Article
Ecology
Concepcion Salaberria, Carlos A. Chavez-Zichinelli, Isabel Lopez-Rull, Marta C. Romano, Jorge E. Schondube
Summary: Mexico City is highly polluted, and this study investigates the impact of air pollution on house sparrows. The study finds a negative relationship between ozone concentration and the natural antibody response in house sparrows, suggesting that ozone pollution may constrain the immune system of the sparrows.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ursula K. Beattie, Nina Fefferman, Michael Romero
Summary: This study aimed to investigate whether different intensities of chronic stress would produce proportional physiological responses. The results showed that while the changes in body weight and blood metabolites varied across different stress groups, these metrics were not reliable indicators of the intensity of long-term chronic stress.
Article
Zoology
Jennifer T. Vangorder-Braid, Aubrey E. Sirman, Aurelia C. Kucera, Jeffrey D. Kittilson, Tania M. Kibble, Britt J. Heidinger
Summary: The effects of TA-65 on telomeres and keratin-based structures vary across life stages, with experimental exposure in house sparrow chicks showing a failure to lengthen telomeres, reduced growth of keratin-based structures, and increased telomere loss compared to controls. Further research is needed to determine the mechanisms underlying these age-specific effects.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART A-ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tamer Albayrak, Asuman Karadeniz Pekgoz
Summary: The study showed that heavy metal accumulations in polluted areas may affect the morphometric characters' length of house sparrows, with Zn accumulation in muscle and liver showing positive correlations with multiple characters, while Cu accumulation showing negative correlations with multiple characters. Negative coefficient values of some heavy metal bioaccumulation for morphometry were observed, indicating a potential impact on the bird species in polluted areas.
Article
Zoology
Juan Gabriel Chediack, Marcelo Nicolas Padrones, German Ronchi, Rodolfo J. Arias, Fabricio Damian Cid
Summary: This study found that House Sparrows exhibit daily variations in corticosterone levels during feeding and fasting, which have short-term effects on certain biochemical parameters. The sparrows are able to acclimate to food deprivation by efficiently utilizing resources during fasting periods.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pauline Bellot, Francois Brischoux, Clementine Fritsch, Aurelie Goutte, Fabrice Alliot, Steffi Rocchi, Frederic Angelier
Summary: This study provides the first evidence that female birds exposed to tebuconazole can lead to egg contamination. Birds in agroecosystems may be frequently exposed to fungicides, which could have negative impacts on biodiversity.
Article
Biology
V. A. Yudkin, I. G. Frolov, E. S. Sleptsova
Summary: Mapping of house sparrow nests in Western and Central Siberia revealed clustered distribution patterns, with no correlation between nest size and geographical location or population density. No higher rank aggregations were identified, and individual colonies were defined based on recognized clusters.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sofia E. Mendez, A. A. Martin Quero, Nora B. M. Gorla
Summary: The study focuses on the analysis of cytogenetic biomarkers in Passer domesticus from different environments: wild, rural, and urban. The findings reveal distinct types and frequencies of nuclear alterations in birds from each environment, with urban birds showing the highest variety. The study highlights the importance of combining biomarker analysis and satellite images for environmental assessment.
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Edgar Bernat-Ponce, David Ferrer, Jose A. Gil-Delgado, German M. Lopez-Iborra
Summary: Studies show that in Eastern Spain, House Sparrows prefer to be close to surface rubbish containers, possibly due to the higher availability of food debris. Additionally, the presence of other urban features can also influence the abundance of House Sparrows.
Review
Ecology
Courtney L. Davis, Robert P. Guralnick, Elise F. Zipkin
Summary: Natural history collections provide valuable information for understanding the impact of global change on biodiversity. However, using museum records to track long-term insect population trends poses challenges due to spatiotemporal biases and data sparsity. Recent advancements in methodology and integrated modeling offer opportunities to overcome these challenges and accurately estimate population trends.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
R. Francis, G. Bino, V Inman, K. Brandis, R. T. Kingsford
Summary: The Okavango Delta is a highly biodiverse ecosystem with 444 recorded bird species, but there is a lack of long-term assessments. The study found a positive relationship between waterbird abundance and river flows, but a significant decline in waterbird numbers within the Delta with declining inundation, highlighting the need for increased monitoring and protection efforts.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Ornithology
Santi Guallar, Javier Quesada
Summary: Sequence and intensity are essential components of bird moult. The moult sequence and intensity in House Sparrow show high variability within individuals and among feather tracts. The study found support for the protection function between certain feather tracts, as well as conformity to theoretical predictions for aerodynamic constraint on moult intensity. These findings suggest that moult is finely regulated to reduce aerodynamic loss.
Article
Physiology
Melanie G. Kimball, Courtney T. Harding, Kaitlin E. Couvillion, Keegan R. Stansberry, Tosha R. Kelly, Christine R. Lattin
Summary: The presence of predators can influence the behavior and brain activity of female house sparrows, but the interaction with hormonal state is not well understood.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Haley E. E. Hanson, Chengqi Wang, Aaron W. W. Schrey, Andrea L. L. Liebl, Mark Ravinet, Rays H. Y. Jiang, Lynn B. B. Martin
Summary: During range expansions, organisms can use epigenetic mechanisms to adjust to conditions in novel areas. The number of CpG sites varied across the range expansion, with the highest number at the vanguard and decreasing towards the core. This pattern may be driven by selection, but other processes cannot be ruled out. Additionally, DNA methylation did not change significantly during the expansion.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2022)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
M. Ellesse Lauer, Haley Kodak, Tamer Albayrak, Marcos R. Lima, Daniella Ray, Emma Simpson-Wade, David R. Tevs, Elizabeth L. Sheldon, Lynn B. Martin, Aaron W. Schrey
Summary: As an introduced species, house sparrows have rapidly adapted to new habitats by utilizing epigenetic mechanisms, resulting in phenotypic patterns similar to those of native populations. This study examined DNA methylation patterns in house sparrow populations across a broad geographic scale, including populations with different introduction histories. The results showed that invading house sparrows had the highest variance in DNA methylation, followed by established ones, while native populations had the lowest variance. The largest differences in DNA methylation were found between invading and native populations, and the level of methylation was negatively correlated with the time since introduction, indicating a role of DNA methylation in the successful colonization of house sparrows.
JOURNAL OF HEREDITY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Robert A. Robinson, Christoph M. Meier, Willem Witvliet, Marc Kery, Michael Schaub
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
B. Lawson, R. A. Robinson, M. Parmar, R. Killick, A. A. Cunningham, S. J. MacDonald
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2020)
Article
Ornithology
Robert A. Robinson, Mark Wilson
Summary: Peregrine Falcons are an iconic species with historical patterns of persecution and population declines. Research shows that adult survival probabilities in Britain have remained stable since the mid-1970s, while survival of first-year birds appears to have decreased. The study highlights the need for better data on immature survival and recruitment to understand and further limit the increases in the breeding population.
Article
Biology
Catriona A. Morrison, Simon J. Butler, Robert A. Robinson, Jacquie A. Clark, Juan Arizaga, Ainars Aunins, Oriol Balta, Jaroslav Cepak, Tomasz Chodkiewicz, Virginia Escandell, Ruud P. B. Foppen, Richard D. Gregory, Magne Husby, Frederic Jiguet, John Atle Kalas, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Ake Lindstrom, Charlotte M. Moshoj, Karoly Nagy, Arantza Leal Nebot, Markus Piha, Jiri Reif, Thomas Sattler, Jana Skorpilova, Tibor Szep, Norbert Teufelbauer, Kasper Thorup, Chris van Turnhout, Thomas Wenninger, Jennifer A. Gill
Summary: Conservation policies for declining wildlife species are challenging due to multiple environmental changes impacting population declines. Targeted actions to improve local productivity within Europe, combined with large-scale environmental protection across non-breeding ranges, could help halt migrant landbird declines. Such demographic approaches are increasingly necessary to address global wildlife declines.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Aonghais S. C. P. Cook, Niall H. K. Burton, Stephen G. Dodd, Simon Foster, Robert J. Pell, Robin M. Ward, Lucy J. Wright, Robert A. Robinson
Summary: This study analyzed the survival rates of Eurasian curlew populations breeding and/or wintering in the United Kingdom, finding that cold weather and high density reduce curlew survival rates, but overall survival rates are high and have increased in recent years. Current population declines are likely driven by low productivity, emphasizing the need to increase breeding success and maintain high levels of survival through effective conservation strategies.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Ornithology
Jenny L. Donelan, Catriona A. Morrison, Iain R. Barr, Jennifer A. Gill
Summary: The study found that although early arrival of male Chiffchaffs does not result in earlier nesting, the later arrival of Willow Warblers may reduce the opportunities for replacement clutches.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
C. A. Morrison, A. Aunins, Z. Benko, L. Brotons, T. Chodkiewicz, P. Chylarecki, V Escandell, D. P. Eskildsen, A. Gamero, S. Herrando, F. Jiguet, J. A. Kalas, J. Kamp, A. Klvanova, P. Kmecl, A. Lehikoinen, A. Lindstroem, C. Moshoj, D. G. Noble, I. J. Oien, J-Y Paquet, J. Reif, T. Sattler, B. S. Seaman, N. Teufelbauer, S. Trautmann, C. A. M. van Turnhout, P. Vorisek, S. J. Butler
Summary: Studies show that bird song landscapes in North America and Europe are becoming quieter and less varied, reflecting declines in bird diversity and abundance. The changes in soundscapes may have widespread implications for the connection between humans and nature, potentially affecting human health and well-being.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Catriona A. Morrison, Simon J. Butler, Jacquie A. Clark, Juan Arizaga, Oriol Balta, Jaroslav Cepak, Arantza Leal Nebot, Markus Piha, Kasper Thorup, Thomas Wenninger, Robert A. Robinson, Jennifer A. Gill
Summary: The variation in demographic rates across space and time can inform conservation policy and guide targeted actions to improve population dynamics. Understanding the specific conditions associated with low demographic rates is crucial for effective conservation strategies.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Tom Finch, James R. R. Bell, Robert A. A. Robinson, Will J. J. Peach
Summary: The study aims to improve understanding of the drivers of Common Swift decline in Great Britain, finding that weather plays a significant role in their demographic variation, while aphid biomass is not a key factor.
Article
Ecology
Chloe R. Nater, Malcolm D. D. Burgess, Peter Coffey, Bob Harris, Frank Lander, David Price, Mike Reed, Robert A. A. Robinson
Summary: This study examines the population decline of migratory pied flycatchers breeding in Britain. By using a generalized modelling framework and long-term monitoring data, the study identifies the demographic and environmental drivers of the decline. The results suggest that both short- and long-term population changes are primarily influenced by factors during migration and in nonbreeding areas.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Guillermo Fandos, Matthew Talluto, Wolfgang Fiedler, Robert A. A. Robinson, Kasper Thorup, Damaris Zurell
Summary: Dispersal is a crucial life-history trait for species to ensure connectivity and gene flow between populations. This study introduces a statistical framework for estimating standardized dispersal kernels and compares empirical dispersal kernels for European breeding birds across different age and sex categories.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
A. E. Barnes, J. G. Davies, B. Martay, P. H. Boersch-Supan, S. J. Harris, D. G. Noble, J. W. Pearce-Higgins, R. A. Robinson
Summary: Recent commitments to increase protected areas to combat biodiversity crisis have been questioned due to mixed and rarely evaluated evidence. This study used citizen science data in the UK to assess the effectiveness of designated areas on avifauna. The findings suggest that these areas have positive associations with species occurrence, abundance, and change, with the greatest benefits seen in conservation-dependent and declining species.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Oceanography
N. J. O'Hanlon, D. T. Johnston, A. S. C. P. Cook, R. A. Robinson, E. M. Humphreys
Summary: This article discusses the pressures faced by species in marine environments and the challenges in seabird conservation. Using the Black-legged Kittiwake as a case study, it highlights knowledge gaps in population studies and the impact of key stressors. A strategic approach is proposed to identify and prioritize data collection and research efforts in species and regions with limited data.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
