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Ornithology in Belize Since 1960

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Wilson Bull., 110(4), 1998, pp. 544-558 ORNITHOLOGY IN BELIZE SINCE 1960 BRUCE W. MILLER,2,3’ AND CAROLYN M. MILLERJ’ ABSTRACT-We review ornithology in Belize, formerly British Honduras, since Russell’s 1964 monograph and summarize published and unpublished reports, banding records, and museum data. Unpublished reports (gray literature) are an important source of information within the country. Since 1960, there have been numerous studies by the British Forces ornithological societies and others on avian ecology and behavior, the effects of logging on birds, the distribution of overwintering Neotropical migrants (approximately 20% of Belize’s avifau- na), and comparisons of avian distribution in disturbed versus undisturbed habitat. We review recent distributional records and problematic species records requiring verification and identify distributional “knowledge gaps”. Although 70% of the country is still dominated by natural vegetation and 20% falls under some form of protected status, certain bird species and families are at risk from human impacts such as habitat conversion, hunting, introduced species, and in some cases, tourism. Areas for future study are suggested. Russell (1964) provided a synopsis of or- community, there are three repositories for natural his- nithology in Belize through the early 1960s in tory information: the Belize Audubon Society being the longest standing and possibly most complete, the his monograph: A Distributional Study of the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center, and the Birds of British Honduras. In this comprehen- Programme for Belize. sive work he reviewed historical ornithologi- In the future, such reports should become more ac- cal work in the country as far back as the cessible to those outside the country as well as those 1800s. Our purpose here is not to reiterate within. The Conservation and Environmental Data Russells’ exhaustive work, but to offer an up- System (CEDS) under the auspices of the Land Infor- date on ornithological study in Belize. We mation Centre, Ministry of Natural Resources, intends to make such resources more widely available. CEDS have divided such studies into broad catego- has, as its primary mission, the development of a mas- ries that include ecological and behavioral ter catalog of such literature. Cataloging is well un- studies and distributional updates. Although derway, and includes both government and NGO hold- not strictly distributional in nature, we discuss ings relevant to conservation and environmental con- banding records that add to our knowledge of cerns within Belize. The CEDS literature resource da- avian distribution. tabase will be accessible via a telephone modem link allowing members to search what might be thought of METHODS as a national de-centralized library. Contact informa- tion for BIODOC and other Belizean sources are listed Sourcesof Information.-In this paper we draw on in the Appendix. information from many sources, including both pub- The county-Belize is frequently compared to lished and unpublished literature. Unpublished reports, Massachusetts or El Salvador in size. It extends 280 or “gray literature,” are sometimes the only sources km north-south and 109 km east-west, and comprises of information available to researchers in developing approximately 22,960 km*. Belize shows a mosaic of countries because scientific journals are generally cost- zoogeographical affinities. Northeastern Belize, includ- ly and postal services may be unreliable. Although not ing Ambergris Caye, has very strong Yucatan Penin- critically reviewed, such unpublished resources fre- sula affinities. Coastal areas and cayes have Caribbean quently offer valuable, localized information not avail- affinities. The western areas extending south to the able otherwise. Such reports are often heavily used by Maya Mountains divide appear to have strong Pet& government officials and decision makers. A source of such literature is BIODOC, Centro de Documentation affinities. The coastal pine/palm savannahs resemble en Vida Silvestre, a cooperative effort between the Honduran pine areas to the south. With over 3050 mm Universidad National, Costa Rica and the U.S. Fish of rain per year (Hartshom et al. 1984), the southern and Wildlife Service. Research permits issued in Be- Toledo District has the highest rainfall in the country lize stipulate that a copy of any report resulting from and comprises yet another distinct area. The upper el- such research be provided to the Forest Department, evations of the Maya Mountains are perhaps among Ministry of Natural Resources. Within the active NGO the more unique areas in Belize. Although not consid- ered “highlands” by Guatemalan standards, the rela- tive elevation difference from the lowlands suggests ’ ’ Wildlife Conservation Society, International Pro- some affinities to highlands in Guatemala (B. W. Mil- grams, 2300 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY 10460. ler and C. M. Miller 1995). z Current address: Box 37, Belize City, Belize. Although selectively logged for 300 years, Belize is 9 Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected] still sparsely populated (200,000 people) with approx- 544 Miller and Miller l ORNITHOLOGY IN BELIZE 545 imately 70% of its land naturally vegetated (Wilson determining the status and distribution of veg- 1995). A network of protected areas constitutes about etation and fauna, particularly birds. Kam- 20% of the country. Designations ranging from Forest stras’ checklist includes 280 species, including Reserves to Nature Reserves, offer varying levels of protection. These factors offer a fairly intact and di- anecdotal records from previous observers. He verse avifauna to ornithologists, with a current bird gives abundance based on numbers of indi- checklist numbering 546. About 20% of these birds viduals encountered during each visit, season- are neotropical migrant species, and of the breeding al status based on Weyer and Young (1983) birds, 11% are regional endemics. and habitat associations based on seven broad vegetation types defined in his report. These ECOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL studies took place during the dry season (Jan- STUDIES uary-April) 1986, and provided the first com- Resident species were the subject of several prehensive examination of the Cockscomb studies in Belize, many in the Gallon Jug (Or- Basin. ange Walk District) area. Willis (1960a) stud- The Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is a spe- ied forest flocks and Willis (1960b) focused cies of conservation concern throughout its on foraging behavior of the Red-crowned and range. Barlow and Caddick (unpubl. report) Red-throated Ant-Tanagers (Hubiu rubica and compiled sightings of the Scarlet Macaw in H. fuscicauda), and noted some differences in Belize and Mallory (1993b) undertook the habitat and foraging. Other studies were on first ecological study here. The latter obser- their courtship and territorial behavior (Willis vations suggested that this species commutes 1960~) and nesting (Willis 1961). Lancaster between the Cockscomb Basin and the Chi- (1964a, b) conducted life history studies on quibul forest over a low pass. She estimates Slaty-breasted Tinamou (Crypturellus boucar- that in Belize there are only 30-60 birds. di) in Gallon Jug. Verner (1961) studied the Mallory and Brokaw (1997) studied the im- nesting behavior of the Red-footed Booby pact of selective tree cutting on birds and tree (Sula sulu) at Half Moon Caye and described regeneration in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, the flight behavior of this species (Verner in the southern part of the country. Selective 1965). felling harvests more tree species than normal During the 1981 Royal Air Force Ornitho- cutting regimes in order to promote regener- logical Society expedition to Belize, R. D. ation and growth of commercial species while Powell looked at hummingbird communities not endangering native plants and animals at and defense of flowers (Jenkins, unpubl. re- a landscape scale. They looked at the impact port). Species studied included Rufous-tailed of selective felling logging trials and noted Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl), Green- changes in bird populations. Mallory and Bro- breasted Mango (Anthracothorax prevostii), kaw (pers. comm.) also mist-netted and cen- and White-bellied Emerald (Amazilia candi- sused birds in riparian and upland forests in da). Data on nectar production for Hamelia two areas of Belize: the Rio Bravo Conser- patens at the Altun Ha archaeological site vation and Management Area in northwestern were also included. B. Miller and Tilson (un- Belize and the Upper Raspaculo Valley in the publ. data) studied the comparative behavior south-central part of the country. Results from of the Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture (Cuthar- Rio Bravo suggested that the riparian forests tes burrovianus), Turkey Vulture (Cathartes were richer in birds, both resident and migrant aura) and Black Vulture (Coragyps atrutus) species as well as numbers of individuals. at Crooked Tree in 1983. Their observations This trend held true for the Upper Raspaculo (Miller and Tilson 1985) of kleptoparistism of Valley although sampling effort was less. Limpkins (Aramus guaruuna) by Snail Kites Baker (1996) suggested that over the last (Rostrhamus sociabilis) were erroneously at- 20 years, the Orange-breasted Falcon (Fulco tributed to Clinton-Eitniear by Weyer (1984). deiroleucus) has been extirpated from Central Clinton-Eitniear studied the King Vulture America from all but Guatemala and Belize. (Surcorumphus papa) in Belize over several The probable result is that these
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