Current Raptor Studies in México Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. Dr. Mario Martínez Director General Elena Enríquez Silva Direcciónde GestiónInstitucional Dr. Ricardo Rodríguez Estrella Director de Programa Académico Planeación Ambientaly Conservación Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad Ing. José Luis Luege Tamargo Secretario Técnico Dr. José Sarukhán Kermez Coordinador Nacional Mtra. Ana Luisa Guzmán y López Figueroa Secretaria Ejecutiva M. en C. María del CarmenVáz quez Rojas Din:cci6n de Evaluación de Prqyectos Current Raptor Studies in México Editedby Ricardo Rodríguez-Estrella Ci:I CONABIO J\fÉXICO 2006 CIBNOR-CONABIO MÉXICO © 2006 Ali rights reserved. No part of this publication, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meaos, electronic, mechanical , photocopying, recording, duplicating or othen.vise without the prior permission of the copyright owner. The characteriscicsof this edicionare property of: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. & Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad QL696.F3 R37 2006 Current Ra ptor Studies in México/ Ricardo Rodríguez-Estrella, ed. México: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C.: Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y U so de la Biodiversidad, 2006. 2006; 323 p. ,il, 25.5 cm. ISBN 970-9000-37-3 1. Raptors-México 2. Rapt ors--ecology 3. Rapto rs------{'.onservation L Rodrí6'11ez Est rella, Ricardo (Ed.) CONTENTS Preface vil Contributors X Reviewers xiii Acknowledgm ents xiv 1. Raptor studies inMéxico: an overview 1 Ricardo Rodríguez-Estrellaand Laura B. Rivera-Rodriguez 2. Howmany raptors species are there in México? 33 Octavio R. Rojas-Soto and Adolfo G. NavarroSingüenza 3. Status of raptors inNuevo León, México 46 Alan S. López-V., Annando J. Contteras-Balderas, José l. González-Rojas, Juan A García-Salas, Antonio Guzmán­ V elasc o, and Fernando Montiel de la Garza 4. Recent breeding records and sightings ofNeotropical forest 59 eagles in southeastem México Andrew M. Bunon 5. Food habits ofbreeding peregrinefalcons (Falcop eregrinus) 71 in the Ojo de Llebre Lagoon, Baja California Sur, México Aradit Castellanos, Federico Salinas, Cerafina Arguelles, Ant onio Rodríguez,and Eloísa Sánchez 6. Comparative study of diurna!raptors at two locationsalong 83 the coast of Jalisco: El Playón de Mismaloya and the Península El Tamarindo Salvador Hernández Vázquez 7. Spatialanalysis oflandscape diversity forthe aplomado falcon 105 (Falcofemorah·s septentrionalís) in northem México Elsa Margarita Zamarrón Rodríguez and Alberto LafónTerrazas 8. Ecology and populationstatus of ospreys (PandíonhaHaetus) 120 in coastal Sonora Jean-Luc E. Cartron, Stefan A. Sommer, Darlene E. Kilpatrick, and Tad A. Pfister 9. Breedingbiology and success of the osprey (Pandion haHaetus) 149 in Laguna San Ignacio, Baja California Sur, México, in 1998, 2000, and 2001 Ricardo Rodríguez-Estrella, Laura B. Rivera-Rodrígu ez, and Erika Jazmín Morales 10. High infestation by blood parasites (Haematozoa) in nestlings 163 of colonial ospreys (Pandíon haHaetus) from Baja California,México Jesús A. Lemus, Guillermo Blanco, and Ricardo Rodríguez-Estrella 11. Resident and winteringpopulations of the burrowing owl 181 (Athene cunicularia) in México Ricardo Rodríguez-Estrella andJavier Bruno Granados Ruíz 12. Raptor and raven electrocutions in northwestem México: 202 a preliminary regional assessment of the irnpact of concrete power poles Jean-Luc E. Cartron, Ricardo Rodrígue,-:-Estr ella, Robett C. Rogers, Laura B. Rivera-Rodríguez, andJavier Bruno Granados Ruíz 13. Current curatorial and bibliographic knowledge ofMexican 231 F alconiformes Patricia Ramírez-Bascidaand Adolfo G. Navarro Sin,güema 14. Taxonomy, distribution, and conservation of owls in the 254 neotropics: a review Paula L. Enríquez, David H. Johnson, and José L. Rangel-Salazar 15. Taxonomic allocation and precision fortropical owl communities: 308 a sampling approach José L. Rangel-Salazar, Paula L. Enríquez, and Peter Marshall PREFACE Biological diversity of México, raptors and scientific research México is one of thc most biologically diverse countries on thc planct, as a result of its very complex gcological history, geographic position, and cnvironmental hcterogcncity, among other factors. lts biological divcrsity is such, that together with 17 othcr countries such as India, China and Brazil, it is rcfcrrcd to as i\fegadiverse. Together, thcsc countrics sustain more than 70% of ali linng organisms, including phnts, anima\s and m1croorganisms, México ranking first for its divcrsity of reptiles and amphibians, thir<l for its mammalian diversity, fourth for irs diversity of vascular plants, and clcvcnth for its diversity of birds. Morcovcr, a high pcrccntage of the species, up to 6S(Y11 in amphibians, are endemic to México; i.c. with gcographic ranges restrictcd to thc country. Toe biological din::rsity of l\léxico has been part of rhc gcographic and natural settings that han:: accompanied its inhabitants sincc thcr first scttlcd in the country more than 12,000 ycars ago. The legendary diversity of thc country has astonishcd scicntists such as Bar<m Alexander Von Hwnbolt, who dcscribcd México as a biolo¿,>ical paradisc. Unfortunately, this impressive natural divcrnity of thc coumry is practically unkninvn by most Mexicans, who imtcad 1;hould be proud of their biological inheritancc. VII Nowadays, thc biological diversity of México is seriously thrcatcned. Hundreds of spccies and thousands of populations are endangered, mainly because of human population size and social inequity. México's population size is expected to become stable around 145 millions, but only in three decadcs. The loss of biological diversit:y has severe consequences at a biological and social level, because populations and species are the basis for the structure and functioning of biological systems, which provide us far free with environmental goods and scrvices. These goods and services, which indude the maintenance of a proper atrnospheric gas composition, the ozone layer, soil fertility and quality and quantity of water, among others, generare the environmental conditions that allow life on Earth. They are the basis of our existence. Paradoxically, their continuancedepends on our activities. The only way to understand the complex relationships of living organisms with their environment, their role in providing environmental services, and better management of these living organisms to reconcile their use with their conservation, is through a solid investment in scicntific rcscarch. However, many governments, induding the Mexican government, surrender to the temptation of investing little in scientific and technological research, focusing on other approaches to fight social and economic problems. Those govcrnments ignore that one of the few ways out of poverty is through the generation of scientific and technological knowledge, which is fundamental to the development of any country. Vlll That is why I havc rcccived with great satisfaction this volumc addrcssing thc ccology and conservation of raptors - one group of species very scnsitivc to anthropogenic disturbanccs. As top predators, with low population sizes, raptors are susceptible to environmcntal changes that can affect them negacively, and thus increase the risk of their extinction. That is precisely why their status is an indication of environmental conditions, much like canary birds long ago used to indicate the prcscncc of toxic gases to mincrs. Toe results presented by researchers working with raptors in México can haYe an immediate applicationin conscnTacion. The carcful c<liting of thc editor has produced an interesting book of high scientific quality. I am surc that time will be the bcst test of thc bcncfits of this type of publications, which are csscntial to maintainthe welfare of our socicty. Gerardo Ccballos México D.F. IX CONTRIBUTORS Guillenno Blanco Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Armando J. Contreras-Balderas Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM­ Laboratorio de Ornitología, Facultad JCGvf), Ronda de Toledo s/n 13005 de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Ciudad Real, Spain. Current address: Nacional Autónoma de Nuevo León, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Apartado Postal 425, San Nicolás de Museo de Ciencias Naturales (CSiq J. los Garza, Nuevo León 66450, Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, México. [email protected] Spain. [email protected] Paula L. Enriquez AndrewM. Burton Animal Science Department, Faculty Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de of Agricultura! Sciences, The Colima, Avenida 25 de Julio 965, Universiry of British Columbia, 270- Colonia Las Víboras, Colima 28045, 2357 Main l\.fall, Vancouver, BC, México. [email protected] Canada V6T 124. p lenriq u@in terc hange. ubc.ca Jean-Luc E. Cartron Department of Biology, University of Juan A. García-Salas New Mexico, Albuquerque, Nívl Laboratorio de Ornitología, Facultad 87131, [email protected] de Ciencias Biológicas, "C ruversidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Apartado Aradit Castellanos Postal 425, San Nicolás de los Garza, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Nuevo León CP 66450, :tv[éxico. del Noroeste, S.C. Apartado Postal 128, La Paz, B.C.S. 23000, I'vféxico. José I. González-Rojas [email protected] Laboratorio de Ornitología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Gerardo Ceballos Autónoma de Nuevo León, Apartado Instituto de Ecología, UNAM. Postal 425, San Nicolás de los Garza, Aparrado Postal