Climate change driven by human activity has emerged as a determinant factor in the acceleration of global biodiversity loss, with bird species among the most impacted vertebrate groups. Parrots (family Psittacidae) are particularly vulnerable due to their specialised habitats, strong dependence on forested ecosystems, and additional pressures such as illegal wildlife trade and hunting. This review assesses the current scientific understanding of how climate change affects the biodiversity, distribution, physiology, and conservation status of Psittacidae worldwide. An extensive literature search was conducted covering publications from 2000 to 2022 to synthesise key findings on habitat loss, changing climatic patterns, morphological adaptations, and species resilience. Habitat loss was indicated as the predominant threat, compounded by climate-induced alterations in breeding and foraging behaviours. The review emphasises the need for integrated conservation actions, including habitat restoration, ecological corridors, and community involvement. By identifying research gaps and future directions, this paper contributes to strengthening global strategies for Psittacidae conservation under climate change scenarios.

Animals appear in different kinds of sources in medieval Islam, from the Quran to animal fables and works of belles-lettres. This article benefits from previous research on Islam’s attitude towards animals, specifically from the viewpoint of the ascetic-mystical stream of Islam during its classical stage. It examines animals in early Sufi narrative material from three perspectives. The first is the theological-ethical perspective that both questions Sufi morals in approaching animals and animality as well as the allegorical use of animals to portray the human psyche. The second perspective is the narrative angle that examines narrative tropes that use animals as a literary device to enhance human piety. The third perspective is ontological and it examines animals as active agents and practitioners of Sufi piety who share bonds and cosmic interconnectedness with human devotees. This cosmic interconnectedness implies an encompassing unity of the universe in which both human and non-human beings are able to obtain God’s love and intimacy.

After an introduction that places the topic within a broader framework of studying animals in Islamic culture, the article approaches stories as a substantially significant source for Sufi thought. It then discusses the three proposed perspectives using birds, lions and dogs as case studies.

In basic neuropsychopharmacological research, some biobehavioural phenomena — e.g., population migration and navigation over long distances — are rarely considered because the most commonly used laboratory animals show little or no evidence of these phenomena. Nevertheless, they can be also relevant for the mechanism of human psychic aberrations. An annual migration is seen in migratory birds, certain marine mammals and several ungulates. For migratory birds, the time of departure is determined by the length of the photoperiod and is much less changeable than the chosen route. When navigating, migratory birds also use the direction and strength of the field lines of the Earth’s magnetic field. Because humans also seem to exhibit a certain sensitivity to the Earth’s magnetic field, the regulation in birds could also provide hints for research on human well-being. Some bird species have such highly developed cognitive abilities that this is considered proof of the possession of consciousness. Therefore, some birds may be suitable as experimental animals in neurobiological models for cognitive functions and for making the world of thought accessible. The dorsal diencephalic conduction system (DDCS) in humans is difficult to study due to its small size and complex architecture, but it is relatively well developed in more primitive vertebrates. For research into the primary interactions between the DDCS and the rest of the brain, the lamprey can be used as laboratory animal. There is manifold evidence that the DDCS along with forebrain and upper brainstem is of functional relevance and the significance of the DDCS in cortical-controlled networks could then be investigated in birds and verified in humans.

This study presents data on helminth communities from 93 Hooded Crows (Corvus cornix). The dataset includes historical and contemporary records from three localities in Ukraine with different levels of urbanisation: Kyiv, the Middle Dnipro River, and Polissya. Thirty-two helminth species were identified, including 14 trematodes, six cestodes, 11 nematodes, and one acanthocephalan. The nematodes Eufilariella delicata and Hadjelia truncata are documented in Hooded Crows for the first time. During the statistical analysis, it was revealed that the used dataset is insufficient for robust inference regarding the impact of urbanisation on helminth communities due to its temporal and spatial biases. Despite the limitation, the data offer information for future research on the influence of urbanisation on helminth biodiversity in avian hosts.

Zooarchaeologists routinely analyze assemblages that were initially sorted into major animal type (birds, mammals, fish, invertebrates) by students or lab technicians with varied backgrounds in zooarchaeology. Sorting errors are probably made in this initial phase, which can affect taxonomic representation and understanding of human–animal relationships. Recent study of the immense faunal assemblage (over 1 million NSP [Number of Specimens]) from Čḯxwicən (45CA523), a 2,700-year-old Lower Elwha Klallam village located on the coast of Washington (USA), allows us to systematically analyze trends in sorting errors. For example, 22.6% of the bird bones included in our sample were initially missorted into other taxonomic groups, primarily mammal, but also fish and invertebrate. Fish bones were less frequently missorted, but certain taxa with unusual elements were affected. More than one-fourth (27.3%) of all mammal bone chips (debitage from tool production) were missorted. Failure to recognize and mitigate these errors could lead to significant biases. Lab managers need to recognize the potential for sorting error at the beginning and train lab technicians in the kinds of faunal remains they will be encountering, including distinctive elements. Collaborative researchers need to develop protocols for transferring specimens, and scholars working with “legacy collections” should not assume the collections were sorted correctly.

Forest structure has a significant impact on the quality of habitat for various bird communities. In particular, birds that rely on forests, such as woodpeckers, are sensitive to changes in the characteristics of the forest. However, there is limited knowledge on how woodpeckers respond to these changes in forests outside protected areas, and in the highly seasonal Eastern Himalaya. To address this gap, a study was conducted in the differently managed non-protected forests of Darjeeling, Eastern Himalaya, India, spanning an elevation range of 250–2,400 m. The study aimed to identify the key forest characteristics that influence woodpecker diversity at the community and individual species levels. Data on woodpeckers were collected using point counts along transects during the pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon, and winter seasons. Habitat characteristics were assessed using 20 × 20 m quadrats at each observation point. The study recorded 1,721 individual woodpeckers belonging to 13 species from 3,456 point counts. The results indicated that the basal area and density of snags were the main factors influencing woodpecker diversity. Woodpeckers in the study area showed a significant negative relationship with the basal area, tree density, and tree diameter diversity. This suggests that woodpeckers prefer high snag density but scattered, smaller, and more uniformly sized trees in the study area. Among individual species, the Greater Yellownape Chrysophlegma flavinucha and Grey-capped Pygmy Yungipicus canicapillus Woodpeckers showed a strong preference for high snag density, while Bay Woodpeckers Blythipicus pyrrhotis were closely associated with high canopy cover and denser forests. Seasonal effects had minimal influence on woodpecker diversity in the study area. The study contradicts the typical preference of large woodpeckers for large trees and greater basal areas, despite four large-sized species making up 75% of the woodpecker community in the region. Thus, the findings highlight the importance of considering species-specific, region-specific, and management-specific habitat requirements when developing conservation strategies.

Distinguishing between Stomylotrema bijugum and S. vicarium is challenging due to their phenotypic plasticity. In this study, adult specimens were recovered from 9 host species in the Mexican tropical lowlands. To explore the morphological differences, 32 morphological characteristics were evaluated in 54 specimens. Linear discriminant analysis provided enough evidence to differentiate the 2 species. Additionally, a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed for each species. The PCA of S. bijugum revealed 3 groups separately corresponding to specimens from the 3 hosts, suggesting host-induced phenotypic plasticity, whereas the PCA of S. vicarium revealed that the specimens from 3 host species were clustered together, indicating morphometric homogeneity. To confirm the morphological differences between the 2 species of Stomylotrema, we sequenced 2 molecular markers: the D1–D3 domains of the large subunit (LSU) from nuclear DNA and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 1 (Nad1) from mitochondrial DNA. Sequences of the LSU were aligned and compared with the LSU sequences of other congeneric species available in GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses supported the monophyly of Stomylotrema, with 2 main subclades that corresponded to S. bijugum and S. vicarium. A haplotype network was predicted with 25 Nad1 sequences, revealing the presence of 2 clusters representing the 2 species separated from each other by 98 substitutions. The current studies on S. bijugum and S. vicarium revealed new hosts and geographical regions in the Americas, suggesting that both species addressed in the current study can complete their life cycle in the Neotropical region of Mexico.

Detection approaches based on environmental DNA (eDNA) are widely used for free-living species but remain underutilized for parasite species. This study applies eDNA detection methods to elucidate the life cycle of the trematode Curtuteria arguinae, which infects the socioeconomically and ecologically important edible cockle (Cerastoderma edule) as its second intermediate host along the northeastern Atlantic coast, including Arcachon Bay, France. The first intermediate and definitive hosts remained unknown. To identify these hosts – presumed to be a gastropod and a shorebird – we developed a quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based eDNA approach targeting partial cox1 and SSU gene regions of C. arguinae. We tested for C. arguinae eDNA presence in water samples containing separately five dominant gastropod species and fecal samples from known cockle predators, the European oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) and gulls (Larus spp.), collected in Arcachon Bay. C. arguinae eDNA was only detected in water containing the needle snail (Bittium reticulatum), with cercarial emergence confirming infection in 1.6% of individual hosts. Morphological analysis of the cercarial and metacercarial stages revealed variability in collar spine visibility. Additionally, C. arguinae was detected by qPCR in 42% of oystercatcher feces and no gull feces, suggesting oystercatchers are the definitive host. This study is the first to elucidate the complete life cycle of C. arguinae, identifying B. reticulatum as its first intermediate host and H. ostralegus as its definitive host. Our findings highlight the potential of eDNA approaches for resolving parasite life cycles and enabling advances in ecological research on C. arguinae.