@article{TritschMartensSunetal.2017, author = {Tritsch, Christian and Martens, Jochen and Sun, Yue-Hua and Heim, Wieland and Strutzenberger, Patrick and P{\"a}ckert, Martin}, title = {Improved sampling at the subspecies level solves a taxonomic dilemma}, series = {Molecular phylogenetics and evolution}, volume = {107}, journal = {Molecular phylogenetics and evolution}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {San Diego}, issn = {1055-7903}, doi = {10.1016/j.ympev.2016.12.014}, pages = {538 -- 550}, year = {2017}, abstract = {A recent full species-level phylogeny of tits, titmice and chickadees (Paridae) has placed the Chinese endemic black-bibbed tit (Poecile hypermelaenus) as the sister to the Palearctic willow tit (P. montanus). Because this sister-group relationship is in striking disagreement with the traditional affiliation of P. hypermelaenus close to the marsh tit (P. palustris) we tested this phylogenetic hypothesis in a multi locus analysis with an extended taxon sampling including sixteen subspecies of willow tits and marsh tits. As a taxonomic reference we included type specimens in our analysis. The molecular genetic study was complemented with an analysis of biometric data obtained from museum specimens. Our phylogenetic reconstructions, including a comparison of all GenBank data available for our target species, clearly show that the genetic lineage previously identified as P. hypermelaenus actually refers to P. weigoldicus because sequences were identical to that of a syntype of this taxon. The close relationship of P. weigoldicus and P. montanus - despite large genetic distances between the two taxa - is in accordance with current taxonomy and systematics. In disagreement with the previous phylogenetic hypothesis but in accordance with most taxonomic authorities, all our P. hypermelaenus specimens fell in the sister Glade of all western and eastern Palearctic P. palustris. Though shared haplotypes among the Chinese populations of the two latter species might indicate mitochondrial introgression in this part of the breeding range, further research is needed here due to the limitations of our own sampling.}, language = {en} } @article{SanderEccardHeim2017, author = {Sander, Martha Maria and Eccard, Jana and Heim, Wieland}, title = {Flight range estimation of migrant yellow-browed warblers phylloscopus inornatus on the East Asian flyway}, series = {Bird study : the journal of the British Trust for Ornithology}, volume = {64}, journal = {Bird study : the journal of the British Trust for Ornithology}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis}, address = {Abingdon}, issn = {0006-3657}, doi = {10.1080/00063657.2017.1409696}, pages = {569 -- 572}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Fat loads were quantified for 2125 Yellow-browed Warblers Phylloscopus inornatus trapped at a stop-over site in Far East Russia during autumn migration. Flight ranges of 660-820km were estimated for the fattest individuals, suggesting that they would need to stop for refuelling at least six times to reach their wintering areas in South East Asia.}, language = {en} } @misc{SanderEccardHeim2017, author = {Sander, Martha Maria and Eccard, Jana and Heim, Wieland}, title = {Flight range estimation of migrant Yellow-browed Warblers Phylloscopus inornatus on the East Asian flyway}, series = {Bird Study}, journal = {Bird Study}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-412823}, pages = {5}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Fat loads were quantified for 2125 Yellow-browed Warblers Phylloscopus inornatus trapped at a stop-over site in Far East Russia during autumn migration. Flight ranges of 660-820 km were estimated for the fattest individuals, suggesting that they would need to stop for refuelling at least six times to reach their wintering areas in South East Asia.}, language = {en} } @article{HeimTrenseSokolovaetal.2017, author = {Heim, Wieland and Trense, Daronja and Sokolova, Galina V. and Kitagawa, Tamaki}, title = {Increased populations of endangered cranes after Amur River flood}, series = {Waterbirds}, volume = {40}, journal = {Waterbirds}, publisher = {Waterbirds SOC}, address = {Washington}, issn = {1524-4695}, doi = {10.1675/063.040.0309}, pages = {282 -- 288}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Dam construction on the Zeya River, which is an important tributary of the Amur River in Far East Russia, has caused significant declines in water levels and frequency of floods in the adjacent floodplains since 1980. However, an extreme flood event occurred in 2013. Populations of six crane species were monitored before and after these drastic water level changes at Muraviovka Park in Far East Russia, an important breeding and stop-over site. Individuals were counted by territory mapping during the breeding season (2000-2015) and by roosting site counts during autumn migration (2006-2015). The objective of this study was to evaluate whether changes in water levels had a significant impact on local and migratory crane populations. We found a positive effect of flooding on numbers of breeding Red-crowned Cranes (Grus japonensis) and White-naped Cranes (Antigone vipio), as well as on numbers of roosting Hooded Cranes (Grus monacha) in autumn. Siberian Cranes (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) were only observed after the wetlands were flooded. The results of this study highlight the importance of elevated Amur River water levels for crane populations of global importance.}, language = {en} } @misc{HeimEccardBairlein2018, author = {Heim, Wieland and Eccard, Jana and Bairlein, Franz}, title = {Migration phenology determines niche use of East Asian buntings (Emberizidae) during stopover}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {1038}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-47060}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-470607}, pages = {681 -- 692}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Stopover niche utilization of birds during migration has not gained much attention so far, since the majority of the studies focuses on breeding or wintering areas. However, stopover sites are crucial for migratory birds. They are often used by a multitude of species, which could lead to increased competition. In this work, we investigated niche use of 8 migratory and closely related Emberiza bunting species at a stopover site in Far East Russia, situated on the poorly studied East Asian flyway. We used bird ringing data to evaluate morphological similarity as well as niche overlap on the trophic, spatial, and temporal dimension. Bill morphology was used as a proxy for their trophic niche. We were able to prove that a majority of the species occupies well-defined stopover niches on at least one of the dimensions. Niche breadth and niche overlap differ between spring and autumn season with higher overlap found during spring. Morphological differences are mostly related to overall size and wing pointedness. The temporal dimension is most important for segregation among the studied species. Furthermore, all species seem to exhibit a rather strict and consistent phenological pattern. Their occurrence at the study site is highly correlated with their geographic origin and the length of their migration route. We assume that buntings are able to use available resources opportunistically during stopover, while trying to follow a precise schedule in order to avoid competition and to ensure individual fitness.}, language = {en} } @article{HeimEccardBairlein2018, author = {Heim, Wieland and Eccard, Jana and Bairlein, Franz}, title = {Migration phenology determines niche use of East Asian buntings (Emberizidae) during stopover}, series = {Current zoology}, volume = {64}, journal = {Current zoology}, number = {6}, publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {1674-5507}, doi = {10.1093/cz/zoy016}, pages = {681 -- 692}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Stopover niche utilization of birds during migration has not gained much attention so far, since the majority of the studies focuses on breeding or wintering areas. However, stopover sites are crucial for migratory birds. They are often used by a multitude of species, which could lead to increased competition. In this work, we investigated niche use of 8 migratory and closely related Emberiza bunting species at a stopover site in Far East Russia, situated on the poorly studied East Asian fly-way. We used bird ringing data to evaluate morphological similarity as well as niche overlap on the trophic, spatial, and temporal dimension. Bill morphology was used as a proxy for their trophic niche. We were able to prove that a majority of the species occupies well-defined stopover niches on at least one of the dimensions. Niche breadth and niche overlap differ between spring and autumn season with higher overlap found during spring. Morphological differences are mostly related to overall size and wing pointedness. The temporal dimension is most important for segregation among the studied species. Furthermore, all species seem to exhibit a rather strict and consistent phenological pattern. Their occurrence at the study site is highly correlated with their geographic origin and the length of their migration route. We assume that buntings are able to use available resources opportunistically during stopover, while trying to follow a precise schedule in order to avoid competition and to ensure individual fitness.}, language = {en} } @article{HeimHoelzelHeinkenetal.2019, author = {Heim, Ramona J. and H{\"o}lzel, Norbert and Heinken, Thilo and Kamp, Johannes and Thomas, Alexander and Darman, Galina F. and Smirenski, Sergei M. and Heim, Wieland}, title = {Post-burn and long-term fire effects on plants and birds in floodplain wetlands of the Russian Far East}, series = {Biodiversity and conservation}, volume = {28}, journal = {Biodiversity and conservation}, number = {6}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Dordrecht}, issn = {0960-3115}, doi = {10.1007/s10531-019-01746-3}, pages = {1611 -- 1628}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Wildfires affect biodiversity at multiple levels. While vegetation is directly changed by fire events, animals are often indirectly affected through changes in habitat and food availability. Globally, fire frequency and the extent of fires are predicted to increase in the future. The impact of fire on the biodiversity of temperate wetlands has gained little attention so far. We compared species richness and abundance of plants and birds in burnt and unburnt areas in the Amur floodplain/Russian Far East in the year of fire and 1 year after. We also analysed vegetation recovery in relation to time since fire over a period of 18 years. Plant species richness was higher in burnt compared to unburnt plots in the year of the fire, but not in the year after. This suggests that fire has a positive short-term effect on plant diversity. Bird species richness and abundance were lower on burnt compared to unburnt plots in the year of the fire, but not in the year after. Over a period of 18 years, high fire frequency led to an increase in herb cover and a decrease in grass cover. We show that the effects on biodiversity are taxon- and species-specific. Fire management strategies in temperate wetlands should consider fire frequency as a key driving force of vegetation structure, with carry-over effects on higher trophic levels. Designing fire refuges, i.e., areas that do not burn annually, might locally be necessary to maintain high species richness.}, language = {en} } @article{FrommholdHeimBarabanovetal.2019, author = {Frommhold, Martin and Heim, Arend and Barabanov, Mikhail and Maier, Franziska and M{\"u}hle, Ralf-Udo and Smirenski, Sergei M. and Heim, Wieland}, title = {Breeding habitat and nest-site selection by an obligatory "nest-cleptoparasite", the Amur Falcon Falco amurensis}, series = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {9}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, number = {24}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {2045-7758}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.5878}, pages = {14430 -- 14441}, year = {2019}, abstract = {The selection of a nest site is crucial for successful reproduction of birds. Animals which re-use or occupy nest sites constructed by other species often have limited choice. Little is known about the criteria of nest-stealing species to choose suitable nesting sites and habitats. Here, we analyze breeding-site selection of an obligatory "nest-cleptoparasite", the Amur Falcon Falco amurensis. We collected data on nest sites at Muraviovka Park in the Russian Far East, where the species breeds exclusively in nests of the Eurasian Magpie Pica pica. We sampled 117 Eurasian Magpie nests, 38 of which were occupied by Amur Falcons. Nest-specific variables were assessed, and a recently developed habitat classification map was used to derive landscape metrics. We found that Amur Falcons chose a wide range of nesting sites, but significantly preferred nests with a domed roof. Breeding pairs of Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo and Eurasian Magpie were often found to breed near the nest in about the same distance as neighboring Amur Falcon pairs. Additionally, the occurrence of the species was positively associated with bare soil cover, forest cover, and shrub patches within their home range and negatively with the distance to wetlands. Areas of wetlands and fallow land might be used for foraging since Amur Falcons mostly depend on an insect diet. Additionally, we found that rarely burned habitats were preferred. Overall, the effect of landscape variables on the choice of actual nest sites appeared to be rather small. We used different classification methods to predict the probability of occurrence, of which the Random forest method showed the highest accuracy. The areas determined as suitable habitat showed a high concordance with the actual nest locations. We conclude that Amur Falcons prefer to occupy newly built (domed) nests to ensure high nest quality, as well as nests surrounded by available feeding habitats.}, language = {en} } @article{EdeniusChoiHeimetal.2017, author = {Edenius, Lars and Choi, Chang-Yong and Heim, Wieland and Jaakkonen, Tuomo and De Jong, Adriaan and Ozaki, Kiyoaki and Roberge, Jean-Michel}, title = {The next common and widespread bunting to go?}, series = {Bird conservation international}, volume = {27}, journal = {Bird conservation international}, number = {1}, publisher = {Cambridge Univ. Press}, address = {New York}, issn = {0959-2709}, doi = {10.1017/S0959270916000046}, pages = {35 -- 44}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Populations of several long-distance migratory songbirds in Eurasia are in peril, drastically illustrated by the recent range-wide population collapse in the Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola. There are signals of a strong decline also in the Rustic Bunting E. rustica, but no range-wide assessment of population trends in this superabundant and widespread bunting species has yet been undertaken. The conservation status of Rustic Bunting is 'Least Concern' on the global IUCN Red List, but it has recently been upgraded to 'Vulnerable' on the European Red List. To assess the Rustic Bunting's global conservation status we compiled, for the first time, population data across its breeding and wintering ranges. The analysis reveals a 75-87\% decline in overall population size over the last 30 years and a 32-91\% decline over the last 10 years. The trend estimates indicate that the long-term (30-year) range-wide population decline in the Rustic Bunting is of similar magnitude to two well-known examples of declining species within the same genus, the Yellow-breasted Bunting and the Ortolan Bunting E. hortulana. The magnitude of the range-wide population decline over the last 10 years suggests that the Rustic Bunting could be upgraded from 'Least Concern' to 'Vulnerable' or 'Endangered' on the IUCN global Red List. Agricultural intensification in the wintering range and intensified levels of disturbance, including logging and fire, in the breeding range could be important drivers of the range-wide population decline, and persecution could also contribute. Untangling threat factors and their interactions on Rustic Bunting is necessary for conservation, but hampered by our currently limited understanding of the relationships between population dynamics and different threats.}, language = {en} }