New Issue: March 2022 - Oryx-The International Journal of ...

New Issue: March 2022

By Emma Muench, 1st March 2022

From the protection of migratory birds in coastal wetlands and the hunting of Bewick’s swan, to the
trade of parrots in Singapore and Venezuela, our March 2022 issue highlights conservation
research on birds. Our accompanying Briefly spotlight features recent news on bird conservation,
and the lead article and cover feature by Yong et al. investigates the future of South-east Asia’s
intertidal wetlands, a vital habitat for waterbirds. In the Editorial, Alex Lees hunts for solutions to
the loss of avian diversity. The issue also features a second special section on primate
conservation, with articles on Hainan gibbons, dryas monkeys and Zanzibar red colobus.

Find out more about this issue’s content, including our Editor’s picks, below:

Bird conservation

      Conserving migratory waterbirds and the coastal zone: the future of South-east Asia’s
      intertidal wetlands – Yong et al. (see blog post here)
      Understanding Singapore’s dynamic parrot trade ecosystem – Jain et al.
      The Endangered giant nuthatch Sitta magna: population size, habitat availability and the
      implications for its conservation in Thailand – Khamcha et al.
      Ongoing decline of suitable habitat for the Critically Endangered Gurney’s pitta Hydrornis
      gurneyi – Savini et al.
      When good attitudes are not enough: understanding intentions to keep yellow-shouldered
      Amazons as pets on Margarita Island, Venezuela – Sánchez-Mercado et al.
      The use of Passeriformes in the eastern Amazonia of Brazil: culture encourages hunting and
      profit encourages trade – Silva et al.
      Predicting intention to hunt protected wildlife: a case study of Bewick’s swan in the European
      Russian Arctic – Newth et al.
      The conservation research–practice gap: a case study of a threatened bird – Pérez-Granados
      & López-Iborra (see blog post here)

Primate conservation

      Assessing the effectiveness of public awareness-raising initiatives for the Hainan gibbon
      Nomascus hainanus – Qian et al. (see blog post here)
      Using local knowledge and camera traps to investigate occurrence and habitat preference of
      an Endangered primate: the endemic dryas monkey in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
      – Alempijevic et al.
      The implications of vehicle collisions for the Endangered endemic Zanzibar red colobus
      Piliocolobus kirkii – Olgun et al. (see blog post here)

Behind the cover

South-east Asia’s diverse coastal wetlands, which span natural mudflats, mangroves and man-
made salt pans, offer critical habitat for many migratory waterbird species in the East
Asian–Australasian Flyway. More than 50 coastal Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas in the region
support at least one threatened migratory species, including globally significant wintering
congregations of the Endangered black-faced spoonbill Platalea minor (pictured). However, there
are major gaps in knowledge of the distribution of migratory waterbirds and important wetland
sites along South-east Asia’s vast coastline, and in the representation of coastal wetlands across
the protected area networks of many countries in this region, hindering effective conservation. For
further details, read the full article here. (Photograph © Staffan Widstrand/Wild Wonders of
China/NaturePL.com)

A parrot hobbyist group gathering in west Singapore, displaying colour morphs of rose-ringed parakeets
Psittacula krameri (in the foreground) and lovebirds Agapornis sp., budgerigars Melopsittacus undulatus, macaws
Ara sp., amazons Amazona sp. and grey parrots Psittacus sp. in the background. Photo: Tim
Plowden/www.timplowden.co.uk. Read the full blog post here.

Editorial

Hunting for solutions to the loss of avian diversity – Alexander C. Lees

‘These eight studies of birds and their conservation are illustrative of the range of threats facing
bird populations at temperate, tropical and polar latitudes and the multifaceted challenges facing
conservation practitioners in their hunt for solutions to the loss of avian diversity. These
practitioners require access to the best available data on remaining population sizes, and need to
address issues pertaining not only to habitat extent, condition and connectivity, but also to interact
with other groups to ensure that any consumptive use of birds does not contribute to ongoing avian
biodiversity loss. Birds are one of our best windows on the state of wild nature, and the vast
ornithological corpus is brimming with examples of both conservation successes and ongoing
failures.’

Editor’s picks

   1. When good attitudes are not enough: understanding intentions to keep yellow-shouldered
      Amazons as pets on Margarita Island, Venezuela – Sánchez-Mercado et al.
   2. Assessing the effectiveness of public awareness-raising initiatives for the Hainan gibbon
      Nomascus hainanus – Qian et al.
   3. Biodiversity conservation in a post-COVID-19 economy – Sandbrook et al.

4. Conservation status and recovery of Podocarpus angustifolius: a threatened tree of Cuba –
      Testé et al.

The coastline of Penang in Malaysia is used by large numbers of shorebirds such as the spotted greenshank and
bar-tailed godwit, but remains largely unprotected. Photo: Nelson Khor. Read the full blog post here.

Other content

      Biodiversity conservation in a post-COVID-19 economy – Sandbrook et al.
      The nominative technique: a simple tool for assessing illegal wildlife consumption – Davis et
      al.
      Improving the monitoring of conservation programmes: lessons from a grant-making
      initiative for threatened species – Badalotti et al.
      Conservation status and recovery of Podocarpus angustifolius: a threatened tree of Cuba –
      Testé et al. (see blog post here)
      Use of a spatially explicit individual-based model to predict population trajectories and
      habitat connectivity for a reintroduced ursid – Andersen et al. (see blog post here)
      Do social factors influence perceptions of the jaguar Panthera onca in Ecuador? – Álvarez &
      Zapata-Ríos
      Does genetic variation on the shy–bold continuum influence carnivore attacks on people?
      Evidence from the brown bear – Blanco et al.

Conservation news

      Tusk Conservation Awards 2021 winners – Tointon
      Rediscovery of Staurogyne repens (Acanthaceae) in the wild after 115 years – Scatigna &

Muniz
       Failing badger protection – Wood et al.
       Habitats of the Endangered Caspian seal identified as Important Marine Mammal Areas –
       Hoyt
       A range-wide conservation action plan for the European bison – Plumb
       Sea Turtle Conservancy dedicates new sea turtle field station in Parque Nacional Marino Isla
       Bastimentos, Panama – Meylan & Meylan
       The Critically Endangered dragonfly Libellula angelina is losing its habitat to urbanization in
       East Asia – Li et al.
       First records of the West African torpedo in Cabo Verde Archipelago, eastern Atlantic – Ratão
       et al.
       Multidisciplinary team highlights the importance of Indigenous and local communities for
       jaguar conservation – Marchini et al.
       Developments in conserving the Javan green magpie Cissa thalassina – Yanto et al.
       Land purchase and forest restoration to conserve the Endangered red panda in Nepal – Lama
       et al.

A Dupont’s lark in its typical habitat. The species is characterized by its long and curved bill. Photo: Cristian
Pérez-Granados. Read the full blog post here.

Emma Muench
Emma joined the Oryx team in 2018, having previously completed a BSc in Geography
at the University of Sussex and an MSc in Conservation Science at Imperial College
London. She has a keen interest in marine conservation and has experience working on
sea turtle, coral reef, and tropical fish monitoring projects. Her previous research
includes an ethological study on the impact of human enrichment on the welfare of
captive giant Pacific octopus, and an investigation into the barriers to increased
conservation involvement in European zoos.