UNIVERZA NA PRIMORSKEM 2020 FAKULTETA ZA MATEMATIKO, NARAVOSLOVJE IN INFORMACIJSKE TEHNOLOGIJE MASTER’S THESIS (MAGISTRSKO DELO) CAMERA TRAP BASED DATA ANALYSIS OF THE BARE-FACED CURASSOW (CRAX FASCIOLATA) LIFE HISTORY PATTERNS IN THE NORTHERN PANTANAL, BRAZIL R'S THESIS (ANALIZA VZORCEV ŽIVLJENJSKE ZGODOVINE MASTE GOLOLIČNE HOKOJKE (CRAX FASCIOLATA) NA OSNOVI PODATKOV PRIDOBLJENIH S FOTOPASTMI NA OBMOČJU SEVERNEGA PANTANALA, BRAZILIJA) MARTIN SENIČ MARTIN SENIČ UNIVERZA NA PRIMORSKEM FAKULTETA ZA MATEMATIKO, NARAVOSLOVJE IN INFORMACIJSKE TEHNOLOGIJE Master's thesis (Magistrsko delo) Camera trap based data analysis of the Bare-faced Curassow (Crax fasciolata) life history patterns in the northern Pantanal, Brazil (Analiza vzorcev življenjske zgodovine gololične hokojke (Crax fasciolata) na osnovi podatkov pridobljenih s fotopastmi na območju severnega Pantanala, Brazilija) Ime in priimek: Martin Senič Študijski program: Varstvo narave, 2. stopnja Mentor: prof. dr. Karl-Ludwig Schuchmann Somentor: doc. dr. Andrej Sovinc Delovna somentorica: mag. Kathrin Burs Koper, maj 2020 Senič M. Camera trap based data analysis of Crax fasciolata life history patterns in the northern Pantanal. Univerza na Primorskem, Fakulteta za matematiko, naravoslovje in informacijske tehnologije, 2020 II Ključna dokumentacijska informacija Ime in PRIIMEK: Martin SENIČ Naslov magistrskega dela: Analiza vzorcev življenjske zgodovine gololične hokojke (Crax fasciolata) na osnovi podatkov pridobljenih s fotopastmi na območju severnega Pantanala, Brazilija Kraj: Koper Leto: 2020 Število listov: 94 Število slik: 22 Število tabel: 8 Število prilog: 15 Število strani prilog: 15 Število referenc: 74 Mentor: prof. dr. Karl-Ludwig Schuchmann Somentor: doc. dr. Andrej Sovinc Delovni somentorica: mag. Kathrin Burs UDK: 598.261.4(043.2) Ključne besede: Cracidae, Crax fasciolata, gololična hokojka, fotopasti, uspešnost zajema, vzorci dnevnih aktivnosti, socialna organizacija, starševska skrb, razmerje spolov, starost potomcev, paritvena sezona Izvleček: Preučevali smo vzorce življenjske zgodovine gololične hokojke (Crax fasciolata, Aves, Cracidae) na območju parka SESC Baía das Pedras (pribl. 4200 ha), Poconé, severni del območja matogrossenskega Pantanala, Brazilija. Med julijem 2015 in decembrom 2017 smo člani raziskovalne enote CO.BRA (http://cobra.ic.ufmt.br/), s fotopastmi spremljali 37 lokacij. S fotopastmi smo zajeli 357 neodvisnih zabeležb vrste (554 ptic) na 26 lokacijah. Opazili smo vzorce aktivnosti, ki nakazujejo, da je bila uspešnost zajema posnetkov najvišja v sezoni umikajoče se vode. Dnevna aktivnost vrste je sledila bimodalnemu vzorcu. Ritmi dnevne aktivnosti so bili podobni med različnimi sezonami, spoloma in odraslimi s potomci ali brez njih. Število posnetih živali glede na neodvisen zajem vrste se je gibalo od 1 do 4 in v povprečju znašalo 1,55 ± 0,81 SE. Večjih enospolnih skupin odraslih ptic nismo zaznanih. Potomce smo vsaj enkrat zabeležili na osmih lokacijah v marcu, aprilu in maju 2016 ter v juniju, juliju, oktobru in novembru 2017. Večinoma smo jih zabeležili z obema staršema, kar nakazuje starševsko skrb s strani obeh staršev. Razmerje spolov odraslih osebkov smo z 1,05:1,00 obravnavali kot enakovredno, medtem ko je razmerje spolov pri potomcih z 0,51:1,00 izrazito v prid samicam. Izdelači in uporabili smo „Identifikacijski ključ starostnih razredov potomcev C. fasciolata“. Določitev starostnih razredov je omogočila zaključek, da se odrasle ptice parijo skozi vse leto. Rezultati študije prinašajo pomembna spoznanja o biologiji vrste, saj smo jih pridobili na območju z nizkimi antropogenimi vplivi. Senič M. Camera trap based data analysis of Crax fasciolata life history patterns in the northern Pantanal. Univerza na Primorskem, Fakulteta za matematiko, naravoslovje in informacijske tehnologije, 2020 III Key words documentation Name and SURNAME: Martin SENIČ Title of the thesis: Camera trap based data analysis of the Bare-faced Curassow (Crax fasciolata) life history patterns in the northern Pantanal, Brazil Place: Koper Year: 2020 Number of pages: 94 Number of figures: 22 Number of tables: 8 Number of appendices: 15 Number of appendices pages: 15 Number of references: 74 Mentor: Prof. Karl-Ludwig Schuchmann, PhD Co-Mentor: Assist. Prof. Andrej Sovinc, PhD Working Co-Mentor: Kathrin Burs, MSc UDC: 598.261.4(043.2) Keywords: Cracidae, Crax fasciolata, Bare-faced Curassow, camera trap, capture success, activity patterns, sex ratio, social organization, parental care, offspring age, breeding season Abstract: Life history patterns of a population of the Bare-faced Curassow (Crax fasciolata, Aves, Cracidae) were studied at the SESC Baía das Pedras Park (c. 4200 ha), Poconé, Northern Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Between July 2015 and December 2017, 37 locations were monitored by the Computational Bioacoustics Research Unit (CO.BRA; http://cobra.ic.ufmt.br/), using camera traps. The Bare-faced Curassow was detected on 357 independent occasions (554 independent individual captures) at 26 locations. Observed activity patterns suggest that the highest capture success rates occured during the receding water season. The species’ daily activity followed a bimodal pattern. Daily activity rhythms were similar between different seasons, gender, and adults with or without offspring. The number of captured individuals per single survey occasion ranged from 1 and 4, and averaged 1.55 ± 0.81 SE. Larger single sex aggregations of adult birds were not observed. Offspring were detected at least once at 8 locations, namely in March, April, and May 2016 and in June, July, October, and November 2017. They were mostly accompanied with both parents, suggesting parental care by both male and female. Offspring sex ratio was significantly female-skewed with 0.51:1.00, whereas adult sex ratio of 1.05:1.00 was considered equal. An “Age-class Identification Key for C. fasciolata Offspring” was elaborated and applied. Age assessment of offspring captures suggests that breeding occurs throughout the year. The study results are biologically meaningful since they were obtained in an area with low anthropogenic pressures. Senič M. Camera trap based data analysis of Crax fasciolata life history patterns in the northern Pantanal. Univerza na Primorskem, Fakulteta za matematiko, naravoslovje in informacijske tehnologije, 2020 IV LIST OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 1 1.1 CRACIDS (CRACIDAE) .................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 General morphological characteristics .......................................................... 1 1.1.2 General behavioral characteristics ................................................................ 1 1.1.3 Geographical distribution of cracids ............................................................. 2 1.1.4 Conservation status, main threats, and conservation objectives ..................... 3 1.2 BARE-FACED CURASSOW (CRAX FASCIOLATA SPIX, 1825) ...................... 4 1.2.1 Scientific classification ................................................................................. 4 1.2.2 Description of morphological characteristics ................................................ 5 1.2.3 Geographical range of distribution ................................................................ 5 1.2.4 Habitat preferences ....................................................................................... 7 1.2.5 Conservation status and main threats ............................................................ 7 1.2.6 Historical and contemporary distribution of Bare-faced Curassow in the Brazilian Pantanal ...................................................................................................... 7 1.2.7 Existing measures and conservation actions .................................................. 8 1.2.8 Feeding habits .............................................................................................. 8 1.2.9 Activity patterns and social organization ...................................................... 9 1.2.10 Breeding habits ............................................................................................ 9 1.3 PANTANAL ..................................................................................................... 11 1.3.1 Pantanal as an important bird sanctuary ...................................................... 12 1.4 CAMERA TRAP BASED SURVEY OF CRAX SPECIES ................................ 12 1.5 OBJECTIVES AND APPROACHES ................................................................ 13 2 MATERIALS AND METHODS ............................................................................. 14 2.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF A STUDY AREA ........................................... 14 2.2 PROJECT HISTORY AND CAMERA TRAPPING ......................................... 16 2.3 ACTIVITY PATTERNS, SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AND SEX RATIO ....... 16 2.3.1 Data Analysis ............................................................................................. 16 2.3.2 Data comparison......................................................................................... 17 2.4 OFFSPRING AGE IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF BREEDING SEASON ..................................................................................................................... 18 2.4.1 Development and usefulness of »Age-class identification key for Crax fasciolata offspring« ...............................................................................................