DOCSLIB.ORG

Webless Migratory Game Bird Program

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Webless Migratory Game Bird Program U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Webless Migratory Game Bird Program Project Abstracts – 2009 Cover Photographs: Graduate student Chad August (left) and technician James Gardner (right), from the University of Nevada Reno, gather data at a sandhill crane nest discovered during the summer of 2009 in northeast Nevada. Inset: The egg floatation method was used to determine incubation stage of sandhill crane eggs. Photos courtesy of University of Nevada Reno Webless Migratory Game Bird Program Project Abstracts – 2009 Compiled by Tom Cooper Project Officer U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Migratory Bird Management 1 Federal Drive, Room 501 Fort Snelling, MN 55111 November 2010 Suggested citation: Cooper, T. R. (Compiler). 2010. Webless Migratory Game Program, Project Abstracts – 2009. United States Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Fort Snelling, MN USA. CONTENTS Development of the Research Program History and Administration of the Webless Migratory Game Program, 1995-2009 1 Thomas R. Cooper and David D. Dolton Webless Migratory Game Bird Program Projects Mourning Doves Mourning Dove Demographics and Harvest Management in an Agroforestry Complex 6 John H. Schulz, Joshua J. Millspaugh, and Thomas W. Bonnot Development and Evaluation of Methods for Regional Monitoring of Mourning Dove Recruitment 9 David L. Otis and David A. Miller Mourning Dove Recruitment and Breeding Season Survival in Tennessee 12 Russell R. Skoglund and Steven E. Hayslette Voluntary Lead Shot Ingestion Rate of Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) 26 Donald W. Sparling, Richard Halbrook, and Stephanie C. Plautz White-winged Doves Using GIS, Stable isotopes, and Genetic Analysis to Differentiate Populations of White-winged Dove that Breed in the United States: Delineating Habitat Use, Post-breeding Dispersal, and Wintering Ground Distribution 33 Scott A. Carleton and Carlos Martinez Del Rio Band-tailed Pigeons Band-tailed Pigeon Use of Supplemental Sodium and Calcium 34 Todd A. Sanders Breeding Distribution and Migration Routes of Pacific Coast Band-tailed Pigeons 38 Michael L. Casazza and Cory T. Overton Sandhill Cranes Ecology of Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) Breeding in Northeast Nevada 41 Craig Mortimore, Christopher Nicolai, Jeff MacKay, Peter Bradley, and James Sedinger Movement patterns of Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis tabida) wintering along the Lower Colorado River of Arizona 44 Michael Ingraldi and Vincent Frary An Evaluation of Factors Influencing the Reliability of the Annual Spring Survey of the Midcontinent Population of Sandhill Cranes 46 Aaron T. Pearse and Gary L. Krapu The Use of Satellite Telemetry to Evaluate Migration Chronology and Breeding, Migratory, and Wintering Distribution of Eastern Population Sandhill Cranes 48 David L. Fronczak and David E. Andersen American Woodcock Factors Affecting Detection of American Woodcock on Singing-ground Surveys 52 Stefanie M. Bergh and David E. Andersen American Woodcock Singing-ground Surveys in the Western Great Lakes Region: Assessment of Trends in Woodcock Counts, Forest Cover Types along Survey Routes, and Landscape Cover Type Composition 54 David E. Andersen, Matthew Nelson, and James R. Kelley Investigate Communication Strategies to Support Implementation Strategies of the North American Woodcock Conservation Plan 57 Scot J. Williamson, David J. Case, Rebecca Christoffel, and Phil T. Seng Implementation of the American Woodcock Conservation Plan in the Upper Great Lakes 60 Scot J. Williamson and Pat Ruble Agricultural Wintering Habitat as a Limiting Factor for Woodcock in the Southeast: Thirty Years of Agroecosystem Change 62 Christopher S. DePerno, N. Nills Peterson, and Christopher E. Moorman Marsh Birds Assessing an Expert-based Landscape Approach to Predict King Rail Distributions in the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture 65 Jason R. Bolenbaugh and David G. Krementz Implementation of a National Marshbird Monitoring Program: Using Wisconsin as a Test of Program Study Design 71 Andy Paulios and Ryan Brady Developing Optimal Survey Techniques for Monitoring Population Status of Rails, Snipe, Coots, and Gallinules 75 Courtney J. Conway, Mark Woodrey, Christopher P. Nadeau, and Meaghan Conway Estimating Population Trends, Relative Abundance, and Effects of Management Actions on Seven Species of Webless Migratory Game Birds 76 Courtney J. Conway, Christopher P. Nadeau, and Meaghan Conway Nesting, Brood Rearing, and Winter Habitat Selection of King Rails and Clapper Rails within the ACE Basin, SC 78 William E. Mills, Ernie P. Wiggers, Catherine E. Ricketts, and Sara H. Schweitzer The Effect of Waterfowl Impoundments on Sora and Virginia Rail Populations 81 Brian J. Olsen and Ellen P. Robertson Linking Site Occupancy, Reproductive Success, and Management Outcomes for Strategic Habitat Conservation of King Rail (Rallus elegans) 83 Jaime A. Collazo and C. Ashton Drew Development of a Winter Survey for Wilson’s Snipe in the Mississippi Flyway 87 David G. Krementz and J. Matthew Carroll Assessing Population Trends and Status of Webless Migratory Game Birds Using Volunteer Collected Data 92 Debra S. Badzinski, Ryan Archer, and Phil Taylor HISTORY AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE WEBLESS MIGRATORY GAME BIRD PROGRAM, 1995-2009 THOMAS R. COOPER, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Migratory Bird Management, BHW Federal Building, Room 501, Fort Snelling, MN 55111, USA DAVID D. DOLTON (retired), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Migratory Bird Management, PO Box 25486 DFC, Denver, CO 80225-0486, USA Introduction USFWS to support 2 field stations to study woodcock The Webless Migratory Game Bird (WMGB) Program and doves; and, $25,000 was retained by the USFWS is an outgrowth of the WMGB Research Program to administer the program. The ARP ended when (1994-present) and the WMGB Management Program funding for the program was eliminated due to (2007-present). The revised WMGB Program was USFWS budget constraints in 1982. In 1984, the designed to provide cooperative funding for both International Association of Fish and Wildlife research and management activities from the U.S. Fish Agencies (now AFWA) formed the Migratory Shore and Wildlife Service (USFWS), state wildlife and Upland Game Bird (MSUGB) Subcommittee. agencies, and other sources for projects benefitting the One goal of the subcommittee was to reinstate a 16 species of migratory game birds in North America webless game bird research program. To accomplish (Table 1). this goal, the subcommittee documented the past accomplishments of the ARP and lobbied for Table 1. The 16 species of migratory shore and upland reinstatement of a webless research program. The game birds eligible for funding through the Webless efforts and persistence of the MSUGB Subcommittee Migratory Game Bird Program. came to fruition in the fall of 1994 when funding became available. The new program was titled the Common Name Scientific Name WMGB Research Program. Projects were selected for King Rail Rallus elegans funding beginning in 1995 with funding being Clapper Rail Rallus longirostris obligated for the entire project. Detailed information Virginia Rail Rallus limicola about the history of the ARP and WMGB Research Sora Porzana carolina Programs can be found in Dolton (2009). Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinica Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus The WMGB Research Program was funded at various American Coot Fulica americana levels during 1995-2006; however, funding was Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis suspended due to budget limitations in 2003 and 2004. Funding was reinstated in 2005 at a level of Wilson’s Snipe Gallinago delicata $250,000/year, with $30,000 of the total being American Woodcock Scolopax minor obligated for webless projects in USFWS Region 5 Band‐tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata (Northeast U.S.). In 2007, The USFWS received Scaly‐naped Pigeon Patagioenas squamosa additional funding for MSUGB work ($487,000/year). Zenaida Dove Zenaida aurita The primary purpose of the new funding was to Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura address the management needs of MSUGB. From White‐winged Dove Zenaida asiatica 2007-2009, funding was directed towards supporting White‐tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi mourning dove banding in several states and other management related projects for woodcock, rails, and History sandhill cranes. The WMGB Program is an outgrowth of several funding initiatives, both past and present. The first Another key contribution made by the MSUGB effort was the Accelerated Research Program (1967- Committee was the publication of the book entitled 1982). Congressional funding of the ARP was Migratory Shore and Upland Game Bird Management $250,000 annually. Of this total, $175,000 was in North America (Tacha and Braun 1994). This was a contracted to states: $50,000 was used directly by the revised and updated version of the book edited by 1 Sanderson (1977). Priority research and management woodcock, and (5) American coots, purple gallinules, activities identified in these books served as a tool for and common moorhens. The final workshop covering evaluating proposals submitted to the WMGB the remaining species (Zenaida doves, white-tipped Research Program for funding. doves, scaly-naped pigeons, and band-tailed pigeons) is scheduled to be completed in early 2011. The AFWA’s MSUGB Working Group (formerly MSUGB completed priority information-need strategies are Subcommittee) provided key support in acquiring the available on-line at: additional funding. Due to the addition of funding for www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/NewReportsPublications
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Nest Density and Success of Columbids in Puerto Rico ’
    The Condor98:1OC-113 0 The CooperOrnithological Society 1996 NEST DENSITY AND SUCCESS OF COLUMBIDS IN PUERTO RICO ’ FRANK F. RIVERA-MILAN~ Department ofNatural Resources,Scientific Research Area, TerrestrialEcology Section, Stop 3 Puerta. de Tierra, 00906, Puerto Rico Abstract. A total of 868 active nests of eight speciesof pigeonsand doves (columbids) were found in 210 0.1 ha strip-transectssampled in the three major life zones of Puerto Rico from February 1987 to June 1992. The columbids had a peak in nest density in May and June, with a decline during the July to October flocking period, and an increasefrom November to April. Predation accountedfor 8 1% of the nest lossesobserved from 1989 to 1992. Nest cover was the most important microhabitat variable accountingfor nest failure or successaccording to univariate and multivariate comparisons. The daily survival rate estimates of nests constructed on epiphytes were significantly higher than those of nests constructedon the bare branchesof trees. Rainfall of the first six months of the year during the study accounted for 67% and 71% of the variability associatedwith the nest density estimatesof the columbids during the reproductivepeak in the xerophytic forest of Gulnica and dry coastal forest of Cabo Rojo, but only 9% of the variability of the nest density estimatesof the columbids in the moist montane second-growthforest patchesof Cidra. In 1988, the abundance of fruits of key tree species(nine speciescombined) was positively correlatedwith the seasonalchanges in nest density of the columbids in the strip-transects of Cayey and Cidra. Pairwise density correlationsamong the columbids suggestedparallel responsesof nestingpopulations to similar or covarying resourcesin the life zones of Puerto Rico.
    [Show full text]
  • 21 Sep 2018 Lists of Victims and Hosts of the Parasitic
    version: 21 Sep 2018 Lists of victims and hosts of the parasitic cowbirds (Molothrus). Peter E. Lowther, Field Museum Brood parasitism is an awkward term to describe an interaction between two species in which, as in predator-prey relationships, one species gains at the expense of the other. Brood parasites "prey" upon parental care. Victimized species usually have reduced breeding success, partly because of the additional cost of caring for alien eggs and young, and partly because of the behavior of brood parasites (both adults and young) which may directly and adversely affect the survival of the victim's own eggs or young. About 1% of all bird species, among 7 families, are brood parasites. The 5 species of brood parasitic “cowbirds” are currently all treated as members of the genus Molothrus. Host selection is an active process. Not all species co-occurring with brood parasites are equally likely to be selected nor are they of equal quality as hosts. Rather, to varying degrees, brood parasites are specialized for certain categories of hosts. Brood parasites may rely on a single host species to rear their young or may distribute their eggs among many species, seemingly without regard to any characteristics of potential hosts. Lists of species are not the best means to describe interactions between a brood parasitic species and its hosts. Such lists do not necessarily reflect the taxonomy used by the brood parasites themselves nor do they accurately reflect the complex interactions within bird communities (see Ortega 1998: 183-184). Host lists do, however, offer some insight into the process of host selection and do emphasize the wide variety of features than can impact on host selection.
    [Show full text]
  • Alpha Codes for 2168 Bird Species (And 113 Non-Species Taxa) in Accordance with the 62Nd AOU Supplement (2021), Sorted Taxonomically
    Four-letter (English Name) and Six-letter (Scientific Name) Alpha Codes for 2168 Bird Species (and 113 Non-Species Taxa) in accordance with the 62nd AOU Supplement (2021), sorted taxonomically Prepared by Peter Pyle and David F. DeSante The Institute for Bird Populations www.birdpop.org ENGLISH NAME 4-LETTER CODE SCIENTIFIC NAME 6-LETTER CODE Highland Tinamou HITI Nothocercus bonapartei NOTBON Great Tinamou GRTI Tinamus major TINMAJ Little Tinamou LITI Crypturellus soui CRYSOU Thicket Tinamou THTI Crypturellus cinnamomeus CRYCIN Slaty-breasted Tinamou SBTI Crypturellus boucardi CRYBOU Choco Tinamou CHTI Crypturellus kerriae CRYKER White-faced Whistling-Duck WFWD Dendrocygna viduata DENVID Black-bellied Whistling-Duck BBWD Dendrocygna autumnalis DENAUT West Indian Whistling-Duck WIWD Dendrocygna arborea DENARB Fulvous Whistling-Duck FUWD Dendrocygna bicolor DENBIC Emperor Goose EMGO Anser canagicus ANSCAN Snow Goose SNGO Anser caerulescens ANSCAE + Lesser Snow Goose White-morph LSGW Anser caerulescens caerulescens ANSCCA + Lesser Snow Goose Intermediate-morph LSGI Anser caerulescens caerulescens ANSCCA + Lesser Snow Goose Blue-morph LSGB Anser caerulescens caerulescens ANSCCA + Greater Snow Goose White-morph GSGW Anser caerulescens atlantica ANSCAT + Greater Snow Goose Intermediate-morph GSGI Anser caerulescens atlantica ANSCAT + Greater Snow Goose Blue-morph GSGB Anser caerulescens atlantica ANSCAT + Snow X Ross's Goose Hybrid SRGH Anser caerulescens x rossii ANSCAR + Snow/Ross's Goose SRGO Anser caerulescens/rossii ANSCRO Ross's Goose
    [Show full text]
  • Advances in the Study of Behavior, Volume 31.Pdf
    Advances in THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR VOLUME 31 Advances in THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR Edited by PETER J. B. S LATER JAY S. ROSENBLATT CHARLES T. S NOWDON TIMOTHY J. R OPER Advances in THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR Edited by PETER J. B. S LATER School of Biology University of St. Andrews Fife, United Kingdom JAY S. ROSENBLATT Institute of Animal Behavior Rutgers University Newark, New Jersey CHARLES T. S NOWDON Department of Psychology University of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin TIMOTHY J. R OPER School of Biological Sciences University of Sussex Sussex, United Kingdom VOLUME 31 San Diego San Francisco New York Boston London Sydney Tokyo This book is printed on acid-free paper. ∞ Copyright C 2002 by ACADEMIC PRESS All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher. The appearance of the code at the bottom of the first page of a chapter in this book indicates the Publisher’s consent that copies of the chapter may be made for personal or internal use of specific clients. This consent is given on the condition, however, that the copier pay the stated per copy fee through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, Massachusetts 01923), for copying beyond that permitted by Sections 107 or 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law. This consent does not extend to other kinds of copying, such as copying for general distribution, for advertising or promotional purposes, for creating new collective works, or for resale.
    [Show full text]
  • Mourning Doves in Florida1 William M
    WEC 226 Mourning Doves in Florida1 William M. Giuliano, James F. Selph, Kurt Hodges, and Nick Wiley2 While many species of dove live in Florida, the mourning include the diamond dove (Geopelia cuneate), ringed turtle dove (Zenaida macroura) is the only dove species native to dove (Streptopelia risoria), rock dove or common pigeon the state (Figure 1). (Columba livia), and Eurasian collared or ring-necked dove (Streptopelia decaocto). Being the most widely distributed and only native species of dove in Florida, mourning doves will be the focus of this report. Distribution and Status Mourning doves can be found throughout southern Canada, all of the U.S. and Central America, and most of the Caribbean Islands. Found throughout Florida, the greatest numbers of mourning doves appear to be in the central portion of the state. Florida populations increase during the winter months, when the resident population is supplemented by birds migrating in from the north. During the past 40 years, dove populations have remained relatively Figure 1. Mourning doves are the most widely distributed and only stable in the eastern U.S., with a 1% increase during the native species of dove in Florida. last 10 years. In Florida, dove populations increased by 2% Credits: J. C. Leupold, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service during the past 40 years, but decreased slightly (2%) during Many dove species that reside in Florida, while not native, the last 10 years. Throughout the U.S., the number of dove are state and federally protected, including the common hunters and birds harvested annually has been declining.
    [Show full text]
  • Frequently Asked Questions About a Federal Special Purpose Game Bird Permit
    FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT A FEDERAL SPECIAL PURPOSE GAME BIRD PERMIT A Federal Migratory Bird Special Purpose Game Bird permit will authorize you to acquire, purchase, possess, transfer, sell, donate, or otherwise dispose of to another person, migratory game birds (excluding waterfowl) that are captive-reared and properly marked, including their eggs. (A Migratory Bird Waterfowl Sale and Disposal permit is required to sell, donate, or otherwise dispose of to another person, any species of captive-reared and properly marked waterfowl or their eggs.) You should review Title 50 Parts 10, 13 and 21.27 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). You are responsible for reviewing and understanding these regulations before you request and accept a permit. These regulations can be found on our website at: https://www.fws.gov/birds/policies- and-regulations/permits/permit-policies-and-regulations.php Below is a review of several sections pertinent to a Federal Migratory Bird Special Purpose Game Bird permit. 1. Do I need a permit to acquire, purchase, possess, transfer, sell, donate, release to the wild, or otherwise dispose of migratory game birds? Yes. Anyone who wishes to conduct these activities with migratory game birds other than waterfowl must first obtain a Federal Migratory Bird Special Purpose Game Bird permit. 2. Can I take migratory game birds from the wild? No. You may not take migratory game birds or their eggs from the wild. Anyone who transfers migratory game birds to you must have a valid Special Purpose Game Bird permit. 3. What documentation is required when I transfer game birds to another person? The person you sell to or buy from must also have a Special Purpose Game Bird permit.
    [Show full text]
  • Research Papers
    Ethology 107, 281Ð293 (2001) Ó 2001 Blackwell Wissenschafts-Verlag, Berlin ISSN 0179±1613 RESEARCH PAPERS Department of Biology, McGill University, MontreÂal Learning Dierences between Feral Pigeons and Zenaida Doves: The Role of Neophobia and Human Proximity Angela Seferta, Patrick-Jean Guay, Erika Marzinotto & Louis Lefebvre Seferta, A., Guay, P.-J., Marzinotto, E. & Lefebvre, L. 2001: Learning dierences between feral pigeons and zenaida doves: the role of neophobia and human proximity. Ethology 107, 281Ð293. Abstract Learning dierences predicted from ecological variables can be confounded with dierences in wariness of novel stimuli (neophobia). Previous work on feral pigeons (Columba livia), as well as on group-feeding and territorial zenaida doves (Zenaida aurita), reported individual and social learning dierences predicted from social foraging mode. In the present study, we show that speed of learning a foraging task covaries with neophobia and latency to feed from a familiar dish in the three types of columbids. Pigeons were much faster than either territorial or group- feeding zenaida doves on all tests conducted in captivity, but showed unexpectedly strong neophobia in some urban ¯ocks during ®eld tests. Human proximity strongly aected performance in group-feeding doves both in the ®eld and in captivity. They were slightly faster at learning than their territorial conspeci®cs in cage tests. In multiple regressions, species identity, but not social foraging mode, signi®cantly predicted individual variation in learning, as did individual variation in neophobia. Wariness of novel stimuli and species dierences associated with arti®cial selection appear to be more important than foraging mode and wariness of humans in accounting for learning dierences between these columbids.
    [Show full text]
  • Unusual Doves
    First published May 1, 2016... Contact Hart at [email protected] Are you sure? Yes, it's a Zenaida Dove, rarely seen in Florida UNUSUAL DOVES “Look! There it is, right now, coming out of the woods onto the path!” “No way, that’s just another Mourning Dove.” “No, look, it has the white patch at the base of the tail, it’s chunkier, and it has the rounded tail!” “Oh my God, you’re right, it is the Zenaida Dove! Wow!” The foregoing dialogue, some form of which was undoubtedly repeated many times over the past several weeks since its February 21, 2016, discovery, illustrates the conflicting reactions birders have in seeing a nondescript dove that looks remarkably like the unremarkable and quite common Mourning Dove (right), and the realization that the viewer is looking at arguably the rarest bird in North America at the present time. With only three “verifiable records” of Zenaida Dove, all in Florida prior to this appearance, literally hundreds of birders have been flocking to Long Key State Park in the Florida Keys to add this bird to their life lists. As our “waiting for the bird for several hours until viewing” companions, as well as we, all pointed out, “We no longer ‘chase’ rare birds or worry about our life lists,” yet here we all were, doing just that. Curiously, this rare bird showed up this year in the same general area as last year’s “rarest bird in America,” the 2015 Key West Quail Dove. (hb150601FloridaKeys.html) It is highly probable that more Zenaida Doves arrive in Florida, but are over-looked or ignored on the presumption they are just simply another Mourning Dove.
    [Show full text]
  • Mapping Biodiversity in Cuba
    Earthwatch 2019 Field Report Mapping Biodiversity in Cuba Report authors Natalia Rossi, PhD. Wildlife Conservation Society Maikel Cañizares. Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, La Habana. Cuba Lucia Hechavarria. Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, La Habana. Cuba Pedro González. Centro de Investigaciones y Servicios Ambientales. Holguín. Cuba Tomás Michel Rodríguez. Sociedad Cubana de Zoología Aslam Castellón Maure. Sociedad Cubana de Zoología Maydiel Cañizares. Sociedad Cubana de Zoología Photography Photos by ©Aslam I. Castellón Maure, ©Maikel Cañizares, and ©Rosario Dominguez Reporting period January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019 PAGE 1 LETTER TO VOLUNTEERS Dear Earthwatch volunteers, As we embark into our 2020 Earthwatch field expeditions, we wanted to take the time to reflect on our collective efforts in 2019 and share some of our highlights. Thanks to your commitment, motivation, and insatiable curiosity we had an incredible 2019! Together, we continue to discover and protect the biodiversity of Lomas de Banao Ecological Reserve. During 2019, we continued to support the conservation of this Reserve’s outstanding biodiversity. With your help, we planted over 1000 trees of native species that will enrich the forest for generations to come. We recorded new species in Banao, including a critically endangered and endemic Anolis lizard who will now call Banao home. We deepened our understanding of the seasonal dynamics of birds in Banao looking into the behavioral adjustments of native birds when, all the sudden, have to cope with the influx of numerous winter migrants. We discovered that Cuban parakeets switched their nesting grounds into the northern side of the Reserve, and built and placed artificial nests to support Cuban trogons, pygmy owls and bare-legged owls in the reproduction season.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecology Ano Behavior of the Zenaioa Oove
    Volume 2 1991 No.2 ORNITOWGIA NEOTROPICAL 2: 49-75, 1991 @ The Neotropical Ornithological Society ECOLOGY ANO BEHAVIOR OF THE ZENAIOA OOVE James W. Wiley * Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 5887, Puerta de Tierra, Puerto Rico 00906, West Indies. Resumen. Ecología y comportamiento de la Tórtola Cardosantera. Se res\imen datos de un estudio de 10 años sobre la Tórtola Cardosantera (Zenaida aurita) en Puerto Rico y sus islas adyacentes. La tórtola exhibe un difor~ismo sexual en tomaño, con los machos generalmente mayores que las hembras. La mayoría de las actividades (alimenta- ción, cortejo, agresiones) ocurrieron por las mañanas y tardes, mientras que el reposo y actividades de manteni- miento fueron más prevalentes al mediodía. Registré 77 especiesde plantas usadas como alimento por la Tórtola Cardosantera en Puerto Rico. Las principales expecies usadas como alimento incluyeron Scleria lithosperma, Argemone mexicana, Croton rigidus, Phyllanthus amarus, Cordia angustifolia, Zanthoxylum martinicense, Euphor- bia heterophylla, y diversa especiesde leguminosas. Las Tórtolas Cardosanteras tienen dos vocalizaciones principa- les: el" Kuu", o Llamada de Anuncio, dada en contextos asertivos y sexuales, y la Llamada de Nido, mayormente usada en o cerca del nido. Las tórtola anidaron en una amplia variedad de hábitats, incluyendo el borde de bosques, manglares, matorral seco y áreas mixtas agrícola-urbanas. Los nidos generalmente fueron colocados en árboles, pero las tórtolas anidaron en el suelo en aquellos lugares donde ciertos predadores terrestres estuvieron ausentes. Nidos se encontraron en todos los mesesdel año, aunque una mayor frecuencia de nidificación ocurrió de marzo hasta mayo o julio.
    [Show full text]
  • Field Guides Birding Tours Puerto Rico
    Field Guides Tour Report PUERTO RICO Mar 18, 2012 to Mar 24, 2012 George Armistead & Eric Hynes With an engaging personality to go along with its good looks, it's no wonder the dapper little Puerto Rican Tody was a favorite for many. The todies are one of only two families endemic to the Caribbean islands, the other being the Palmchat of Hispaniola. (Photo by guide George Armistead) Our 2012 sojourn into the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the smallest island in the Greater Antilles, proved fruitful and relaxing, and yielded many memorable birds. An early morning getaway the first day got us out of town and into the Haystack Hills. We were floored to step out of our vans and immediately hear a pair of Puerto Rican Screech-Owls dueting. Soon, we had them in the telescopes for leisurely studies, and we watched them drift off to sleep just as the other forest birds came alive. Zenaida Doves, Puerto Rican Bullfinches, and Antillean Euphonias were calling, and then we discovered a lovely pair of Lesser Antillean (Puerto Rican) Pewees picking bugs amid the sun-dappled mid-story canopy of this humid patch of forest. No parrots were to be seen or heard (at least with any certainty), but sightings of about nine endemics had us off to a roaring start. We lunched at some cliffs where White-tailed Tropicbirds sailed around in display, with males courting females, against cerulean skies. Then came the rains. Afternoon showers were to be a daily occurrence on the tour, but thankfully the birding gods mostly smiled upon us allowing us good weather nearly every morning and at other critical points.
    [Show full text]
  • Excerpted From
    Excerpted from ©2004 by the Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. May not be copied or reused without express written permission of the publisher. click here to BUY THIS BOOK 17 Conservation of an Endangered Bahamian Rock Iguana, I POPULATION ASSESSMENTS, HABITAT RESTORATION, AND BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY William K. Hayes, Ronald L. Carter, Samuel Cyril, Jr., and Benjamin Thornton he bahamian endemic Cyclura rileyi Exumas. This taxon almost certainly occupied ad- Tis one of the most threatened of the West jacent islands (e.g., Leaf Cay, Hog Cay, possibly Indian rock iguanas. Two of its three recognized Little Exuma and Great Exuma) at one time, and subspecies, C. r. cristata and C. r. rileyi, are criti- has suffered substantial range contraction. C. r. cally endangered, and the third, C. r. nuchalis, is nuchalis exists naturally on just two cays (North endangered (Alberts, 2000). Although they for- Cay, 51.7 ha; Fish Cay, 73.9 ha) in the Acklins merly occupied large islands, today these lizards Bight, the immense, shallow body of water be- are confined to small, remote, uninhabited cays tween Crooked Island and Acklins Island. A third of three island groups in the Bahamas (the Exu- population, introduced to a small island (3.3 ha) mas, San Salvador Island, and the Crooked and within the Exumas Land and Sea Park, was es- Acklins Islands; figure 17.1). The island groups, tablished by five founders translocated from Fish each harboring its own subspecies, are on sep- Cay in the late 1970s by a private individual arate banks and therefore were not connected (S.
    [Show full text]