Counting Common Starlings: is Sturnus vulgaris invasive in rural South Africa?
- Craig, Adrian J F K, Edwards, Shelley
- Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K , Edwards, Shelley
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/449344 , vital:74813 , https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2024.2304359
- Description: The numbers of Common Starlings Sturnus vulgaris and indigenous starling species, as well as a subset of other common birds, were recorded from October 2006 to January 2020 at 72 point-count sites along four routes (two urban and two rural) in the Eastern Cape Province of South African. In the rural habitat, Common Starlings were localised at buildings; in the urban habitat, there was no clear indication that their presence influenced the occurrence or abundance of the Red-winged Starling Onychognathus morio, a native species which has colonised towns and nests on buildings. In this region there is little evidence that Common Starlings invade areas that have not been heavily modified by human activities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024
- Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K , Edwards, Shelley
- Date: 2024
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/449344 , vital:74813 , https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2024.2304359
- Description: The numbers of Common Starlings Sturnus vulgaris and indigenous starling species, as well as a subset of other common birds, were recorded from October 2006 to January 2020 at 72 point-count sites along four routes (two urban and two rural) in the Eastern Cape Province of South African. In the rural habitat, Common Starlings were localised at buildings; in the urban habitat, there was no clear indication that their presence influenced the occurrence or abundance of the Red-winged Starling Onychognathus morio, a native species which has colonised towns and nests on buildings. In this region there is little evidence that Common Starlings invade areas that have not been heavily modified by human activities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2024
African birds as army ant followers
- Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K
- Date: 2022
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/448772 , vital:74759 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-022-01987-0
- Description: Ant-following birds have been studied extensively in the Neotropics, but much less information is currently available for the Afrotropics. There are published records of 168 African bird species from 37 families foraging in association with driver ants (Dorylus, sub-family Dorylinae). However, of 52 bird species assessed as regular ant-followers, 38 belong to three families, which are disproportionately represented compared to other large Afrotropical bird families: Muscicapidae (18 spp.), Pycnonotidae (13 spp.) and Turdidae (7 spp.). The extent to which these birds are dependent on ants through their annual cycle is not known. African driver ants forage primarily under shaded, humid conditions by day, and may spend a month or longer underground. Conservation assessments of African forest habitats suggest that both driver ants and ant-following birds may be especially sensitive to the loss of forest cover.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022
- Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K
- Date: 2022
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/448772 , vital:74759 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-022-01987-0
- Description: Ant-following birds have been studied extensively in the Neotropics, but much less information is currently available for the Afrotropics. There are published records of 168 African bird species from 37 families foraging in association with driver ants (Dorylus, sub-family Dorylinae). However, of 52 bird species assessed as regular ant-followers, 38 belong to three families, which are disproportionately represented compared to other large Afrotropical bird families: Muscicapidae (18 spp.), Pycnonotidae (13 spp.) and Turdidae (7 spp.). The extent to which these birds are dependent on ants through their annual cycle is not known. African driver ants forage primarily under shaded, humid conditions by day, and may spend a month or longer underground. Conservation assessments of African forest habitats suggest that both driver ants and ant-following birds may be especially sensitive to the loss of forest cover.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022
Austral birds offer insightful complementary models in ecology and evolution
- Theuerkauf, Jörn, Villavicencio, Camilla P, Adreani, Nicholas M, Attisano, Alfredo, Craig, Adrian J F K, D’Amelio, Pietro B, Gula, Roman, Lee, Alan T K, Mentesana, Lucia, Quillfeldt, Petra, Quirici, Veronica, Quispe, René, Vásquez, Rodrigo A, Wingfield, John C, Masello, Juan F
- Authors: Theuerkauf, Jörn , Villavicencio, Camilla P , Adreani, Nicholas M , Attisano, Alfredo , Craig, Adrian J F K , D’Amelio, Pietro B , Gula, Roman , Lee, Alan T K , Mentesana, Lucia , Quillfeldt, Petra , Quirici, Veronica , Quispe, René , Vásquez, Rodrigo A , Wingfield, John C , Masello, Juan F
- Date: 2022
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/449097 , vital:74788 , https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(22)00114-8
- Description: The Southern Hemisphere differs from the Northern Hemisphere in many aspects. However, most ecological and evolutionary research is conducted in the Northern Hemisphere and its conclusions are extrapolated to the entire globe. Therefore, unique organismal and evolutionary characteristics of the south are overlooked. We use ornithology to show the importance of including a southern perspective. We present examples of plumage pigmentation, brood-parasitic nestling ejection, flightlessness, female song, and female aggression modulated by progesterone as complementary models for investigating fundamental biological questions. More research in the Southern Hemisphere, together with increased cooperation among researchers across the hemispheres and within the Southern Hemisphere, will provide a greater global outlook into ecology and evolution.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022
- Authors: Theuerkauf, Jörn , Villavicencio, Camilla P , Adreani, Nicholas M , Attisano, Alfredo , Craig, Adrian J F K , D’Amelio, Pietro B , Gula, Roman , Lee, Alan T K , Mentesana, Lucia , Quillfeldt, Petra , Quirici, Veronica , Quispe, René , Vásquez, Rodrigo A , Wingfield, John C , Masello, Juan F
- Date: 2022
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/449097 , vital:74788 , https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(22)00114-8
- Description: The Southern Hemisphere differs from the Northern Hemisphere in many aspects. However, most ecological and evolutionary research is conducted in the Northern Hemisphere and its conclusions are extrapolated to the entire globe. Therefore, unique organismal and evolutionary characteristics of the south are overlooked. We use ornithology to show the importance of including a southern perspective. We present examples of plumage pigmentation, brood-parasitic nestling ejection, flightlessness, female song, and female aggression modulated by progesterone as complementary models for investigating fundamental biological questions. More research in the Southern Hemisphere, together with increased cooperation among researchers across the hemispheres and within the Southern Hemisphere, will provide a greater global outlook into ecology and evolution.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022
Sexing adult pale-winged starlings using morphometric and discriminant function analysis
- Henry, Laurence, Biquand, Véroniquee, Craig, Adrian J F K, Hausberger, Martine
- Authors: Henry, Laurence , Biquand, Véroniquee , Craig, Adrian J F K , Hausberger, Martine
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465458 , vital:76611 , https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0135628
- Description: Accurate sexing of birds is vital for behavioral studies but can be a real problem in the field, especially for monomorphic species. Our goal here was to characterize the morphology of male and female monomorphic pale-winged starlings (Onychognathus nabouroup), a South African sturnid whose plumage is sexually monomorphic. Morphological measurements of genetically sexed animals indicated that males were statistically larger than females for five measurements: Mass, tail length, tarsus length and wing length. By using a Discriminant Function Analysis based on the measurements taken by one ringer, we were able to predict correctly the sex of 81.10% of the birds of data collected in the field and 77.9% of museum skins independently of year of capture and ringer. The model developed here should be useful for further field studies of this species.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Henry, Laurence , Biquand, Véroniquee , Craig, Adrian J F K , Hausberger, Martine
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465458 , vital:76611 , https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0135628
- Description: Accurate sexing of birds is vital for behavioral studies but can be a real problem in the field, especially for monomorphic species. Our goal here was to characterize the morphology of male and female monomorphic pale-winged starlings (Onychognathus nabouroup), a South African sturnid whose plumage is sexually monomorphic. Morphological measurements of genetically sexed animals indicated that males were statistically larger than females for five measurements: Mass, tail length, tarsus length and wing length. By using a Discriminant Function Analysis based on the measurements taken by one ringer, we were able to predict correctly the sex of 81.10% of the birds of data collected in the field and 77.9% of museum skins independently of year of capture and ringer. The model developed here should be useful for further field studies of this species.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
The importance of winter-flowering Aloe ferox for specialist and generalist nectar-feeding birds
- Kuiper, Timothy R, Smith, Diane L, Wolmarans, Milena H L, Jones, Sara S, Forbes, Ross W, Hulley, Patrick E, Craig, Adrian J F K
- Authors: Kuiper, Timothy R , Smith, Diane L , Wolmarans, Milena H L , Jones, Sara S , Forbes, Ross W , Hulley, Patrick E , Craig, Adrian J F K
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465538 , vital:76618 , https://doi.org/10.1071/MU14054
- Description: The abundance of consumers and the availability of resources are often linked, and birds are known to track food resources at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. This study describes the seasonal influx of nectar-feeding birds during flowering in a 51-ha stand of Aloe ferox in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, over 5 years (2008–09 and 2011–13). Bimonthly point counts of birds were conducted before (April—May), during (June—July) and after (August) flowering, which occurs during the austral winter. The abundance of nectar-feeding birds increased significantly during flowering each year, whereas monthly abundances of non-nectarivores were unrelated to flowering. Models fitted to bird count-data revealed a significant interaction between feeding guild (nectarivorous versus non-nectarivorous species) and the percentage of flowering A. ferox over the 5 years of the study, confirming that these guilds responded differently to flowering events. Malachite Sunbirds (Nectarina famosa), which are specialist nectarivores, responded consistently to flowering of A. ferox each year, despite the low sugar concentrations of A. ferox nectar. The arrival of nectar-feeding birds en masse during flowering, and the number of bird species (16) observed feeding on A. ferox nectar, suggest that this plant is an important source of nutrition for birds at a time when other food resources are likely to be scarce.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
- Authors: Kuiper, Timothy R , Smith, Diane L , Wolmarans, Milena H L , Jones, Sara S , Forbes, Ross W , Hulley, Patrick E , Craig, Adrian J F K
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/465538 , vital:76618 , https://doi.org/10.1071/MU14054
- Description: The abundance of consumers and the availability of resources are often linked, and birds are known to track food resources at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. This study describes the seasonal influx of nectar-feeding birds during flowering in a 51-ha stand of Aloe ferox in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, over 5 years (2008–09 and 2011–13). Bimonthly point counts of birds were conducted before (April—May), during (June—July) and after (August) flowering, which occurs during the austral winter. The abundance of nectar-feeding birds increased significantly during flowering each year, whereas monthly abundances of non-nectarivores were unrelated to flowering. Models fitted to bird count-data revealed a significant interaction between feeding guild (nectarivorous versus non-nectarivorous species) and the percentage of flowering A. ferox over the 5 years of the study, confirming that these guilds responded differently to flowering events. Malachite Sunbirds (Nectarina famosa), which are specialist nectarivores, responded consistently to flowering of A. ferox each year, despite the low sugar concentrations of A. ferox nectar. The arrival of nectar-feeding birds en masse during flowering, and the number of bird species (16) observed feeding on A. ferox nectar, suggest that this plant is an important source of nutrition for birds at a time when other food resources are likely to be scarce.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Seasonal distribution, breeding season and wing moult in the Splendid Glossy Starling Lamprotornis splendidus
- Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/449535 , vital:74828 , https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2012.655429
- Description: Seasonal migration by Splendid Glossy Starlings has been confirmed only for Kenya and Zambia. Populations in almost all other countries have been categorised as ‘resident’ by some observers, but ‘nomadic’ is a more accurate description of their status. The breeding season is accurately known for few localities. Estimates for the duration of wing moult ranged from 70–130 d based on small samples. Regional divergences in the timing of wing moult remain open to three possible interpretations: (1) differences between years in the timing of wing moult; (2) differences between sex and/or age classes; and (3) population movements, so that birds from different regions may successively occupy the same areas. The available data are inadequate to resolve these questions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/449535 , vital:74828 , https://doi.org/10.2989/00306525.2012.655429
- Description: Seasonal migration by Splendid Glossy Starlings has been confirmed only for Kenya and Zambia. Populations in almost all other countries have been categorised as ‘resident’ by some observers, but ‘nomadic’ is a more accurate description of their status. The breeding season is accurately known for few localities. Estimates for the duration of wing moult ranged from 70–130 d based on small samples. Regional divergences in the timing of wing moult remain open to three possible interpretations: (1) differences between years in the timing of wing moult; (2) differences between sex and/or age classes; and (3) population movements, so that birds from different regions may successively occupy the same areas. The available data are inadequate to resolve these questions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Stuffed birds on trees: an historical review of avian systematics in southern Africa
- Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K
- Date: 2000
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6931 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011949
- Description: Avian systematics in southern Africa has been heavily dependent on a small number of museum-based specialists. They produced bird checklists which prescribed the names to be used by other scientists. After an initial phase of cataloguing the avifauna, a major preoccupation was the description of geographical variation, which was documented in an extensive subspecific nomenclature. Until recent years, few African ornithologists have been involved in systematics as a biological discipline. This historical overview considers the contribution of particular individuals from Andrew Smith to Phillip Clancey.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2000
- Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K
- Date: 2000
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6931 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011949
- Description: Avian systematics in southern Africa has been heavily dependent on a small number of museum-based specialists. They produced bird checklists which prescribed the names to be used by other scientists. After an initial phase of cataloguing the avifauna, a major preoccupation was the description of geographical variation, which was documented in an extensive subspecific nomenclature. Until recent years, few African ornithologists have been involved in systematics as a biological discipline. This historical overview considers the contribution of particular individuals from Andrew Smith to Phillip Clancey.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2000
A review of the biology of the Blackbellied Starling and other African forest starlings
- Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K
- Date: 1989
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/447730 , vital:74670 , https://doi.org/10.1080/00306525.1989.9639610
- Description: The Blackbellied Starling Lamprotornis corruscus is the only true forest starling in southern Africa. At the southern end of its coastal range it is an irregular visitor, and it may move according to food availability. The limited data on breeding, moult and seasonal occurrence are discussed. Only two subspecies are recognised. A brief survey of the 12 African starlings of evergreen forests shows that little is known about their basic biology or their role as highly mobile frugivores.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1989
- Authors: Craig, Adrian J F K
- Date: 1989
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/447730 , vital:74670 , https://doi.org/10.1080/00306525.1989.9639610
- Description: The Blackbellied Starling Lamprotornis corruscus is the only true forest starling in southern Africa. At the southern end of its coastal range it is an irregular visitor, and it may move according to food availability. The limited data on breeding, moult and seasonal occurrence are discussed. Only two subspecies are recognised. A brief survey of the 12 African starlings of evergreen forests shows that little is known about their basic biology or their role as highly mobile frugivores.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1989
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