Melanins are the ubiquitous pigments distributed in nature. They are one of the main pigments responsible for colors in living cells. Birds are among the most diverse animals regarding melanin-based coloration, especially in the plumage, although they also pigment bare parts of the integument. This review is devoted to the main characteristics of bird melanins.

Terrestrial invertebrates comprise a large proportion of alien species worldwide, yet a quantitative global synthesis of their effects on native species and ecosystems has not been explored. In this study a meta-analysis was conducted to examine the ecological impacts of terrestrial invertebrate invaders.

Pollinator spill-over among habitats can arise in order to fulfill the pollination function and whenever differences in floral offering change over time or space. Flowering crops offer pulsed and abundant floral resources. Pollinator patterns in the mass flowering legume crop Hedysarum coronarium and its influence on the bee pollinator communities of adjacent shrublands in a heterogeneous and patchy agricultural landscape are explored, and the temporal and spatial functional pollinator...

The little penguin is the smallest and the only penguin species whose activity on land is strictly nocturnal. Thirteen years of attendance data were used to study the effects of sun, moon, and artificial light on the attendance pattern at Phillip Island, Australia.

Understanding how density dependence modifies demographic parameters in long-lived vertebrates is a challenge for ecologists. A number of studies have highlighted the importance of habitat heterogeneity in density dependence in territorial species, but less information exists on demographic processes in colonial species. In this study, long-term data from a recovering population of Cinereous Vultures in southern Spain were used to evaluate environmental and population parameters influencing...