Inadequate information on the geographical distribution of biodiversity hampers decision-making for conservation. Major efforts are underway to fill knowledge gaps, but there are increasing concerns that publishing the locations of species is dangerous, particularly for species at risk of exploitation. While we recognize that well-informed control of location data for highly sensitive taxa is necessary to avoid risks, such as poaching or habitat disturbance by recreational visitors, we argue that ignoring the benefits of sharing biodiversity data could unnecessarily obstruct conservation efforts for species and locations with low risks of exploitation. We provide a decision tree protocol for scientists that systematically considers both the risks of exploitation and potential benefits of increased conservation activities. Our protocol helps scientists assess the impacts of publishing biodiversity data and aims to enhance conservation opportunities, promote community engagement and reduce duplication of survey efforts.

The Night Parrot (Pezoporus occidentalis) is a rare, nocturnal parrot species that has largely escaped scientific investigation due to its behaviour and habitat preferences. Recent field studies have revealed some insights into Night Parrot behaviour, but nothing is known of its sensory abilities. Here, we used μCT scans of an intact Night Parrot specimen to determine if its visual system shares similarities with other nocturnal species. The endocast of the Night Parrot revealed relatively small optic lobes and optic foramina, especially compared with closely related grass parakeets, but no apparent differences in orbit dimensions. Our data suggests that the Night Parrot likely has lower visual acuity than most other parrots, including its congener, the Eastern Ground Parrot (P. wallicus). We propose that the visual system of the Night Parrot might represent a compromise between the need to see under low light conditions and the visual acuity required to detect predators, forage, and fly. Based on the endocast and optic foramen measurements, the Night Parrot fits into a common pattern of decreased retinal input to the optic lobes in birds that should be explored more thoroughly in extant and extinct species.

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1. Rapid expansion in the collection of large acoustic datasets to answer ecological questions has generated a parallel requirement for techniques that streamline analysis of these datasets. In many cases, automated signal recognition algorithms, often termed 'call recognizers', are the only feasible option for doing this. To date, most research has focused on what types of recognizers perform best, and how to train these recognizers to optimize performance. 2. We demonstrate that once recognizer construction is complete and the data processed, further improvements are possible using intrinsic and contextual information associated with each detection. We initially construct a call recognizer for the Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis using the r package monitor, and scan a test dataset. We then examine a number of intrinsic variables associated with each detection generated by the recognizer, and several contextual variables associated with the species' environment and ecology, to determine if they might help predict whether a given detection is a true positive (target signal) or false positive (nontarget signal). We test several logistic regression models incorporating different combinations of intrinsic and contextual variables, selecting the best-performing model for application. We train the model, using it to calculate the probability each detection is a true or false positive. 3. Substituting this model-derived probability for raw recognizer score improved the recognizer's performance, reducing the number of detections requiring proofing by 60% to achieve a recall of 90%, and by 76% to achieve a recall of 75%. 4. This technique is applicable to any recognizer output, regardless of the underlying algorithm. Application requires an understanding of how the recognizer algorithm determines matches, and knowledge of a species' ecology and environment. Because advanced programming skills and expertise are not required to apply this technique, it will be particularly relevant to field ecologists for whom building and operating call recognizers is an element of their research toolbox, but not necessarily a focus. | 1521 Methods in Ecology and Evoluঞon LESEBERG Et aL. How to cite this article: Leseberg NP, Venables WN, Murphy SA, Watson JEM. Using intrinsic and contextual information associated with automated signal detections to improve call recognizer performance: A case study using the cryptic and critically endangered Night Parrot Pezoporus occidentalis.

Button-quail (Turnicidae) are a greatly understudied family of birds; their cryptic habits make studying them in the wild challenging. They are known to be quite vocal which could assist with detectability, and so it follows that survey results will be more reliable as knowledge about button-quail vocal repertoire increases. Until recently, there were no published vocal recordings of the Chestnut-backed Button-quail Turnix castanotus, and descriptions and accounts of this species’ vocalisations were limited. We recorded vocalisations of Chestnut-backed Button-quail at six locations across the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Three broad vocalisation types were identified: advertising ooms, drumming, and contact calls. We present descriptions and visual representations of these vocalisations, and draw comparisons with previously published accounts of this species, and other Australian button-quail.

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Bell miners (Manorina melanophrys; Meliphagidae) are a highly social and very aggressive honeyeater. They are despotic and cooperate in the defence of their territories against other bird species, leading to the almost complete exclusion of other avifauna from miner-occupied regions. This study aimed to resolve some of the fine-scale effects of bell miner aggression on avian diversity both within and adjacent to colonies to determine the true impact of a colony on local avifaunal abundance. Three areas, distributed throughout the range of the bell miner, were surveyed across both non-breeding and breeding seasons to assess the temporal and spatial impacts of bell miner aggression on other bird species. Bell miner colonies were found to occupy very clearly defined areas and had the expected negative impact on avian diversity within their colony. The effects of bell miner colony presence on abundance and richness of avian species were found to cease at the colony boundary, with both recovering to normal levels immediately outside the bell miner colony.Whether bell miners were breeding or not, and irrespective of the amount of vegetation coverage, bell miner colonies were found to have relatively marginal impacts on avian richness and abundance. No impact of colony presence/absence was found on the richness or abundance of the avian species that dwell in the undergrowth, with some evidence that these species were actually more common at the colony edge. Our results demonstrate that the influence of bell miner colony presence upon avian biodiversity is restricted to the confines of the colony and does not radiate outwards into the surrounding habitat. Colony presence influences, therefore, have implications when considering the impact of bell miner behaviour on the diversity of insectivorous birds and processes, most notably the propagation of Bell Miner Associated Dieback.

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