Birds as indicators of wetland status and change in the North Rupununi, Guyana

Abstract

In financially and human capacity poor countries, there is an important need to monitor the status of resource rich ecosystems in the face of growing extractive activities in simple and inexpensive ways. In this study we explore the potential of using birds as indicators of ecosystem change in the wetland systems of the North Rupununi, Guyana, where local communities rely heavily on wetland resources for their subsistence activities. This is done by (1) assessing what environmental factors determine bird communities at different spatial and temporal scales; and (2) identifying indicator groups and/or species for ecosystem status. We surveyed 31 wetland sites over 2 years, taking monthly recordings of both the environmental features of waterbodies using a modified version of the River Habitat Survey and bird species counts. Using multivariate analyses, we found that largescale habitat type, namely forest and savanna, and waterbody type, namely pond or main river channel, were the main factors affecting bird species distribution. At the smaller scale, habitat features around the waterbody and seasonality become important factors. We were able to identify lists of bird species associated with different waterbody types, and we present this as a checklist for future monitoring. We hope these findings can be integrated into the adaptive management and sustainable livelihood goals of the local stakeholders through linking monitoring with tourism and local school curriculum activities.

Recent Data on Birds of Kinshasa in Democratic Republic of Congo

“…In general, the group contains species whose habitats are of similar types of those of the other categories, and in fact Passerines are the most numerous. These facts agree with the idea that birds are good indicators of the state and the health of an ecosystem [44][45][46][47]. That situation can be also explained by urban expansion in zones where grassy savannas are the dominant formations of vegetation, as in Maluku, Nsele and the Plateau of Bateke which constitute the peripheral zones of Kinshasa.…”

First record of Tigrisoma fasciatum (Such, 1825) (Aves: Ardeidae) in the State of Amapá, Brazil and updated species distribution in Central and South America

“…Our record representing a major range extension highlights how the Amazon region remains poorly studied even for large easy-to-detect vertebrates. Additionally, our finding highlights the urgent need The most recent records in Brazil (Pivatto et al 2006, Becker 2008, Faria 2008, Menegheti 2008, Blásquez et al 2009, Paiva 2009, Garcia 2010, Cavaretto 2011, Cintra 2012, López 2012, Peru (Pratolongo et al 2007, Lane 2010, Reijnders 2011, Ecuador (Becker & Lanús 1997, Vogt 2007, Colombia (Estela & López-Victoria 2005), Guyana (Barnett et al 2002, Mistry et al 2008, French Guiana , Suriname (Ottema 2002, Ribot 2013 and Honduras (Vallely et al 2010) are labeled with gray circles. The nearest documented location to our new record (star) is located in French Guiana.…”

“…Although not included in any contemporary distribution map (InfoNatura 2007, BirdLife 2009, Perlo 2009), the species has also been recently documented in Suriname (Ottema 2002, Ribot 2013, Guyana (Barnett et al 2002, Mistry et al 2008, French Guiana , Honduras…”

“…All censuses habitat characteristics, such as the proximity to waterbodies (rivers and tributaries), and a hilly topography or an elevational gradient. The reported habitat type along the rivers where T. fasciatum has been documented included a variety of native vegetation types such as savanna, tropical lowland forest and wetland vegetation types (Yamashita & Valle 1990, Pivatto et al 2006, Mistry et al 2008, mangrove forests (Estela & López-Victoria 2005) and montane and premontane moist forests (Eisenmann 1965, Becker & Lanús 1997.…”

Seasonal Patterns in Aquatic Bird Counts at Five Andean Lakes of Ecuador

“…In Ecuador, a monitoring program to provide baseline information on the distribution and abundance of aquatic birds started in 2004 (López-Lanús and Blanco 2005). Such data are essential to provide guidelines for the management and conservation of wetlands (Tamisier and Boudouresque 1994;Paillisson et al 2002;Lagos et al 2008;Mistry et al 2008). Andean lakes have endemic fish (Ruzzante et al 1998) and bird species that are threatened at the national level (e.g.…”