The globally Endangered Giant Nuthatch Sitta magna remains poorly studied, with key factors affecting its reproductive success remaining largely unknown. With forest loss as the primary threat to Giant Nuthatch, urgent action is needed to find possible avenues for habitat restoration. Here we investigated nesting survival and nest-site and nest-cavity characteristics at a site supporting the largest known global subpopulation in a 62 km2 landscape dominated by mature Pinus kesiya restoration plantings, a potential additional habitat for Giant Nuthatch in northern Thailand. Over three breeding seasons (2022–2024), we monitored 31 nests with 16 nests in plantation interiors and 15 nests in plantations close to villages and agricultural lands. The nesting period lasted about 43 days, with 11–15 days of incubation and 25–28 days with nestlings. We found that Giant Nuthatch primarily relied on available natural cavities, with an overall nesting success of ~25% (0.9686 ± 0.0079 [SE] daily survival rate). Daily survival rates were negatively affected by rainfall during cooler periods, while nests located in larger trees with a higher percentage of crown connectedness were associated with higher daily survival, likely due to better protection from severe weather conditions, such as rain combined with cooler temperatures. No significant differences were detected in daily survival between interior and edge nests, possibly reflecting lower abundance and diversity of nest predators in the more disturbed edge habitat. Although no strong preferences for specific cavity or nest-site characteristics were observed, nests tended to occur in cavities with greater horizontal depth and in flatter areas with a more open canopy. Our study represents the most comprehensive assessment of Giant Nuthatch nesting ecology, highlighting mature pine plantations as potential nesting habitat. These findings suggest that incorporating such plantations into conservation strategies may help sustain population viability, though further research is required on their long-term effectiveness.

Birds are often used as ecological indicators because they are widely distributed across diverse habitats and display distinct behavioural responses to environmental changes. The Endangered Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum is regarded as a flagship species of Africa’s wetland and grassland habitats, both of which are undergoing substantial transformation to alternative land uses. The delayed reproductive strategies and habitat specialisation of this crane species makes them more vulnerable to extinction, but this risk is further compounded by data paucity. We employed traditional and contemporary survey methods to collect breeding metrics to calculate stage transition probabilities (i.e. egg–hatchling, hatchling–juvenile) and to identify possible macro-environmental factors that either promote or hinder their reproductive output in a key agricultural area in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We found that Grey Crowned Cranes have a low hatching rate of 38.4% (95% confidence interval 29.3–48.4%) and show that this low hatching rate is exacerbated under high rainfall intensity. Multivariate analyses and multi-model inference revealed that successful nest-sites were generally associated with larger open water-bodies, greater distances from shore, and increased proximity to secondary roads, buildings, and natural grasslands. Although increased agricultural activities might promote greater foraging opportunities, the overall breeding outcomes of this species were poor in this key agricultural region. Our findings stress the urgent need for further fine-scale data collection and monitoring activities to better inform conservation strategies for this species. We also encourage future studies to focus on aspects affecting Grey Crowned Crane breeding in regions where proximity to human activities is inevitable.

The population of the Critically Endangered Mauritius fody Foudia rubra fell by 55% over 1975–1993 because of habitat destruction and predation. The species was believed to be dependent on a small grove of introduced, non-invasive Cryptomeria japonica trees that offered protection from nest predation. We investigated the current population size and distribution of the fody and compared nesting success in forestry plantations to that of a released population on an offshore island. The population size on the mainland has remained stable over the past 10 years, with increases in pine Pinus spp. plantations, but continues to decline in areas of predominantly native vegetation. Only 16% of pairs found were estimated to nest in native tree species. Up to 81% of nest failures on the mainland were attributed to predation but nesting success in C. japonica and pine trees was similar to that of a released population on a predator-free offshore island. The mainland population is increasingly dependent on plantations for survival and we predict this will continue. Management and protection of non-invasive exotic species, together with creation of native habitat refuges on the mainland and offshore islands can be used to increase numbers of threatened birds in areas where predator control is not feasible.