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Briefly AMERICAS
Climate change: magnolias feeling the heat in Honduras ... A new report has revealed the dramatic im- pact that rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns could have on threatened tree species in Pico Bonito, the largest na- tional park in Honduras. It raises the alarm- ing prospect that threatened trees could be pushed to the brink of extinction as they struggle to adapt to a changing climate. The worst-case scenario for two of the trees on which the study focused is that they could be pushed towards extinction by the end of the century. Displaced from much of their current range and increasing- ly confined to higher altitudes, the species would face a struggle for survival. For other species, the outlook is less bleak. Among the target trees predicted to thrive as temperatures rise is the Critically Endangered Eugenia coy- olensis. Found only in Honduras, it prefers warmer andmore arid conditions, so is likely to increase in abundance and range. Studies have shown Honduras is among the coun- tries worst affected by climate change in recent years, which has been emphasized by a spate of severe hurricanes. Source: Fauna & Flora (2025) fauna-flora. org/news/magnolias-and-other- threatened-trees-feeling-the-heat-in- honduras
.. . and anurans will suffer in the Amazon and Atlantic Rainforest A research team has completed the most comprehensive survey of the predicted effects of drought and global warming on anurans. The findings include a prediction that between 6.6 and 33.6%ofanuran habi- tats will become arid by 2080–2100,depend- ing on the level of greenhouse gas emissions going forward. Frogs and toads may experi- ence twice the rate of water loss in some arid regions, and the combination of drier wea- ther and higher temperatures may double the reduction in anuran activity compared with the expected impact of warming alone. Biophysical simulations showed, for example, that anurans will spend less time active in tropical regions, including the Amazon and part of the Atlantic Rainforest, under all climate scenarios throughout the year. Whilst warming and drought alone will decrease activity hours by 3.4 and 21.7%re- spectively, the combination of both will de- crease activity hours by 26%. Sources: Nature Climate Change (2024) doi. org/g8pmxt & EurekAlert (2025) eurekalert. org/news-releases/1070461
Major port construction begins at key mangrove site Conservation groups in Panama are trying to halt the construction of a new port in the Pacific province of Chiriquí, which they say could destroy breeding grounds and nurseries for marine species. The project re- quires dredging a riverbed and increasing maritime traffic of cargo ships, cruise ships and yachts. The Puerto Barú project, located outside the town of David, would create a new port on Panama’s north-west coast, increasing trade and tourism. But the port is located deep in a series of chan- nels and lagoons covered in mangroves that support rays, sharks and other species of conservation concern that may not survive construction or the increased maritime traf- fic. The mangroves are considered an Important Shark and Ray Area, a designa- tion given to places vital to the survival of at least one shark or ray species. The Critically Endangered Pacific smalltail shark is present in the bay, as is the hawks- bill turtle, Bryde’s whale, pantropical spot- ted dolphin and various sawfish species, among others. More than 50 conservation groups have organized a ‘No to Puerto Barú’ campaign, but an initial injunction to stop construction was denied in court. Source: Mongabay (2025)
news.mongabay. com/2025/01/in-panama-major-port- construction-begins-at-key-mangrove-site
Rabbit lost to science for 120 years rediscovered in Mexico The Omiltemi cottontail rabbit Sylvilagus insonus, a species lost to science since the early 1900s, has been rediscovered in the Sierra Madre del Sur, a mountain range in Mexico. An expedition team spent 5 years searching for the rabbit, finding it in seven of the 10 areas they visited. The expedition team initially focused on forests near Chilpancingo, the species’ first recorded lo- cation, but found no signs of the rabbit. They later shifted their efforts to nearby high-elevation conifer forests and inter- viewed local people, many ofwhomwere fa- miliar with the rabbit and reported it being used as a food source. A new biosphere re- serve, Sierra Tecuani, covers the current known range of the Omiltemi cottontail rabbit, but there are no special conservation measures to protect the species. The team aims to learn more about the species’ be- haviour, ecology and reproduction, and work with local communities and author- ities on conservation efforts. Source: Re:wild (2025)
rewild.org/press/ found-small-enigmatic-rabbit-with-black- tail-lost-to-science-for-more-than
Good news for birds: piping plovers had a record nesting year in 2024 .. . For the second year in a row, more nesting piping plovers Charadrius melodus have been recorded on Massachusetts beaches than at any time in the last four decades. In 2024, 1,196 nesting pairs were recorded, a 1.5% increase on 2023 and a 500%rise since the Coastal Waterbird Program began, ac- cording to preliminary data. In 2024,pairs of plovers nesting at sites protected by the programme produced 1.24 fledglings per pair, roughly the same as the 1.25 chicks in 2023, which is considered to be a sustainable reproductive rate. The sparrow-sized shore- bird feeds along sand and gravel beaches on the North American coast. It is listed as threatened on the USA state and federal en- dangered species lists, and as Near Threa- tened on the IUCN Red List, but several yearsofdatashowthatthe speciesismaking a comeback in Massachusetts. Long-term investment in coastal communities and implementation of a combination of wildlife management, science-based conservation, policy development and education have enabled the Coastal Waterbird Program to protect 17%of the total Atlantic Coast popu- lation of the species. Source: Mass Audobon (2025)
massaudubon.org/news/press-room/2024/ piping-plovers-enjoy-another-record- nesting-year-in-2024
.. . and free-flight lessons help teach macaws to survive in the wild A pioneering project to reintroduce blue- and-yellowmacaws Ara ararauna to north- western São Paulo state, Brazil, has obtained excellent results. Macaws born in captivity were trained in free-flight techniques before being introduced into the wild. Traditional- ly, in psittacine reintroduction projects, captive chicks are only released into the wild at 2 or 3 years of age, but with no ex- perience in finding food or defending them- selves against predators, many end up dying. For the method to work, the birds must be trained at a young age, between 90–120 days old. Once the chicks can fly they are encouraged to jump between two points to be fed. Gradually, the distance is increased. As well as encouraging longer flights, the training includes an increasingly scarce food supply, forcing the macaws to look for food in the wild and breaking their ties with humans. Two years after the initial release of six macaws in 2022, all are still alive and showing great adaptation. Source: Mongabay (2025)
news.mongabay. com/2025/02/in-sao-paulo-free-flight- lessons-help-teach-macaws-to-survive-in- the-wild
Oryx, 2025, 59(1), 4–9 © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605325000523
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