Cagan Hakki Sekercioglu | University of Utah (original) (raw)

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Books by Cagan Hakki Sekercioglu

Papers by Cagan Hakki Sekercioglu

Biological Conservation, 2012

Birds are among the most widely studied organisms on earth and represent an important indicator g... more Birds are among the most widely studied organisms on earth and represent an important indicator group for learning about the effects of climate change-particularly in regard to the effects of climate change on tropical ecosystems. In this review, we assess the potential impacts of climate change on tropical birds and discuss the factors that affect species' ability to adapt and survive the impending alterations in habitat availability. Tropical mountain birds, species without access to higher elevations, coastal forest birds, and restricted-range species are especially vulnerable. Some birds may be especially susceptible to increased rainfall seasonality and to extreme weather events, such as heat waves, cold spells, and tropical cyclones. Birds that experience limited temperature variation and have low basal metabolic rates will be the most prone to the physiological effects of warming temperatures and heat waves. Mostly unknown species' interactions, indirect effects, and synergies of climate change with other threats, such as habitat loss, emerging diseases, invasive species, and hunting will exacerbate the effects of climate change on tropical birds. In some models habitat loss can increase bird extinctions caused by climate change by 50%. 3.5°C surface warming by the year 2100 may result in 600-900 extinctions of land bird species, 89% of which occur in the tropics. Depending on the amount of future habitat loss, each degree of surface warming could lead to approximately 100-500 additional bird extinctions. Protected areas will be more important than ever, but they need to be designed with climate change in mind. Although 92% of currently protected areas are likely to become climatically unsuitable in a century, for example only 7 or 8 priority species' preferred climatic envelopes are projected to be entirely lost from the African Important Bird Area network. Networks of protected areas need to incorporate extensive topographical diversity, cover wide elevational ranges, have high connectivity, and integrate human-dominated landscapes into conservation schemes. Most tropical bird species vulnerable to climate change are not currently considered threatened with extinction, often due to lack of knowledge; systematically and regularly gathering information on the ecology, and current and future distributions of these species is an urgent priority. Locally based, long-term tropical bird monitoring and conservation programs based on adaptive management are essential to help protect birds against climate change.

Zoology in the Middle East

Abstract Observation of an unusual population of white-plumaged doves in Osmaniye suggests that t... more Abstract Observation of an unusual population of white-plumaged doves in Osmaniye suggests that these birds are conspecific with the Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis, Linnaeus, 1766) population in the town. The white-morph is not found outside the urban area. Aside from colouration, the white doves shared identical morphological characteristics with wild-type brown Laughing Doves. Additionally, the white doves and wild-type Laughing Doves formed mixed flocks and readily paired. Based on the observations of four inter-morph pairings, the white morph appears to be a recessive, single autosomal locus mutation. It appears that the white colouration may have originated from one or more hybridization events between Laughing Doves and feral white Barbary Doves (Streptopelia risoria). This study not only identifies an anomalous population of birds in an urban setting, but highlights the importance of traditional knowledge in understanding biodiversity. Keywords: Laughing Dove, Barbary Dove, ethno-ornithology

Conservation Biology, 2016

The trade in wild animals involves one-third of the world&amp... more The trade in wild animals involves one-third of the world's bird species and thousands of other vertebrate species. Although a few species are imperiled as a result of the wildlife trade, the lack of field studies makes it difficult to gauge how serious a threat it is to biodiversity. We used data on changes in bird abundances across space and time and information from trapper interviews to evaluate the effects of trapping wild birds for the pet trade in Sumatra, Indonesia. To analyze changes in bird abundance over time, we used data gathered over 14 years of repeated bird surveys in a 900-ha forest in southern Sumatra. In northern Sumatra, we surveyed birds along a gradient of trapping accessibility, from the edge of roads to 5 km into the forest interior. We interviewed 49 bird trappers in northern Sumatra to learn which species they targeted and how far they went into the forest to trap. We used prices from Sumatran bird markets as a proxy for demand and, therefore, trapping pressure. Market price was a significant predictor of species declines over time in southern Sumatra (e.g., given a market price increase of approximately $50, the log change in abundance per year decreased by 0.06 on average). This result indicates a link between the market-based pet trade and community-wide species declines. In northern Sumatra, price and change in abundance were not related to remoteness (distance from the nearest road). However, based on our field surveys, high-value species were rare or absent across this region. The median maximum distance trappers went into the forest each day was 5.0 km. This suggests that trapping has depleted bird populations across our remoteness gradient. We found that less than half of Sumatra's remaining forests are >5 km from a major road. Our results suggest that trapping for the pet trade threatens birds in Sumatra. Given the popularity of pet birds across Southeast Asia, additional studies are urgently needed to determine the extent and magnitude of the threat posed by the pet trade.

Die Naturwissenschaften, Jan 9, 2018

In this paper, we present an estimate of the predation impact of the global population of insecti... more In this paper, we present an estimate of the predation impact of the global population of insectivorous birds based on 103 (for the most part) published studies of prey consumption (kg ha season) of insectivorous birds in seven biome types. By extrapolation-taking into account the global land cover of the various biomes-an estimate of the annual prey consumption of the world's insectivorous birds was obtained. We estimate the prey biomass consumed by the world's insectivorous birds to be somewhere between 400 and 500 million metric tons year, but most likely at the lower end of this range (corresponding to an energy consumption of ≈ 2.7 × 10 J year or ≈ 0.15% of the global terrestrial net primary production). Birds in forests account for > 70% of the global annual prey consumption of insectivorous birds (≥ 300 million tons year), whereas birds in other biomes (savannas and grasslands, croplands, deserts, and Arctic tundra) are less significant contributors (≥ 100 million ...

Current Biology, 2016

What are vultures? Vultures are large, obligate scavenging birds that eat dead vertebrates. There... more What are vultures? Vultures are large, obligate scavenging birds that eat dead vertebrates. There are 23 species of vulture, inhabiting diverse biomes from the Amazonian rainforest and East African savannahs, to the Sahara Desert and high Himalayas. There are two main groups of vultures: Old World vultures of the Accipitridae family, found in Europe, Africa, and Asia, and New World vultures of the Cathartidae family, found in North and South America. It was long believed that New World vultures were more closely related to storks than to Old World vultures. However, recent molecular evidence indicates that they are likely to be sister taxa. Either way, the scavenging habits of these groups are thought to have evolved independently, leading to adaptations like large bodies, broad wings, powerful beaks and featherless heads.

Birds and Climate Change, 2011

Birds and Climate Change, 2011

Trends in Ecology Evolution, Aug 1, 2006

Biological Conservation, 2012

Birds are among the most widely studied organisms on earth and represent an important indicator g... more Birds are among the most widely studied organisms on earth and represent an important indicator group for learning about the effects of climate change-particularly in regard to the effects of climate change on tropical ecosystems. In this review, we assess the potential impacts of climate change on tropical birds and discuss the factors that affect species' ability to adapt and survive the impending alterations in habitat availability. Tropical mountain birds, species without access to higher elevations, coastal forest birds, and restricted-range species are especially vulnerable. Some birds may be especially susceptible to increased rainfall seasonality and to extreme weather events, such as heat waves, cold spells, and tropical cyclones. Birds that experience limited temperature variation and have low basal metabolic rates will be the most prone to the physiological effects of warming temperatures and heat waves. Mostly unknown species' interactions, indirect effects, and synergies of climate change with other threats, such as habitat loss, emerging diseases, invasive species, and hunting will exacerbate the effects of climate change on tropical birds. In some models habitat loss can increase bird extinctions caused by climate change by 50%. 3.5°C surface warming by the year 2100 may result in 600-900 extinctions of land bird species, 89% of which occur in the tropics. Depending on the amount of future habitat loss, each degree of surface warming could lead to approximately 100-500 additional bird extinctions. Protected areas will be more important than ever, but they need to be designed with climate change in mind. Although 92% of currently protected areas are likely to become climatically unsuitable in a century, for example only 7 or 8 priority species' preferred climatic envelopes are projected to be entirely lost from the African Important Bird Area network. Networks of protected areas need to incorporate extensive topographical diversity, cover wide elevational ranges, have high connectivity, and integrate human-dominated landscapes into conservation schemes. Most tropical bird species vulnerable to climate change are not currently considered threatened with extinction, often due to lack of knowledge; systematically and regularly gathering information on the ecology, and current and future distributions of these species is an urgent priority. Locally based, long-term tropical bird monitoring and conservation programs based on adaptive management are essential to help protect birds against climate change.

Zoology in the Middle East

Abstract Observation of an unusual population of white-plumaged doves in Osmaniye suggests that t... more Abstract Observation of an unusual population of white-plumaged doves in Osmaniye suggests that these birds are conspecific with the Laughing Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis, Linnaeus, 1766) population in the town. The white-morph is not found outside the urban area. Aside from colouration, the white doves shared identical morphological characteristics with wild-type brown Laughing Doves. Additionally, the white doves and wild-type Laughing Doves formed mixed flocks and readily paired. Based on the observations of four inter-morph pairings, the white morph appears to be a recessive, single autosomal locus mutation. It appears that the white colouration may have originated from one or more hybridization events between Laughing Doves and feral white Barbary Doves (Streptopelia risoria). This study not only identifies an anomalous population of birds in an urban setting, but highlights the importance of traditional knowledge in understanding biodiversity. Keywords: Laughing Dove, Barbary Dove, ethno-ornithology

Conservation Biology, 2016

The trade in wild animals involves one-third of the world&amp... more The trade in wild animals involves one-third of the world's bird species and thousands of other vertebrate species. Although a few species are imperiled as a result of the wildlife trade, the lack of field studies makes it difficult to gauge how serious a threat it is to biodiversity. We used data on changes in bird abundances across space and time and information from trapper interviews to evaluate the effects of trapping wild birds for the pet trade in Sumatra, Indonesia. To analyze changes in bird abundance over time, we used data gathered over 14 years of repeated bird surveys in a 900-ha forest in southern Sumatra. In northern Sumatra, we surveyed birds along a gradient of trapping accessibility, from the edge of roads to 5 km into the forest interior. We interviewed 49 bird trappers in northern Sumatra to learn which species they targeted and how far they went into the forest to trap. We used prices from Sumatran bird markets as a proxy for demand and, therefore, trapping pressure. Market price was a significant predictor of species declines over time in southern Sumatra (e.g., given a market price increase of approximately $50, the log change in abundance per year decreased by 0.06 on average). This result indicates a link between the market-based pet trade and community-wide species declines. In northern Sumatra, price and change in abundance were not related to remoteness (distance from the nearest road). However, based on our field surveys, high-value species were rare or absent across this region. The median maximum distance trappers went into the forest each day was 5.0 km. This suggests that trapping has depleted bird populations across our remoteness gradient. We found that less than half of Sumatra's remaining forests are >5 km from a major road. Our results suggest that trapping for the pet trade threatens birds in Sumatra. Given the popularity of pet birds across Southeast Asia, additional studies are urgently needed to determine the extent and magnitude of the threat posed by the pet trade.

Die Naturwissenschaften, Jan 9, 2018

In this paper, we present an estimate of the predation impact of the global population of insecti... more In this paper, we present an estimate of the predation impact of the global population of insectivorous birds based on 103 (for the most part) published studies of prey consumption (kg ha season) of insectivorous birds in seven biome types. By extrapolation-taking into account the global land cover of the various biomes-an estimate of the annual prey consumption of the world's insectivorous birds was obtained. We estimate the prey biomass consumed by the world's insectivorous birds to be somewhere between 400 and 500 million metric tons year, but most likely at the lower end of this range (corresponding to an energy consumption of ≈ 2.7 × 10 J year or ≈ 0.15% of the global terrestrial net primary production). Birds in forests account for > 70% of the global annual prey consumption of insectivorous birds (≥ 300 million tons year), whereas birds in other biomes (savannas and grasslands, croplands, deserts, and Arctic tundra) are less significant contributors (≥ 100 million ...

Current Biology, 2016

What are vultures? Vultures are large, obligate scavenging birds that eat dead vertebrates. There... more What are vultures? Vultures are large, obligate scavenging birds that eat dead vertebrates. There are 23 species of vulture, inhabiting diverse biomes from the Amazonian rainforest and East African savannahs, to the Sahara Desert and high Himalayas. There are two main groups of vultures: Old World vultures of the Accipitridae family, found in Europe, Africa, and Asia, and New World vultures of the Cathartidae family, found in North and South America. It was long believed that New World vultures were more closely related to storks than to Old World vultures. However, recent molecular evidence indicates that they are likely to be sister taxa. Either way, the scavenging habits of these groups are thought to have evolved independently, leading to adaptations like large bodies, broad wings, powerful beaks and featherless heads.

Birds and Climate Change, 2011

Birds and Climate Change, 2011

Trends in Ecology Evolution, Aug 1, 2006

Being on the important bird migratory route and harbouring 483 species of total 530 bird species ... more Being on the important bird migratory route and harbouring 483 species of total 530 bird species (%91) that Europe has, our country’s importance as being a significant area of nourishment and breeding for birds is enhanced. With up to 120 mammal ,130 reptilian and 400 fish species , our country is very rich with regard to speciesdiversity in biological diversity.