Afonso Rocha

University of Aveiro | UA · Department of Biology

Shorebirds migrating along the East Atlantic Flyway must travel long distances from their breeding sites in arctic and subarctic regions to wintering areas in Europe and Africa. Selecting a winter location is an important decision, as it can have both immediate and future consequences. Shorebirds must ensure they have enough resources to fulfil the...

Supporting Informating for: Gilles, M., Kosztolányi, A., Rocha, A. D., Cuthill, I. C., Székely, T., & Caspers, B. A. (2024). No sex difference in preen oil chemical composition during incubation in Kentish plovers. PeerJ, 12, e17243.

Data and code from: Gilles, M., Kosztolányi, A., Rocha, A. D., Cuthill, I. C., Székely, T., & Caspers, B. A. (2024). No sex difference in preen oil chemical composition during incubation in Kentish plovers. PeerJ, 12, e17243.

Preen oil, the secretion from the uropygial gland of birds, may have a specific function in incubation. Consistent with this, during incubation, the chemical composition of preen oil is more likely to differ between sexes in species where only one sex incubates than in species where both sexes incubate. In this study, we tested the generality of th...

Risk taking behaviour — how individuals perceive and respond to threat — varies among individuals. In birds, this behaviour influences the choice of nest microhabitat presumably because exposure to predation depends on the structural composition of the nest microhabitat (i.e., a small area where a bird builds its nest). Thus, a chosen nest microhab...

Dispersal is an important behavioral process that plays a significant role in, among others, speciation, population viability, and individual fitness. Despite progress in avian dispersal research, there are still many knowledge gaps. For example, it is of interest to study how dispersal propensity relates to age- and/or sex-specific patterns. Here,...

Advancing breeding phenology is a commonly‐observed response to climate warming among bird species, potentially in response to shifts in phenology of key resources. However, for migratory birds breeding at high latitudes, their capacity to breed earlier may be constrained by the time available between arrival on the breeding grounds and nesting, es...

Dispersal is an important behavioural process that plays a significant role in, among others, speciation, population viability, and individual fitness. Despite progress in avian dispersal research, there are still many knowledge gaps. For example, it is of interest to study how movement propensity (i.e., nomadic vs. philopatric) relates to age- and...

The coastal intertidal ecosystem of the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau, one of the largest and most important in West Africa, sustains a considerable proportion of the migratory shorebird populations of the East Atlantic Flyway and operates as a nursery area for benthic fish in the region. The macrozoobenthos in these mudflats constitute the ma...

This report should be cited as: Martins, RC, Moniz, F, Alves, JA, Belo, J, Carvalho, AT, Catry, T, Cordeiro, A, Costa, H, Costa, JS, Encarnação, V, Lourenço, PM, Nightingale, J, Pardal, S, Paulino, J, Raposo, D, Rocha, A, Silvério, A, Dias, MP. (2022) Contagens Mensais de Aves Aquáticas no Estuário do Tejo, 2007-2021. Em: Alonso H, Andrade J, Teod...

Understanding the relationship between migratory performance and fitness is crucial for predicting population dynamics of migratory species. In this study, we used geolocators to explore migration performance (speed and duration of migratory movements, migratory timings) and its association with breeding phenology and productivity in an Afro-Palear...

Long‐distance migratory species often include multiple breeding populations, with distinct migration routes, wintering areas and annual‐cycle timing. Detailed knowledge on population structure and migratory connectivity provides the basis for studies on the evolution of migration strategies and for species conservation. Currently, five subspecies o...

Amongst other factors, host behaviour critically determines the patterns with which blood parasites occur in wild host populations. In particular, migratory hosts that sequentially occupy distant sites within and across years are expected to show distinct patterns of blood parasitism depending on their population-specific schedules and whereabouts....

Migratory shorebirds (Charadrii) show a strong dichotomy in their breeding and wintering strategies: Arctic-breeding species typically spend the wintering season in marine habitats, while more southerly breeding species tend to do so in freshwater habitats where pathogens and parasites, particularly vector-borne blood parasites, are generally more...

Capsule: A combination of several biometric measures enables the reliable sexing of the European Bee-eater Merops apiaster, a species with subtle sex differences in plumage and morphometry. Aims: To explore variation in biometrics and their suitability to discriminate sex in adult European Bee-eaters Merops apiaster. Methods: We sampled populations...

Background Accurate estimation of nestlings’ age is essential in avian demography studies as well as in population ecology and conservation. For example, it can be useful for synchronizing nest visits with events of particular interest, such as the age at which young can be safely ringed, or in choosing the best period to attain the most accurate c...

Mechanisms underlying fat accumulation for long-distance migration are not fully understood. This is especially relevant in the context of global change, as many migrants are dealing with changes in natural habitats and associated food sources and energy stores. The continental Black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa limosa is a long-distance migratory b...

Climatic scenarios for the Mediterranean predict an increase in drought and erratic precipitation, which may affect waterbirds breeding in freshwater habitats. Artificial wetlands may provide an alternative for these species when conditions in natural habitats deteriorate. We studied Little Ringed Plovers Charadrius dubius nesting in natural stream...

Few studies have been able to directly measure the seasonal survival rates of migratory species or determine how variable the timing of migration is within individuals and across populations over multiple years. As such, it remains unclear how likely migration is to affect the population dynamics of migratory species and how capable migrants may be...

For migratory birds, selecting a wintering location is extremely important as conditions experienced in winter can have both immediate and future consequences through carry-over effects. The Bijagós archipelago, in West Africa, hosts large numbers of migratory waders during winter. Despite the extensive feeding areas available, and several roosting...

Along the East Atlantic Flyway thousands of waders winter in tropical sites in West Africa. In spring, these waders must travel to their breeding areas in temperate and arctic zones, migrating across very large distances. The flight distance a migrant is able to cover in a single flight allows predicting potential stop-over areas, as direct flights...

The Tejo estuary is a key site for wintering and migratory waterbirds both at the national and international levels. Here we report the main findings of an ongoing monitoring programme of waterbirds in the main high tide roosts of the estuary. A decade of monthly counts (between 2007 and 2016) revealed peaks in waterbird abundance occurring between...

The first Portuguese Atlas of Winter and Migratory Birds will be published in 2017 and was innovative in including the post-nuptial migratory period and data from ringing stations. The standard methodology was identical in both seasons and based on counting birds during a 30 min walk in each of six non-adjacent tetrads (2×2 km) within a 10×10 km UT...

Worldwide, low-salinity ponds of coastal saltpans are often drained for artisanal fishing, at which time shorebirds feed opportunistically on the drained ponds. This case study sought to examine how shorebirds exploit this food supply after experimentally draining a large pond (9.1 ha) used for artisanal fishing at the Tagus estuary, Portugal. Shor...

The migrant black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa) traditionally used natural wetlands in the Iberian Peninsula preparing for migratory flights by feeding mainly in estuaries. In recent decades this species has become increasingly dependent on rice fields, thereby relying on a plant-based diet for fueling. Dietary fatty acids (FA) seem to be determina...

Combined physiological and behavioural responses to salt loads during development have rarely been studied in air-breathing vertebrates able to inhabit hypersaline habitats, but they may be of particular importance in understanding, for example, the differences among species in patterns of habitat use or ontogenetic diet switches. Here, we compared...

The European bee-eater is an Afro-Palearctic migrant that breeds in temperate regions and winters at tropical latitudes. It is a highly specialized insectivore foraging mainly on bees and wasps in farmland habitats. The availability of these food resources depends on several factors (e.g. local weather conditions) and varies throughout the breeding...

The analysis of fatty acids from adipose tissue can provide unique information about physiological and nutritional aspects in bird studies. However, non-lethal biopsy procedures and their potential negative effects have not been assessed in detail for small and medium-sized birds. Here, we showed a biopsy procedure that involves collecting small am...

The loss and degradation of natural habitats in coastal areas worldwide has adversely affected many waterbird species, changing their breeding distribution and reducing their productivity. Anthropogenic habitats such as saltpans can provide alternative or complementary habitats for waterbirds and mitigate the increasing human impact on natural coas...

Analysis of fatty acids from adipose tissue can provide important information about the physiological and nutritional condition of birds. However, non-lethal biopsy procedures and their potential negative effects on small and medium-sized birds have not been adequately assessed. We developed a biopsy procedure for collecting small amounts of adipos...

he food conditions experienced during stopovers can deeply affect the performance of migratory birds, such as the Black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa. This species traditionally foraged on estuarine invertebrates but the intake of rice in stopover and wintering areas of Iberia and coastal Africa is now increasingly important. Understanding how these...

The food conditions experienced during stopovers can deeply affect the performance of migratory birds, such as the Black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa. This species traditionally foraged on estuarine invertebrates but the intake of rice in stopover and wintering areas of Iberia and coastal Africa is now increasingly important. Understanding how these...

Wild birds may act as reservoirs for zoonotic pathogens and may be mechanical carriers of pathogen infected vector ticks through long distances during migration. The aim of this study was to assess tick infestation patterns in birds in Portugal and the prevalence of tick infection by Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. using PCR techniques. Seven tick specie...

Migratory shorebirds are exposed to a wide range of pathogens along their migratory flyways, but their capacity to acquire or spread pathogens beyond endemic areas is poorly known. We focused on the spillover and acquisition of mosquito-borne pathogens such as haemosporidians and West Nile virus (WNV) on key-staging Iberian wetlands during differen...

Supplementary material 1 Supplementary material - Fieldwork: detailed description of capture periods and sampling methods; Haemosporidians screening: detailed laboratory extraction and parasite screening protocols. ELISA assays and detailed respective results.

Migratory shorebirds are exposed to a wide range of pathogens along their migratory flyways, but their capacity to acquire or spread pathogens beyond endemic areas is poorly known. We focused on the spillover and acquisition of mosquito-borne pathogens such as haemosporidians and West Nile virus (WNV) on key-staging Iberian wetlands during differen...

Migratory shorebirds are exposed to a wide range of pathogens along their migratory flyways, but their capacity to acquire or spread pathogens beyond endemic areas is poorly known. We focused on the spillover and acquisition of mosquito-borne pathogens such as haemo-sporidians and West Nile virus (WNV) on key-staging Iberian wetlands during differe...

Gene flow promotes genetic homogeneity of species in time and space. Gene flow can be modulated by sex-biased dispersal that links population genetics to mating systems. We investigated the phylogeography of the widely distributed Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus. This small shorebird has a large breeding range spanning from Western Europe to...

Portuguese wetlands harbour numbers of international importance for several populations of waterbirds, which designate those areas as key sites for wader species on the East Atlantic Flyway (EAF). The monitoring programme of waterbird populations in several major Portuguese wetlands aims to describe the abundance and phenology of the several specie...

Migratory wader populations face global threats, mainly related to increasing rates of habitat loss and disturbance driven by human activities. To a large extent, the long-term survival of these populations requires the conservation of networks of sites along their migratory flyways. The Tagus estuary, Portugal, is among the most important wetlands...

Migratory wader populations face global threats, mainly related to increasing rates of habitat loss and disturbance driven by human activities. To a large extent, the long-term survival of these populations requires the conservation of networks of sites along their migratory flyways. The Tagus estuary, Portugal, is among the most important wetlands...

Portuguese wetlands harbour numbers of international importance for several species of waterbirds, which designate those areas as key sites for wader species on the East Atlantic migratory flyway. The monitoring programme of waterbird populations in several Portuguese wetlands aims to describe the abundance and phenology of the several species that...

Portuguese wetlands harbour numbers of inter-national importance for several species of water-birds, which designate those areas as key sites for wader species on the East Atlantic migratory flyway. The monitoring programme of waterbird populations in several Portuguese wetlands aims to de-scribe the abundance and phenology of the several species t...

O MAI (Monitorização de Aves Invernantes) é um projecto da Associação Portuguesa de Anilhadores de Aves, APAA, que visa o estudo das populações de passeriformes invernantes em Portugal com recurso à anilhagem cientifica de aves selvagens. Insere-se no projecto à escala europeia “EURO-CES Constant effort ringing in Europe” promovido pela EURING, bas...

Many waders are long distance migrants that travel from the high Arctic to southern wetlands around the world. They cross areas with a high potential for disease transmission, and thus can effectively introduce tropical pathogens at higher latitudes. On this study we tried to understand the factors that influence avian malaria transmission locally...

Most Portuguese wetlands are located on the East Atlantic flyway and several of these host waterbird numbers of international importance. These areas are thus of paramount importance for waterbirds, particularly during the non-breeding season. The monitoring of waterbird numbers in the Tejo and Guadiana estuaries aims to describe the species’ pheno...

A Ria de Aveiro é uma zona húmida de elevado interesse ornitológico nacional e internacional, Indissociáveis da laguna, as praias e dunas costeiras adjacentes assumem também importância para diversas espécies de aves limícolas e marinhas. Estes locais de elevado valor enquanto espaços de uso lúdico, são marcados fortemente pela presença humana e pe...