Combining survey methods to estimate abundance and transience of migratory birds among tropical nonbreeding habitats

Peele, Ashley M.; Marra, Peter P.; Sillett, T. Scott

doi:10.1642/auk-14-282.1

Cited by 13 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…First‐year birds might be expected to store more fat than adults because they usually occupy lower‐quality habitats due to their subordinate status and lack of experience in finding and defending high‐quality winter territories (Sherry and Holmes , Peele et al. ), a pattern not observed in our data (Table ). In some cases, however, juveniles might occupy high‐quality habitats by relying on cues from adults.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

“…Coping may be associated with larger territories or home ranges facilitated by lower densities of competitors (Fretwell and Lucas ), and maintaining sufficient fuel to leave a habitat may help explain the frequency of transients in many warbler species (Peele et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, acacia scrub is particularly inhospitable compared to several other types of Jamaican scrub habitats that host a greater abundance and diversity of birds (e.g., xeric logwood scrub; Peele et al. ). The dry limestone ecosystem includes a more species‐diverse (plants as well as birds) scrub habitat interspersed with dry forests (Downer and Sutton ; Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because adults tend to have more experience in choosing winter habitats, they could reliably indicate high‐quality habitats to later‐arriving naive juveniles trying to secure habitat (Sherry and Holmes ) by occupying vacancies in unsaturated habitats, competing for territories, or surviving as floaters among territorial birds (Peele et al. ). However, in the one habitat where SFD was pronounced in our study (acacia scrub), juveniles had significantly more fat than adults, as hypothesized.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Up to 50% of individuals occupying some habitats in Jamaica are transient individuals that can be difficult to detect without intensive survey methods such as territory mapping (Peele et al. ). Fat levels might be expected to be greater in transient individuals as a bet‐hedging strategy (references in Introduction), particularly if they tend to be socially subordinate, which could obscure patterns among habitats.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of habitat, season, and age on winter fat storage by migrant and resident birds in Jamaica

2019

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Most small birds wintering in the tropics should show little subcutaneous fat deposition (SFD), except in habitats where food availability may decline in late winter or, for some resident species, to prepare for incubation or brooding fasts. However, these predictions need re‐examination in light of a new, precise, cross‐validated method to compare SFD among habitats and species. We sampled 170 Nearctic‐Neotropical migrant and 279 resident birds during early and late winter in 1993 and 1994 in Jamaica, West Indies. Habitats, from greatest to least expected availability of insect prey, were (1) mangrove forest, (2) montane/foothills forest and cultivation, (3) dry limestone forest, and (4) acacia scrub. Percent lipid, estimated from multiple‐regression models using visual fat scoring (0–8 scale), total‐body electrical conductivity, and a variety of morphometrics, was categorized by percentile ranks to determine if SFD varied by habitat, season, or age for all species, resident species, migrant species, and several individual species. SFD averaged ~ 13% total mass for all birds, ranging from 8–24% for well‐sampled species. The few bird species in acacia scrub, primarily two facultative long‐distance migrants, averaged ~ 26% lipid content, significantly more than birds in other habitats. Most birds did not vary in SFD in the other three habitats, although Common Yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) had greater SFD in dry limestone habitat than in montane habitat. Bananaquits (Coereba flaveola) and Jamaican Euphonias (Euphonia jamaica) in montane habitat, especially in early winter, had higher SFD than other resident species. Contrary to our prediction, adults and juveniles had similar SFD, with the exception of juveniles having more SFD than adults in acacia scrub habitat. Winter fat deposition (or, in some cases, muscle‐protein catabolism) in the tropics may be an overlooked strategy, potentially important as a hedge against fasting for floaters, facultative migrants, some territorial migrants in habitats with seasonal declines in food resources, and some resident species prior to breeding.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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