It is important to describe lineages before they go extinct, as we can only protect what we know. This is especially important in the case of microendemic species likely to be relict populations, such as Hynobius salamanders in southern China. Here, we unexpectedly sampled Hynobius individuals in Fujian province, China, and then worked on determining their taxonomic status. We describe Hynobius bambusicolus sp. nov. based on molecular and morphological data. The lineage is deeply divergent and clusters with the other southern Chinese Hynobius species based on the concatenated mtDNA gene fragments (>1500 bp), being the sister group to H. amjiensis based on the COI gene fragment, despite their geographic distance. In terms of morphology, the species can be identified through discrete characters enabling identification in the field by eye, an unusual convenience in Hynobius species. In addition, we noted some interesting life history traits in the species, such as vocalization and cannibalism. The species is likely to be incredibly rare, over a massively restricted distribution, fitting the definition of Critically Endangered following several lines of criteria and categories of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

In the context of the prolonged invasion of smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora, numerous native birds have progressively adapted to this invasive plant. Not only do certain non‐specialist birds demonstrate an ability to inhabit and utilize smooth cordgrass, but a subset of specialist birds is also detected in the habitat as well. In this study, we provide evidence of the Slaty‐breasted Rail Lewinia striata (Rallidae) occurring in smooth cordgrass, which had not been previously documented. These rails exhibit a significant reliance on the invaded vegetative community during their breeding season, engaging in foraging, vocalization, and even successful reproduction within the smooth cordgrass. The observations of Slaty‐breasted Rail utilizing invasive smooth cordgrass highlight the possibility that, as natural wetlands continue to decline, birds that are highly dependent on marsh ecosystems may increasingly resort to the invasive Spartina community as a critical refuge. Such a transition is poised to impact their distribution, foraging, and reproduction. With the backdrop of large‐scale removal of smooth cordgrass on the China coast, the disappearance of smooth cordgrass may harm the population of these birds. Further dedicated investigations and tracking of more individuals are needed to understand the specific ecological impact on Slaty‐breasted Rail.

In context of the prolonged invasion of smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora, numerous native birds have progressively adapted to this invaded plant. Not only certain non-specialist birds demonstrate an ability to inhabit and utilize smooth cordgrass, but a subset of specialist birds is also detected in the habitat as well. In this study, we investigate a previously undocumented Rallidae species, the slaty-breasted rail Lewinia striata, living in smooth cordgrass. These rails exhibit a significant reliance on the invaded vegetative community during their breeding season, engaging in foraging, vocalization, and even successful reproduction within the smooth cordgrass. These findings underscore the likelihood that amidst the ongoing decline of natural wetlands, those avian species with a profound dependence on marsh ecosystems may be compelled to adopt invasive smooth cordgrass as a vital refuge. Such a transition is poised to impact their distribution, foraging, and reproduction. With the backdrop of large-scale removal of smooth cordgrass on the China coast, the disappearance of smooth cordgrass may harm the population of these birds. Further dedicated investigations and tracking of more individuals are needed to understand the specific ecological impact on slaty-breasted rail.

Undocumented and unnamed biodiversity is difficult to conserve effectively. We encountered several Kurixalus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) individuals of an unknown species identity in Fujian, China, a province with no previous records of Kurixalus. This genus of frogs, of which many new species have been described in recent years, has been the subject of much historical taxonomic confusion, largely due to conserved morphology. We sequenced two mitochondrial and one nuclear genes (1748 total bp) for three individuals from Fujian and reconstructed their phylogeny including all known lineages of Kurixalus from mainland China, and other East Asia lineages when data was available. Both Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood trees consistently showed that the individuals from Fujian were most closely related to K. inexpectatus, which previously was only known from northern Zhejiang, over 830 km north of this new location. Our results help clarify the identity of the unknown Kurixalus in Fujian and the distribution of Kurixalus, particularly regarding the distribution of K. hainanus, which has previously been confused with other members of the K. odontotarsus species complex. Additionally, we created ecological niche models using Maxent for the clade including both K. inexpectatus and its sister species K. idiootocus to guide future survey efforts.

The Siberian Scoter (Melanitta stejnegeri) is a medium sea duck distinct from M. deglandi due to the absence of hybridization and differences in morphological characteristics. However, knowledge of its phylogenetic relationships within Anseriformes is limited due to a lack of molecular data. In this study, the complete mitogenome of M. stejnegeri was firstly sequenced, then annotated and used to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of 76 Anseriformes species. The complete mitogenome of M. stejnegeri is 16,631 bp and encodes 37 typical genes: 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs, and 1 non-coding control region. Its mitogenome organization is similar to that of other Anseriformes species. The phylogenetic relationships within the genus Melanitta are initially clarified, with M. americana at the base. M. stejnegeri and M. deglandi are sister groups, clustering with M. fusca and M. perspicillata in order. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that Mareca falcata and M. strepera are sister groups, differing from previous studies. Results firstly indicate that Clangula hyemalis and Somateria mollissima are sister groups, suggesting a potentially skewed phylogenetic relationship may have been overlooked in earlier analyses relying solely on mitochondrial genomes. Our results provide new mitogenome data to support further phylogenetic and taxonomic studies of Anseriformes.

Fishery bycatch is a significant threat to biodiversity, with birds being frequent casualties. Current research mainly focuses on seabird bycatch in large-scale marine fisheries, while bird bycatch in inland freshwater areas remains poorly understood. Crayfish traps are extensively used in China’s freshwater environments, but their ecological impacts on birds are overlooked due to monitoring difficulties. Through iEcology approaches, we collected and analyzed 146 bird bycatch incidents in crayfish traps from Chinese social media platforms between September 2010 and December 2023. The results revealed 420 identified birds from 62 species (11 orders, 24 families), predominantly omnivorous and carnivorous, while 106 individuals could not be identified. Cases were concentrated in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, showing significant positive correlations with water area ratio and aquaculture production (p < 0.001). During fishing seasons, the number of cases, species, and individuals were significantly higher (p < 0.001), though mortality rates increased in off seasons. The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are main production areas of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) and Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis), where intensive use of crayfish traps may increase bird bycatch risk. Despite existing regulations, systematic supervision is needed to minimize ecosystem impacts.