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High Survival Rate of a Critically Endangered Species, the Azores

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High Survival Rate of a Critically Endangered Species, the Azores High survival rate of a critically endangered species, the Azores Bullfinch , as a contribution to population recovery David Monticelli, Ricardo Ceia, Ruben Heleno, Hugo Laborda, Sergio Timóteo, Daniel Jareño, Geoff M. Hilton, Jaime A. Ramos To cite this version: David Monticelli, Ricardo Ceia, Ruben Heleno, Hugo Laborda, Sergio Timóteo, et al.. High survival rate of a critically endangered species, the Azores Bullfinch , as a contribution to population recov- ery. Journal für Ornithologie = Journal of Ornithology, Springer Verlag, 2010, 151 (3), pp.627-636. 10.1007/s10336-010-0501-4. hal-00570023 HAL Id: hal-00570023 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00570023 Submitted on 26 Feb 2011 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. J Ornithol (2010) 151:627–636 DOI 10.1007/s10336-010-0501-4 ORIGINAL ARTICLE High survival rate of a critically endangered species, the Azores Bullfinch Pyrrhula murina, as a contribution to population recovery David Monticelli • Ricardo Ceia • Ruben Heleno • Hugo Laborda • Sergio Timo´teo • Daniel Jaren˜o • Geoff M. Hilton • Jaime A. Ramos Received: 12 May 2009 / Revised: 30 November 2009 / Accepted: 1 February 2010 / Published online: 26 February 2010 Ó Dt. Ornithologen-Gesellschaft e.V. 2010 Abstract This paper reports analyses of a capture–mark– lack of predators should favour high survival rates to recapture (CMR) dataset of 149 Azores Bullfinches ringed compensate for the low reproductive output. The annual on Sa˜o Miguel island (Azores) between 2005 and 2007, survival rate was estimated at 0.62, which was also con- and recaptured–resighted on a monthly basis over a 4-year sistent with this pattern when compared with survival period (2005–2008) throughout their breeding range. We estimates of mainland bullfinch and passerine species on examined the effect of time, age (adults vs. juveniles), other subtropical islands obtained in similar CMR studies. gender (adult males and females), and environmental Based on a canonical estimator, the size of the studied covariates (temperature, rainfall, NAO index) on survival population (mean ± SE) was estimated at 1608 ± 326 probabilities. The modelling found a high and constant individuals. Given that the population size was only around monthly survival probability (mean ± SE) estimated at 120–400 individuals in the early 1990s, we suggest that the 0.96 ± 0.01, similar between both adults and juveniles and high survival probabilities currently applying to this criti- independent of environmental conditions and gender. cally endangered species may have substantially contrib- These findings agree with expectations from island-based uted to the recent recovery of this population. Future life-history theory where relatively mild conditions and research studies on the species’ demography should con- tinue to monitor survival in order to measure the effect of management interventions currently taking place within the Communicated by P. H. Becker. range of the Azores Bullfinch, including the restoration of D. Monticelli (&) the biodiversity rich laurel forest, but also focusing on nest Laboratory of Tropical and Subtropical Forestry, Unit of Forest success, which is important for understanding population and Nature Management, Gembloux Agricultural University, dynamics. 2 Passage des De´porte´s, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium e-mail: [email protected] Keywords Individual covariates Á Mark–recapture Á R. Ceia Á H. Laborda Á S. Timo´teo Á D. Jaren˜o Population management Á Pyrrhula murina Á Azores Á Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves, Survival 105 Av. da Liberdade, 1250-140 Lisbon, Portugal R. Heleno School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Introduction Bristol BS8 1UG, UK Understanding the dynamics of animal populations via G. M. Hilton Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), Slimbridge, demographic models and population growth rate (k) esti- Glos GL2 7BT, UK mations is a central theme in applied ecology and conser- vation biology, but requires the determination of basic vital R. Heleno Á J. A. Ramos rates such as fecundity and age-related survival of indi- Institute of Marine Research (IMAR/CMA), Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, viduals (Caswell and Fujiwara 2004). Only if these Apartado 3046, 3001-401 Coimbra, Portugal parameters are estimated accurately, based on empirical 123 628 J Ornithol (2010) 151:627–636 studies, can their population dynamic implications be fully instance, the recapture probability of the species is \1. understood and appropriate management decisions taken Thus, to support the present efforts made towards the (Perkins and Vickery 2001; Steifetten and Dale 2006). Sur- conservation of this critically endangered species (see Ceia vival rates of passerine bird species and the factors that affect 2008), the need for a more recent (and accurate) estimation them have been documented increasingly over recent dec- of demographic rates, and survival in particular, using a ades. Adult survival has been found to vary in relation to CMR approach was stressed. This study should also allow individual characteristics (e.g., sex, age, mass; Clobert et al. the comparison of Azores Bullfinch survival estimates with 1988), density-dependent processes (e.g., Saether et al. published data on the closely related Eurasian Bullfinch 2002), and weather conditions (e.g., Robinson et al. 2007). Pyrrhula pyrrhula, thus offering a unique opportunity to However, while most of our current knowledge is based on understand how demographic rates vary between island and temperate-zone studies, there is little information on the mainland species. survival of species living in both tropical and subtropical A monthly ringing–resighting scheme was conducted environments and on oceanic islands. Available data suggest between 2005 and 2008 (4 years) throughout most of the that species living in northern temperate regions typically breeding range of the Azores Bullfinch, in order to estimate experience lower survival rates than similar taxa from trop- the survival of adult and juvenile (first-year) individuals. ical and southern hemisphere species (Peach et al. 2001; Based on life-history theory (Stearns 1992) and on our Schaefer et al. 2006; McNamara et al. 2008 and references knowledge of the biology and ecology of the Azores therein). This pattern has been related to several factors, such Bullfinch (Ramos 1994, 1996a), we made four predictions: as stronger seasonal fluctuations in climatic conditions in (1) Survival estimates should be higher than those found northern habitats (i.e., harsh winter conditions leading to in their temperate European counterparts (Eurasian high winter mortality), and, for nonresident species, the Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula), which have annual survival costs associated with migration (Møller 2007; survival of ca. 41% in adults and ca. 33% in juveniles McNamara et al. 2008). Compared to their mainland coun- (Siriwardena et al. 1999; British Trust for Ornithol- terparts, passerine species living on oceanic islands have ogy 2009) been found to exhibit enhanced survival rates (in both adults (2) The less variable weather conditions in the Azores and juveniles), but the reasons behind this remain, as yet, should favour relatively little interannual and seasonal uncertain (Faaborg and Arendt 1995; Blondel 2000), variation in survival, compared to the strong interan- although relatively constant climatic conditions throughout nual fluctuations reported for Eurasian Bullfinches the year and a lack of predators on islands may be, at least in breeding in Britain, where winter severity is more part, responsible for the observed differences (Blondel 2000; variable among years (Siriwardena et al. 1999) Brouwer et al. 2006). (3) Younger, less experienced individuals are less able to The Azores Bullfinch Pyrrhula murina is a critically cope with adverse conditions than adults (Stearns endangered sedentary species (BirdLife International 1992), hence we expected that juvenile birds would 2008), whose breeding range is largely restricted to about exhibit lower and more variable survival rates than 1,675 ha of native high-altitude laurel forest in the Azorean those of adults oceanic island of Sa˜o Miguel, North Atlantic Ocean (4) Finally, gender-related differences in passerine sur- (37°470N25°300W) (Ceia 2008; Ceia et al. 2009). This vival rates are commonly attributed to differential risks species seemed abundant in the second half of the nine- of predation on breeding males and females, especially teenth century (Hartert and Ogilvie-Grant 1905; Banner- for species in which breeding behaviour and foraging man and Bannerman 1966), but became very rare in the ecology differ markedly between sexes (Post and first half of the twentieth century (Ramos 1996a). The Go¨tmark 2006); however, assuming that the Azores population was estimated at 60–80 individuals in the 1970s Bullfinch is relatively predator-free on S. Miguel (Le Grand 1983), 200 individuals in 1989 (Bibby and island, we expected a priori no sex-specific survival Charlton 1991), and 120–400
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