The nightjar and the ant: Intercontinental migration reveals a cryptic interaction.

Birds and ants co-occur in most terrestrial ecosystems and engage in a range of interactions. Competition, mutualism and predation are prominent examples of these interactions, but there are possibly many others that remain to be identified and characterized. This study provides quantitative estimates of the frequency of toe amputations resulting from ant bites in a population of migratory red-necked nightjars () monitored for 15 years (2009-2023) in S Spain, and identifies the attacker(s) based on taxonomic analyses of ant-mandible remains found on injured toes.

Leucistic plumage as a result of progressive greying in a cryptic nocturnal bird.

Leucism, broadly defined as the lack of melanin pigmentation, occurs in many animal species. Most studies on leucism and other colour aberrations are based on opportunistic observations or small cross-sectional samples, thus limiting our ability to produce reliable results and test theoretical predictions. This study combines cross-sectional and longitudinal data collected in 2016-2020 from a population of red-necked nightjars (Caprimulgus ruficollis).