The study of bird ecology and conservation has become increasingly important as birds represent one of the most threatened animal groups globally. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), over 1400 bird species are classified as critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable. These numbers continue to rise as their populations decline under the influence of human activities like agriculture, industry, and urbanization. The complexity of these issues has sparked ongoing debates and research into understanding the driving factors behind bird population dynamics, breeding success, and habitat preferences. Despite the growing body of knowledge, there's still a pressing need for more targeted investigations to bridge existing knowledge gaps and address the conservation challenges facing birds today.
This Research Topic aims to identify key threats to bird populations and develop strategies for their conservation. The investigation would begin with assessing the population densities, trends, breeding performance, diet composition, and habitat preferences of these species. Subsequently, it is crucial to pinpoint the anthropogenic factors contributing to their decline, such as forestry, pesticides, and hunting. The ultimate goal is to propose actionable conservation strategies, including the designation of protected areas, legislative measures, and practical solutions to mitigate these threats.
To gather further insights into avian conservation, we invite articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Distribution and abundance of bird species, especially endangered ones
- Long-term population dynamics of selected bird species
- Breeding and feeding ecology, such as habitat and nest site selection and diet composition
- The impact of human activities on bird abundance, both positive and negative
- Practical approaches to bird conservation, particularly in farmlands and urbanized environments
Articles of various types such as Original Research, Reviews, and Perspective articles are encouraged to contribute to this Research Topic.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Conceptual Analysis
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Conceptual Analysis
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Opinion
Original Research
Perspective
Policy and Practice Reviews
Policy Brief
Registered Report
Review
Systematic Review
Technology and Code
Keywords: distribution and abundance, population dynamics, breeding performance, diet composition, human impact on bird abundance, birds in protected areas, threatened species, bird conservation, bird ecology, ornithology
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
