The winter diet and morphological structure of the gastrointestinal tract of the Golden Pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) was investigated in the Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi Province in 2002/2003. Individual food items in crops were identified by species, where possible, using standard taxonomic methods. The Golden Pheasant consumes exclusively vegetarian foods in the winter, of at least 14 plant species, such as crops and other vegetable species. The digestive tract of the Golden Pheasant is composed of an oesophagus, a stomach, a relatively long intestine measuring 3.4×standard body length, two fully-developed caeca and a relatively short colon, typical for herbivorous birds. Pebbles of different sizes (0.5-3 mm in diameter) were very frequent in the gizzard. The average dry weight of the pebbles was 10.4±2.5 g and was positively correlated with the weight of digesta in the gizzard (Pearson r=0.747, p < 0.01, n=37). The mucosa surface pH of the digestive tract of the Golden Pheasant was slightly acidic, but higher in the crop and gizzard.

Members of the passerine family Sylviidae are distributed widely around the Old World and the phylogenetic relationships of many species still remain controversial. In this study, we investigated the phylogeny and relationships among 37 species of 11 genera by analyzing DNA sequences obtained from the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) and partial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) genes. The data were analyzed by maximum-likelihood analysis and Bayesian inference. The results demonstrate that the current genus Phylloscopus is non-monophyletic, while Seicercus is synonymized with Phylloscopus or is a group within the genus Phylloscopus. We may conclude that within Phylloscopus there are close relations between P. magnirostris and P. borealis; among P. proregulus, P. yunnanensis, P. pulcher and P. maculipennis, as well as among P. occisinensis, P. schwarzi, P. armandii, P. collybita and P. fuscatus. Monophyly of the genus Cettia could not be corroborated; it is closely related to the genera Abroscopus and Tesia. However monophyly of Acrocephalus is supported. Furthermore, the close relationships between Sylvia and Zosterops and among Prinia, Orthotomus and Cisticola are also supported.

Changes in the areas and quality of wetland habitat makes it imperative to monitor trends in the number of wintering waterbirds and their distribution in the Yangtze River floodplain, the most important waterbird region in eastern China, so that effective science-based action can be taken to ensure the survival and future recovery of the waterbirds of the region. However, obtaining accurate data on the number of waterbirds and distribution, which can be confidently compared across years and sites, is complicated by a number of factors which can affect count quality. It is essential to employ a survey methodology which maximizes count accuracy and precision and minimizes the bias inherent in counting waterbirds; failure to achieve these goals will lead to incorrect results and analytical problems. Recently we developed a systematic waterbird survey methodology which was tested, with promising results, in the winters of 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 at Shengjin Lake, an important wetland in the Yangtze River floodplain. The methodology involves dividing the lake into discrete survey areas, each containing a number of subareas, with clear boundaries, which were surveyed separately. Data, which included information on counts, distributions, the environment and disturbance, were collected in a standardized manner to maximize precision and minimize bias. We use the results from the surveys of the first two winters to provide examples of how the data can be employed to provide detailed information on the number of waterbirds, their distributions and habitat usage. Finally, we discuss the importance of wider application of the methodology throughout the Yangtze River floodplain to underpin a much needed floodplain-wide waterbird monitoring program.

The phylogeny of Paridae and allies has been studied intensively during past decades. However, the phylogenetic relationship among species tends to become increasingly controversial as different genetic markers emerge. In our study, the partial mitochondrial genes cytochrome b (cyt b) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit Ι (COI) were obtained from 15 species that included 10 tits, 4 long-tailed tits and a Chinese penduline tit. Analyses were conducted on the combined cyt b and COI sequences with maximum likelihood and Bayesian algorithms. Based on strong, congruent support among the different temporal partitions and models of sequence evolution, a highly resolved consensus of the relationships among Parids and their allies has been formed. The monophyly of Paridae and Remizidae is strongly supported. However, the monophyly of Paridae and Aegithalos is rejected. This agrees with previous studies using other molecular markers. Our results suggest the promotion of the subgenus Machlolophus from genus Parus to a separate genus. The phylogeny of Aegithalos is robust in the current study. However, by considering differences of both morphological and molecular characters within species, we conclude that more data are needed to define their phylogeny. Based on the patterns of taxonomic diversity and endemism, we suggest the southwestern mountain ranges of China might be the center of origin of the Aegithalos species. Divergence time estimates for the long-tailed tits range from the late Miocene to the Pleistocene (from 5.5 to 0.1 Mya) using a calibration of 2% divergence per million years. In a comparative sense, we found a congruent genetic differentiation among sympatric distribution taxa.

The field biology of the Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus) was studied in 2009 in an agro-ecosystem of the Pothwar area, an important range of its distribution in Pakistan. The bird density was estimated as 1.59±0.39 (mean±standard error) birds per ha in crop fields and 0.87±0.14 birds per ha in forest tracks, with some seasonal fluctuations in its habitat. All bird nests were located on the ground in vegetation mainly comprised of Desmostachia bipinnata, Acacia modesta, Imperata cylindrical, Zizipus jujuba and Euphorbia spp. Egg laying was recorded during the spring and summer months, with a mean egg laying span of 6±0.36 days (range 5-7 days) and a mean clutch size of 7±0.36 (range of 6-8 eggs). The mean incubation period was 20.6±0.50 days (range 19-22 days). Out of a total number of 42 eggs recorded, 32 hatched (76.19% success) with a mean hatching rate of 5.33±1.22 eggs per clutch. The fledgling success was estimated as 3.83±0.83 per clutch (63.08%). The species was found to be omnivorous and euryphagus in its feeding habit. There were 10 identifiable food items in the diet of the species, consisting of seven plant species (Pennisetum typhoideum, Sorghum bicolor, S. halepense, Prosopis juliflora, Phaseolus radiates, Carthemus axycantha and Acacia sp.), two insect species (Coptotermes formosanus and Formica rufa) and one grit.

This paper reviews the population trends and threats for the 15 species of cranes, and comments on conservation priorities for the family as a whole. Cranes occur on five continents, with greatest diversity in East Asia (nine species) and Sub-Saharan Africa (six species). Eleven crane species are threatened with extinction according to the IUCN Red List, including one species Critically Endangered, three species Endangered, and seven species Vulnerable. Of the four species of Least Concern, population sizes for the Demoiselle (Anthropoides virgo) and Brolga (Grus rubicunda) are not well known but these species are declining in some areas. The Sandhill (G. canadensis) and Eurasian Cranes (G. grus) are the most abundant cranes and have rapidly increased in part due to their flexible selection of foraging habitats and use of agriculture lands and waste grain as a food source. Status for six species—Grey Crowned (Balearica regulorum), Blue (Anthropoides paradise), Black-necked (G. nigricollis), Red-crowned (G. japonensis), Sandhill, and Siberian (G. leucogeranus)—are summarized in more detail to illustrate the diversity of population shifts and threats within the crane family. A crane threat matrix lists the major threats, rates each threat for each species, and scores each threat for the crane family as a whole. Four of the five greatest threats are to the ecosystems that cranes depend upon, while only one of the top threats (human disturbance) relates to human action directly impacting on cranes. Four major threats are discussed: dams and water diversions, agriculture development, crane trade, and climate change. Conservation efforts should be strongly science-based, reduce direct threats to the birds, safeguard or restore habitat, and strengthen awareness among decision makers and local communities for how to safeguard cranes and wetlands. Especially for the most severely threatened species, significantly stronger efforts will be needed to incorporate our understanding of the needs of cranes and the ecosystems they inhabit into decisions about agriculture, water management, energy development and other human activities.

A study of the population status of and threats to the Black-winged Lovebird (Agapornis taranta) was carried out from September 2008 to February 2009 in Entoto Natural Park (ENP) and in Bole Sub-City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A point transect count technique was employed to examine the status of the lovebirds. An average total of 58 birds was recorded of which 46 were counted in Bole Sub-City and 12 in Entoto Natural Park areas. The maximum number recorded during our census was 57 in the dry season and 15 in the wet season in Bole Sub-City and Entoto Natural Park, respectively. The ratio of adult males to adult females in Entoto Natural Park was 1:0.71 and 1:0.60, and 1:0.76 and 1:0.78 in Bole Sub-City during both wet and dry seasons, respectively. The seasonal variation and difference in sex ratios between males and females was not significant (p > 0.05) at either of the study sites. The threat for the Black-winged Lovebird or other birds in Entoto Natural Park is due to the fragmentation of natural habitats, thus decreasing food sources, owing to the domination of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) trees in the area. Grazing by livestock, intensive farming practices and deforestation by the local community have contributed greatly to the degradation of the land resulting in erosion, thus devastating the habitat of the Natural Park. The vegetation cover of Entoto Natural Park and urban gardens should be managed effectively for the survival of the avian fauna of the area.

With rapid urbanization occurring throughout China, the existence of Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus) in big cities is likely to be affected by a decrease in habitat and food availability. Can the urban Tree Sparrow adapt to these changes? To elucidate this question, we studied the effect of urbanization on the abundance and distribution of Tree Sparrows in Beijing. We found the abundance of the Tree Sparrow negatively correlated with an urbanization score. Sparrow abundance was very low in residential areas with high-rise buildings, commercial centers and main roads, while their numbers were significantly higher in parks, university campuses, low building residential and suburban areas. Environmental factors within the 50 m and 200 m scales were most suitable in predicting the distribution of Tree Sparrows during winter, while factors within 50 m and 400 m scales are suitable during the breeding season. During winter, the number of conifer trees and pedestrians were the major factors at the 50 m scale, while the area of high-rise buildings and vegetation become the predominant factors on a 200 m scale. Alternatively, during the breeding season the area of low buildings and the number of conifers and pedestrians were the main factors on the 50 m scale while the area of high-rise buildings and vegetation remained the most important factors on the 400 m scale. These results indicate that highly urbanized areas are not suitable habitats for the Tree Sparrow, although this species can adapt to human environments. Food and nest sites for urban birds should be considered in urban planning of big cities in developing countries.

The social organization of marked Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) was studied in the Krugersdorp Game Reserve (Gauteng Province, South Africa) during March 1982 to February 1984. Flock members (7-10 guineafowl) did not associate randomly. Helmeted Guineafowl must live in a sociable flock to survive in the wild. The highest ranking male (male A) formed the pivot of the daily activities of the flock, such as determining foraging direction. High ranking males (males A and B) associated closely to repulse conspecific intruders. Breeding females associated more often with the high ranking males during the breeding season. Although a pecking order was established among males, the frequency of agonistic actions within the flock was very low, which suggests that agonistic interactions are limited to maintain cohesion. Adult females remained between the dominant male and the juveniles to minimize victimization. The second highest ranking male (B) took center stage while the dominant male and his female left temporarily to breed and then the rest of the flock clustered around him to maintain the cohesive nature of the flock. Most adults assisted with the brooding of the chicks of the highest ranking male. Flocking is, among other functions, a predator surveillance strategy that enables the Helmeted Guineafowl to forage under conditions with very limited ground cover and to maximize food finding during winter.

The Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) is a national first grade protected species in China. So far, current knowledge of the Himalayan Monal in China is still poor. An estimate of its distribution, numbers and habitat was conducted during a two-year investigation from 2008 to 2009 in southern Tibet, especially in Lhozhag, Cona and Yadong counties. In total, 12 sightings of the Himalayan Monal were recorded during the study period. Our data suggest that this bird is mainly found in Medog, Zayu, Cona, Lhunze, Lhozhag, Nyalam, Dingjie, Gamba and Yadong counties on the southern slopes of the Himalayas. Its western-most location was confirmed to be Nyalam County. The bird ranges in elevation from 3800 to 4300 m in the summer and from 3200 to 3500 m in the winter. We sighted 36–37 individual birds, consisting of 8–10 males, 16–20 females and 7–8 sub-adults inhabiting the area around the Kajiu Monastery in Lhozhag County. The birds are mainly found in rocky forests, interspersed with steep slopes, cliffs and alpine meadows at elevations between 3800 and 4000 m. The population density of the Himalayan Monal near the Kajiu Monastery is 2.03 individual birds per km², much larger than that of Yadong and Cona counties (0.052 individuals per km²).

The Hainan Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron katsumatae), the smallest allied species of somber forest peacock pheasants among the taxa of Polyplectron spp., is a rare tropical forest bird endemic to China, and distributed only in the mountainous region of central and southwestern Hainan Island dominated by evergreen broadleaf forests. By integrating references and unpublished data based on our field surveys, we presented information on species status, distribution and population, habitat and home range, breeding ecology and conservation of the Hainan Peacock Pheasant. Future investigation should focus on its life history traits in relation to vulnerability. Considering its limited distribution and small population size, it has recently been recognized as "Endangered" by the IUCN Red List to prevent loss of this island endemic.

The Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) is a globally endangered species. Although this species has received much attention by scientists, conservationists and the general public, the continental population of the Red-crowned Crane continues to face serious threats which affect not only its population dynamics but also its breeding and wintering habitats. Habitat loss and deterioration are the main causes of the decline of its population. With the massive loss of habitats in all parts of its range-breeding, stopover and wintering grounds-the cranes have been forced into crops and farmlands where cranes are more vulnerable to human activities, such as poisoning the cranes and conflicts with farmers. From our review of studies done over 30 years, the eastern flyway subpopulation has been stable or slightly increasing and the western flyway subpopulation of the Red-crowned Crane has sharply declined in recent years. The wintering population for the western flyway has declined from over 1100 to less than 500 birds. Not only is the size of the population reduced to less than 50%, but most recently the decline has occurred with frightening speed, by 50-150 birds per winter. The current wintering range for the west flyway is only about 8% of its extent in the 1980s. Urgent actions for habitat protection, law enforcement and education need to stop the declining trend for this species.

The primer pair sex1/sex2, which can be widely applied for sex identification in Galliform species, was used to determine the sex of 17 Passeriform species. As CHD-W fragments tended to be preferentially amplified, which may cause unnecessary misidentification in bird species with little difference between CHD-Z and CHD-W, we modified sex1 and sex2, obtaining sex1' and sex-mix respectively. Primer sets were then recombined to conduct sex identification. After testing several Passeriforme birds of known sex, we found that the primer pair sex1'/sex2 was better at limiting the preferential amplification of CHD-W fragments. As they are being frequently used in sex allocation study of Aegithalos concinnus and song learning research of Lonchura striata, we can expect more applications of this primer pair to further studies in Passeriformes.

The systematics of the avian superfamily Sylvioidea are reviewed, focusing on studies of relationships among families and within genera, more superficially on taxonomic studies at the species level. For the families Bernieridae and Phylloscopidae, new analyses based on already published sequence data are presented. Our understanding of relationships has been vastly improved in recent years due to a large number of molecular studies. However, the relationships among the different families remain largely obscured, probably mainly as a result of rapid divergence of the different primary lineages (families). Also, species level taxonomy has been much improved in recent years due to a large number of studies applying molecular markers and/or vocalizations and other life-history data. It seems likely that the number of species will continue to increase, as new groups are being studied with modern integrative methods.

We use the term "basal birds" for a relatively small number of primitive fossil birds that fall outside the major clade Ornithothoraces, which includes both modern birds and enantiornithines. Eight genera and twelve valid species have been reported from China in the last 15 years, whereas Archaeopteryx lithographica remains the only basal bird to have been described from non-Chinese specimens (although confuciusornithid material is apparently present in North Korea). Here we briefly review the Chinese basal birds and their anatomy, phylogeny and ecology. Chinese fossils have contributed extensively to scientific understanding of early avian evolution, demonstrating collectively that basal birds were generally relatively large and morphologically and ecologically quite diverse. Although some significant uncertainties remain, particularly with respect to the relative phylogenetic positions of Jeholornis, Sapeornis and Zhongornis, an increasingly clear picture of the first stages of avian evolution is emerging from the Chinese fossil record.

In this exposé we provide the first review of host use by brood parasitic cuckoos in a multiple-cuckoo system in China, based on our own long-term field data and a compilation of observations obtained from the literature. In total, we found that 11 species of cuckoos utilized altogether 55 host species. These hosts belong to 15 families, in which Sylviidae, Turdidae and Timaliidae account for 22.6%, 20.8% and 17.0% of parasitism records, respectively. The Common Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) had the widest range of host species, accounting for 45.5% of the total number of parasitized species (25 in 10 families) of all parasitism records and is the most frequent brood parasite in the country. Cuckoo species differed in their egg coloration and the extent of egg polymorphism with most of them, e.g. the Common Cuckoo, the Lesser Cuckoo (C. poliocephalus) and the Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) laying well mimetic eggs with respect to their hosts based on human being's visual observations, while others such as the Large Hawk-cuckoo (C. sparverioides), the Himalayan Cuckoo (C. saturatus) and the Asian Emerald Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx maculatus) usually laid non-mimetic eggs. The use of cuckoo hosts and egg color variation in China are compared with those in other parts of their ranges in Asia.

Foraging ecology of the globally endangered Nilgiri Wood Pigeon (Columba elphinstonii) was investigated in the Western Ghats,India,using faecal sampling and direct observations. The birds fed on fruits of 39 plant species,on seeds of 11 species,flowers and leaf buds of four species and a few ground invertebrates. Direct observations across seasons showed nine plant species were selected more often (47% of observations),with fruits of the members of the family Lauraceae the most preferred. Gleaning accounted for 76% of feeding methods throughout the year. Feeding was mainly from twigs at the edges on the upper and middle canopy (> 6 m). Frequency of feeding on fruits correlated significantly with fruit abundance,which depended on rainfall. The present study indicates that the pigeon requires a wide variety of diets from different forest environments. Conservation of this species depends on preserving all habitat types required to meet their resource needs throughout the year.

The breeding biology of the Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) was investigated from September 2007 to September 2010 in Karaivetti Lake, Tamil Nadu, India. The Spot-billed Pelican breeds between November and April at the Karaivetti Lake. It also breeds roughly during the same period at other breeding sites in Tamil Nadu, except for the Vedanthangal and Karikili bird sanctuaries, where pelicans arrives much earlier and their breeding activities start and end to some extent ahead of the other sites, i.e., from September to March. In essence, the breeding season starts after the onset of the northeast monsoon in Tamil Nadu. A few days after their arrival, pelicans perform courtship display, form pairs, start nest construction and lay eggs. Courtship display is not as attractive and impressive as in other waterbirds. The clutch size varies from two to three eggs and the incubation period from 25 to 36 days. The fledging period varies from a minimum of 90 to a maximum of 102 days. The nest success rate of the Spot-billed Pelican at Karaivetti was 90.28% during the study period.

Complete checklist records are essential to understand regional bird diversity and the status of the distribution of birds. The Zhejiang bird checklist was last presented as the Aves Branch of Zhejiang Fauna in 1990. Since then, many new records had been added, of which most remain unpublished. We have collected and examined all published and unpublished new records from Zhejiang habitats as well as those from the Aves Branch of Zhejiang Fauna. We have confirmed the evidence of the new records, which includes specimens, photographs, videos, sounds and tissue samples. We changed the Latin names of 131 species and subspecies and 41 Chinese names according to the new taxonomy and nomenclature. We provide an updated Zhejiang bird checklist for a total of 483 species and 24 subspecies, including 70 new species records, of which 47 species are reported for the first. Most of the new records are based on recent photographs taken by bird watchers.

The Sociable Lapwing (Vanellus gregarius) was recently categorized as Critically Endangered by the IUCN due to a strong decline and overall range contraction. Until now the only published Chinese record of the species was a vagrant sighting in 1998. We reviewed reports and historic literature from a German ornithological expedition in 1876, which reported the species to be a breeding bird in Xinjiang, western China in the second half of the 19th century. According to local expertise, the species seems since to have become extinct in Xinjiang, but surveys are suggested to clarify its current status.