New publication on red-necked nightjars!

Hidalgo-Rodríguez, P, Sanz-Aguilar, A., Edelaar P., [...],  Camacho, C. 2026 Temperature extremes across breeding and nonbreeding regions shape annual survival in a migratory bird, Current Zoology https://doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoag045

In a shell:Using 12 years of capture–recapture data from a migratory population of red-necked nightjars (Caprimulgus ruficollis), we found that adult survival was stable over time, with no effect of vegetation development (NDVI). In contrast, land surface temperature (LST) in both, wintering and breeding grounds, was positively associated with survival across age classes.  

Summary:Migratory birds experience diverse ecological conditions throughout their migratory range that can influence survival, particularly during vulnerable life stages such as juveniles. Identifying the life stages and regions that constrain populations is therefore essential for migratory species of conservation concern, including aerial insectivores. 

Using a migratory population of red-necked nightjars (Caprimulgus ruficollis) as a model, we analyzed 12 years (2010–2021) of capture–recapture data to estimate sex- and age-specific annual survival probabilities and assessed the effects of time (year), vegetation development (normalized difference vegetation index [NDVI]), and land surface temperature (LST) in the breeding (Doñana) and nonbreeding staging areas (Mali and Guinea). Survival probabilities remained constant throughout the study period. Adults showed higher survival (females: 0.660 ± 0.038 standard error (SE), 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.581–0.731; males: 0.677 ± 0.037 SE, 95% CI: 0.6–0.746) than juveniles (females: 0.398 ± 0.040 SE, 95% CI: 0.323–0.479; males: 0.352 ± 0.036 SE, 95% CI: 0.285–0.426), after accounting for age-specific differences in recapture probabilities. NDVI did not affect survival. In contrast, LST in both Doñana and Guinea was positively associated with survival in adults and juveniles. Our findings demonstrate that climatic factors operating in geographically distant regions can jointly shape red-necked nightjar demography and suggest that this species may be relatively resilient to projected increases in temperature.

 

 

Raccoons in Mallorca!

A press release on the situation of the raccoons in the Sierra de Tramuntana (Mallorca), mentioning the work by the GEDA in collaboration with the COFIB. 

 Here

Award! Best Poster at XXVII SEO congress

The poster presented by B. Albalat et al. on the effect of GPS deployment on the European Storm Petrel has been awarded among the best posters of the Congress. Congratulation Balma!

 

GEDA at the XXVII Spanish Ornithological Congress !

GEDA joined the XXVII Spanish Ornithologial Congress at Granda from the 2nd to 6th of September. See the program here

   

 

Subscriptions to CMRR 2026 workshop open!

Subscription to the upcoming workshop on CMRR analysis, now open.

 INTRODUCTORY COURSE: 23 - 27 Nov. 2026, Mallorca, Spain  

 (places: 20, price 350Є)

 

This introductory course aims to introduce students, researchers and environmental managers to the theory and practical aspects of the analysis of capture-mark-recapture and –recovery data to estimate survival, recruitment and dispersal probabilities. The course is based on theoretical classes as well as practical sessions with real and simulated data. The format of the course will be a combination of lectures and computer exercises with programs MARK, U-CARE and R. No previous knowledge of these programs is needed, but a personal lap-top is needed.

To register :  

https://fueib.org/es/uibtalent/238/formacion/curso/1905/workshop-on-capture-recapture-and-recovery-analysis-applied-to-animal-conservation

(click on: "MATRICULA-t'hi")

 

More info about the course: https://animaldemography.blogspot.com/p/workshop.html
 

If you want to ask more: g.tavecchia-at-uib.es

PhD Offer on demography ! (not with GEDA)

Contact : champagnon@tourduvalat.org

 

New publication on amphibians !

Sánchez-Montes, G., Rotger, A., Caballero-Díaz, C., Tavecchia, G., Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, J. and Martínez-Solano, Í. 2026. The Wonder Years: A Demographic Approach to Revisit the Age-at-Size Conundrum in Amphibians. Integrative Zoology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.70086

 In a shell: This study shows that long-term capture–mark–recapture data combined with growth models can reliably estimate age from body size in amphibians, overcoming limitations of traditional methods. By applying this approach across multiple species, we improved understanding of age structure, maturity timing, and recruitment patterns, highlighting its value for amphibian conservation and demographic research.

Abstract: Characterizing age–structure patterns in amphibian populations is crucial to unravel the drivers of their demographic dynamics and implement biologically informed conservation management. Consequently, accurately assessing the age of individuals in wild populations is of utmost importance in the face of the current amphibian crisis. However, age estimation in amphibians has so far remained elusive due to the difficulty of lifetime tracking, especially during the terrestrial juvenile stage, and to the uncertainty associated with alternative methods like skeletochronology. 

 

Here, we illustrate the usefulness of long-term monitoring programs based on capture–mark–recapture to address age estimation from body size data. Specifically, we combined repeated body size measurements of marked individuals of unknown age throughout their adult life with growth records of individuals marked as postmetamorphic juveniles and recaptured years later as sexually mature adults, focusing on 10 amphibian species in central Spain. Growth models fitted to mark–recapture data provided robust estimates of size-at-age, supported by data on individuals of known age for five of the study species. For three additional species, known age records disproved mark–recapture models, but rendered enough data to build alternative growth models. The inferred consensus size estimates allowed discerning first- and second-year age classes in some species, contributing to assess the age at maturity of individuals and population-specific patterns of recruitment. Consequently, our demographic approach provided multi-evidence information to address age-at-size estimation in amphibians, thus demonstrating the value of long-term mark–recapture programs to fill pervasive gaps in our knowledge about amphibian demographic dynamics.

GEDA at the 11F day (2) !

Dr. Ana Sanz-Aguilar met the students of the IES Llorenç Garcías i Font in Artá duirng the 11F day