Studying how natural selection shapes cognitive performance using the genius of the bird world - Pheasants. Tweets by Jo Madden (available on other platforms)
2nd report for @NatResWales to inform their consultation about gamebird releasing in ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ
This 1 โฌ๏ธbrings up to date evidence about ecological effects of released gamebirds w/a focus on ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ, looks at new research in the area & describes knowledge gaps
https://t.co/K4m90XNQu4
@fbuner Several hundred acres of thatching wheat grown here in mid devon each year. One limiting step is finding enough people to stook it all up. It's fairly arduous, dusty work. And keeping the binder working, that's almost 100 years old.
What are the ecological effects of releasing and managing mallard ducks for hunting?
Our new OA paper with @ecoevoenviro https://t.co/4Xc3am3Jgg
What did we find? A short ๐งต
Mallard release in the UK has been increasing over recent years and now ~1.3-2.6 million are released annually
Problems are likely to be especially acute (and benefits less) on large "driven duck only" days
We call for markedly more research into Mallard release and management
What are the ecological effects of releasing and managing mallard ducks for hunting?
Our new OA paper with @ecoevoenviro https://t.co/4Xc3am3Jgg
What did we find? A short ๐งต
Evidence is currently limited and often weak (especially considering wider ecosystem effects)
Releases and associated management have both positive (e.g. habitat creation, feeding) and negative (e.g. interbreeding, disease, eutrophication) ecological impacts
@stuartpengs Emerging, scarred, from the bramble thickets. Just one field of ankle high beet separates the beaters from their port and sausages on the very last drive of the day. And it's chucking rain.
@andychadwick63@ecoevoenviro@MathewBEllis@JNCC_UK Populations can change fairly rapidly, perhaps due to causes beyond the UK, so a regular and reliable data updating is essential to maintain sustainable harvest. In the case of many of these birds, this is a legal obligation under AEWA, hence the study to evaluate this.
How robust is current hunting bag data, and can we rely on it to manage sustainable harvest of UK waterbirds?
For most species, it's pretty good, but released mallard๐ฆ๐ฆcan confuse the picture
Recent collaboration with @ecoevoenviro and Matt Ellis of @BASCnews
New report published today reviews whether current data collection on hunting bags can reliably determine whether shooting of legally-huntable waterbird species is sustainable in the UK https://t.co/z8z7AxALvW
This evidence will support the UK's obligation towards @unep_aewa
@ecoevoenviro To add context: the density of released pheasants in the general countryside (i.e not where they are released) in summer is ~<20 birds/km2 and concerns are (rightly) raised about the potential negative ecological effects that such densities might exert https://t.co/Eq4Ahp4wLk
It forms part of an exciting Special Issue of Phil Trans, "Selection shapes diverse animal minds", edited by Elli Leadbeater & Alex Thornton (on BSky)
Co-authors include the ecobird team (on BSky) and @Samellisq
https://t.co/5P2PJC9ONW
NEW PAPER๐บ
How does cognition determine individual fitness? A systematic review of the links between cognition, behaviour & fitness in non-human animals
Lots of studies try to explain how cognition might evolve, taking a behavioural ecology approach
Has this made progress?๐งต