The Asian Woollyneck Ciconia episcopus: A Review of its Status, Distribution and Ecology

Ghimire, Prashant; Ghimire, Roshan; Low, Matthew; Bist, Bhuwan Singh; Pandey, Nabin

doi:10.2326/osj.20.223

Cited by 3 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…However, observational notes on single or multiple nest sites have increased since 2010, reflecting an increasing awareness and interest in this species. Our study is important in terms of area of coverage within a stronghold in this species' range (Ghimire et al 2021). While this bird is known to occur at lower altitudes, a study into its nesting habitat requirements at the foothills of Himalaya (i.e., Nepal mid-hills region) has not been made.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Subtropical regions have Shorea robusta dominated forest while tropical to alpine are dominated by Pinus roxbughii, Pinus wallichiana, and Rhododendron arboretum (Paudel et al 2012). Asian woollyneck is distributed throughout the Nepal with higher observation in central and western Nepal (Inskipp et al 2016;Ghimire et al 2021). Although the woollyneck is thought to be negatively impacted by agricultural intensification, recent observations suggest a seasonal preference for croplands in Nepal (Kittur and Sundar 2020).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Asian woollyneck Ciconia episcopus is a large wading bird species resident within Asia (BirdLife International 2020). Its conservation status has recently been downgraded to "Near-threatened" from "Vulnerable" (BirdLife International 2020) despite limited knowledge of its nesting ecology (Ghimire et al 2021). In Nepal, this conspicuous stork is distributed throughout the lowlands and mid-hills up to an altitude of 915 m, with few occasional high altitudinal movements (Ghale and Karmacharya 2018;Inskipp et al 2016), but little is known about its local status, distribution, and ecology (Ghimire and Pandey 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies on nesting ecology and breeding of Asian woollyneck are sparse and are mostly reported from single or only a few nest site observations around its distribution range (Banerjee 2017;Kularatne and Udagedara 2017;Ghimire et al 2020;Hasan and Ghimire 2020). Some studies have been conducted in India (Ishtiaq et al 2004;Kittur and Sundar 2021), creating a serious gap in our knowledge on the current nesting and breeding success of this species in other part of its range (Ghimire et al 2021). While recent attempts have been made to collate (Ghimire et al 2021) and model the distribution of Asian woollyneck throughout its distribution range (Gula et al 2020), there is still a severe lack of environmental suitability data for nesting in this species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some studies have been conducted in India (Ishtiaq et al 2004;Kittur and Sundar 2021), creating a serious gap in our knowledge on the current nesting and breeding success of this species in other part of its range (Ghimire et al 2021). While recent attempts have been made to collate (Ghimire et al 2021) and model the distribution of Asian woollyneck throughout its distribution range (Gula et al 2020), there is still a severe lack of environmental suitability data for nesting in this species. Recently, Kittur and Sundar (2021) studied nesting and breeding preferences in agricultural landscape of Haryana, India.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nesting habitat suitability and breeding of Asian woollyneck (Ciconia episcopus) in Nepal

Ghimire

Panthi

Bhusal³

et al. 2022

Ornithol. Res.

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Asian woollyneck ( Ciconia episcopus ) is a large wading bird species whose conservation status has been recently down-listed, despite a lack of concrete information on its nesting ecology and breeding success. In this study, we report its breeding success and nest habitat suitability in Nepal from 39 nesting sites (2016–2020). Simal ( Bombax ceiba ) ( n = 21), followed by sal tree( Shorea robusta ) ( n = 6), and rani-salla ( Pinus roxburghii ) ( n = 4) were the most common tree with mean height of the nesting tree, nest height, and tree diameter being 30 ± 5.8 m (± SD), 25.20 ± 5.75 m, and 1.03 ± 0.35 m, respectively. Nesting and fledging success were recorded from 31 nesting attempts at 19 of these sites, with an estimated nesting success probability of 0.81 ± 0.07 and a mean fledging success of 1.94 ± 0.25 chicks per nest. MaxEnt modelling identified a total potential suitable nesting habitat area of 9.64% (14,228 km 2 ) of the area in Nepal, with this located within 72 districts, mostly in the west. The modelling parameters suggest that slope, land use, and precipitation during the driest months were important determinants of nesting habitat suitability. We recommend that priority be given to conserving taller trees (especially simal) close to settlements and croplands of Nepal. Also, that future surveys should consider examining the districts highlighted by our model as being the most likely candidates for containing woollyneck nesting habitat, especially those (such as Dang District) where woollyneck nests have not been previously reported. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43388-022-00104-2.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nesting habitat suitability and breeding of Asian woollyneck (Ciconia episcopus) in Nepal

Ghimire

Panthi

Bhusal³

et al. 2022

Ornithol. Res.

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Museum genomics approach to study the taxonomy and evolution of Woolly-necked storks using historic specimens

Ghimire,

Palacios,

Trimble

et al. 2024

G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics

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The accessibility of genomic tools in evolutionary biology has allowed for a thorough exploration of various evolutionary processes associated with adaptation and speciation. However, genomic studies in natural systems present numerous challenges, reflecting the inherent complexities of studying organisms in their native habitats. The utilization of museum specimens for genomics research has received increased attention in recent times, facilitated by advancements in ancient DNA techniques. In this study, we have utilized a museum genomics approach to analyze historic specimens of Woolly-necked storks (Ciconia sps.) and examine their genetic composition, taxonomic status, and explore the evolutionary and adaptive trajectories of populations over the years. The Woolly-necked storks are distributed in Asia and Africa with a taxonomic classification that has been a matter of ambiguity. Asian and African Woollynecks were recently recognized as different species based on their morphological differences, however, their genomic validation was lacking. In this study, we have used ∼70-year-old museum samples for whole-genome population-scale sequencing. Our study has revealed that Asian and African Woollyneck are genetically distinct, consistent with the current taxonomic classification based on morphological features. However, we also found a high genetic divergence between the Asian sub-species C. e. neglecta and C. e. episcopus suggesting this classification requires a detailed examination to explore processes of ongoing speciation. Because taxonomic classification directly impacts conservation efforts, and there is evidence of declining populations of Asian Woollynecks in Southeast Asia, our results highlight that population-scale studies are urgent to determine the genetic, ecological, and phylogenetic diversity of these birds.

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Unraveling cryptic diversity: Genomic approaches to study the taxonomy and evolution of Woolly-necked storks using museum specimens

Ghimire,

Palacios,

Tremble

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The availability of large-scale genomics data for current research in evolutionary biology has enabled a comprehensive examination of the intricate interplay between diverse evolutionary processes associated with speciation. Despite these advancements, the genomic basis of taxonomic classification remains challenging in many species, one such example being the Woolly-necked storks(Ciconia sps.). The Woolly-necked storks are distributed in Asia and Africa with a taxonomic classification(C. episcopus and C. microcelis)that has been a matter of contention and ambiguity. Asian and African Woollynecks were just recently recognized as different species based on their morphological differences, however genetic/genomic studies on Woolly-necked storks are lacking. In this study, we have used ∼70-year-old museum samples to explore the taxonomy and evolution of the Woolly-necked storks. We used a whole-genome sequencing strategy and generated 13.5 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were polymorphic among populations of Asian and African Woollynecks. Our study has revealed that Asian and African Woollyneck are genetically distinct, consistent with the current taxonomic classification based on morphological features. However, we also found a high genetic divergence between the Asian subspeciesC. e. neglectaandC. e. episcopussuggesting this classification harbors cryptic diversity that requires a detailed examination to explore processes of ongoing speciation. Because taxonomic classification directly impacts conservation efforts, and there is evidence of declining populations of Asian Woollynecks in Southeast Asia, our results suggest populations-scale studies are urgent to determine the genetic, ecological, and phylogenetic diversity of these birds. Moreover, our study also provides historical genomic resources to examine genomic signatures of local adaptation associated with the distribution, ecology, and evolution of African and Asian Woollynecks.

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The Asian Woollyneck Ciconia episcopus: A Review of its Status, Distribution and Ecology

Cited by 3 publications

References 19 publications

Nesting habitat suitability and breeding of Asian woollyneck (Ciconia episcopus) in Nepal

Nesting habitat suitability and breeding of Asian woollyneck (Ciconia episcopus) in Nepal

Museum genomics approach to study the taxonomy and evolution of Woolly-necked storks using historic specimens

Unraveling cryptic diversity: Genomic approaches to study the taxonomy and evolution of Woolly-necked storks using museum specimens

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