The Nacunda Nighthawk (Chordeiles nacunda) is an aerial insectivore and migratory species widely distributed throughout open areas of South America. Here, we report the stomach contents of one fema...

Urbanization and pollution are rapidly transforming ecosystems across the Global South, yet their impacts on functional biodiversity remain underexplo…

Evidence of Rakali predation on a Little Penguin chick

Saltmarsh Sparrows (Ammospiza caudacuta), a tidal-marsh specialist, face severe population declines due to habitat loss, sea-level rise, and predation. While previous research suggests that predati...

The Rufous-thighed Kite (Harpagus diodon) is an insectivorous migratory raptor that breeds in the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, Chiquitanía, and Southern Andean Yungas and primarily overwinters in the ...

Hybridization is an important factor in bird evolution. Distinguishing between hybrids and phenotypically aberrant individuals of one of the parental species can be challenging. Here, we use DNA sequencing of loci on chromosomes 2 and Z and the mitochondrial DNA to establish the status of a putative hybrid Azure Tit Cyanistes cyanus X Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus caught in Belgium in 2021. The genotype at each of these loci was a perfect match to Blue Tit. We therefore conclude that the bird was a genetically pure Blue Tit, despite its plumage being intermediate between Azure Tit and Blue Tit. We suggest records of Pleske's Tit lacking DNA information should be treated with caution.

Due to their specific nesting requirements, cavity nesters are associated with a set of distinct habitat features. These characteristics can be shaped…