses of community and species groups to landscape- and local-scale habitat characteristics --- p.131 / Chapter 6.4.2 --- Landscape- versus local-scale habitat characteristics --- p.135 / Chapter 6.5 --- Conclusions --- p.136 / Chapter CHAPTER 7 --- General conclusions --- p.138 / Chapter 7.1 --- Major results and recommendations --- p.138 / Chapter 7.2 --- Further investigations --- p.142 / References --- p.144 / Appendices --- p.166 / Publications --- p.188

Vineyards in New Zealand suffer bird damage caused by several avian species, including blackbirds and silvereyes. The introduced European Blackbird takes whole grapes which reduces yield. The self-introduced Australasian Silvereye pecks on grapes, leaving them on the vine to be further attacked by fungi and bacteria, and the subsequent off-odours can cause grapes to be refused by the winery or to suffer a price-reduction. Bird control methods remain primitive and largely ineffective during the long ripening period of wine grapes. An ecologically sound method to manage and reduce bird pressure requires deeper understanding of why some birds eat grapes, especially since grapes are not particularly nutritious. This work investigated the extent to which blackbirds and silvereyes are attracted by various compounds in ripening grapes. Since in natural grapes these compounds develop and change simultaneously, I developed an artificial grape in which a single parameter could be investigated. Artificial grapes (and sometimes nectar) were presented on a bird feeder table and the responses of birds to hexose sugars, the aromas 2-3-isobutylmethoxypyrazine and geraniol, tartaric and malic acids, grape tannins, and purple and green colour were recorded on timelapse video and analysed.

<p>Avian Influenza (AI) is a contagious viral zoonotic disease with great public health implications and negative socioeconomic impact (WHO, 2006a). The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infection is transmitted from birds to man mostly through contact with contaminated poultry and objects (INFOSAN, 2005), hence people who come in contact with birds such as live bird sellers (LBS) are the more vulnerable population (WHO, 2006a). Inadequate knowledge of AI health risks and poor practice of AI preventive measures amongst LBS increases the risk of spread of the infection in both humans and animals.The aim of this study was to describe and quantify the knowledge and practice of LBS with regards to avian influenza health risks and preventive activities in Agege, an urban area in Lagos State, Nigeria.</p>

<p>Avian Influenza (AI) is a contagious viral zoonotic disease with great public health implications and negative socioeconomic impact (WHO, 2006a). The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infection is transmitted from birds to man mostly through contact with contaminated poultry and objects (INFOSAN, 2005), hence people who come in contact with birds such as live bird sellers (LBS) are the more vulnerable population (WHO, 2006a). Inadequate knowledge of AI health risks and poor practice of AI preventive measures amongst LBS increases the risk of spread of the infection in both humans and animals.The aim of this study was to describe and quantify the knowledge and practice of LBS with regards to avian influenza health risks and preventive activities in Agege, an urban area in Lagos State, Nigeria.</p>