<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Sexual selection may impose fitness costs on both males and females due to the costs of developing and maintaining exaggerated sexual signals, reducing average fitness in strongly sexually selected species. Such reductions in average fitness could affect local extinction risk and hence distribution range. However, given that both sexually monochromatic and dichromatic species are common and widespread, benefits of sexual selection must be invoked to maintain equilibrium. We tested for differences in breeding range size and population size between monochromatic and dichromatic species of birds in a comparative analysis of species from the Western Palaearctic. In an analysis of standardized linear contrasts of the relationship between sexual dichromatism and range size and population size, respectively, that controlled for similarity among taxa due to common descent, we found no significant relationship. However, when we analyzed carotenoid-based sexual dichromatism sexually dichromatic species had larger distribution areas and higher northernmost distribution limits, but not southernmost distribution limits than sexually monochromatic species. In contrast, melanin-based sexual dichromatism was not significantly associated with range size or population size. Therefore, population density of sexually dichromatic species with carotenoid-based coloration was lower than that of monochromatic species, because dichromatic species had similar population sizes but larger ranges than monochromatic species. These findings suggest that the different physiological roles of pigments associated with sexual dichromatism have effects on total range size of birds.</abstract>

Laboratoire d’Ecologie, Systematique et Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay France

Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estacion Biologica de Donana-CSIC, Seville, Spain

Sexual selection, range size and population size

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">In a number of bird species, the sex ratio of the broods is not random, instead it is related to parental quality and environmental conditions. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this phenomenon, the so called sex ratio adjustment. According to these hypotheses, sex ratio adjustment is expected to evolve when the fitness benefit an offspring confers to the parents changes with ecological or social factors in a sex-specific way. Though many correlative and experimental studies support these hypotheses, there are still unresolved problems. In our paper, we provide details on the hypotheses related to sex ratio adjustment and explanations for the differences observed in sex ratio patterns between populations and years. Finally, we discuss the importance of sex ratio adjustment for species conservation.</abstract>

Sex ratio adjustment in birds

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Lice (Phthiraptera) chew characteristic holes on the remiges and rectrices of Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica). The number of these holes correlate positively with the intensity of louse infestation, hence hole counts are useful to quantify lousiness. Several papers showed that lice affect both life expectancy and reproductive success of hosts. In male Barn swallows, the length of the outermost tail feathers act as a sexual signal. Females prefer long-tailed males, which have significantly fewer feather holes. In this study we sampled breeding and migrating Barn swallows and compared their louse burden, and the relationship between tail length and the number of feather holes. We found significant negative correlation between feather holes and tail length in breeding males; however, we found non-significant correlation in migrating males. We suggest that attractive males have more physical interactions (e.g. extra-pair copulation) during the breeding season, than less attractive males, hence they are more exposed to louse transmission, and therefore the difference in the infestation declines towards the end of the breeding season. However, given that migrating swallow groups include colonial and solitary breeding birds, it cannot be excluded that a potentially different louse distribution on solitary breeding birds may contribute to the results.</abstract>

H-1164 Budapest, Bóbitás str. 24., Hungary

Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Biology, Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány str. 1/C, Hungary

Szent István University, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Department of Biomathematics and Informatics, H-1078 Budapest, István str. 2., Hungary

Hungarian Natural History Museum, Department of Zoology, H-1088 Budapest, Baross str. 13., Hungary

Ócsa Bird Ringing Station, H-2364 Ócsa, Némedi str. 592/1., Hungary

Relationship between sexual signals and louse (Insecta: Phthiraptera) infestation of breeding and migrating Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) in Hungary

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">A recently published checklist of Hungarian louse fauna (Insecta: Phthiraptera) listed 279 species and subspecies which have been recorded in Hungary. According to that checklist several louse species still await detection in Hungary, and many of the previously reported louse species have not been found on all expected host species yet. Our faunistical survey on avian lice started in 2005 at Ócsa Bird Ringing Station, resulting hundreds of ectoparasite samples collected from over 70 bird species. Additionally, our louse collection has grown by collecting samples in other research projects focusing on various bird species, and by sampling cadavers before taxidermy in the Bird Collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum. As the results of a preliminary exploration of this collection, we list 20 louse species which are new to the Hungarian fauna, as well as the first Hungarian records of 17 host-parasite associations. We also found 3 louse-bird association records new for the World fauna.</abstract>

Ócsa Bird Ringing Station, H-2364 Ócsa, Némedi str. 592/1., Hungary,

Szent István University, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, H-2100 Gödöllő, Páter Károly str. 1., Hungary

Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Science, Institute of Biology, Department of Anatomy, Cell and Developmental Biology, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány str. 1/C., Hungary

MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány str. 1/C., Hungary

New species and host association records for the Hungarian avian louse fauna (Insecta: Phthiraptera)

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The local abundance and spatial distribution of the short- to medium-distance migratory and daytime stopover passerines (Robin Erithacus rubecula, Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla, Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita, Blue tit Parus caeruleus, Great tit P. major) were studied in a West Hungarian stopover ground during post-breeding season. The dispergation index of all migratory bird species revealed clumped distribution both in „smallest annual capture year” (abb. SACY) and the „largest annual capture year” (abb. LACY). According to the PCA the spatial occurrences of Blackcap, Blue tit and Great tit captured in LACY showed significantly higher concentration than of those migrating in SACY. The studied species appeared in all four habitats (bushy, forest, grassland, marsh) of the study stopover area, but their clumped spatial distribution showed habitat preference. The abundance-dependent shift of habitat selection was found only in Great tit, the most of them captured in SACY concentrated in grassland with bushy, while the ones captured in LACY grouped in forest habitat type. Blackcaps were grouped the grassland with bushes habitat type where many Dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus) bushes were available during autumn migration.</abstract>

Institute of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of West Hungary, Szombathely, Károlyi Gáspár tér 4. H-9700, Hungary

István Chernel Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society, Szombathely, Károlyi Gáspár tér 4. H-9700, Hungary

Local abundance and spatial distribution of some migratory birds during post-breeding period

AHEAD OF PRINT

Volume 31 (2023): Issue 2 (December 2023)

Volume 31 (2023): Issue 1 (June 2023)

Volume 30 (2022): Issue 2 (December 2022)

Volume 30 (2022): Issue 1 (June 2022)

Volume 29 (2021): Issue 2 (December 2021)

Volume 29 (2021): Issue 1 (June 2021)

Volume 28 (2020): Issue 2 (December 2020)

Volume 28 (2020): Issue 1 (June 2020)

Volume 27 (2019): Issue 2 (December 2019)

Volume 27 (2019): Issue 1 (June 2019)

Volume 26 (2018): Issue 2 (December 2018)

Volume 26 (2018): Issue 1 (June 2018)

Volume 25 (2017): Issue 2 (December 2017)

Volume 25 (2017): Issue 1 (June 2017)

Volume 24 (2016): Issue 2 (December 2016)

Volume 24 (2016): Issue 1 (June 2016)

Volume 23 (2015): Issue 2 (December 2015)

Volume 23 (2015): Issue 1 (June 2015)

Volume 22 (2014): Issue 2 (December 2014)

Volume 22 (2014): Issue 1 (June 2014)

Volume 21 (2013): Issue 2 (December 2013)

Volume 21 (2013): Issue 1 (June 2013)

Volume 20 (2012): Issue 2 (December 2012)

Volume 20 (2012): Issue 1 (June 2012)

Ornis Hungarica

 Ornis Hungarica is one of the oldest professional, peer-reviewed ornithological journals in East and Central Europe and unique in the Carpathian Basin. It was first published in 1991 by BirdLife Hungary (Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society - www.mme.hu) and became listed in the largest scientific databases and indexing services over this 30-year period.  The journal publishes original research articles, reviews, and short communications from all regions of the world. Manuscripts from all fields of ornithology are considered for publication, especially focusing on the ecology, morphology, behaviour, evolution, biogeography and conservation of birds. Studies advancing our understanding of living or extinct bird species, populations or assemblages are all welcome.  The journal publishes papers in English, but the abstracts, figure captions and table titles are both in English and Hungarian supporting the dissemination of scientific knowledge to the Hungarian community. For non-Hungarian authors, the translations will be prepared by the editors.  The accepted manuscripts are published in two issues per year, both online and in print. The online version of all articles are freely available for downloading (open access). All volumes and issues are archived on the publisher’s site from 2012 to date. Ornis Hungarica aims to publish as rapidly as possible. Reviewers are assigned to each manuscript within 2 days after submission, on average. The full process, including technical editing and correcting the final proofs, is usually finished within 60 days.  Rejection Rate   50%   Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 