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Seasonality and Elevational Migration in an Andean Bird Community

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Seasonality and Elevational Migration in an Andean Bird Community SEASONALITY AND ELEVATIONAL MIGRATION IN AN ANDEAN BIRD COMMUNITY _______________________________________ A Dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri-Columbia _______________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy _____________________________________________________ by CHRISTOPHER L. MERKORD Dr. John Faaborg, Dissertation Supervisor MAY 2010 © Copyright by Christopher L. Merkord 2010 All Rights reserved The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled ELEVATIONAL MIGRATION OF BIRDS ON THE EASTERN SLOPE OF THE ANDES IN SOUTHEASTERN PERU presented by Christopher L. Merkord, a candidate for the degree of doctor of philosophy, and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. Professor John Faaborg Professor James Carrel Professor Raymond Semlitsch Professor Frank Thompson Professor Miles Silman For mom and dad… ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation was completed with the mentoring, guidance, support, advice, enthusiasm, dedication, and collaboration of a great many people. Each chapter has its own acknowledgments, but here I want to mention the people who helped bring this dissertation together as a whole. First and foremost my parents, for raising me outdoors, hosting an endless stream of squirrels, snakes, lizards, turtles, fish, birds, and other pets, passing on their 20-year old Spacemaster spotting scope, showing me every natural ecosystem within a three day drive, taking me on my first trip to the tropics, putting up with all manner of trouble I’ve gotten myself into while pursuing my dreams, and for offering my their constant love and support. Tony Ortiz, for helping me while away the hours, and for sharing with me his sense of humor. Nicole, Andy, and Jeff, for always being there. Ryan Watson, Ryan Whittington, Ryan Graf, and Eric Hanson for hanging out with their strange friend on many a trip to the landfill or sewage lagoon. Tim Fennell, Barry Lyon, and Doug Booher, for inspiring me to study birds. Keith Arnold, for letting me hound him with questions. Jennifer Reidy, for always being ready to explore the far corners of Williamson County. Frank Thompson, Jim Carrel, Ray Semlitsch, and Lori Eggert, for professional guidance. Sue Willson, Ernesto Ruelas-Inzunza, Jennifer White, Chadwick Rittenhouse, Shane Pruett, Stacy Small, Rafael Brito Aguilar, Andrew Cox, Robin Hirsch-Jacobson, Judith Toms, Cara Joos, and Jacob Soule, for help in designing my project, applying for grants, reading manuscripts, translating, and a million other things. Nila Emerich, Pat Willis, Alan Marshall, Josh Hartley, and Matt Nevels, for departmental support. Silvia Castro, for her tireless efforts to help me secure research and export permits in Lima. I couldn’t have done this without her. Olintho Aguilar and Marianne Van Vlaardingen, for help with permits. Charlie Munn, Daniel Blanco, Carlos Seminario Solaligue, Victor Emanuel, and the staff of Tropical Nature and Peru Verde, for arranging and providing accommodations. There is no better place to wake up than the camping platform in San Pedro with the flock going by. Steve Panfil, Sandro Arias, Roxanna Ayllon, Narda de la Barra, and the rest of the staff at the Amazon Conservation Association and the Asociación para la Conservación de la Cuenca Amazonica, for helping with logistics and providing GIS ii data. John Terborgh, Barry Walker, Steve Hilty, Huw Lloyd, Tom Schulenberg, Daniel Lane, Ramiro Yabar, Virgilio Yabar, Joe Tobias, Chris Witt, Frank Lambert, David Wolf, Rich Hoyer, Constantino Aucca Chutas, Doug Stotz, Natividad Quillahuaman Lasteros, and Mercedes Flores, for advice, information, help with logistics, and identification of photographs and audio recordings. Rosalbina Butrón, for admirable professionalism under the roughest conditions. Darwin Miranda, for camaraderie on our first trip down the Trocha Union. Michael Libsch, Mireya Natividad Raurau Quisiyupanqui, Dina Farfan, Johny Farfan, Colston Edgerton, Juanita Olano Marín, Luis Cueto, Pavel Butrón Loayza, Carrie McAtee, Zachariah Peterson, Renee Zerbonia, Jacob Socolar, Philip Koch, Max Friedman, and Benjamin Cook, for excellent field work, leadership, enthusiasm, mad skills, and doing the dishes. Florencio, Antonia, Abel, and Eloy, for dinner and dishes. Vicente Ccopa and Manu Expeditions, for providing transportation in the field. And now for the heavy hitters. Jill Jankowski, for her endless enthusiasm, for walking up the Trocha Union at 2 am, for sharing her vast knowledge and experience in all things ecological, for encouraging me when things looked grim in the field, and for conspiring on just about everything from survey design to the dinner menu. This dissertation is probably half hers, and certainly would not be what it is without her dedication and effort. Miles Silman, for inspiring me to work in the Andes, getting me started, sharing his boundless energy, and helping me see the bigger picture. I can’t thank him enough. John Faaborg, for taking a chance on me, showing me how much of Texas Music I was missing, introducing me to Max, letting me forge my own path, and always being there when I needed him. I could not have asked for a better advisor. And finally my wife, Marissa Ahlering, for her support, advice, patience, love, and for being the best friend a man could have. The Wilson Ornithological Society, for providing me with a financial and psychological boost at a critical time in the dissertation process when they awarded me the Louis Agassiz Fuertes Award. The Exploration Fund of the Explorer’s Club, and Trans-World Airlines, for financial support. The University of Missouri Life Sciences program, Conservation Biology programs, and Division of Biological Sciences, for supporting my research through generous fellowships and scholarships. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................................... ii List of Tables..................................................................................................................................................vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................. viii Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................ xii Chapter 1. Timing of molt in a tropical montane rain forest ...........................................................................1 Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................2 Methods......................................................................................................................................................4 Results ........................................................................................................................................................5 Discussion ..................................................................................................................................................7 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................11 Literature Cited.........................................................................................................................................11 Chapter 2. Composition and dynamics of a mega-diverse mixed-species flock in a tropical montane rain forest..............................................................................................................................................................23 Abstract ....................................................................................................................................................23 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................................24 Methods....................................................................................................................................................25 Study Site.............................................................................................................................................25 Mist Netting.........................................................................................................................................26 Flock Observations ..............................................................................................................................27 Species Characterization......................................................................................................................27 Results ......................................................................................................................................................29 Flock Home Range and Movements....................................................................................................29 Flock Composition...............................................................................................................................31
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