Beyond the Spotlight: Our Commitment to the Unseen
A Cuban Emerald perched in silence, like the many stories waiting to be heard. © Gyorgy Szimuly
Editorial

Beyond the Spotlight: Our Commitment to the Unseen

Popular stories will always have a place—but true progress lies in giving voice to those still unheard.

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In Defence of Bird Conservation in a Broken World
Native to Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean, this small passerine fell to a few hundred birds in the 1970s as forests disappeared. Thanks to sustained restoration, the Rodrigues Fody population has rebounded, becoming one of conservation’s quiet success stories. © Alex Jones

In Defence of Bird Conservation in a Broken World

When the world feels fractured beyond repair, speaking about bird conservation can sound almost indulgent. Yet in the quiet persistence of those who still care, a truth endures: to protect the living fabric of the Earth is not a luxury. It is an act of survival — and of humanity.
Editorial
Gyorgy Szimuly

Gyorgy Szimuly
Shorebirds, one year on: what we won, what we lost, and what must come next
Far Eastern Curlew, a flagship species of coastal wetlands, highlights both the conservation wins and urgent risks reviewed this World Shorebirds Day. © John J Harrison

Shorebirds, one year on: what we won, what we lost, and what must come next

A year of mixed signals for shorebirds: vital site protections and clever science on one side; drying wetlands, development pressure and rising extinction risk on the other. Here’s what moved the needle — and where we urgently need to act.
Editorial
Gyorgy Szimuly

Gyorgy Szimuly
Sound-based surveys uncover fine-scale habitat selection in the declining Crested Tit
Forest birds are often assumed to depend primarily on age and maturity, yet fine-scale structure and composition may shape habitat use long before breeding begins. © Steve Roach

Sound-based surveys uncover fine-scale habitat selection in the declining Crested Tit

New research from Finland suggests that Crested Tits respond more to fine-scale forest structure than to forest age in early spring, challenging assumptions about how habitat quality is defined in managed boreal forests.
Ecology and Behaviour
Gyorgy Szimuly

Gyorgy Szimuly
Choosing Survival: Habitat Shifts in Wintering Taiga Bean Geese
Winter landscapes can appear rich in food, yet a few degrees below zero can render familiar feeding grounds unusable. For Taiga Bean Geese, survival depends on recognising when to abandon frozen pastures and seek alternative refuges. © Lars Petersson

Choosing Survival: Habitat Shifts in Wintering Taiga Bean Geese

When frost locks grasslands out of reach, Taiga Bean Geese turn to winter cereal fields to survive. New research shows how these fields become lifelines during the coldest days of winter.
Ecology and Behaviour
Gyorgy Szimuly

Gyorgy Szimuly
Bound by Coastlines: Genetics and the Hidden Structure of Mexico’s American Oystercatchers
American Oystercatchers along the coast of north-western Mexico inhabit a landscape shaped by strong site fidelity, where breeding populations remain closely tied to specific bays and shorelines despite their ability to travel long distances.© Rain Saulnier

Bound by Coastlines: Genetics and the Hidden Structure of Mexico’s American Oystercatchers

Genetic evidence from Mexico’s coastlines reveals that American Oystercatchers are far less mobile than they appear, shaped by loyalty to place and hidden evolutionary boundaries.
Evolution and Taxonomy
Gyorgy Szimuly

Gyorgy Szimuly
Cormorants: Evolutionary Failure or Underwater Mastermind?
A Spotted Shag demonstrates the streamlined form typical of shags. The same low-drag profile that supports agile flight also contributes to the precise underwater manoeuvrability seen across the cormorant family. © Jeremiah Trimble

Cormorants: Evolutionary Failure or Underwater Mastermind?

Cormorants are often labelled evolutionary misfits for having partially wettable feathers – hardly ideal for a diving bird. Their design is far from flawed. It is a finely tuned adaptation that reveals an unexpected path in the evolution of underwater hunting.
Evolution and Taxonomy
Gyorgy Szimuly

Gyorgy Szimuly